Alex and Max

Tuesday, August 20:  Since it has been two months since I visited Ruthanne and Terry over in Clinton Township, I drove there Tuesday morning. This is the outside of their beautiful house!

Shelley and her family were out of town, so Ruthanne and Terry were "bird-sitting" for MAX (a cockatoo) and ALEX (a budgie). 

 Both birds are ... very, very funny. They kept us delightfully amused! Max (below) doesn't exactly talk ... but he does "tweet" very loudly and sings some amazing songs. He has a few drawbacks: (1) Max likes to chew on people's toenails  (2)  When he grooms himself, he makes a little bit of a mess with his feathers  (3)  He tends to poop whenever and wherever ...   BUT aside from those very few annoyances, Max is a lovely bird!

 This is ALEX. I am positive that I have never seen or heard a happier bird in my life. I feel VERY inclined to own one ... almost immediately!  Alex sings, talks, entertains himself quite easily, and is in every way completely adorable. He enjoys looking at himself in the mirrors, and he plays with all of his cage toys.

 Max, however, rarely plays with his toys and paces about in his cage until he is let out!

 The orange places on both sides of Max's head are his EARS. I had no idea! The claws on his toes are quite long ...

 Max spent a long time on Ruthanne's shoe one night, perhaps hoping she would bare her toes so that he could have a bite. One of the funniest things, though, was when Max snuggled up to Terry's stocking feet--he let out the most amazing piece of music I have ever heard! Several bars of it, repeated over and over, and L-O-U-D in the bargain! Isn't Max a cutie?

 Thisi s the inside of Max's cage ... when allowed, Alex would fly out of his cage and into Max's and play with all of his stuff.

 Max has no quibbles whatsoever about landing on top of people's heads ... poor Ruthanne!

 For not being bird owners, I thought Terry and Ruthanne did an excellent job caring for these guys.

 I know, Max ... you've just about had it with my camera ... I don't blame you a bit.

 I love these pictures of Ruthanne ...

 Max and Alex have VERY fancy cages, don't they? Like Grand Hotels!

 Brendan had almost talked me into becoming a Hermit Crab pet owner ... but I think all of the children would enjoy a budgie bird far better--don't you think?

Sorry, Max ... I'm not up to taking care of a cockatoo; but you sure are a beautiful bird.