Grandpa and the birds

My Grandpa was a delightful character, five feet tall and, when I knew him, rather rotund. I don't think you would call him an "animal lover", but he certainly loved the animals who became his friends. One of these was Buster, a bantam rooster. Buster loved Grandpa too, and would follow him around everywhere, inside and outside of the house! He even watched television with Grandpa. He was rather bossy as well, and terrorised us kids when we came to visit. One of my favourite memories is of Grandpa relaxed on the lazy-boy on the back lawn with a beer and a cigar, and Buster perched on his large round bare belly! Grandpa was a butcher, and his other bird friends were a couple of local magpies. I remember he would come to the backyard in the early morning with a handful of minced steak from the butcher's shop, and call "maggie, maggie, maggie" in warbling tones. The magpies woudl duly arrive and allow themselves to be hand fed.
Sally Parnis