sad homecoming

i took this photo last nite so i could introduce you all to my 2 new parakeets, pearl and grace.

i got them about a month ago. they were my prescription to fight seasonal affective disorder this winter. you know, s-a-d. the feeling of wanting to dig a deep hole in the nearest snowbank and crawling on in wearing old flannel jammies and staying in there until winter is over. and of course you would be sleeping the entire time. or eating.

my nurse practitioner said to try bringing the outdoor things i love so much into the house for the winter to keep me happy. so i got my birds to bring nature into the house.

and i have loved having them--parakeets are very social and busy and love to do acrobatics. they are kind of messy and fling seed around a bit but i don't mind.

so i was very bummed when i came home from work today and found grace dead in the bottom of their cage. i don't know what happened. can parakeets have heart attacks or strokes?? she was chirping up a storm yesterday. weird. now i am worried that pearl will die, too.

if that happens i guess i'll get out my shovel to start on my snow cave.