Little Wing

Luke took a 50-minute time lapse of our bird and condensed it into a minute. Like toddlers, budgies never stop moving.

We had to say goodbye to our much-loved, 7-year old parakeet, Nitwit, this morning.

Luke named him when the bird was one of 2 hand-fed, hand-trained babies left at a pet store in Park Ridge which was closing. "He looks like a Nitwit," Luke said. And he totally was.

Before his wings matured and grew out, which we didn't get clipped, he was an out-of-the-cage bird, largely. He'd sit on my chest while I watched TV, or sit on the top of the couch, look out of the window and sing. Being a caged bird didn't curb his nuttiness. 

Why not?

He was a Miklasz.

 If you went out, he'd chirp his little heart out wanting to go with you as you walked out the back door. And when you came home and opened the door, you were always met with a hugely exuberant litany of singing. 

Rest in Peace, Little Wing.

And yes, we'll get another one. My MO at the pet store is to look into the giant cages and pick which bird looks the most insane, is bothering all of the other birds, has the most energy and appears to be the youngest. It's my turn to name the next one and I'm teetering on Zevon (and call him "Zevie") though my mom's more partial to George (Harrison). I've already gone through a Ringo and a Zappa, a Micky, Sparky and Joe-Joe. I like Bowie, but I have a friend who has a dog named David Bowie, so that's not very original. Suggestions are welcome.