ABOUT THE BOOK
Jasper is no ordinary parrot.
He lives in the rainforest, which secrets he’s eager to explore. Jasper loves his home and his family, and he's also in charge of his younger brother Willie - a responsibility Jasper takes very seriously.
When he meets Charlie - a spider monkey with a penchant for food and a laid back attitude - he realizes he’s in for an adventure he never thought possible. Even if this means getting into danger and worrying his mother to no end.
Exploring
the boundaries of the forest, Jasper understands that there is more to
the world around him. Who are the strange new creatures that have come
there? With Willie and Charlie by his side, he will soon find out.
Book Details
Title: Jasper, Amazon Parrot: A Rainforest Adventure
Author: Sharon C. Williams
Genre: children, children's interactive adventure books
Series: Jasper, Amazon Parrot, book 1
Publisher: Peculiar Possum Books - A Next Chapter Imprint; 3rd edition (July 9, 2019)
Print length: 48 pages
GUEST POST BY SHARON C. WILLIAMS
A Day in the Life of Jasper
My Amazon Yellow Cheek Amazon parrot, Jasper, has been with us since 1999 when we rescued and adopted him at the age of five. But not only that, he has become the focal point of my chapter book series- the Jasper, Amazon parrot series.
I grew up with dogs, cats, chickens, hamsters, gerbils, fish, and white mice. But nothing prepared me for living with birds. Nothing has prepared me to live with Jasper.
So, what is a day like in the life of Jasper?
I get up roughly at 5:25 am. My husband and I leave by 6 to go for our morning walk. Hearing my footsteps, Jasper will race down his cage, across the ladder that connects to the rail, goes to the very end by the stairs, and go vertical. He will get face down, tail in the air as he waits for me.
The point of that is he is ready for his morning pat. It is required of me to pat him at least 100 times. Rule number one says so. The point of me doing this as I pat him is to check his wings, breastplate, eyes, nostrils, feet, tail, back, and overall check. Birds tend to hide their sickness. By the time you notice that they are sick, it could be too late. It is a bonding moment for us. He loves it and expects it.
"Thank you," is said when we finished.
He might say, "Hello, hello, hello."
It all depends on his mood.
After, he will race to his cage. It is time to be fed. It does not matter that I have a routine to feed my other birds. In his mind, he needs to eat first. That includes clean water and food. Rule number two is complete.
But while he is eating, Cartoon Network needs to be turned on for him to enjoy. If not, then Nat Geo or a favorite movie of his. He does enjoy watching MMA and football. I have not figured out yet why. Now, you are not to walk in front of the TV or stand in front of it. Rule number three is complete.
Once he is done eating and is back in front of the TV, he will begin to groom himself. It is necessary for birds. With him being a large bird, this can take quite a while for him to go over each feather. It takes a good portion of his time during the day, especially if it is that time of year when he is molting.
If the sun is shining through the window by his cage, he will place himself either on our kitchen table or on his circular stand to enjoy the rays and a small nap, which can vary in length.
Now I am allowed to work at the kitchen table. But with that comes my bird wanting to help me. Do I need help? No. Does it matter? No. Jasper offers it happily. Rule number four is to be a helpful bird. Even if that means walking on top of the papers to tell me hi, so be it.
If no one is at the table, no sun shining through, and the cartoons are not to his liking, Jasper will climb his stand to look out in the back yard. It could be to either fuss at the squirrels or look at anyone who he might happen to see.
It is here that Jasper has learned the different sounds of the birds outside. He can mimic half a dozen birds. Jasper has spotted so many things by just looking out the window.
His key phrase is, "Mom, look out window. Mommmmmmmm, look out window!"
I am supposed to rush to the window to see what he wants me to see. I may not always see it in time or see what he wants me to see. But rule number five says I need to look out the window.
Jasper gets healthy treats in the morning that can range from fruit, veggies, or birdie snacks.
On the day of the week where he gets his shower, that will be between his breakfast and lunch, where I will spray room temperature water in a mist for him to get a good soak so he can get a proper wash.
Now, if his dad, aka my husband, has not come down from his office at all due to work, Jasper will call upstairs in a barrage that will last from five to ten minutes in hopes his dad will come down to talk to him.
He can range to where he says, "Hello."
Or, he will say, "Hi. Hi. Hi. Hi."
"Helloooooooooooooooooooooooooooo,"
"Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii."
"Hi. Hi. Hi. Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!"
He will vary.
His vocabulary is pretty good, and he has a variety of whistles and bird calls he can do. He imitates inanimate sounds well.
If dad does not come down soon enough, in his mind, he will resort to crying. And I must admit his crying is eerily similar to a baby. We have no idea how he learned that.
If a bug, which can be an ant, moth, fly, and the likes, comes near him, then he will sound the alarm. It goes like this.
It is comical to me but not to him.
It is my job to kill the bug, show him the body to confirm the kill, and then dispose of it. I have now just completed rule number six.
Now anyone who walks by his cage, regardless of the time of day, is required by rule number seven, which is we must acknowledge him with terms of endearment and or patting. We must proclaim he is gorgeous, a good bird, a sweet bird, and no other pets compare to him. No other bird compares to him. It can go on for a while since no amount of time is ever enough for Jasper.
At lunch, Jasper will take a break from a busy morning of sun, birds, TV, eating, and grooming to come to the table for his lunch where he will have a riveting conversation with my husband about what is going on and to express any concerns he might have. Considering he looks at me and then goes on a tirade with his dad, I am sure he is talking about me. I know it.
It takes up the whole lunch hour. Usually, Jasper gets on my husband. Jasper will groom my husband, and in return, Dad pats him. Jasper could be on his shoulder all day. I believe the longest on record is four to five hours. In his mind, nothing beats sitting on his favorite person. It must happen at least twice a day. It is rule number eight.
Once my husband goes back to work, Jasper will check to see what is on TV. If it is something that we know he does not like, I will put on a movie that is a favorite of his. It could include How To Train a Dragon, Despicable Me, or something else. Those are some of his favorites.
He will proceed to repeat what he did in the morning. He will, now and then, come over so I can pat him and say hi while I work with my office being by his cage.
I am never, ever, to forget the afternoon snack.
It is in the afternoon that he will socialize with the other birds. It means he wants to have them give him their attention. The time length can vary depending on his mood that can change on a dime.
But they adore him and give him much homage.
As the day draws to a close, it will start to get dark outside the window by his cage. It requires rule number nine to happen. No darkness should ever be allowed to fall onto his cage, space, or him. Period.
If he is feeling friendly, he will climb down the rail that is by the couch in the living room and make his way onto the couch. Jasper will go to the person he loves the best, which is my husband, who has come down now that work is over.
If Dad falls asleep before Jasper, he will watch over his dad for hours to make sure he is okay and to keep him safe. Well, until 7:00 pm since that is when he goes inside his cage and settles in for the night.
There are rare occasions he stays out later or will come out again if he sees Dad stir or is awake. Jasper will need to see if my husband will pat him some more before it is time for bed.
The life of a beloved parrot is hard work.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sharon C. Williams is a native of New England raised in Northern Maine. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and son. A flock of rescued birds owns her.
Sharon has a B. S. degree in Chemistry and two A.S. with one being in Biology and the other, Math. She loves to read, sketch, take pictures, walk, exercise, go to the movies, and listen to music. Sharon is a budding bird watcher and knits on the side. She is a huge sports fan of baseball, basketball, hockey, football, and MMA. She is also a shutterbug and is always looking for the next big shot.
At the moment, she has five books out with six short stories in three anthologies.
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Thanks for the laughs this morning. What a sweet, funny bird!
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