Small Stories: It's a bird thing. It's *always* a bird thing.

Hello you.

This summer I've been on a hunt for vintage treasures. And I've found some.

Many of them are books. Books of magnificently low price and even more magnificent illustrations. Books which I've photographed and will share them with you in the coming weeks. Books which, when I leaf through them, reveal a currently recurring theme of zebras and birds!

But, in amongst this safari and flock of illustrated creatures there also dwells this little ceramic treasure ... my beautiful blue budgerigar complete with temperature gauge:

Obviously!

And I'm smitten with him. Isn't he pretty?:

From the moment I spotted his wings deep within in a battered, neglected, dusty, heaped-up 'Everything in here 50p' box at carboot sale near Whitby ... I wanted him. Even when James looked like he was re-considering [a] my sanity and [b] our future together, even then, I wanted to buy a ceramic budgie with in-built temperature gauge.

So I did.

We're still trying to work out it the gauge still works properly.

As you can see, it's registering almost 30degrees in this photo and considering it was taken outside on a English summer's day ... it might not be entirely acurate ....

At the very least he's all clean and fresh now he lives with us plus, since I took these photos James has painted him a new left eye to match his right!

Yes, he may be a little bit kitsch. And yes, he may have been broken and glued back together. But you know what? He's unique. You certainly don't see many like him ... now, get your eyes off him ... he's all mine ...

You are allowed to cast your eyes over these though, they're my latest additions to my Carousel Zebra etsy shop. In fact, I'd positively encourage you to have a look at them:

Thank you!

I'll be winging back here soon [I know ... appalling pun ... apologies] with more birdy treasures.

Until then, have a lovely day!

The sun's shining here right now and, should I wish to know the exact temperature, ... I know a budgie who can help me out with that!

Jx