Category Archives: birds

Day of the Turkeys

Kelli Jae Baeli Posted on by

For our first wedding anniversary, Melissa and I went to Onyx cave in Eureka Springs. Heading out, we were, as usual, watching for good pictures, our cameras at the ready, as I steered the Avalanche (whom we lovingly call Ava Lanche, as in French style Launch-SHAY. She is like another one of our pets.) Just down the road on Highway 23, we stopped to take photos of a tree full of turkey vultures. Creepy and wonderful. This was balanced by a precious little bluebird Melissa captured nearby. But not a turkey bluebird. We were starving, but thought we’d just stop … Continue reading →

Birds & Bees (with giggling)

Kelli Jae Baeli Posted on by

NOTE TO READER: I’ve always found the word “chicken” to be comical. I don’t know why. Thus, I will be giggling as I write about them. So…. How exactly do birds do it? Let’s use chickens, [hehehe] shall we? Roosters fancy themselves clever little bastards. If they want to mate, they’ll call the hens out to dinner–which is usually grain on the ground. He lets them start their dinner and then when they are focused on that, he moves in for the kill, without so much as a smooth pick-up line.   We’ve all got that image of a rooster … Continue reading →

The Extended Metaphor of Us

Kelli Jae Baeli Posted on by

She flew in under my radar. buzzed my ivory tower, until I noticed her there, gracing the sky with her beauty, like an elegant, fragile bird. When I stopped searching the sky for Harpies and pterodactyls, I saw her…strong in her weaknesses, swooping and ascending, wings white as snow, reflecting the sunlight of hope. And when she landed, and I looked into her azure eyes, I saw her soul, her damaged but still strong wings, and I stroked her, felt the softness of her feathers, smelled the scent of wind and rain, heard the beauty of her song. And I … Continue reading →

One Thing After Another

Kelli Jae Baeli Posted on by

The bird, the partner, the dog, the Fed Ex lady, coffee… Status quo. My cockatiel, Bingo, lives in a huge “condo” cage with every toy and snack and luxury a bird could want. But she begins to shriek as soon as daylight hits the windows, her nocturnal sleeping clock disengaged by sunshine. My usual groggy reprimands, like, “Bingo, hush” and “Bingo, shut up!” and “Goddamn it, Bingo!” don’t help. But you know, i just always hope i won’t have to get up. She wants out of her cage so she can perch on my shoulder, leave lots of poopie on … Continue reading →