Photo courtesy of Foster Parrots Ltd.

Marc Johnson heads up Foster Parrots, an adoption, education, sanctuary and rescue organization located in Rockland, Massachusetts. I’ve known about Foster Parrots for years, but I didn’t meet Marc until about two years ago. Marc and Foster Parrots were featured in a PBS show, “Scientific Frontiers” with Alan Alda in 2002. You can see that clip from “Pet Tech,” here:

Since then, he has been extremely generous in rendering opinions, supplying me with quotes for articles and occasionally commenting here at the blog.

One of the birds at Foster Parrots- Photo courtesy of Foster Parrots Ltd.

In the past, I have done an interview of a sort with people in the industry in a format that is a diversion from your usual direct question format. Rather than ask people a direct question, I simply ask them to “finish the sentence.” I send them the first few words of a statement and it’s up to the individual to finish it anyway they like.

This gives the interviewee great leeway as to what they want to say. Here is Irena Schulz’s “Finish the Sentence Interview.”

A “Dynamic Duo” at Foster Parrots- Photo courtesy of Foster Parrots Ltd.

It looks easy, but it’s not. Jacqueline Johnson who heads up the Best Friends Parrot Garden wrote to me after finishing her “Finish the Sentence” interview, “That was not easy to do. It’s much harder than you would think it would be!” Here is Jacque Johnson’s Interview.

So suffice it to say, I’m always pleased when these come back as well written as they are because it’s not a walk in the park. Anyway, here is Marc’s version of “Finish the Sentence:”

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1.) I never thought… I would find a cause that would not allow me to turn away or just let someone else handle.

Pearl, a Foster Parrots Amazon- Photo courtesy of Foster Parrots Ltd.

2.) Most days at work… I wish I could do more for the parrots in our care and I guess I will not ever be truly happy although I am proud of what we have done at Foster Parrots.

3.) My best ideas… involve a tropical island. Seriously, (and not wishing to sound too big headed about this one) I think we have been so far ahead of the “curve” on many issues concerning parrots that my best ideas were not taken seriously.

4.) What I’d like to see… seems to be happening a little at a time, much more slowly than I would have liked but I do see a general acceptance of things like NOT selling unweaned baby parrots, strict adoption rules and a general public that understands the complexity and intelligence issues that make keeping parrots difficult at best, perhaps cruel at worst

5.) The most interesting… thing I have done is the Guyana project. Once a year I get to go to the rainforests of Guyana and although it has been a difficult road (one that I could never have imagined) it has been the fulfillment of every child’s dream….

Photo courtesy of Foster Parrots Ltd.

6.) If I had the opportunity to be on David Letterman… I would present the top ten reasons NOT to have a parrot as a pet… #10. You should get a parrot if you enjoy having surgery performed on your face at home…(me… three times!)

7.) When I meet… really smart people I know you don’t have to be a doctor to understand what really matters on this earth.

8.) It’s all about… not having any regrets… I have a few… but then again, too few to mention?

Henry and Oliver : Photo courtesy of Foster Parrots Ltd.

9.) Sometimes your gut tells you… really stupid things. I have learned to analyze the hell out of everything I do….

10.) I’ve never regretted… the course the last 20 years has taken me on but I am getting old and tired now.

You can support Foster Parrots by simply ordering a T-shirt here. Click on the image to order:

Allow me to explain this. As you might know, I, along with half the population of the United States am rather active on Facebook. And I don’t cheat at it either by posting Tweets from Twitter as my status. I have found it to be tremendously satisfying because FB has allowed me to get out some really good information about good parrot care and and nutrition as well as attempting to get people to lighten up a bit about their birds. So it has turned out to be a rather nicely melded and synergistic relationship between “Parrot Nation” and Facebook. Not long ago I got a private email on FB from Jenni. Jenni has birds, reads my blog, reads my column and BT features and that’s really all I know about her other than she is very sweet and very good with her birds. A few years ago I wrote an essay that has been making the rounds and simply refuses to die, which is a good thing I guess. It was one of the first things I wrote about birds and to be honest, it’s not a bad “stand alone” piece. It got picked up by Marcia Jud Kwarsick who has a very fine African Grey named Einstein. Marcia writes a blog about Einstein and she wrote to me asking if she could publish my essay titled, “What’s the Point?” As things manage to happen, Jenni was at Marcia’s blog, and read my essay. About ten times. As a result, Jenni emailed me with this and it was so damned good, I asked Jenni if I could post it here. She agreed and so here it is. It’s simply wonderful!

Here is the link to my essay at Marcia’s Blog: Einstein the Parrot’s Blog, or you can just read it here at Parrot Nation: What’s the Point? And here is Jenni’s email:

Patricia,

I read and re-read (probably about 10 times now) your “What’s the Point” essay on Einstein’s page. Like you, I find myself talking more people OUT of getting a bird, especially at work. One gal said she wanted to get a parrot, but she didn’t know if her kids would take care of it–the same kids who wouldn’t take care of a cat. Another co-worker just wanted an animal who could talk… Uhhh no. So I talked to him about the hours I spend cleaning my house, or trying to keep wood bits from toys from under my feet, and I told him about how I have been “out with friends” after work precisely 3 times since our household grew to 4 parrots, back in October. I don’t like to leave all 4 alone with my husband for very because that’s not fair to him. If I go out to my mom’s place (about 2 hours away in Northwestern Nebraska) I end up bringing at least 2 of them with me.

I think the next time I meet someone who wants birds because “they are cool” I shall invite them over after work for a two hour retreat. The advertising writes itself! “Come on over when the house is a mess (breakfast mix dried on the wall like cement, toy parts and pony beads scattered all over) and the birds are raucous from being in the bird room while we are at work. Without the benefit of earplugs (we have 3 conures after all), one lucky individual will get to experience the joy of being pooped on without benefit of warning, the yelling while the Sund chop is warming in the microwave, the joy of catching the kitten and shutting her away in another room, and the newly updated wardrobe that includes new air holes! While they try to prevent the sun conure from climbing down their shirt and the green cheek from picking up and dumping her food dish to watch it fall, the lucky person will want to wear steel toed shoes home from work as the blue crowned conure chases toes and will render even the toughest leather shoes as sandals. Want to go barefoot? Did the African grey just bite your toes? Yeah, she’ll do that. Care to eat? As long as you don’t mind the green cheek conure flying to you for a sample or the African grey shaking your whole plate for some food while whining for a bite, sure! Go ahead and try to eat. Going to the restroom? Grab a parrot and go. Don’t even bother trying to talk to anyone else as you will constantly be interrupted. Don’t forget: this is an ENRICHING EXPERIENCE that will change your life forever, so e-mail now to reserve your night at the Parker house! If I don’t reply, it’s because the green cheek ran off with some keys from my laptop again.”

Now, don’t get me wrong: I LOVE my birds. I have more patience than I ever thought I ever would and I eat a lot healthier, and I have saved oodles of money making my own bird toys. I work at a place that manufactures and packages medications, such as Excedrin and SlowFe. From the cardboard rolls that the film and/or foil come on to the lubrication on the machine, EVERYTHING is food grade. I dumpster dive here all the time, especially the cardboard rolls, which can be cut into rings the size of birdie bagels. Your ideas have inspired me to look at trash as not just trash, but with feelings of “What could I do with this?” I rescued some phone books a few weeks ago, and they are totally gone now thanks to the birds.

Most of the people I have warned against birds didn’t take cost into account. I think I read this somewhere: if you purchase a bird from a breeder, prepare to spend one to one-and-a-half times that amount on a cage, and about half the amount the bird cost on startup toys and food. I warn people that parrots need about as much interaction time as a human child, and that most birds reach an emotional and cognitive age of about two-three years old (in human years) and live 25+ years with proper treatment. I ask if they are prepared to live with a 2-3 year old for a few decades. I have even offered to let a few of them “birdsit” for the weekend: one coworker in particular would make an excellent bird person, I think. She knows small birds as a friend of hers has a lovebird. I offered to let her watch the sun conure for a whole weekend, after the two of them meet a few times.

If said co-worker ever takes me up on my offer, maybe it will give me a whole weekend to look for my missing laptop keys.

Take care and have a great day!!

Jenni

Have you ever met a person who just isn’t cut out to be a bird person? You know what I’m talking about. We’ve all met them. They have no business having a parrot in their home. You know this in your bones and can feel that understanding in the deepest darkest reaches of your soul. You know this as well as you remember your own name.

They. Should. Not. Ever. Have. A Bird. Ever.

But why? Why shouldn’t they have a bird? I have listed some reasons below, the imagined quote from the person acquiring the bird and a few comments:

No time:

“They’re so little! They should be easy to take care of, right?”

(Sweetie, you think you’re short on time now? Get a bird and you’ll see how little time you have…)

♦ ♦ ♦

No patience:

“This should be a snap! He can just stay in his cage! They like that, don’t they?”

(I’ve seen you throw a fit when the person giving you a pedicure used the wrong shade of polish on your toes. Get a bird and that pedicure money is going to end up being used for food. Or toys. Or perches. Then you won’t have to worry about what the hell shade she used, because you won’t be able to afford to get a pedicure.)

♦ ♦ ♦

You know damned well they have no idea what they’re getting into:

“Awwww! He’s so cuuuuute! I want one!”

( Ummm, no you don’t. We’ll see how cute you think he is when you don’t train him and he’s hanging by his beak from your earlobe.)

♦ ♦ ♦

They’ve already unloaded the first two birds they ever had:

“Well, I think I just got a couple of bad ones. This little one seems kind of nice.”

(And now you’re getting ready to screw up a third bird. Great….)

♦ ♦ ♦

They think it’s a “cheap” pet:

“How much can they eat, right? And seed doesn’t cost very much, right?”

(How do you feel about selling all of your hideous knock-off designer purses in a garage sale?)

♦ ♦ ♦

They have no idea what they eat, and just think seed is fine because that’s what they “heard” you should feed birds:

“They just eat seed, right?”

(No comment here. Just the sound of my head banging against the wall: Wham! Wham! Wham!)

♦ ♦ ♦

They want to give one to someone else as a Christmas or birthday gift:

“Oh, he’ll love this little guy! And I’ll also buy a bag of seed and put it in a Christmas stocking! That’s a really cute idea!”

(Continued head banging…)

♦ ♦ ♦

They think because a bird is relatively small, they aren’t much work and won’t take up too much space in their apartment:

“I think I have space in the back utility room. It’s nice and dark back there. He’ll like that right?”

(The answer is, “No. No, he won’t like that, you blithering idiot.”)

♦ ♦ ♦

They were a big fan of the show, “Baretta:”

“Fred was soooo cute! They just do those tricks naturally, right?”

(I’m in pain now. If you don’t shut up and do some research, I’m going to end up going completely through this wall.)

♦ ♦ ♦

They refer to a Cockatoo as a Cockatiel. Or they reverse that:

“Those are like parakeets, right?”

(Could someone call the paramedics? I seem to have damaged my frontal lobe.)

♦ ♦ ♦

They want one just like their neighbor’s bird because he can do tricks and he talks. You ask them what kind of parrot their neighbor has and they answer, “Green:”

“He was just the cutest thing. And he could swear and everything!”

(Gee, how cute. I’ll bet he’s a big hit at the church picnic. Why is the room spinning?)

♦ ♦ ♦

They like the idea of a bird as a pet because they don’t need to be walked:

“You see, if I get a bird, they don’t have to go outside and they’re easy, because they don’t need much work or attention. And they’re small, see? So no barking and they’ll just sit there and chirp and…”

(No comment. Just the sound of an ambulance siren slowly fading away.)

This is Not Me.

You might know me from Facebook. You might know me from “BIRD TALK Magazine.” You also might know me from grade school. (Hi Sandy…)  As a result of all of the above I’ve met some amazing people. Some are internet friends and a few have made an impact on me. Beth Ferguson is one of them.

Beth, the Evil Facebook Poster

I have never spoken to Beth. We have emailed a few times when she had a couple questions about her African Grey.  But the one thing that has stood out about Beth is she puts an entirely new twist on sarcasm.

She is passionate about saving animals and I think sometimes she feels physical pain about some of the stories of homeless animals and cruelty in the world. But she keeps on trucking and posting photos and bios of homeless animals in hopes that they find a home. But she balances these dark postings with a sprinkling of self-deprecating humor and raises evil to a new level. She is a bird person as well as an all-around animal person. She has an African Grey named “Obi” and a Greencheeked Conure named “Little Guy.”  And of course Beth has dogs! There is a Chihuahua she calls Woo Woo, her Shih Tzu mix, Lucy and a Brussels Griffon mix she named Bucky.

Beth’s Facebook posts are twisted and yet I find them very refreshing and I hope she never stops writing them. If she ever decides to get into writing she’ll probably give a few people a run for their money. And I can guarantee they won’t be children’s books.

These are just a few of her posts:

Beth on the Holidays:

“This Thanksgiving I Am Thankful For Serial Killers,..For Without Them, There Would Be More People.”

“Its Time To Strap On My “Santa’s Fake & Your Parents Are Idiots” Sign & Head To Chuckie Cheese To See All The Kiddies!”

Beth’s view on Hip Hop music:

“Sadly, I Have Lost All Hearing. Eminem Came On The Radio While I Was Painting The Kitchen & I Had No Other Choice But To Jam Corn On The Cob Holders Into My Eardrums. I Do Know A Little Sign Language, …But It Only Involves My Middle Finger.”

Beth on painting her walls:

“I Would Like To Send A Special Thank You To The Gnats. Your Little Corpses Have Added A Wonderful Finish To My Paint.”

Beth on snacking:

“Man..I Am FULL ! Those Paint Chips Were Delicious!”

Beth on shoulder pads:

“What’s Up With Shoulder Pads? I’ve Never Seen Any Shoulderless People……What The Hell Purpose Do They Serve Besides Making You Look Like An Idiot With Shoulder Pads On? I Prefer Not Looking Like A Linebacker.”

Beth on Church:

“*YAWN* Im Still A Little Groggy From My Nap At Church. Happy To Get One In Though…”

Beth on Naps:

“Ready For A Nap! Time To Tape, & Tie Up The Kids!”

Beth on shoes:

“Wonders…..Why Is There Always One Shoe On The Side Of The Road?….& Where The Hell Is The Other One?!”

(Actually, I’ve always wondered about this myself.)

Beth on walking her dog:

“Thanks To My Dogs Eating Crayons,… My Poop Scooping Experience Was Much More Interesting Today.”

Beth on saying “Goodnight:

“Time To Rest My Abnormal Brain! Goodnight Everybody! ♥”

This is my friend Shari. Shari is an extraordinary individual in the field of birds. She has a plethora of Greys, (I guess a plethora in this case would be seven.) that she takes exquisite care of and is truly a “Grey Person.” She has taught me more about Greys and birds in general from her vast experience in the field and in her own research work than I even can explain.

She thinks nothing of curling up with a copy of Forshaw’s, Parrots of the World for an evening of “light reading” and can research like nobody’s business because she knows where to look.

Shari has tried several times over the years to get into something other than birds and animals. But she always finds herself returning to the field. For one thing, she’s damned good at it. She knows a ton about companion parrots, she is a Vet Tech for Dr. Sam Backos and she is a whiz with a nail file and scissors: She is a also a top notch groomer. She is very laid back and relaxed and doesn’t mind a few of my bonehead questions here and there.

Shari and Parker

Shari explains: “I’ve tried to find something else, but I always found myself coming back to the Bird Business. About two years ago I had like an epiphany and I realized, you know what, I guess this is what I do. This is it. It’s who I am. I don’t know why. You know, I was looking at my dog, and I consider myself a dog person. And I was thinking, how come I don’t want to rescue dogs with crooked necks? It is bizarre; my Father thinks I’m an absolute nut.”

As it is with a lot of people who live with them, Shari can’t explain the relationship she has with her birds. She feels that it is a distinctive relationship that goes beyond the sort you have with a dog, and most people can’t comprehend it until they begin living with one.

Shari is of the opinion that some people who have birds still didn’t quite understand what their birds are capable of. But if you understood the abilities of companion parrots and take the time to train them and teach them, it opens up a whole new relationship. I agreed with her on this as one of the things that I came to understand in my training classes with Susan Friedman and Steve Martin is that training is a form of communication, a language of its own.

“You are a teacher, and it means that you are in this growing relationship with something. Take dogs for instance; We’ve sort of “dumbed them down” so that they can mold better with us. But parrots are always learning, so you have to have a different sort of respect for them.”

Shari believes that the innate wildness of parrots tends to lend itself to their intelligence in that they haven’t had years of breeding for abilities other than survival.

“I agree that parrots are, at best third generation away from the wild.  They are so sensitive, so intuitive and so intelligent, that they deserve all the respect that we can give them. A long time ago people wanted to decide what made humans different than animals: tool use. But animals use tools; Jane Goodall blew that out of the water. But we also know that they have complex societies, they remember things, they learn about strategy. And now there’s this thing about being self-aware. Do I know I exist? So now sentience is now the criteria for what makes us different from the animal world.”

Shari Mirojnick always had an interest in animals and reads books on birds in the wild as well as books on companion birds. And like many in the business of birds, she worries over many things including the impending extinction crisis looming on the horizon for many of the parrot species.

Sheri recognizes the need for breeders, yet she is frustrated by the necessity of it in view of the growing number of birds that are in parrot rescues without permanent homes.

“Everybody wants a baby, and if people didn’t buy babies, breeders would be out of business.”

Shari has been in and out of the bird business for years, but she has had birds for over 25 years, a huge amount of time compared to my paltry 8 years or so and her experience and confidence shows in the way she handles any bird.

As it is with a lot of people who live with them, Shari can’t explain the relationship she has with her birds. She feels that it is a distinctive relationship that goes beyond the sort you have with a dog, and most people can’t comprehend it until they begin living with one.

Shari Mirojnick is one of the people I’ve always gone to when I need a fact checked, a clarification on an issue or simply need some information I can’t find. Her knowledge is almost encyclopedic and her love for the field is evident.

When she was at UCLA she studied Musicology, which is, as one of her Professors put it, ‘the scholarly study of Western Art Music’.

Shari once said to me, “I used to lean over to one of my friends in class and say, ‘I am going to be so boring at parties.’ And you know what, now I really am. My Mother sometimes says, ’Okay, okay enough about birds.’”

Boring? Ummm, no. This is Shari with her band she had a few years ago. They were called, “The Maneaters.”

Shari may be many things: experienced, fearless when rehabbing a relinquishment, student of aviculture, a certified teacher and experienced avian vet tech. But boring? Not a chance!

One of the objectives I had in mind coming to Best Friends was to visit all of the departments. I had eight days to do this. And there are several problems with this goal. This place is BIG. Really big. It resides on over three thousand acres.

Most everyone knows about “Dogtown.” That is the area of Best Friends that looks after dogs and readies them for adoption. They were featured in a television series on National Geographic and they rehabilitated some of the Michael Vick dogs:

But Best Friends isn’t just about that area. There are many other departments that are just important, and their work is just as crucial. And I wanted to include those departments in this blog to explain what it takes to keep this place going. They have cabins available for rent. Who’s going to maintain those? Well, I explained that important aspect and the people who take care of that. Who looks after the horses? They have really cool people that do that too. Bunnies? Debbie heads that department. And Nick does a vegetarian lunch every day except Sunday that is terrific.

Who fixes broken locks and fences in need of repair? Ross Hartill and the maintenance department looks after that. And if you’re at the Parrot Garden, you’ll meet Al who can build or fix just about anything.

Since “Dogtown” premiered on TV, they have been overrun with volunteers, so they have a staff that schedules you to work in an area each morning and afternoon. They get a ton of help from volunteers. But the staff will tell you that there is no way they could get everything  done without them. Wouldn’t happen. Couldn’t happen. There are simply too many animals and too much to do to get it all done.

Jackie from Idaho volunteering in the Parrot Garden at Best Friends

But the staff people are very cool and realize that when you come here on a vacation and want the “Best Friends Experience,” you really aren’t too interested in cleaning a bathroom. (Well, except me. I cleaned two of them when I was there. But I also look to see what needs to be done and just do it. I worked at the Cincinnati Zoo for six weeks and have a feel for what makes the staff happy. A clean, shiny bathroom makes them swoon.)  But generally, the staff sets aside the fun stuff for the guests. Walking the dogs and socializing the cats and bunnies is a big help to the staff. So is feeding the pigs.

If you want a little exercise and want to see some of the back roads of the property, you can muck the horse fields. And while you’re driving from field to field, you’ll get the bonus of a look at some of the most beautiful land you’ve ever seen:

One of the lesser known areas of Best Friends that needs a ton of help is the Bunny House. I can tell you one thing about it. It’s quiet! Bunnies are pretty much silent. So it’s very peaceful. But it’s a ton of work and it’s very hard. But they need help. So if you come to “Best Friends,” be sure to sign up to work the bunnies because they staff people there are just wonderful and need your assistance to get it all done.

Even if you simply fold a couple of loads of laundry, it helps them out because they wash about eight loads of laundry a day. I loved the Bunny house but it nearly killed me. I never imagined it would be bunnies that would kick my keester! It’s work and there’s a lot of it to go around, believe me. But people arrive at Best Friends year after year to help out by walking a dog or a pig, socializing with some bunnies, grooming a horse, and playing with some cats. It doesn’t have to be a huge massive effort. Sometimes something as simple as folding some laundry, sitting quietly with a bunny, or helping to train to a parrot will help the caregivers.

Jing was Jane Hallender’s Timneh before Jane passed away in 2002. Irene Pepperberg asked me to visit with her, so I spent a lot of time with Jing who now lives with Rick Van Tuyl and Patti Platia, both employed at Best Friends. It was a privilege to meet Jing; I was a huge admirer of Jane’s writing.

I was told of one story by Liz, a caregiver at Dogtown. They had a guest who wanted to help but she was confined to a wheelchair. She was quite upset by this because she felt she couldn’t contribute in any way.  So Liz had her go into an enclosure with an old, depressed dog who had apparently lost interest in the world and seemed to be withdrawn. The lady in the wheel chair didn’t know what to do. She couldn’t play with the dog. And it was awkward to pet him. Liz said, “Here’s a book. Just read a couple of chapters to him.”

So the lady sat with the dog and read to him. As she read, he began to stir a bit. Raising his head, he began to look at her, as if all he needed was a little one-on-one time with a human. The lady sat with that dog all afternoon reading the entire book to him. And it seemed to have a profound effect. But it wasn’t just on the dog. It seemed to do something for this lady as well. But there was one thing Liz wasn’t sure of: Who’s self-confidence did it help more? The lady’s or the dog’s?  I guess it really doesn’t matter. They both ended up happier that afternoon. And all it took was a book, a dog and a woman who just wanted to help the only way she could.

Was the three flights there and back worth it? Were the sixteen-hour days worth it?  The dry lips, shortness of breath, and hair that dried out in the heat and dry altitude so much it stood up at the end of the day? Was the nagging fatigue for a week after I came back worth it?  You’re damned right it was! I’d always wanted to go to Best Friends, but I discovered it was more than just helping to care for the animals. It was people like Jacque and Wendy at the Parrot Garden:

Me with Jacque and Wendy

It was finally meeting Rick and Patti:

Rick Van Tuyl and I with Jing

Patti in front of Piggie Paradise.

It was getting to know Marlene and Bill who work at the Parrot Garden:

It’s about getting to know Al, Virginia, Kevin and Amy and Brian, who were featured in much of my video footage. It was Laura, Heather, Ann, Patti, Justin and the crew at the Welcome Center.  Nicholas, Ross, the Housekeeping Crew, Dogtown, Deb at Bunnies, Haven and Erin at Wild Friends. Lenny and Joe at Angels Rest were so helpful to explain things there and I came away with some of the best stories from them.  And there are a hundred other people I didn’t mention that I loved meeting.

I wasn’t ready to leave when I had to. There was still too much to do and to see, too much to write about. But I do know one thing. I’ll be back to this beautiful place that staked a place in my heart where it will remain forever.

Even the fish in the koi pond seemed to say hello!

Best Friends has a beautiful Welcome Center. The Welcome Center is responsible for so many things it’s almost scary. They schedule tours around the sanctuary for guests, maintain the Gift Shop, answer phones from people wanting information, answer tons of questions and maintain the sanity of a very busy place.

The canyon right behind the Welcome Center

Luckily, it is a very beautiful and peaceful place. So this, combined with the talented staff creates a feeling of calm and competence. The tours are about an hour and a half long and I highly recommend one if you intend to go. It will give you a better idea of the vastness and scope of just how big this Sanctuary is. And if you are going to volunteer, you’re going to need to know where you’re going. So do yourself a favor and take the tour. The first tour begins at 8:30 and you watch a video before taking the tour that gives you an overview of Best Friends.

The Welcome Center is open from 9 to 5 and receives about 30,000 visitors a year. Of those people,  55 to 60 percent of the visitors take a tour.  When I visited the Welcome Center, a Gentleman got out of the tour van, walked into the Center and said, “What a presentation!” I guess he was impressed as I was when I took it earlier in the week.

More of Janiece's landscaping work!

Patti Atwater is the Welcome Center Manager. Originally from Massachusetts, Patti has the routine down, yet she is always looking for a better way to approach the challenges of  creating a positive experience for all of those guests and volunteers. Along with her staff Ann, Laura, Chris, Justin, Diane, Tina, Anthony, and Raven, Patti has managed to keep a sometimes chaotic and very busy place from spinning out of control. Trust me, this place gets busy and they deal with this challenge with grace and style! Patti began working here with the mindset that she had something to offer rather than to come here to have the place have an effect on you. While Best Friends does affect you, it’s best to come here as an employee with the mindset that you are there to give something.

Here is Laura, helping a guest.

Patti remarked, “People come here to work believing it’s going to change them.”  This is a theme I’ve heard over and over. In order to work here, some people have uprooted their entire lives and changed their lifestyles. It’s best that you come here wanting to give something rather than believing it will somehow magically change negative parts of your life.

There are approximately 340 employees at Best Friends, with 100 more in remote places across the country. The goal? Using entertainment and humor to educate. There is a daily morning meeting for the Welcome Center employees at 8:50. They go over the schedule and review who is giving what tour, and how many people are expected.  What I got from my time there was the importance of creating an experience. They want to raise awareness of the fact that they are mindful of not only the welfare of animals, but of the land where the Sanctuary is located. It’s a gorgeous part of the country and they have the belief that they are stewards of the land, so they are thoughtful about even where they put buildings.  This “mindfulness” even extends to the guests who have sometimes saved and planned for years to visit the Sanctuary. Of course the most popular past time here is walking the dogs and having one for an overnight visit, but inevitably, most people who come here end up at the Welcome Center. Most have similar questions but the repetition doesn’t seem to bother the staff. They told me that when they see the look on the faces of people seeing the Sanctuary for the first time, it’s like seeing the place through a fresh set of eyes.

Isolde is from Rosenberg Germany, which is not far from Heidleberg. She does the purchasing for the BF gift shop where you can pick up the usual t-shirts, mugs, hats and other such items with the BF logo on them. But there are many other items available as well.  Apparently, they do very well as Isolde is brilliant with her purchasing. I know this because I dropped a goodly amount of cash in the place myself! A portion of the funds from the gift shop help the funding of BF so you know you are contributing even when you’re snapping up a sweatshirt or a DVD of the second season of “Dogtown!” I asked Isolde why they sold so much of the logo items. She said simply, “People who come here want to take a part of Best Friends home with them.” and that answer made the best sense. I hung around the Welcome Center one morning and I can tell you this about it. They are responsible for setting the “tone” of the Guests’ visits. And they do a beautiful job! Here is a video of the Best Friends Welcome Center and the people who work there:

This is, to date, my all time favorite Christmas song. It brings me to my knees and makes me tear up. I remember when I was in college, I could never make it back home for Christmas because I couldn’t afford it, or I couldn’t chance driving home because of some God-awful snowstorm between me in Minneapolis and my Dad’s home in the Chicago suburbs.

When I signed on with my Airline twenty-two plus years ago, I knew damned well that I’d never make it home. If you’re way down on the seniority list at your Company as a Flight Attendant, your home at Christmas is where your suitcase is. I’ve spent most Christmas Holidays at 35,oo0 feet popping sodas and handing out hot towels. I’ve spent Christmas in San Antonio, Paris, Brussels, London, and most memorably, Chattanooga, Tennesee where I got to my hotel room at about ten at night and I had to get up at five to make the next flight to Nashville. I remember it because I recalled “A Charlie Brown Christmas” airing for the first time. That night in my shabby hotel room, I remembered when I was a nine year-old kid and heard Linus speaking such simple words. I’ve thought it was a most poignant way of explaining the simplicity of Christmas:

That Christmas Eve in Chattanooga, I pulled out the Bible thoughtfully provided by the Gideons, (Who are these people? They have been  in every hotel room I have bedded down in. They do get around…) and read the passage of the birth, the manger, the Three Kings,and the whole bit with the voice of Linus in my head. That was my Christmas celebration. But I gave up Christmas, one of my favorite times of the year for a life. A life that gave me the world. It was a trade-off.

It’s been quite a trip from when Santa used to come to the front door on Christmas Eve. That’s when I received the first edition “Barbie” (Mine had a black pony tail.):

…My  favorite toy, a “Pop-za-Ball!”

This was a favorite video I used to watch every year until they announced that the film was so old, that  showing was to be the last year it was to be played. Thank God for film restoration and for You Tube. You’ll all laugh, but this was charming when I was growing up and and the time, it was very high-tech. I still think it’s charming:

I never did get a Mr. Potato Head:

But in my early teen years, I got a “Kindness 20″ Hot curler set. It rocked my waist length hair and I owned that thing for years:

But I moved on. I cut my hair for one thing…Actually, the Airline did it for me…

The video looks good and seems real glamorous, but the reality is more like this:

I made it home once for Christmas early in my Flight Career …For about seven hours. I missed the dinner, but the leftovers were great as my Dad made a plate for me. I made it back “home” for Christmas perhaps three times in the last thirty years. When I moved to New York, I found some odd jobs. This isn’t one of them:

I now live in Florida which puts an entirely different spin on what Christmas looks like:

You’re more likely to see this than snow men and ice castles. But I did manage to get a shot of the “Christmas Ducks!” I think about Christmas more in this way now:

Now things have changed.  I no longer have anyone to go “home” to, as most of my family is gone. My Parents passed away years ago, and the rest of the cousins and such are scattered hither, thither and yon. For a while, I felt bad about this; orphaned, forlorn and estranged.

But I have come to an understanding about “Christmas”, and about “Home” and about “Family.”  To me, Christmas is about getting the day off and flying a trip that day for someone who has kids. Christmas is about spending time with my friend Bill and eating great food and not having to turn on the Air Conditioner.

Christmas is sharing our Christmas dinner with Parker, Pepper, Nyla and Mattie.

Christmas is about making Holiday walnuts that are fattening, salty, sugary and delicious, and making them for everyone.

Christmas is understanding that your home is who you are closest to; birds, dogs, people…it doesn’t matter. What I have come to realize is that I no longer have to “Drive Home” for Christmas. Christmas is where I live. It’s where my friends and Family are. It is where I choose to have Christmas. For once; it’s not the journey; it’s the heart.

Christmas is sharing your life with those closest to you:

Parker….

Pepper…

Nyla…

Mattie..

My friend Bill has always been there for me when he can. He gives me a break some mornings by taking care of the birds, builds them toys and dotes on all of them, including Mattie. (No photo…he wouldn’t let me…)

My friend Nan has helped me out countless times:

Tamara and Jean have been there for me:

And although I don’t hear from her much, Leeann has been a sweetheart:

Beverly has been so good to me. She looks after Mattie when I fly to Bird Events, the Cincinnati Zoo; it doesn’t matter, she’s there for Mattie, (and me). Mattie adores her! I try and pay her back by making her vegetarian French onion soup and other dishes.

I cherish the memory of her dog Maisy:

And Shari’s Grey Iko:

Shari has been a rock. A total boulder. My touchstone…My friend.

Shari has taught me so much about Greys, about nutrition for birds and about the way things sometimes work in the World of Birds. We have a give-and-take friendship; we share stories, ideas, bird food recipes and brunch. She looks after the Greys when I go out on those “Adventures in the World of Birds,” looking after my birds as though they were her own:

My friends do this because they believe in me. And I appreciate that.

Christmas is not an event in the mall. It is a state of mind; It is an event of the heart. Christmas is a mix of memory and nostalgia, family and sentimentality. It is the distant, fragmented link to memories of long ago; of how we felt during this joyous season: When our ideas were straightforward, our lives were less complicated and our needs could be filled by a simple toy. It is inside every one of us. And this is what I believe keeps us young and happy to see yet another Christmas.

“Joyeux Noel” from all of us,

Parker, Pepper, Nyla, Mattie and Patricia

Ooh, and a  little more video from my Family to yours:

I was invited by the Naples, Florida Petco to join in the festivities and participate in their First Annual Pet Festival. It was a Fundraiser for the “Petco Foundation.” According to their website:

“In February, 1999, the PETCO Foundation was established to promote a wide variety of educational and charitable activities nationwide by partnering with approximately 5,700 local animal welfare organizations at the grassroots level. Since then, the PETCO Foundation has raised more than $49 million through a combination of fundraisers including Tree of Hope, Spring A Pet, Round Up and KIND News. In addition, the PETCO Foundation is always prepared to launch immediate fundraising efforts in the case of natural disasters and emergencies.”

I was happy to represent “BIRD TALK” Magazine. BT sent some issues down which I happily signed and gave to the attendees, compliments of the magazine. I met so many wonderful people and even a few birds. They managed to raise some money for the foundation as well as arranging for some of the local pet rescues to find homes for quite a few animals.

Petco arranged for a small area to pet some animals: A miniature horse, some pygmy goats and some pigs. They had some great carnival games, and the big Petco Mascot, “Red Ruff” was on hand for photos and fun. Here is a photo of Mattie and I taking it all in. Mattie had a wonderful time meeting everyone. And so did I:

They arranged for a beautiful area for me and the birds to hang out. Chistina, a Manager at the store organized the event and did a superb job. 

All in all it was such a successful day both for the animals and the people. Here is a video of Parker and me greeting some “Bird Talk” Magazine readers and supplying them with complimentary copies “autographed” by Parker, Pepper and Mattie. (I used a bird track stamp and a paw-print stamp!):