I Used To Shower With My Husband
Now I shower with thirsty plants
--
Over the years, I have showered with my husband, small children, and several large parrots. Nowadays, I find myself alone in the shower or with plants that need a good soaking. My husband even built a plant bar for our shower to accommodate hanging plants.
Most birds delight in bathing so years ago when we had only a few parrots, we took them into the shower with us. We had perching bars installed on the back shower walls for the larger parrots and the cockatiels lined up on the shower curtain rod. The water temperature had to be lukewarm, and we were careful to keep soap away from them. There was a lot of careful repositioning by us. One watched the birds while the other lathered up and rinsed.
The birds, only if they enjoyed it, were held under the spray. Some of the smaller ones relished the water pouring down on their bodies, drenching them. The less adventuresome were treated to splashes of water thrown up at them on the curtain rod.
Needless to say, the bathroom was not pristine after sharing it with several birds. Water and poops, many poops, decorated the floor as well as the shower itself. Living with birds means accepting copious amounts of bird poop. Windex, bleach, and paper towels are essential tools. Lots of paper towels!
As our flock grew, except for our Macaw, the other birds were not included in our showers. Goonie Bug, our Blue and Gold Macaw loves to shower with my husband. When Goonie feels he needs a soaking, he will direct my husband by leaning towards the staircase. He is capable of climbing the stairs but often prefers a lift to the second-floor bathroom. He perches on the shower sliding doors waiting for my husband to turn on the water. Of course, he cannot resist reaching over to pull down the bathroom curtains.
The smaller birds are not neglected. They have their turn, only not in the bathroom shower. About every two or three weeks, I fill a spray bottle with warm water to soak my flock in the bird room. The Amazons are my most enthused participants, throwing up their wings in anticipation. I have written about my flock’s bath day in the story below.
Now, accompanying a plant or two in the shower, I remember the fun of the early days. Chatting up a plant does not yield exciting bird chatter in return.
