Everyone knows parakeets are chirpy little birds that come in a variety of colors and are sold in just about any pet shop. Every American “knows” it anyway – because in the rest of the world, including their native Australia,  “parakeets” are called budgerigars, or budgies for short. In fact, there’s a stockier version called the English budgerigar. Their wing and head stripes earn them the occasional appellation of zebra parrots (not to be confused with zebra finches) and some refer to them as canary parrots (not to be confused with canaries – although technically budgies are small parrots). 

Even before the Oscar winners are announced, several Academy Award-nominated films have already earned an important and respected honor: the “No Animals Were Harmed” disclaimer from the American Humane Association. American Humane’s certified animal safety representatives monitor the use of animals on more than 1,000 productions each year. This year, the nominated productions that did the right thing by keeping their animal actors safe include “Avatar,” “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” and “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.”

You may have heard about Leona Helmsley leaving her estate to her dog, Trouble, but you don’t need to be a billionaire to make arrangements for your companion animals. 

The difference between an instructor and a teacher is that an instructor informs and a teacher inspires.  A good teacher is someone who can offer you an environment in which you yourself make discoveries.  If we are fortunate, we have a teacher or two in our lives and they are unforgettable.  I was blessed to have a lesson from a teacher on a recent horse adventure.  Sometimes one short lesson makes all the difference.  

“Rick, it’s going to be difficult to help this horse from where you are standing,” the teacher said.  “Try going around to the other side.”  I moved to the other side and tipped his head to his left, just as before.  I was looking to encourage this horse to be more flexible in the neck as well as soften himself through his whole body.  Past history of this horse included a neck injury.    The injury was healed but the memory of the discomfort seemed to have lingered.