It was hot and muggy yesterday. Neither GC nor I has air conditioning in our homes, and most public air-conditioned places were closed for the civic holiday. So it was the kind of day where you lie around sweating and having conversations like this:
“What do you feel like doing?”
“I don’t know, what do you feel like doing?”
“I can’t think of anything.”
We had that conversation a few times, and then GC came up with a brilliant idea. He suggested we take our books and our water bottles and a blanket and go lie under a tree at the Arboretum. So that’s what we did. It was lovely and shady and there was even a whispery breeze to take some of the clamminess out of the heat. We took turns reading to each other and I even had a wee snooze.
Then some jackass set off a firecracker about 50 feet away and scared the bejeezus out of us and all the birds. But it was a lovely afternoon except for that part.
Speaking of birds, on Sunday afternoon we took The Dog and the lovebirds (in their cage, of course) out into GC’s backyard. They LOVED it. They sent out piercing calls to all the other birds in the neighbourhood, and they studied the sky and watched the trees.
Also, within five minutes of being moved outside, Lester developed a case of Spring Fever. He started regurgitating his food and feeding it to Billie. Subsequent research confirmed that this is normal lovebird behaviour and is part of the mating ritual. By throwing up into her mouth, he’s demonstrating that he’s sexually mature and ready to mate. Amazing what a little fresh air and sunshine can do!
Glad we humans have evolved a different set of mating rituals, although it might be nice to have such a definite sign that a potential partner is ready (i.e., mature enough) for an adult relationship. Oh, wait a minute, you said “sexually mature and ready to mate.” That’s a whole different thing, n’est-ce pas? After all, even the vomity-thing doesn’t promise the male bird will be a good mate and daddy-bird. Like us, the female will have to take her chances that both she and the male are really ready. (Aww!)
If I were indulging my snarky side, I might have made a negative comment along the lines of “at least all we human females have to eat are the regurgitated lies of the horny guys who are just trying to get into our pants before they dump us and move on to a younger, skinnier, hotter, richer chica.” But I’ll leave that sort of negativity to someone else. 😉
I agree with toni — thank god we developed differently!
However mating rituals in humans are really interesting too. Personally, I find dancing to good music and making it sexy and fun is a really good way to connect with someone sexually. My current gf and I both can’t wait to dance around to the newest Eagles of Death Metal album (it’s actually not death metal at all, rather some good dancing rock) and stripping down in the heat
-JM
When the crab apple tree just outside my office window was in blossom a few weeks ago a male cardinal would pluck pink petals and carefully place them in his partner’s beak. I think I’d rather be a cardinal than a lovebird.
Wow – that makes me so glad Im not a bird!
Bet you’ll take the lovebirds out quite often this summer. of course, they might get used to it. It does suggest how difficult captivity can be.
Lying under the tree sounds like heaven minus the firecracker. I haven’t done that since I was a child.