Seed, my favorite! – Tales with Tails
In high school my friend, Fancy, had a pair of zebra finches, Cecil and Beanie. When Fancy went out of town Cecil and Beanie came to my house for vacation. Every time she fed them they would immediately fly to their dish as if it were a giant birthday cake. She would narrate their enthusiasm in a squeaky voice “Seed! My Favorite!”
Ever seen a bag of bird food? Blend of millet, flax, grass seed, oat groats and a variety of oils and vitamins. Yum, pour me a bowl!
I loved having having her birds over so much I eventually had a pair of my own. Through high school and my kids younger years we always had a few finches. And all of them went crazy for their simple meal of seeds.
With my kids grown and off on their own a couple years ago I found myself yearning for a pair of “Beepety Beeps” again. After weeks of watching the Larimer Humane Society website I finally hit gold! One warm spring day I carted home 3 finches complete with cage and dishes.
All set up on my kitchen table I vowed to give them the good life. I added branches, toys and bits of paper. Because I love to hear them sing they were named Ingrid, Bruno & Brad after favorite musicians.
(A few months later it became clear that Bruno wanted Ingrid all to herself so Brad when to live with friends and their finches.)
True to their nature Bruno & Ingrid devour their simple seed diet. With a beepeddy beep they dive into their food dish. Wings fluttering, tiny orange legs hopping and beaks foraging excitedly through their breakfast.
I’ve tried supplementing their diet with appropriate fruits, with special pellet food, and a variety of seed mixes. They adamantly prefer their basic seed mix.
Watching them happily dig into the same meal day after day causes me to pause and consider my lifestyle. Am I infinitely grateful for the meals I consume? Does a piece of toast send me a twitter? Would a spray of grapes everyday give me joy?
Ok I do clap my hands, hop around the kitchen and hum a little tune when an especially tasty meal is dished up. What if I performed my happy food dance at every meal?
A simple bowl of cereal every morning, Thanksgiving feasts, meals with friends, popcorn with pups, reheated leftovers and quick snacks on a road trip. From basic to eleboate Bruno and Ingrid remind me every day to relish them all.
How do you celebrate food in your life?
Listen to the narrated version on the Tales with Tails podcast Episode 4. Aired October 30, 2018.
Available on Anchor.fm, Apple Podcasts and your favorite podcast app.