Boothy's Zoo

The family of Kevin's friend Boothy has so many animals it's staggering. Besides the horses and sheep and goat, they have 11 dogs, at least one cat, a couple ferrets, a few tanks of fish (including Mexican walking fish that are the freakiest looking things) and dozens of birds. (I'm not counting the flock of galahs - pink and grey parrots - that hangs around, or the water dragons, since they're wild).

Their real claim to fame though is that they owned - until a year ago when she died at age 19 - the cow who was in Babe. I came that close to meeting a movie star from one of my favorite movies!

Instead I got to spend some time with lorikeets, one of which did my hair (this ended when it leaned over my face to poke at my eyebrows)

and their baby Major Mitchell cockatoo (Yes, she pooped on my shirt, but that's not surprising when I had her sitting there for as long as I did. And at 6 months old she really is a baby - they can live for 80 years.)

and other assorted cockatoos and parrots.

Much as I liked these birds, the wild cockatoos that wake me up with their squawking most mornings still win.