Got a new pet bird today

[Dina Lerret]

Earlier today, I went with my mom, brother, and his wife to a bird
'show' held by the Suncoast Avian Society in Pinellas Park.  Not as
packed as some of the other ones I had been to in the past (*years*
back) but plenty of lovely birds.  It's kinda funny how I can still
think of these baby birds as adorable with gangly limbs and naked skin
with 'pin' feathers sprouting all over.

I ended up with a new pet cockatiel as a birthday present.  My mom,
brother, his wife, and I chipped in to fork over the money to buy her
as a birthday present--err, my dad finally sent a birthday card a week
after my birthday, so at least I feel better about that... y'know,
it's disappointing when a parent forgets your birthday and there's a
messy divorce still going on. :-(  Anyway, she's a whiteface split to
pearl, though, she doesn't have a white mask.  Unlike normal grey
cockatiels, she doesn't have the yellow mask or orange cheeks.  She's
all grey with white spots where white feathers are mixed with grey. 
There's also a white stripe above her nose, which both my brother and
I joked about her being like Spike from Gremlins, and a white collar
on the back of her neck.  Overall, nice personality and gentle.  Since
I'm bad with names and I kept calling her 'pretty bird', my mom
suggested I call her Pretty... Kinda lame, I know, but does the job.
{g}

I guess cat folk say they like hearing the purring of a cat when it's
content.  Well, birds make their own 'purring' sound, and even though
it doesn't sound as soft, there is something nice about knowing a pet
you're holding is happy.

Dina