Stephenson Family Ties

They were kind to their old people, who remembered
and enforced the ancient customs of the tribe, but
when an old person became decrepit, it was time for
him to go. Sometimes he was simply abandoned,
with a little food, on an island in the lake. If he
deserved special honor, they held a tribal feast for
him. The old man sang a death song and danced, if
he could. While he was still dancing, his son came
from behind and brained him with a tomahawk.
from: The View From 80
by: Malcolm Cowley

No sooner does Doobie make a full recovery due to the miracle of antibiotics and his now residing indoors in our bedroom in a big plastic kiddie pool, where its warm.....
do I then turn around to discover that old man Pig-bird is dead on the bottom of his cage. (there will be no reviving of him)
Pig-bird has been with us for at least 7 years.
Small birds dont normally live 7 years.
We have considered ourselves lucky and grateful to have had him with us for so long.
Pig-bird will be missed.
Boy oh boy could Pig-bird sing!!
We will miss his presence in the corner of our kitchen.
And since I carry no guilt about his inevitable death, I will probably look into replacing him in the not so distant future.
I also want to acknowledge Bri-dog - my ever sweet, sensitive teenage son- who will KILL me for using those adjectives to describe him-but he just is!! Bri-dog felt prompted to give Pig-bird a proper burial. And so we 'planted' Pig-bird next to the artichoke plant in the side yard.
May heaven enjoy his sweet, melodic tunes, churps and tweets as much as we did!!!
(image from flickr)