Furballs: Bird Talk... and a contest!

Last week my parakeet Lairy died after being in the family for 7 years. She was a sweet little bird who was content to watch the rest of us do what we do. She would make kissy sounds when I fed her at night and she loved Rudy the orange tabby (there's a picture of them together in the critters photo album). He would put his paw on the cage and she would rub her beak on it, sort of odd but fun to watch.

Feeling a parakeet sized hole in the universe, I spent a couple of late nights on the internet reading up on all of the birds I'd come across over the years that I wanted, and finally decided on a Rose Bourke Parakeet, I found one place in hundreds of miles that had them. Actually, she had two and wouldn't split them up. So now I have two new family members!

They don't do a lot - which is more than fine with me - but they have a really beautiful song, which they sing in the morning and at sundown.

The other animals are adjusting like it's no big deal, though Oakley is enchanted and tries to get a little too close. Rudy is sad because they freaked out when he put his paw on the cage, but we're only a couple days into this.

So now for the contest. These little birdies need some names. If you provide me with new names that I pick, you will win a prize. I don't know what the prize is, but it will be a good one, I promise. If you can't think of anything, tell me which of the following names you like best:

Sheila and Cobber (Australian slang for woman and buddy)
John and Fanny (after the poet John Keats and his love, Fanny. You know, a "pair o' Keats")

Rules: You may enter as many names as you think of. Sorry, I know 99% of people with Rose Bourkes name their birds Rosie, but I refuse. Barbie and Ken are out, as are Brad and Angelina.

The contest ends when the parakeets have names. You may begin.

Comments

Hey Kerry!

How about Ole and Lena?...I couldn't resist!

Maureen

Posted by: Maureen in Fargo | May 26, 2008 at 08:24 PM

I still kind of like Tony and Cleo. They're a very pretty pair. I hope they fill the hole in the universe and soothe your heart.

Posted by: Melanie | May 26, 2008 at 11:12 PM

How about Golding and Forrester, or Tabachek, or Avi, or Mielke... :)

Posted by: Vicki | May 27, 2008 at 09:09 AM

Oh, I'm sorry that your parakeet died. It is lonely when they are gone, so I'm glad you now have new family members! Hopefully everyone will become friends sooner rather than later.

I don't have any interesting names to contribute, but I *love* the idea of the "pair o' Keats"! I think I would go with that one, which would not surprise anyone who knows me ...

Posted by: Bridget | May 27, 2008 at 11:45 AM

Sorry to hear about Lairy. :( But the new parakeets are absolutely gorgeous! Hmmm - how about Dawn and Dusk? Both times of day when you might see such lovely shades of pink/rose in the sky.

Posted by: Chris | May 27, 2008 at 06:23 PM

can you dye roving that color?
jonathan and jennifer (hart to hart)?

Posted by: vanessa | May 27, 2008 at 08:06 PM

Tristan and Isolde?
Abelard and Eloise?
Scarlett and Rhett?

Posted by: Wendy | May 28, 2008 at 05:37 AM

Heehee - I went through seeking paired names when I got our 1999 edition pair o' cats. Bonnie and Clyde? For a Baltimore connection, Betsy and Jerome? Barney and Betty? Lucy and Ricky? For some reason I am leaning toward sillier names rather than romantic names. Harry and Sally?

Posted by: CarolineF | May 28, 2008 at 07:10 AM

From the two you posted, I vote for John and Fanny - but when I read the link on Chris' blog, the first thing I thought of was Desmond and Molly - from the old Beatles tune, Obladee, Oblada

Posted by: trek | May 28, 2008 at 07:42 AM

Ok, their color first off is great! I don't remember seeing this color before! The first thing that came to mind for me was "grease" and the beauty school dropout scene....so i am suggesting "frenchie & rizzo" as their names! In hawaii we had an eclectis parrot named Nigel who was sweet but developed a bad habit of humping. Who'd of thunk!

Posted by: Tanya | May 28, 2008 at 08:12 AM

How about Pinky Tuscadero and Arthur Fonzarelli (pinky and fonzie)?

Posted by: patti | May 28, 2008 at 08:26 AM

Seymour and Audrey. We have a pair of blue and white parakeets and they are absolutely adorable together. I know the experts advise having only one if you want to teach them to talk, etc., but Juji (our male) was lonely (we think) while we were away at school, work, etc. Now that he has Sasha they preen, sing and flit about together all day long.

Posted by: heide | May 28, 2008 at 08:56 AM

How about Mulder and Scully?

*I'm an X-files geek*

Those are seriously beautiful birds!

Posted by: melanie | May 28, 2008 at 10:07 AM

So sorry to hear about the loss of your parakeet!

I love the idea of a "pair o' Keats." How clever!

Posted by: Marsha | May 28, 2008 at 10:49 AM

Spencer and Katherine
(Tracy and Hepburn)
Elizabeth and Robert
(Browning)
Bogie and Bacall
Frankie and Johnny

Posted by: Joan K | May 28, 2008 at 12:10 PM

Night 'n Gale?
Sweet birds. Give Rudy a consoling scritch from me.

Posted by: Jan | May 28, 2008 at 12:52 PM

Perry and Keeter. Or Keates.

Very sorry about Lairy.

Posted by: Jeanne B. | May 28, 2008 at 01:59 PM

I liked John and Fanny quite a bit! They are beautiful birds. I'm sorry to hear about Lairy's death...and I'm blanking on good names. However, I'd have to argue against Harry and Sally, since we're friends and my bird dogs, Harry and Sally, would be very bad news for your new birds! What about Robert and Clara, for the Schumanns? (they made lots of music together..) Or Frederic Chopin and George Sand? (Chopin and George, with George being the girl?) This is getting esoteric, I'll end here!

Posted by: Joanne | May 28, 2008 at 02:34 PM