I was telling Vicki about our two parrots and maybe other Cuties haven't met them. I'm really a Cat person, but African Grey Parrots are a close second. Janey is a Congo and has the red tail and black beak (Shown with my husband Willie. She thinks he is her dad.). She's about twice the weight of Mac (He's the one in front to the depression glass). He is a Timneh with a maroon tail and tan on the top of his beak. They each talk - lots, and do tricks. Mac is potty trained and will go when I ask him. Janey has about 200 words or phrases, while Mac only has about 50. They like to eat what we eat, so I was putting some chicken noodle soup in their dishes. Mac started slurping right away. I put some in Janey's dish and she looked at the soup, looked at me and said, "It's HOT!" She wouldn't even try to eat it. The third picture is Mac on Ben's shoulder. :-) Mac loves to be with me whenever I'm sewing and jabbers like me when he does.

by hightechgrammy 19 Oct 2020

I think Ben was about 19??? We were going to give Mac a bite and share with Ben! We are very careful with our language anyway. I feel so bad for birds who learn all those words, and people like to put videos of them on you tube. Our birds have nice, polite and clean language! When birds may outlive you, you need to make sure they are adoptable and fowl language can really limit them. My soapbox!
Hugs, Toogie!

by toogie edited 19 Oct 2020

Yes they tried to give the bird to the zoo but Hosea really like to curse. WE don’t talk like that but my dads wife cussed.🤐 Not MY mother! the zoo couldn’t take him

by hightechgrammy 19 Oct 2020

That is one of my very favorites pictures of Ben - and Mac too. Thanks

by shirley124 18 Oct 2020

Some people feed there animals off the best of china. Ha Ha Glad you were able to get 1 plate. Hugs

by hightechgrammy 19 Oct 2020

I think he looks especially nice with depression glass behind him :-). I don't know if people have these in other parts of the world. They are cheaply made glass that was produced during the '30s and on as a promotion for people to buy other products. You might find a dish in your laundry detergent, or they had a "dish night" at the movies. We have collected these for about 40 years now. Our pattern is named "Cameo Ballerina." People find and buy these into huge collections. We only use them on Christmas, Thanksgiving and sometimes Easter. Maybe we should fed the birds off of them! I think Mac would give it a toss off of his cage - but Janey would be polite.

by noah 19 Oct 2020

Yes so true :):)hugsxx

by hightechgrammy 19 Oct 2020

Thank you, Laura. They are very pretty, not like the big green and blue ones, but African Greys are considered to the be smartest of the parrots. Their voices sound like their humans. Do you have birds?

by hightechgrammy 19 Oct 2020

I love posting pics of Ben. Thanks for remembering him. :-)

by toogie edited 18 Oct 2020

Karen, I think Willie is Jan's hubby!

by 02kar 18 Oct 2020

Sorry for the mix up. I meant Mac.

by hightechgrammy 19 Oct 2020

Willie would be a great name for a parrot. They are especially good at pronouncing the long E sound. Janet calls out, "Wiiiileeeee where are you?" She also calls him William sometime. She sounds just like me though. Both parrots prefer him over me.

by hightechgrammy 19 Oct 2020

Was Buster an Amazon? 100 is really old for any parrot. They are way too smart, and they do pick one person they like over anyone else. Fortunately Mac and Janey like both of us, but Janey is actually Willie's and Mac is mine. Mac will let me ruffle his head feathers, while Janey only allows Willie to do that. I think it is a very trusting thing.

by lbrow 20 Oct 2020

An Amazon He was

by hightechgrammy 18 Oct 2020

YES!!! That's right! I had totally spaced out on that. I still have all those designs and I've been seriously thinking I could sew the quilt now. It's been hard to even think about doing that. But, the healing is continuing and I'm able to go in his room (where he died) and not get depressed. He sure had a lot of friends.... ALL over the world. I don't know what I would have done without my dear friends - the Cuties. Thank you, Meganne, for helping me so much - and for the parrots designs! Hugs, Jan

by hightechgrammy 19 Oct 2020

Thank you Chris, It is so comforting remembering how so many of you "knew" him. You were so wonderful and supportive since our loss. Most days are finer, but it hits me now and then, when I least expect it, and those days are hard. But, we have tons and tons of pictures, videos and memories. He said, "I have Jesus in my Heart" and we put that on his monument!

by hightechgrammy 18 Oct 2020

Birds are wonderful, very messy and take a life-long commitment. If I were going to get one now, I would get a "parrotlet". They are small and full of personality. Small birds, smaller mess. About $200 as compared to $1000! Big personalities and tiny sweet birds! They can fit in parakeet (budgie) cages!

by hightechgrammy 19 Oct 2020

We didn't purchase these two. We "rescued" them from a bird store where people took their birds they could no longer keep. They only had baby birds, hand fed and growing enough for their new parents to take them home. IT was like a little bird adoption place. So, they gave these other birds to the employees or anyone else who would take them and love them. Janey was a "Fly In." She flew into someone's yard and they could never find out who owned her. She told them her own name by saying, "Janet good girl."

by hightechgrammy 19 Oct 2020

I mean, "Janey, good girl."

by hightechgrammy 19 Oct 2020

Thank you so much. Parrots become part of the family and their talking makes you feel like they really know what is going on.