Proper Introductions

For those of you following along in the Asha Chronicles, I'm sure you've seen mention of two birds, a tiel and a blue and gold macaw, who appear in spirit form. The macaw, Rosalie Hale Bopp, has been made mention of since the first episode of the Asha Chronicles. She was, and still is, part of my friend Eva's life. Rosalie touched the heart and soul of everyone who met her in her all too brief time here on earth. On Bird Channel, where Eva would write in Rosalie's 'voice', you could get the sense that Rosalie was a wise and loving soul and the messages left on each of Rosalie's bird friends pages reflected Rosalie's love for life, love of others and deep wisdom. You knew Rosalie knew more than she was ever able to express in her own words. Rosalie is also the one who gave my AsaMina Sura her nickname, The Convicts Chick, which went to that 'wisdom and knowing more' that I just mentioned. AsaMina's momma bird, Rowena Rose, was nicknamed Jail Bird due to her odd habit of running her beak back and forth across her cage bars like the prisoners in the movies do with tin cups. Rowena Rose and Rosalie never met and the one never knew about the other making her nickname for my AsaMina even more special. It's the wisdom and kindness you see in Rosalie's eyes when you look into that picture of her [her most famous picture] that got her sucked into the Asha Chronicles and the spirit of wisdom as The Feathered Four's guide.

Rosalie Hale Bopp: January 1, 1997 to October 22, 2007

The other spirit making an appearance into the Asha Chronicles is AsaMina's Daddy Bird, my R.B. Bird Leonardo. He was and I believe still is, my gaurdian angel, the little feathered soul that God sent down to keep an eye on me and keep me safe. Over R.B. Birds not quite 16 years, I always hoped I'd taken as good a care of him as he did of me. As I type this post, I'm one week shy of turning 41 years old. All that has happened between my 24th birthday and now is because of my R.B. Bird. It was he who literally saved my life from an abusive first husband. My neighbor never once heard me scream due to sleeping during the day and working nights. But, boy could she hear R.B. Bird scream, loud and clear. It was his shriek that woke her and had her call the police 'to get the stupid bird to be quiet so she could sleep'. The 'Idiot' (politest name for my ex I can think of), would stop hitting me when he saw the police car driving up. No R.B. Bird, no annoyed neighbor, no police car, no me. R.B. Bird and his biological sister Moana terrified a burglar and sent him running one night when I was home alone. And, my little grey angel and the universes hugest fan of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, also alerted my 9 unit apartment building to a small fire in more than enough time for all of us to evacuate. So, yes, he too lives on and isn't really 'gone'. R.B. Bird, I believe continues to watch over us, most of the time through his daughter AsaMina, who is nearly a clone of him and his sister Moana (April-Moana O'Neil, for long), and in the stories, I use his gifts to help The Feathered Four. The picture posted of him is his most famous picture.
R.B. Bird Leonardo: January 16, 1991 to November 11, 2006

[it was fitting he crossed over the Rainbow Bridge on Veterans Day after all the battles he fought and won]

Hope Is The Thing With Feathers--- by Emily Dickenson

Hope is the thing with feathers

That perches in the soul,

And sings the tune without the words,

And never stops at all,

And sweetest in the gale is heard;

And sore must be the storm

That could abash the little bird

That kept so many warm.

I've heard it in the chilliest land

And on the strangest sea;

Yet, never, in extremity,

It asked a crumb of me.