Apr
TRANSCRIPT: Parrot vs. Raptor
Late last Friday night in Lady B’s library, having wrapped up my exhaustive research on Saturday’s History of Man Chest Art post, I settled into a comfy leather chair near the fireplace, a steaming cup of tea on the piecrust table by my elbow and my favorite book upon my lap. I barely had time to open to my bookmark at Plate #313 when Albert swooped in through the open door and alighted upon the arm of the chair opposite.
The following is a transcript of our conversation.
ALBERT: <squawk!> Whatcha doin’?
ME: It is perfectly obvious, Albert, that I’m reading.
ALBERT: (jerking his beak forward) <squawk!> Picture book.
ME: Oh those are just the plates. (flipping to the back of the book) It has text too. See here on page 419: (reading from my Field Guide to North American Birds) Osprey, Pandion haliaetus. Description: 21-24”. Wingspan 4’6”-6’. A large, long-winged—
ALBERT: <squawk> Not that long.
ME: Four-and-a-half to six feet isn’t long for a bird’s wingspan? Come on, Albert. What’s wrong? Are you jealous?
Photo by Tom Munson
ALBERT: Eats fish. <squawk!>
ME: Yes, sea hawks do subsist mostly on fish. But, uh… does lobster patty ring a bell to you?
ALBERT: (sticking his beak into the air, looking decidedly askance) <squawk!> Hunts.
ME: (settling back again in my chair) Precisely. Hawks hunt… to survive.
Obviously feeling surly, Albert pokes his beak under his wing and fluffs his feathers.
ME: Oh, dear. Come now, Albert. Just because I’ve given several of the members of my Falcon Club code names that are birds of prey doesn’t mean I don’t love you anymore. It’s just that…
Albert keeps his head turned to pretend he’s not listening, but I see him lean in a bit.
ME: Well, it’s just that raptors are so intriguing. I mean, first of all they’re loners, and I adore loner heroes. Also, raptors have remarkably sharp senses, incredible speed, thorough command of the sky, and some, like the osprey, have command of the sea as well. And like you said, they hunt to survive. Since hunting to survive is in a sense what the members of my Falcon Club do, I couldn’t resist giving a few of them raptor code names.
ALBERT: <squawk!> Eagle, Sea Hawk, Peregrine… <squawk> Raven and Sparrow?
ME: You’re right. Ravens and sparrows aren’t raptors. But Wyn Yale and Constance Read bear those code names for good reasons. Just like Leam Blackwood is Eagle because of his high noble title and Jin Seton is Sea Hawk because he is a ship captain.
ALBERT: <squawk> Peregrine?
ME: The Peregrine Falcon is the fastest bird in the sky, Albert. Incredibly fast. And deadly like his hawk relatives.
ALBERT: <squawk> I smell backstory!
ME: (chuckling) Yes, sir. Colin Gray has some pretty serious backstory, just like his fellow Falcon Club members. Just the way I like my heroes and heroines best.
ALBERT: (hops from his chair to mine and taps the tip of his beak to the Field Guide) <squawk> Parrot?
ME: None native to North America, I’m afraid. (I tickle him under the beak) But who wants to roam wild and completely unattached to anyone and hunt to survive anyway, right?
I keep my voice light for his sake, but I’m looking past his colorful feathers at the picture of the osprey. Starkly dark and white. A loner. A predator searching out his prey upon the ocean, determined to subdue it at all cost.
And I smile.
My poor Sea Hawk doesn’t have any idea what he’s in for…
When I was a girl my father and I used to go bird watching, and since then I’ve been enthralled by the dangerous, loner ways of birds of prey. On the flip side of animal traits, I love dogs and horses, and I have a dolphin tattoo. Do you have a favorite animal–wild, domestic, or both? What qualities do you most admire about it?
Apr 2, 2012
1:19 am
Hi Katharine and Albert! Delightful discussion and Albert, you needn’t worry that you may not be as fast as the osprey – parrots are known for their greater intelligence. *wink*
I love wild and domestic animals of all sorts. I’ve had animals as part of my family for my entire life. Everything from fish, to hamsters, parakeets, cats and dogs. I’ve only a 105 lb Rottie right now but there’s a host of wildlife in the yard and on the knoll above my house to make up for the lack inside. I see deer, fox, rabbits, the occasional chicken hawk hunting all my beautiful birds, but what always keeps me in awe is the Bald Eagles. It’s especially around this time of year that they tend to roam the skies above us instead of a mile away at the Potomac. They are soooo huge that when they fly over, you’re not sure if it’s a bird or plane. I love hearing them talk to each other in the sky – it’s the sweetest sound I’ve ever heard and I’m envious of their ability to fly – it looks so effortless.
Btw, Katharine, I love Jin’s name but love even more that he’s Sea Hawk – I think of Errol Flynn. *g*
Apr 2, 2012
9:03 am
Amy, what a paradise you live in! It sounds heavenly. Eagles truly are majestic, aren’t they? And I’m very glad you like Jin’s code name.
Apr 2, 2012
2:18 am
Greetings, Katharine, Lady B, and Albert! I too have a favorite animal, and a pretty obvious one, seeing as I’m a crazy cat lady.
My three cats are domesticated animals in one sense. In another, they’re as wild as they come!
As I type this, my golden tabby Spartacus is sitting on my lap, purring and demanding attention. Right now I don’t know what the other two, Archimedes and Farrah, are up to. It’s probably just as well!
Why do I love cats? I don’t know. I just do. All I know for certain is that my life would be a lot emptier without my “furry children”.
Apr 2, 2012
9:09 am
Hi, Crazy Cat Lady– er– I mean, Mary Anne.
I love your cats’ names, and they sound positively darling. And three seems like an eminently reasonable number of furry friends.
Apr 2, 2012
4:26 am
Good morning ladies!
I grew up surrounded by animals of one kind or another. My nan had birds, budgies and a parrot. My brother was always bringing home strays he found, so there were always cats and dogs around. My son’s granny has a fish pond with carp and goldfish, she also has a dog, a cat and a parrot.
I’ve always been a dog person, though. I don’t have one at the moment, my beloved Staffie died 2 years ago and I haven’t the heart to replace him. He’d been with us for 16 years and was very much one of the family, he was so sweet natured.
I think what I love most about dogs is their absolute loyalty, if you treat them right they’ll love you for life.
Apr 2, 2012
9:16 am
Beebs, you’re so right about dogs. It’s all about love with them. I’m sorry your Staffie is no longer with you. I suspect you gave him a wonderful life full of love and fun.
My big fellow, Atlas, is doing pretty poorly these days. He’s nearly 14. He spends most of his days laying in the soft grass in his yard, listening to the critters and watching, and I think he’s happy. He’s such a lover. They teach us a lot about love, don’t they? You’ve got it–if you treat them well, they’ll love you with their whole hearts.
Apr 2, 2012
12:00 pm
Oh, Beebs, I’m sorry for your loss. It’s strange how we never really get over them, do we? When I think of my beloved pets from years past, it brings tears to my eyes. My Marco is already beginning to show grey on his chin and he’ll only be 6 yrs next month but he’s a big dog and their lives are shorter. They call them ‘heartbreakers’ but aren’t they all.
Katharine, it’s hard to watch our ‘babies’ age but just be glad he’s still with you and at 14, brava! You must be doing something right, as my vet always told me … I knew it was just love. How can you not love something that love you so unconditionally? Enjoy and treasure. x
Apr 2, 2012
8:42 pm
Amy, when Atlas was a pup he was an awful handful. One day, despairing of ever training him or being able to keep up with his shenanigans, I called my brother who knows animals well and had the most well behaved dog I’d ever met. I begged him to tell me the trick. He said, “Just love him.” It’s the best parenting advice — for animals or people — I’ve ever heard to this day.
Apr 2, 2012
4:33 pm
And Katharine, good thoughts for Atlas. I think laying in the grass in an excellent way to spend the day.
Apr 2, 2012
6:07 pm
Thanks Ladies,
they do tend to take a little piece of your heart, especially when they’ve been with you for so long.
Katharine, it is hard to watch them age and slow down, but I think it helps to know they’ve had a good life and Atlas sounds quite content.
‘Babies’ is right Amy, people used to give me funny looks when I called him my baby, but that’s what he was for such a long time.:)
Sabrina, I’m very sorry for your loss too.
It must have been so very hard to lose both in such a short time.
Apr 2, 2012
8:43 pm
Thanks for your good thoughts for my big dog, Sabrina. I’m so sorry you lost your sweet pups. The one in the photo is adorable, and I know you must hold them in your heart so close.
Apr 2, 2012
11:06 pm
Y’all are going to make me cry! Losing one at a time is hard enough but two in one year, oh, Sabrina, my heart breaks for you.
I always love that Marco’s vet calls us Mommy and Daddy! Other than my handsome grown up stepson, I’ve only got 4-legged children but they stay babies till the end. I just wish they could be with us longer.
Apr 2, 2012
4:45 am
Hi everyone!
I have never had any pets before but I do have a favorite animal and that is the elephant. Unfortunately I wouldnt be able to have one as a pet……… It would be fun to try though
I like elephants so much because they are just amazing creatures and really intelligent, gentle, extremely useful and have been used throughout history as pack animals, transport and even as ferocious war “machines”! I also like the fact that the most important member of the elephant family is female!!
I also love Albert, a special parrot who I see a lot here on this blog! He is hilarious, loves very interesting food for a parot, and shiny things. He is also very intelligent since he knows how to say a big variety of words. SO there you go Albert, you got 1 fan at least!!!!
Laura
Apr 2, 2012
9:18 am
Hi, Laura. I’m so glad you like Albert. He’s such fun.
Elephants are truly marvelous creatures! I love an animal that is intelligent and peaceful by nature but when roused to anger can be incredibly dangerous and powerful. Come to think of it, that’s the sort of hero I like best too.
Apr 2, 2012
12:02 pm
LOL!! Elephants are cool! Of course, there are great obstacles to having one as a pet even if you had a space big enough for it … they live an extraordinarily long time and you’d need a really huge pooper scooper!!
Apr 2, 2012
7:35 am
I have to admit ::blushes:: that when I saw the name Peregrine, I was not thinking of the falcon, I was thinking of the name Perry or ::blushes more:: Pippin from Lord of the Rings. Cool to know that the person I thought of as the “Q” (from Bond Series) person of the is a code name, too.
My favorite animal has always been the cat. Whenever we had to do a report on an animal for school, I would find some kind of cat to do my report on. It got so my class mates moaned to me once – so what type of wild cat are you going to report on THIS time?
I started with domestic cats, then went to lions, tigers, bobcats (which are my favorites in looks) and more. I did a report on ocelots, because they are a cat and not the usual wild cat. Don’t ask me about the report – it was over 40 years ago! (Shocking when your childhood is that long ago)
What I like most about them is their looks. I do like their personalities and all. When I was little I wondered if I was a cat in another life because I understood them and feel about dogs the way that cats feel about dogs. When I was little I perfected the perfect meow and hiss and learned the best lesson on how to get your cat to behave – think like a cat. Have stare downs and rub against their cheek, which means “you are my property”. I know that sounds strange. But, try it. If you tell your cat you are the alpha, they will behave.
Apr 2, 2012
9:22 am
Jamie, I *love* it that you perfected a cat hiss when you were younger. Fabulous! And I’m very glad to know how to show my alpha status to a cat. That sort of thing is always useful, truly. I have enormous admiration and respect for cats. In my last book, In the Arms of a Marquess, I played with the lion-tiger relationship between England and India, which felt so right for that hero, Ben. The big cats give me shivers–the good kind.
Apr 2, 2012
10:03 am
I have been, and always will be, a dog fanatic. I currently have three of them lounging at my feet, prepared for a long day of being my co-workers
As for wild animals, there is something wonderfully playful and adorable about an otter 
So sleek and cute, and clever to boot! Not as majestic as, say, a lion, but then again I can’t picture me giggling at a lion’s antics!
Apr 2, 2012
8:44 pm
Erin, I love otters! My sister, Mary, and I used to play being otters in the waves when we were at the beach. It’s one of my fondest childhood memories.
Apr 2, 2012
10:29 am
You are just teasing me with snippets of Gray now! I want to know his back story.
My favourite animals have always been horses. Especially thoroughbreds they are just so beautiful and,magestic. I love how every little movement has a meaning and how quickly they notice,and learn to read little actions in you.
Birds have always fascinated me too, especially kites which have only recently begun to flourish again in the UK. I love how they hover.
Apr 2, 2012
8:48 pm
LL, I was in fact thinking of you when I wrote that teaser. *mischievous smile*
Yay fellow horse lover! I was a horse crazy girl, and I still adore them. I often put them into my books as characters. How a Lady Weds a Rogue (Falcon Club book #3) in fact features two horses that are crucial to the story!
Apr 2, 2012
11:06 am
We don’t have any pets in our house, although we have been contemplating getting a large dog, to discourage the people who think it is perfectly acceptable to drive up my driveway and try to sell me things. I’m not okay with that, since my kids play out front a lot and we usually keep the house open. A large dog should discourage some of that, I would think.
)
I have always loved the big cats, though. I find them fascinating. All that power and grace, and they are so deadly.
And hyenas, which I think are in the dog family. It’s that crazy laugh/bark they have going on. They’re like the Christian Slaters of the wild. ( Think “Heathers”, and then tell me he’s not a hyena. You know I nailed it.
Apr 2, 2012
8:53 pm
Oh my gosh, Olivia, you really did nail that Christian Slater in Heathers/hyena!
I’m a big cat lover too, especially tigers, which I put in my In the Arms of a Marquess. You’ve described their appeal perfectly.
As for a big dog to ward off strangers, during the year I lived on my own in LA with my very big dog, I did feel safer, even if it wasn’t the case. Except once it did make a difference, and I still giggle about it today. I was leaving the house to walk Atlas early in the morning and an unfamiliar pick up truck was parked in front. A man was getting out and he walked onto my yard toward us. Atlas let out a deep bark (he never usually barked). The man stopped and said, “Does he bite?” I replied, “It depends.” I didn’t add “If you’re a steak, yes, he bites.”
But the man walked away and wasn’t seen again on our street. 
Apr 2, 2012
11:20 am
My family always had a dog and occasionally a cat when growing up. I did have a mini Pomeranian for 6 years until I had to put her down. Now I am the proud owner of a grey tabby cat, given to me by my daughter. There are deer in the neighborhood along with rabbits and squirrels. People around here keep horses, steer, and donkey’s. But the one animal that is fascinating me right now is the red robin that is flying from tree to tree. I have ridden a camel and had a snake wrapped as shawl once. I dated a guy who had lizards as pets, yuck!
I am happy just keep my cat happy.
Apr 2, 2012
12:06 pm
Wow, you rode a camel! I’ll bet that was awesome. I hear they spit though, nasty. Still like to ride one though!
Apr 2, 2012
8:54 pm
Lady Susan, what an adventurous life you’ve led, with snakes and camels and lizards! A grey tabby sounds just the thing, now.
Apr 2, 2012
11:39 am
Hi, Katharine! My fav. animal is my son’s Bichon, Dooby. He’s so happy to see me, he literally throws up. He gets so excited. It’s so funny. I’m not allergic to him, so it’s so fun to run my fingers through his soft curls. He kisses, and then he settles down on my lap. I LOVE him!!!
Apr 2, 2012
4:34 pm
Awww, bichon love!!! I have one, too. I know that reaction you are talking about – some bichons and according to our vet, assorted small/toy breed dogs have a weird quirk that looks almost like an asthma attack when they get overly excited. Some malformation of the trachea that closes off their airway a bit easily, which is why we were told never to let Bingley get fat. It’s kind of scary but the vet said if you keep him in good shape, it shouldn’t turn into a problem. shrug.
Apr 2, 2012
8:55 pm
susan, you just made me laugh out loud! Poor sweet Dooby! It’s so adorable he loves you so much, and wonderful that you have such a cuddly friend.
Apr 2, 2012
11:43 am
Great post, Katharine!
It will come as no surprise to my readers that I have a certain fondness for grazing animals, particularly goats and sheep. I don’t know why! I’ve never owned one, and am not likely to. (although it would help keep the lawn in check. hm….) They’re far cuter in pictures than they are in person. But I just adore them, all the same.
Especially since I’ve been writing the Spindle Cove series, I’ve developed a particular adoration for Southdown babydoll sheep, an historic Sussex breed.
I mean, just look:
Apr 2, 2012
12:08 pm
And they are soooo adorable as babies, Tessa! It’s no wonder they play so prominantly in lullabys and children’s stories. : )
Apr 2, 2012
12:18 pm
Dying of cuteness overload!!! Aaaawwww. Thanks for sharing and posting the picture Tessa!!!
Apr 2, 2012
4:29 pm
How adorable!!!
Apr 2, 2012
4:35 pm
LOL. Love the picture. They are adorable. I think now you need one for your backyard.
Apr 2, 2012
6:09 pm
Too, too cute.
Apr 2, 2012
8:57 pm
Tessa, you positively crack me up.
Let’s hear it for domestic ruminants!
Apr 2, 2012
11:58 am
I love this post Katharine!
Nice to see you and Albert bonding. I think it’s very cool how you picked particular bird species that so perfectly represents each Falcon Club member.
I agree with LL-all these hints about Colin, Constance, and Wyn is making me very impatient and I want to read their stories NOW, lol.
I didn’t grow up with pets at home, though my neighbor had the sweetest golden retriever named Chelsea. Even though I am extremely allergic to cats and dogs, I do like retrievers and labradors because they seem to be such calm, lowkey, gentle, loving pets, perfect for families.And their coats are so shiny and pretty!
When I was younger, I was always fascinated by exotic animals-lions because they are regal, symbols of royalty, and so powerful and majestic. I also loved kangaroos because I thought Australia sounded like such a cool place, and the idea of an animal that hops and carries their young in a pouch is just too cute and adorable for words!
Apr 2, 2012
9:01 pm
Kangaroos are *so* cute, Lisa. I completely agree. I also love it how they’re incredibly fast and powerful, despite looking so cute.
And labs are such good dogs. My big dog is a Lab-Great Dane, and a total mama’s boy.
My roommate in college wanted to be a veterinarian. It was her biggest dream. Then she discovered she was allergic to most animals! So she became a pharmacist instead (why waste all those science credits she’d already taken?) and built a house with living quarters for people on one side and for animals on the other so she could always be close to animals even though she couldn’t work with them.
Apr 2, 2012
1:39 pm
Katharine — I adore your birds of prey! I grew up in a menagerie of dogs, cats, goldfish, even an iguana, but since moving into apartment living, having a pet always seems to be against the building rules. One of these days though…
Apr 2, 2012
9:02 pm
A menagerie sounds like fun, Kate. My mother never let us have pets. She said there were too many of us (six kids) and we would make any animal as crazy as we were. (She was probably right.) So now, of course, all my brothers and sisters and I have pets.
Apr 2, 2012
4:31 pm
I’m a fan of dogs and horses, too. My favorite birds are owls and woodpeckers. Not much of a cat person. Last spring a stray cat left a decapitated bunny in our yard. Good times.
Just in time for Easter. Snakes are kind of cool.
Apr 2, 2012
9:03 pm
HA! And ew. And that poor bunny! Cats can be pretty mischievous, it’s so true.
Apr 2, 2012
9:05 pm
And by the way, I used to think snakes were cool too, until they started coming INTO MY HOUSE. Then I wanted to strike at their heads while they struck at my feet and all that biblical sort of thing. It was not fun.
Apr 2, 2012
4:32 pm
Katharine, I’m so glad you managed to bring Albert out of his shell a bit. *g*
Apr 2, 2012
9:05 pm
I’m sorry to have made him feel insecure for a moment. But he got over it pretty quickly. He’s really a very confident bird.
Apr 2, 2012
4:39 pm
Dog lover for a long time… but when we travelled to Alaska, Wow!! those bald eagles, mountain sheep, moose, yak are sure different from my midwestern upbringing of cows, sheep and a hawk or two..
Apr 2, 2012
9:08 pm
Wow, Cate, I’ll bet those Alaskan animals were amazing! I’ve never seen a moose in reality, even in a zoo. I think they’re incredible animals.
Apr 2, 2012
4:52 pm
You and Albert are too cute, Katharine.
I’m a cat person, myself. I love dogs too, but I admire cats for their self-sufficiency and find their selfish pursuit of their own comfort soothing. Someone once said “you must remember that if your cat was bigger than you it would eat you.” Cracked me up. I don’t really believe it, of course. My kitties love me. Truly.
Apr 2, 2012
9:11 pm
Sure they do, Miranda. You just keep telling yourself that.
In marked contrast to the cat wisdom you heard, here’s a bit of wisdom a friend with a dog once told me:
If he put his dog in a closet and closed the door, his dog would whine to get out. If he went into the closet himself and closed the door, his dog would whine to get in.
Apr 2, 2012
5:06 pm
Great post, Katharine! As a child I had a pony named George. I remember naming him after the monkey. I also had a cat named Jerry, which I named after the mouse.
We rescued a dog from the animal shelter. She’s part German Shepard and Yellow Lab, and seriously petite to have come from such large stock.
I do wish I had another cat. They make the best pets. No cold noses in places they have no business being, or crazy tail chasing–most of the time.;)
Apr 2, 2012
9:12 pm
You had a pony!? You lucky girl!! Sigh!
Apr 2, 2012
7:10 pm
Do younger siblings count as pets?
Apr 2, 2012
9:12 pm
Yes, absolutely.
Apr 3, 2012
7:57 pm
LOL!
Apr 2, 2012
7:12 pm
On the dog/cat debate, did you all see that hilarious photo making the rounds of Facebook today? It was the dog’s diary (everything is wonderful!) versus the cat’s diary (Day 931 of its captivity….).
Apr 2, 2012
9:13 pm
LOL! No, but I will now go looking for it. So very, very different, these critters with whom we co-habitate…
Apr 2, 2012
11:16 pm
My son just lost his 5 year old guinea pig. He called her Pikachu. She was amazing, she stayed in his room and whenever he wasn’t paying attention to her she would start yelling at him with her loud squeaking until he went to her and started talking. Then she would calm and just stare at him. She was my favorite pet.
Apr 3, 2012
7:55 pm
I couldnt stop laughing when Albert squawked, “I smell backstory!” I think cuz I was reading it in my head in his parrot voice LOL. When it comes to animals I’m a sucker for them all. As a kid my mother raised Dalmatians and I loved playing with all the puppies! I know the breed has a bad rap for being dumb but it’s a misconception. Many people label them dumb when they can’t get them obedient or to stay in their yard. Dalmatians are too smart for that; they’re a lot like people actually. They’re super social and highly energetic, and paired with high intelligence it can turn into “acting out” if neglected or not challenged and engaged. My other favorite animal is just as sensitive and intelligent. I love horses. There’s a bond you can have with horses that is unlike any other animal. Just think how important they are in therapies for children with autism or who’ve suffered abuse and it becomes clear how amazing horses are in relating to humans. I hope one day to have a sanctuary for working, abused, etc horses to retire to:)