MUST LIFE BE DULL?

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 256, 28 October 1937, Page 6

MUST LIFE BE DULL?

MEN AND THEIR PETS NEW-FOUND HAPPINESS IN WANGANUI HOSPITAL. “Life is so monotonous,” is a phrase often heard to-day, but the story of how two disabled men, faced with the prospect of spending most of their days in hospital, were lifted, possibly from the slough of despair to a new interest in life, must serve as an incentive to those dissatisfied with their lot. It was some years ago that the younger of these men, injured in the spine as the result of an accident, was admitted to the hospital. The other, an elderly man, is permanently disabled as the result of war injuries, and has spent many years on his back. The young man is able to rise for a short period each day, but is compelled to return to bed in an exhausted condition. « To them, life was a monotonous round, enlightened only by the visits of friends and the radio. To one, who was forced to endure a good deal of pain, life was more than a round, it was a burden. Any who have had the misfortune to have to spend a length of time in hospital will appreciate the position of these two men who lay week in and week out, watching the seasons change and the years drag by in a dull routine. What did the future hold. . . ? It was several years ago that a Wanganui resident, interested in birds, gave them a pair of budgerigars in a small cage, little visualising at the time the far-reaching effect his thoughtful action was to have in the lives of the men. The birds in the cage, which was hung on the verandah at the foot of their beds, awakened new interest in the men, the bright-feathered creatures being the subject of much comment and study. From the time when the first faint streaks of the approaching dawn tinted the horizon over the oaks of Queen’s Drive, till the sun sank behind the sombre pines at the back of the building, the birds rocked on their perches, cracked seeds, fought, and made love; in fact they went through all the antics that make the little parrots so interesting. The enjoyment derived from the birds by the men was so obvious that the original donor, and another bird fancier were moved to give them other pairs, and in so doing intensified their interest. But the cage was too small to accommodate comfortably the newcomers and some new means of housing them was sought. It was with the permission of the hospital authorities that an elaborate aviary was constructed at the edge of the verandah, a few feet from the men’s beds. This aviary, it might be mentioned, was I he outcome of months of planning by the men and embodies all that can be considered “th: last thing” in bird comfort. Spaciously constructed and provided with elaborate swings and perches, the aviary is a model of its kind. The men’s interest was aroused and they began considering the possibilities of breeding budgerigars. The difficulties in this direction were considerable, breeding cages would have to be constructed, and the men’s limited knowledge of the needs of fledglings was another factor that was to be considered. The young man, whom we shall call Ken, began subscribing to ; bird magazines and papers, and it was but a short time before his knowledge of the care and breeding of budgerigars was a wide one. Construction of Cages. Incredible as it may seem, the construction of breeding cages, to the number of ten or more, was carried out entirely by the men, whilst in their beds. Tea boxes, some two feet square, were utilised for this purpose.

wire netting being tacked across the front of the boxes after the interiors had been fitted out for the purposes of the birds. Bird boxes, cut out of light timber with fret saws, speak volumes for the careful and painstaking work that has been applied under conditions that would discourage many other men. Before the wood could be used it had to be surfaced with a plane, and this was done by George, the older man, sitting up in bed. In the past two years considerable success lias attended their efforts, and the lace that only two deaths have occurred in the aviary is indicative of the care that is lavished on the pets. With his intensive study of the subject Ken's knowledge of the science of breeding and colour-suffusion has become such that he has become regarded as an authority on the matter, ar.d his advice is sought on numerous occasions. At the present time mating and breeding is in full swing and the verandah resounds to the chirps and squeaks of fledglings in the nests. In the bright sunlight the birds, as they flit about the cage, make a picture that ever claims the attention of the men. Matrons, doctors, nurses and other patients derive considerable enjoyment from the "budgies,” and a that is at all off-colour immediately is the subject of medical attention that would flatter a human patient. An inspiration to many more fortunately situated could be found in the way Ken and George have found happiness in a life that would seemingly holds so little. And vet . life is so dull. ...