Unbelievable! Tinker is back. I got a phone call this morning. A woman told me that someone wanted to talk to me. I had no idea what she was talking about until I heard familiar babbling and chirping through the phone. I got directions and drove 11 miles to pick up Tinker. Turns out he was sitting in front of an old lady's front door yesterday afternoon when she came back from a trip to town. She lives a good deal off the highway in the middle of nowhere, no water between here and there, just desert, and found my little buddy all dusty and clearly tired sitting on her floormat.She took him in, gave him water, seeds and bits of apple and banana.She kept him in an empty fish tank covered with a cloth. Tinker is usually shy around strangers and doesn't like to talk in front of them, but this morning he started babbling. The old lady noticed that Tinker kept saying a phone number and so she decided to call. Since Tinker spends much time in my home ofice he has heard my number many times and of course parakeets are little tape recorders.When I offfered the lady the reward, she declined vehemently, so I instead invited her for dinner at a nice restauarant of her choice some time soon, and she accepted that. I will donate the reward to a local charity. I am just so glad to have my little buddy back safe and sound. He's getting all his treats and seems to be enjoying himself. He's still very excited, whether from his adveture or just because he is back I cannot say. In a few days I will look for a new mate for Tinker.
