Lucky 13 Part I: Birds of a Feather

Jason and I don’t hesitate to celebrate. No, no one could ever accuse us of skimping on festivities. So, not astonishingly, when our thirteenth anniversary came around this year we spared no revelry. Jason, whose turn it was to plan our activities this time, decided that the proper commemoration of this event shouldn’t be limited to one day but distributed over weeks. Yes, weeks of anniversary exploits means weeks of related posts. I wouldn’t want you to be subjected to more excitement than you could handle in one sitting.

Kea are very intelligent and curious. They are often called "the clown of the mountains" because of their inquisitive nature.
Kea are very intelligent and curious. They are often called “the clown of the mountains” because of their inquisitive nature.

Our dedicatory partying started on our actual anniversary. Jason made a lovely breakfast for us that morning, after which we headed to Tracy Aviary in Salt Lake City. He had arranged for me to take a behind-the-scenes photography tour with the Curator of Exhibit Collections there. This was extremely cool and a very thoughtful idea on my hubby’s part. I was able to go into the birds’ enclosures and take pictures of them up close while learning fascinating facts about those feathery creatures from the curator. I got some terrific shots and a glimpse into the personalities of each of these rare species, some of which are now completely extinct in the wild thanks to the stupidity of our species.

Green Magpies are native to Asia. These pretty creatures can mimic other bird calls.
Green Magpies are native to Asia. These pretty creatures can mimic other bird calls.

We finished our afternoon by strolling The Gateway and stuffing ourselves with sushi from The Happy Sumo. Then, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 occupied the bulk of our amazing evening. After all, seeing superhero flicks has become an anniversary staple for us.*

These White-faced Whistling Ducks seemed to think I was disturbing their naptime.
These White-faced Whistling Ducks seemed to think I was disturbing their naptime.

Our anniversary was relaxing yet distinctive. It was an outstanding day spent with many fantastic fowls and one fantastic non-foul. But the merriment didn’t end with these fine happenings. Check in next week for all the mind-blowing details about the second phase of our anniversary saga.

*We are uber-nerds.

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *