Topic: What are you doing right now?

[mishca09]

Aw budgie are very cute… are they low maintenance to care for?

[6pairsofshoes]

Yes, although you do need to interact with them if you have them singly, as I do, as they are very social flock-oriented animals.  I talk to, sing at, and play with this bird every day for a good while and feel very guilty if I don't.  He was alone last week for an entire day and was so happy when we came home.  He first buzzed our heads to punish us and express disapproval for abandoning him, then he was extremely playful and interactive.  We move his cage around the house to have him in the same room we are occupying and he eats when we do.  When I take a nap in the afternoon, so does he.  It's pretty funny to wake up to see a little bird with its head tucked under its wing, sleeping.  When I move, he stretches his legs and wings to rouse himself.

They don't cost much to feed, but like all animals, vet bills can be pretty expensive if they get sick.  A good avian vet is hard to find, although we have some brilliant ones about 45 minutes away.

[xtopave]

^What you're telling makes me go awwwwww.... 

[mishca09]

Aw he sounds delightful. do you let him fly around the house occasionally or is his wings clipped?

[smokester]

Budgies used to be the reserve of old folk here which tended to make them more endearing to kids (the old folk not the Budgies that is). Reading six's comments I'm seriously considering one myself. Maybe even two.

[goldshirt*9]

At the moment i'm  watching red nose day 
simon callow getting married 

[6pairsofshoes]

The bird doesn't take up lots of room.  If I need to go away for the weekend, it's easy to leave it with a neighbor or have someone pop in once a day to change its food.

I never feel alone with this little animal around.  It's odd.  They make great companions.  They are intelligent, sympathetic, funny and they sing.  Mine imitates the neighborhood birds and mimics human laughter pretty well.  It occasionally goes off on these vocal riffs that sound like speech but I can't understand what he's saying.  He's young, though.  I have a friend whose bird would pick up odd phrases from tv commercials, and could say its name.  For all you footballers, my bird likes to get on the floor of its cage and bat marbles around with his beak.  They like sports on tv, perhaps because the crowd noises are like the sound of rain.  At least it means if you watch sport, the bird will join in cheering on your team.  At $20 a pop, what's not to like?

Simon Callow's last name seems to fit him.

[goldshirt*9]

You could always take the bird on holiday with you .
Friends family take their rabbits / tortoise / dogs / Parrots with them 

[6pairsofshoes]

I have traveled a great deal with my former bird (now deceased).  But, given that I was charged $80 "handling charge" for the privilege of stowing the bird under my seat by the airline before they began charging for checking a bag, the idea of managing to take a bird along on a flight these days becomes a pricey one. 

Birds love to drive along in the car next to you in their cages, though, and if it's possible, we usually take it along on long weekend trips.  They chirp in the car, enjoy listening to the radio, etc.

I'm up in the middle of the night, contemplating going back to bed.

[goldshirt*9]

I am drying out from walking pooches

[6pairsofshoes]

Rainy spring there?

I'm relaxing after dinner.  My iMac is in the shop and I'm back on my sweet little laptop.  I prefer the keyboard of this old MacBookPro to the huge wired affair of the iMac.

[dweez]

6pairs, you need one of these.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Apple-wireless-keyboard-aluminum-2007.jpg

[goldshirt*9]

do i go out with dogs in the snow or throw them in the garden ?

[Autumn]

Falling asleep next to my daughter

[smokester]

Boiling the kettle for my hot water bottle.  They really are a wonderful invention aren't they.  Half a kettle of water keeps you warm all night.

Stick that in your pipe, British Gas!