As a youngster, I had budgies most of the time I was growing up. My mother usually had to take care of them because I was too young to understand. I was also afraid to take them out of their cages. As I got a little bit older, I got a big white duck. I got to pick the duck out. Of course it hated me and I was scared to death of it, haha. My first Cockatiel came along when I was 19 years old. His name was Joey. Joey was the noisiest bird I ever heard (until later when I got Cockatoos). He ended up living with my mother for the remainder of his life. My mom had another cockatiel named Rudy. When my mother became unable to take care of Rudy, Rudy came to live with me. After Rudy’s passing, I went looking for another cockatiel. Instead, I found a pair of Congo African Greys named Gracie and Ringo. Thus began my big bird adventure! Now I have 3 Macaws, 3 Cockatoos, 3 CAGs and a few little birdies to go with it. Since joining the bird club world, I have actively worked to make sure we can continue to enjoy our FIDS.