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I had always wanted a parrot, since high school I was fascinated with parrots especially African Greys as most people I know are I loved the way they looked I loved how exotic they were and of course I loved that they could talk, what better pet then one that could communicate with you?
I waited years and years then one day I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. If you ever want to shake up your life and do things you always wanted to do but had put off let me tell you a cancer diagnosis changes the foundation of everything! I started doing things that I had always wanted to do. I decided I finally wanted to get a parrot. I did my research (I live to research) and determined that while I loved African greys in high school they just weren’t the bird for me. So I researched some more and came across this goofy looking parrot called a cape parrot. I thought Eureka this was the one for me. It was unique and had a great personality. It was still a parrot and a bigger bird but smaller than an African Grey. So I researched and I researched some more. I even found a breeder. So I started saving up my money and getting everything figured out that I would need to buy. I gave myself a year (that was when the breeder would have my bird ready) parrots take time and planning to bring home. Then my boyfriend made the remark that maybe we needed to spend some time around birds before we spent all this money and time only to find out we didn’t like them. (I think he regrets this thought most days) I thought that was a great idea and set about to figure out how to do this. It is not like you can call up your next door neighbor and ask to house sit a parrot. I came across Soft Landings Parrot Rescue in Owasso Oklahoma. That was only 2 hours from my house! Lucky me! So I contacted them. I will say my motives were not pure of heart. I already knew what I wanted and had everything lined up I just needed to prove to Orlando that I was serious and that I knew what I was doing (yeah right, still don’t). So after some communication back and forth off we went to visit the parrot rescue. This is where all my plans changed and the world went crazy! Lisa was amazing! Lisa is still amazing. I have never met anyone like her and anytime I get the chance just to be in her orbit I do it. Seriously if you have never met this woman than you need to. Go buy her dinner. She is the best of the best. Her energy and compassion; man I could go on and on but really need to get back to the Jake/Frodo story. She took us through her house. We started in the small bird room which was amazing! Ever been surrounded by a flock of cockatiels? Well I have and it was epic! Then she took us to see the amazons. Ever been serenaded by their sweet voices? No? well I have, (can I say epic twice in a row, what the hell) it was epic! Then we saw the African Greys. They were so smart and cunning she told us stories about each one of them. I could not believe their antics. Throughout all of this I still had my plan. I knew what I was going to do. I even adjusted it in my head as we were walking and talking. I was going to still get my cape parrot but I was going to drive 2 hours every other week and volunteer with Lisa. |
That way I could learn and hang out with this awesome lady. But I was still getting my Cape parrot. That was the plan and I like to stick with my plans.
Then everything changed. And I mean everything. Do you ever have a moment in your life where you look back and you go yup that is when my whole world went crazy? No? well you should. I did. We went back and saw the Macaws. If you haven’t seen the pictures of Lisa house then imagine with me. You have just walked through a house full of birds of all shapes and sizes and sounds. You have learned a lot. I mean come on this is your first close encounter with parrots of any real kind. Then you go to the back of the house. This is the place you have heard all the noise coming from (that is saying something in a house full of parrots) and there before you is a circus of epic! (yes epic) proportions. Parrots of all colors and sizes in beautiful stunning amazing brilliance are before you. They are all talking making noises moving and grooving and going all over the place all the while in stunning HD color. Yes you are in the macaw room. Yes you are in Macaw heaven. Yes my whole life changed. If that sounds a little over dramatic a little over the top it is only because you don’t know the rest of the story. Trust me just ask Orlando (the boyfriend) and my kids (well teens) because their lives changed also. Lisa starts telling me their stories as I stare in amazement at this circus going on around me. Some of the stories are gut wrenching make you wish humans had never evolved (some I don’t think have) some stories are not so bad they are more sad. Then she starts talking to them individually and about their personalities and they all come alert they know she is there (and keeper of the best thing ever, nuts!). Now I for one enjoy a good walnut from time to time and even some almonds when the mood strikes me but you want to see crazy and extreme? Walk into a room of macaws with nuts! It went quiet, eerie quiet as they all stared at her waiting for some magic moment I knew nothing about and then things got weird! Ever see the exorcist? Were the head rolls all the way around? Well it felt like that moment. Lisa goes around and starts dropping nuts into these metal pails in the macaws cages and they scrambled; they ran; they booked it to each of their cages quick as lightening. They were over my head beside me all around me and by golly you did not get in their way. Oh by the way I was madly in love! I couldn’t stop starring! I forgot what I came there for I forgot everything except how magical and wonderful these beings were, never have I felt closer to nature then inside this house in this back room with these magnificent winged creatures that moved like the wind when a nut came out. We eventually left that room. Not sure if it was minutes or hours later who knows (well Lisa knows, Lisa knows everything) and she knew I was hooked. Let me take a second to remind you I came in thinking I was going to get a well-adjusted 13 inch 10 ounces cape parrot from a breeder. |
I had switched all my plans in that back room; I knew a macaw was for me. There was a slight problem I only wanted one. Hell 2 minutes ago I was content with a little tiny thing. Macaws are social they like other parrots. Lisa told me this and my heart was crushed. No way was I going to convince Orlando that I could get two of these 30 inch 2 pound parrots.
Now before I tell you how this story ends, well really begins you need to know I left the parrot rescue and did research for months while coming to visit the rescue on a regular basis to get to know a certain Macaw (bet you can guess who). While I changed my mind quickly I still did all my research and had plenty of discussions with Lisa about what a Macaw would be like. Lisa brought us a couple Macaws to hang out with us on the couch and I was in awe, completely star struck. And then she brought him out. The one and the only Jake. Now I will be honest I wasn’t so sure about Jake at first, and Jake wasn’t so sure about me at first. Somehow Lisa the amazing Lisa knew. She told me how out of all her Macaws she thought Jake would do great as an only bird. He didn’t much care for the other Macaws and seemed overwhelmed by them. She thought he would really shine on his own. He had come in with his brother Elwood, they had been dumped at the OKC zoo. She housed them together but Jake was apparently a bit of a brute and liked to shove Elwood off his perch. Which was fairly easy to do since he was missing a leg. No idea how that happened and Jake wasn’t telling. I went and visited Jake for several months back and forth. I brought my kids, I brought my family, and I made the trip on my own. Eventually Jake decided he might like me that maybe I wasn’t so bad and eventually I thought huh maybe I could do this maybe I could really have a parrot and bring him home with me. I didn’t feel like Jake was a Jake and he seemed to agree with me. We discussed some names and Frodo (the hobbit who didn’t much like people) seemed to fit. That is the story of how Jake became Frodo. Signed Frodo’s Butler FKA Tamra For more experiences with Soft Landings from our Adopters and Volunteers, click here. |
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Volunteer NowAt Soft Landings Parrot Rescue we are always looking for curious minds, empathetic beings, and giving hearts. If this describes you, feel free to volunteer and find a new love.
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