They call me Stormy Weather … (Quite rightly! *Imagined mellow yellow tune but more “soft” drink-ish from the era of the tail-end late eighties, *) Me mum named me after a famous song, an unforgettable “voice” and time, jazz music, a sappy heartbreak, oh and the bright blue sky that day, over-filled with dark grey and white puffy clouds. Not all in that same order, but good enough for “government work”. The memories are eerily similar, nostalgic, and equally heartfelt. Flew onto the scene 7 inches in height one stormin’ March Day in 1992. Weren’t all the nineties that way!?
My first home was a famous pet shop on the corner of Fair Oaks Blvd and Manzanita Avenue in sunny, happy Carmichael California. Now Carmichael is a town that has lots to tell (exact replica of a 1950’s Pleasantville), but that could take another day of writing about ideal picturesque summers, fruit trees, extraordinary schools, flowery great aunties with sweet treats, heiress bank robbers, “boating”, BBQ’s, quaint fishing ponds, homes named after the Gods for the Gods, perfect places, faces, traces, and amazing, glorious landscapes. A fantastic place to “escape”.
And that’s how it started; so, fly with me friend, through the golden hazy ether, back to the past, for a quick fly-by down memory lane. Nothing to squawk about, but oh how I love a good squawking “sesh” and these feathers aren’t clipped!
From this gorgeous bird’s eye view, “Carmichael Park is a major 38-acre park in the town. The park includes five ballfields, six tennis courts, and a nine-hole disc golf course. The Community Clubhouse, Veterans’ Memorial Building, the Daniel Bishop Memorial Pavilion for the Performing Arts, and the Great Wall of Carmichael are all within the park. A glorious year-round farmers market (yum) is held at the park every Sunday.”
If you love molting, like I do; “The Jensen Botanical Gardens (flower “manna” power) are an exhibit of flora including camellias, dogwoods, azaleas, and rhododendrons. (I can get lost here for hours or generations) The Chautauqua Playhouse (Fun) has been in the La Sierra Community Center since 1985. The 95-seat theater shows comedies, dramas, and musicals. It has a children’s theater with performances held on Saturdays.” Don’t forget your pets are characters too and can become famous stars or dynamic duos and pairs of perfectness any day or that way and twice on Sunday’s.
“Ancil Hoffman Park is a major park within the American River Parkway in Carmichael. It is a 396-acre park. It features the Effie Yeaw Nature Center. The oak-canopied park is bordered on two sides by the American River. Reconstructed Maidu Indian homes are at the entrance to the nature center. The Ancil Hoffman Golf Course is also part of the park. Many species of animals can be seen, including wild turkey, deer, coyotes and hawks.”
(Exquisite lit. sources belong to Wikipedia, family, friends, feathered, and forevermore)
My all-time fav to spot, are these owls called Howdy birds, that are seriously the cutest little buggers you ever did see along the American River Parkway and the bike trail. But I digress and could talk about owls all day and night long, bicycle riding, not so much. I’m working on my balancing “act” as we speak.
Soaring back to the story and the most exceptional shop to be born. I had so many brothers and sisters of all walks and flight patterns of life, every variety under the rainbow, and some with aquatic origins. Probably should address my heritage.
“I’m a parakeet! One of many small to medium-sized species of parrot, in multiple genera, that generally has long tail feathers. Parakeets comprise about 115 species of birds that are seed-eating parrots of small size, slender build, and long, tapering tails. The Australian budgerigar, also known as “budgie”, Melopsittacus undulatus (say that ten times), is probably the most common parakeet. It was first described by zoologists in 1891. It is the most popular species of parakeet kept as a pet in North America and Europe.”
“There are grasskeets, rosellas, lories, ring-necked parakeet (not to be confused with the Australian ringneck) refers to a species native to Africa and Asia that is popular as a pet and has become feral in many cities outside its natural range, conures, Brotogeris parakeets, the monk parakeet, and lineolate-d parakeets. Many different species of parakeets are bred and sold commercially as pets, the budgerigar being the third most popular pet in the world, after cats and dogs.” (Fluffing my feathers and peacocking to Wikipedia)
Breadcrumb for you; “In December 2019, Steven Le Comber, of Queen Mary University in London, UK, published an analysis in the Journal of Zoology based on geographic profiling methods. It concluded that the thriving rose-ringed parakeet population in the United Kingdom had grown from numerous small-scale accidental and intentional pet releases. Previous theories had included a pair released by Jimi Hendrix on Carnaby Street and an arrival in 1951 when Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn visited London with various animals to film The African Queen, set in the equatorial swamps of east Africa.” (Shaking a tail feather to the UK, film, Night Bird Flying, royal flights, soaring stats, and Wikipedia)
Perching from the highest point in the shop, I side-eyed her the minute she walked through the door that jingles, walking about and petting all the loose animals, ruckus wild beasts, or as you say, “pets”. She looked to be somewhere else while smiling at the kittens nestled together in one fur heap. Those kittens look sweet to humans, but they look at us birds as dinner!
She was playing with the fish from the outside of one of those giant aquariums and marveling over the colors of scales these weirdly shaped creatures had. It’s good to keep an eye out for anything that might slither or creep up on a budgie. I might be small but mighty and ready to take on or tackle the world, one of those words applies. I was surrounded by my family but kept to myself up on a lone branch. More of an observer in the pecking order or loner type, I guess, and that’s when our eye(s) met.
The day was significant, in fact, all the nineties were but in 1992, mum just experienced her first “break-up”. She saw me and it was instant “love” at first sight. I brought her joy, and she brought me “home”.
“1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1992nd year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 992nd year of the 2nd millennium, the 92nd year of the 20th century, and the 3rd year of the 1990s decade. 1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations.”
Some highlights, spotlights, and low lights to mention or regurgitate while nesting from this advantage point:
President George H. W. Bush and Russian President Boris Yeltsin jointly announced that the Cold War had ended.
In 1992, serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer and businesswoman Leona Helmsley both went to prison.
Four Los Angeles police officers were indicted for the Rodney King beating.
The Mall of America, the second-largest shopping mall in the U.S., opened in Bloomington, Minnesota.
AT&T introduced the video phone, IBM developed the first smartphone, and the 10 millionth cell phone was sold.
The largest McDonald’s in the world opened in Beijing, China.
PepsiCo began to test market Crystal Pepsi, and the bread machine made its way into the American kitchen.
The year 1992 marked the 500th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ voyage to the Americas.
The Silence of the Lambs won the top five Academy Awards, Murphy Brown (CBS) won an Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series, and Unforgettable won a Grammy for Song of the Year.
Johnny Carson made his last appearance on The Tonight Show (NBC), and the 1700th David Letterman Show (CBS) aired.
Prince Charles and Princess Diana announced that they were separating after 11 years of marriage.
Inflation was 3.01%, unemployment averaged 6.8%, and a gallon of gas cost around $1.13.
In 1992, Idaho potatoes cost $1.69 for a five-pound bag, rye bread was 99 cents for a 16-ounce loaf, and Oreos were $1.59 for a 20-ounce package. Jack Frost sugar cost $1.49 for a five-pound bag, a gallon of milk was $2.78, and a dozen eggs were 93 cents.
Michael and Ashley were popular baby names, platform shoes, (white turtlenecks under flannels and flannel everything never left, oh and thermals as actual shirts), stuffed animal slippers, and animal prints were fashion trends (I’m guilty and the causation of a few, plus, you can thank my Me Maw for the trend of white thread inside/out “look”), and Beefaroni and Lunchables were all the rage (so was the saying “all the rage”). However, Mum and I after she got home from work, did copious amounts of learning, homework, watched x-files (re-runs), and pecked top ramen, most nights.
The cost of a 30-second Super Bowl ad was $850,000. (In 2023, a Super Bowl commercial cost $7 million for 30 secs.)
About one million computers worldwide had Internet access, and there were 10 websites online by the end of the year.
(Props, shout-out and formal tweets to hobbylark.com) Curious as to what those stats are today!? I’d probably fall right out of my nest!
“Major hit films that got released in 1992 include ‘Basic Instinct’, starring Sharon Stone and Michael Douglas, Walt Disney’s ‘Aladdin’, ‘A Few Good Men’, ‘Sister Act’, ‘Home Alone 2: Lost in New York’, ‘Batman Returns’, ‘Lethal Weapon 3’, ‘The Bodyguard’, ‘Wayne’s World’, ‘Alien 3’, ‘The Crying Game’ and ‘A League Of Their Own’. ” (“Word” and beaks-up to kidadl.com)
“The American people were busy reading books such as ‘Dolores Claiborne’ by Stephen King, ‘Dr. Atkin’s New Diet Revolution’ by Robert Atkins, ‘Men Are From Mars Women Are From Venus’ by John Gray, ‘Mexico’ by John A. Michener, and ‘The Bridges of Madison County’ by Robert James Waller.”
“Pop culture history is never complete without the inclusion of news from the television industry. One of the longest-running television shows in US broadcasting history, ‘The Real World’ reality tv show, was shown for the first time this year.” (Never watched, between three jobs and school the towel went over my cage and its night-night, till tomorrow dawns and I start to sing the new days song.)
Mum insisted we drive home since it was obv she couldn’t fly with her own wings. I now residing and relegated to a small cardboard box with holes to peer out and that’s just what I did. Plus, I let her know confining me was not on my agenda. Never got the chance to say goodbye to my first family and before I knew it, we were whisked onto the freeway headed to some unknown “home”.
The rain stopped, the sun peeked through, and the storm cleared outside leaving the fluffiest looking white clouds with enormous silver linings as far as the all-seeing eye could see. The vibrant endless blue sky the backdrop. Mum said my feathered coif looked just like the day and Stormy Weather became my name and motto.
Pertaining to the song; “Stormy Weather” is a 1933 torch song written by Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler. Ethel Waters first sang it at The Cotton Club, a night club in Harlem and recorded it that year. Etta James’ version is still tops. A torch song is a sentimental love song, typically one in which the singer laments an unrequited or lost love, either where one party is oblivious to the existence of the other, where one party has moved on, or where a romantic affair has affected the relationship. The term comes from the saying, “to carry a torch for someone”, or to keep aflame the light of an unreciprocated love.
Fluttered all the way to my new “super-fly” home in Folsom California right next to a wildlife preserve, whilst my mum tried to console me the entire ride. She told me about a Pop-pop that also sings and loved birds, a Me Maw who gardens, sews and cooks to my heart’s content, an uncle that cared for finches (Homage to Jack and Jill), and a sister chow-chow named Ming Ling for whom she had concern over. Something about, us not getting along or whatever; I am a bird and will fly away!
Here’s a kernel of truth for you; of course, I speak bird; Anunnaki, mostly English, un peu French, but learning Chow-Chow was not as easy as you’d think. First, I thought she was a dragon.
Oh, and I love bird baths! I will use my water tray any day to sprinkle or christen my abode. Me and this other bird (Bellissimo) who mysteriously shows up in my toy mirror have a love-squawk relationship, but I’m thinking it’s only a one-way twosome. I do blame the explosion of seeds everywhere on her. I thoroughly enjoy toys to climb and swing in, anything rope-ish to tear apart or beak at.
Only one draw to speak of; I start fights! Like I stated earlier, living next to a wildlife preserve makes for some unsavory characters to fly in. I’m going to oust them, hawks. Sometimes right by my fence they’ll watch me and tease, until I squawk enough, my big sister Ming Ling will bound into the room and launch herself against the sill barking mad. Works every time and the hawks flee the scene, leaving me to my very own sanctuary. It’s good to have a dragon.
I lived for seven years, and mum was sure I would have lived longer, but I too had a broken heart once my dragon (Ming Ling) passed away and so, I decided to fly to the rainbow bridge to be with her. Nine months to the day. It’s funny because mum wanted me to heal her heart, but I just expanded her capacity to allow love to soar and more.
Up in rainbow land, it’s beyond beautiful! We bound and sing for all eternity. The trees over-filled with songs, harmony, God, all kinds of awesome birds, and flowers you never even heard of, not an empty branch anywhere. Endless fields of green for horses, dogs, cats, and I promise some Smurfs! Some creatures, I never knew existed. Mum pops by through meditation and we pick-up right where we left off. Hugs and licks from Ming Ling and I just mess with her hair and bite the sides of her glasses. She loves it!
Thank you for flying with us “Budgies” today and choosing this ghostwriter’s friendly skies. I pray for perfect weather, strong wings for safe travels, awesome cool breezes to breathe easier, and sturdy branches to nest and squawk upon. Stay away from bird wires! Be good to your feathered friends, harry mutts, and all strange butts. May you always have seeds aplenty to nibble, share, plant, and grow till this year’s full and it’s almost September, so I better jet!
Hope you enjoyed Stormy Weather, a bird’s tale …. more feathers to ruffle soon.
Beyond Sirius Sea 