Squirt and Strap's competition

I know I have written about Squirt and Strap in the past and explained their idiosyncrasies.  Believe me, they do have them!  Chris and I have often commented upon the fact that any animal, be it fish, bird, dog or crawling things, in our presence are so different from other living creatures in the 'real' world. 

We are positive that they all understand English, and in their own way speak to us all the time (OK--I firmly believe that!) But the other members of the family are beginning to have a fresh understanding of the uniqueness these animals in our family....and they are acknowledging that it is amazing what we have seen and experience almost daily. living with these 'family' members.

For example this morning I was sitting quietly in the early morning hours in the kitchen/family room area, when Squirt suddenly just went crazy outside in her aviary.  She was flying around and flapping her wings and tail as she grabbed onto the bars of the aviary.  She started screeching as though she was under threat! I got so frightened that I rushed outside, thinking that perhaps there was a snake in her area, but no. Nothing. Nada. Just a neurotic bird. As soon as she saw she got a reaction from me, she just went quiet, and sat calmly on one of her perches. Sucked me in big time!  She does this to me all the time!  And they call me a Drama Queen! Hello! Where do you think I learned it all!!

But what really cracks my up lately is Strap's sleeping behaviour.  Usually, once dawn has occurred, he rises from his sleep under the window of the back bedroom, and drops his weary body outside of the family room sliding glass doors.  But lately, he has discovered a new early morning sleeping spot. Underneath our BBQ cover!  We recently bought a new stainless steel BBQ, and then covered it for safe keeping under the normal black canvas/plastic? cover for protection. This morning, I couldn't see Strap anywhere, then noticed a white tip sticking out from under the black BBQ cover.  His new sleeping space. But only in the morning. Obviously the early dawn light upsets his sleep, so he has discovered a better sleeping space. Cracks me up!  It's usually either his nose, or the tip of his tail that sticks out.

Is it because they live with us, and let's face it--we live life according to our own drummers, or is it because they were strange to begin with and just do things to egg us on...love 'em for it anyway--keeps life interesting....