Part 2

Things I remember…
Part 2

I remember back when my family raised birds. (also a long time ago.) There were times when we would have to spend an entire day cleaning the aviary out; it was gross. Bird poop and discarded seeds, along with several other very gross things… The dust would be so bad we would have to wear surgical masks. I’m pretty sure that if people had seen our cleaning getup they would have thought were part of a government cover-up or something very dangerous. I would usually have on a Dr. Smock, a surgical mask, rubber gloves, brogans, and I think I remember wearing safety glasses once. My hair would be pulled back very tight, usually in a ball cap that I “borrowed” from my dad or papaw. Sometimes I would be in fatigues. I didn’t see the point in ruining good clothes. If there is one thing I can say about birds is it this: In large numbers, they are the most disgusting thing on earth. Now, I have a lot of fond memories about the birds, don’t get me wrong. But, I will NEVER raise them again. They are just too much trouble. One fond memory is of the baby African Grays. They would say mama when you would come in to feed them. They were so sweet, and they would even give you kisses. The birds taught me a lot of life lessons. When I started hand feeding the babies, I guess I was about 14-15, I learned what it was like to get up every 2 hrs. I learned what it was like to not be able to just pick up and go somewhere. It was like have 4 or 5 babies, all around the same age. I learned a lot about life and death too. Cause and Effect I guess you could say. Disease and Bacterial infections were a dreaded reality in some cases. A few things were ruined forever for me. Veg-All mix will never pass my lips again. I can’t even stand to smell it! Clorox is a huge no-no for me now. The smell of it makes me sick too. Trail mix makes me want to gag, as well as sweet potatoes.