Published Apr 11, 2004
When I first got Junior, my then-girlfriend and I used to take him and her bird out on walks with us. We’d go to Starbucks or even to the Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden. But we moved out of the Inland Empire, and eventually split up, and taking the bird for walks dropped off of activities I might plan for a weekend.
I kept the Feather Tether leash I used to walk Junior with, and one visitor after another laughed at the concept. But, for some reason, the Wonderful Girlfriend suggested we take him for a walk this weekend. After a 10-minute struggle to get the harness on, and a little bit of bleeding on my part, away we went.
At first Junior had this “and what the hell have you got going on here now?” look on his face. But, halfway through our walk, he became fascinated looking up at the butt of a mockingbird that was perched on a wire. From there, he became more adventurous; he climbed from my arm to my girlfriend’s and, eventually, back; he hunkered down and enjoyed the headwinds; he even made kissy noises at a girl who I think he thought was pretty.
This sounds bizarre, but I think I need to start taking my bird for walks.
Slow ‘n quiet, just how I like it.