This is Ginger Bird. Despite the name, Ginger is very much a he. He died on August 23, 2012. Arrived here in June of 2007. Only 5 years for a very big presence. Some things words just don’t quite hold – words could never hold a bird. They can be about a bird. There is something magical about living with birds in a situation where they are free to fly and join you or not. Ginger liked to sit on my head. Especially when I was working – sitting here transcribing medical reports. Don’t know if he did it to be “top bird” or he liked me or it kept his feet warm – whatever, the effect was precious.
When he came I had 3 other birds, all cockatiels, Billy, Jockey and Tori. We lost Billy
When Ginger came, Tori had never whistled a note in his life – and he learned from Ginger. Now he jabbers in bird jabber and whistles like a human – memories of Ginger lingering on. Ginger also taught Tori and Jock how to be good birdies and go in their cages each night because he insisted on it and insisted on being covered up too.
One of the cutest things they would do is walk. Here are these creatures who can fly beautifully and instead would choose to walk the length of the house – all 3 of them. Ginger always wanted me to walk with him in the afternoon when I would be sitting and knitting – he’d come stand by my chair, head cocked looking up at me – totally irresistible – so I’d get up and follow behind him, into the kitchen with him making sure he went around the kitchen table because he knew I could not go under. I often wondered if he was being a “person” when he did this.
We really miss him, Tori, Jockey and me. But more than missing, we remember Ginger – we remember everything about him, how special he was and always will be in our hearts and memories.
