Take-off and Tantrum

Penelope cuddling with C (above) and playing in my hair (below).

It was a gusty day. I should have known better, but after prying the feathereds off of their beloved hammock, I walked over to claim my lone Braeburn apple off of my youngest apple tree. Penelope spooked Kawi, and Kawi leaped from my shoulder, but instead of hitting the ground, was swept upward by a tiny zephyr.

The real object is to keep your eye on the bird to find him once he lands. Fortunately it wasn't too far away, and I snatched him out of the neighbor's rose bush while he nibbled angrily at my hand for daring to touch him without his consent. I walked into the kitchen and snipped off his grown-out lift feathers without the normal formalities of covering his head so that he wouldn't see it coming. He screamed as if I was killing him. I then stopped by the pharmacy, so I took both birds with me.

While waiting in line, Kawi informed me how angry he was at me. As the girl rang me up for my Rx, Kawi  angrily rapped on my shoulder with his want-to-bite-you face.
"They are so good to sit there like that. Are their wings clipped?"

"As a matter of fact, yes. I just clipped this one's wings, and he's still a little upset at me."

 Kawi then let out a string of profanities that only five-month old Penelope understood.

"Oh, he really is mad! How funny!" the cashier said.

Kawi is a total ham, so I said, "He probably just needs a good distraction. Kawi, show us your wings!"

He suddenly forgot to be mad at me and showed off his wings with every ounce of flair he had in his saucy little self, delighting the cashier, and himself with all of the attention.