Boncuk, my little green and gray Quaker parrot, is on my shoulder enjoying some quiet time with me. He alternates between grooming his feathers, nuzzling at my cheek, and burying his head between his wings for a little nap. He loves it when he's been allowed to sleep out of his cage for the night. He and his brother Zaza roost on the top of Kizzy's cage, a spot higher than than their own location. It is really fun to have a little bird that makes his own decisions about where to sit and what to do. He leaves when I move to get coffee, but returns as I do. I first hear the whooosh of feathers as his little self makes his way to my shoulder, assuming his special spot and giving me a few happy clicks when he is settled. He seems weightless and is so soft against my cheek. His little eyes close for a rest, after all it is still dark outside, and the first outdoor birds haven't chirped yet. A good, quiet morning. I have to ignore Toby to experience this sweet start to the day, though, as he has already started being a Difficult Dog. Boncuk is a simple pleasure of my morning that makes life enjoyable.
A quiet voice comes from the bird room as Hapi wakes up. "I love you!" he says in a sweet little voice, testing the waters as to when he can start demanding breakfast. Cairo releases a characteristic whiny sigh, which is so expressive that my friends who know him repeat it back to him whenever he does it in front of them. Kizzy is grumbling to himself very softly. Like most things he does, he wakes slowly. Ellie and Tilly are snuggled up in one of the dog beds, as they do every morning with hopes that I do not force them to go outside. Ellie would live her entire life indoors if she could, yet will enjoy going out if she is with me. She is most definitely a mama's girl. Toby scouts around looking for anything edible and is just generally being a nuisance with is marking behavior. Four times already since coming in from outside. Bangs on the door like a linebacker to come in when he is outside. I am grateful for the interior gates that somewhat contain him. Sigh.
The cats, Theo and Seama, are my true heroes who make sure this old house is rodent-free. They have come down for breakfast, sharing a plate of canned food and turning their noses up at the Trader Joe's Organic dry kibble that they've been on for a long time now. Time for change, I think. Theo head-butts Toby in a gesture of "Good morning" and sidewinds his way to the food dishes. They love this quiet time of day too, as the birds scare them. When Theo was little, he LOVED hanging out with the birds -- sleeping in the bottom of their cages, hanging out in the bird room, etc. Never a predatory instinct at all, thankfully. Now he startles easily and takes off with their sounds. The cats spend the day shedding on my fabrics in my art room, or snuggled up on my bed, where it is sunny and quiet. At night, they alternate patrols, keeping us all safe, and take naps snuggled up on the bed with the dogs. Ah, the life of cats.
Despite having a huge amount of pets under my roof, it is a very peaceable kingdom. Aside from the Tobster, they are really not that troublesome and make my house a fun and love-filled place to be. Lots of cleaning, and food cooking, but I remind myself that there will be a time when they are no longer here for me to care for, and to enjoy every minute of their lives. Hapi is now awake and has counted "One, two, three, four, five!" and I am not sure if he is trying to elicit a response from me or if he is timing how long I am on the computer rather than getting his breakfast started. Never a dull moment! Here's to our companion animals and how they make our lives richer through their antics and routines. Except for Toby. Sigh.
What will you make today?