Jo Lynn’s: Hairdo & Cockatoo

By Helen Westie
Sun contributor
Barbershops and beauty salons, besides rendering services for which they are intended, have ever been places to gather all the news of a community. But at Jo Lynn’s Hair affair in Empire there is even more interesting and unusual entertainment available. Two parrots and some colorful fish comprise a mini-menagerie, which comes to work with Jo Lynn and goes home with her every night. Talon’s predominant soft grey color is accentuated by a large swath of bright red feathers in his tail. This African Grey Congo parrot has a vocabulary of 400 words. He sings all of the words to “The Wizard of Oz.” He whistles the beginning of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, the Bridge Over the River Kwai, the Andy Griffith theme, and the song of Ed, Ed, and Eddie, the popular children’s Saturday program. He imitates police sirens and animal sounds. On a nearby perch is beautiful Dini (named for Houdini, but she is a female), an all-white Umbrella Cockatoo named for its distinctive fanning out of head feathers umbrella style. Jo Lynn found Dini through a Pet Rescue Mission. She was taken from an abusive home and had lived in a rehab foster home for two years. Jo Lynn was one of many applicants for providing a loving home for Dini. She was chosen to be the new Mama by the Mission people because they thought Dini’s going to work with Jo Lynn every day would keep her mentally active. Dini is exceptionally gentle and affectionate. She does not scream, as Cockatoos are known to do. She loves attention and wants to be cuddled and petted. Talon, on the other hand, keeps his distance and does not want to be touched. He does enjoy verbal contact with people. Jo Lynn found him as a three-month old in a bird nursery downstate after he was hatched by a breeder in Tennessee.

Jo Lynn can provide answers to the many questions people have about her pets. She has gained her wide knowledge from a monthly magazine, “Bird Talk,” and she attends two or three Bird Shows each year where many experts answer questions. Jo Lynn has this advice for anyone interested in owning a parrot: “There are so many unwanted pet birds out there. People should do their homework before going out to the pet store and buying a bird. They are not the ideal pet for just anyone. It’s like having a three- or four-year-old child all the time. Parrots are too intelligent to sit contentedly in a cage day after day. They need contact with people and mental stimulation or they will throw tantrums and become mean. But if you have the time and patience, a parrot can become your best friend. Talon and Dini would like to meet you, so stop in and give them a hello.”
The antics of Talon and Dini seem almost human. However, scientists say that this practice of attributing human qualities to animal behavior, anthropomorphism, is not valid or scientific. But consider this conversation: Jo Lynn was talking to her mother on the telephone one day as Talon, like a child, kept babbling louder and louder for her attention. Finally, Jo Lynn shouted “Talon!”
“What?” answered Talon.
“Be quiet!” Jo Lynn ordered.
“What are you doing?” asked Talon.
“Talking to Nana on the phone, so be quiet.”
He paused, then said “Dammit!” (This is the only swear word that Talon has been exposed to). Then he gave a loud, hearty laugh: “Ha ha ha ha ha.”
Another adornment of Jo Lynn’s Hair Affair is several fish tanks of multicolored Flaring Bettas. Raising these fish is no easy job, as the tiny shrimp they eat must also be raised. These are Siamese fighting fish and must be kept separately. A mirror provides a fighting atmosphere and the fish “flare.” Male Bettas get ready for the females spawning by building a bubble nest of foam from his saliva, which floats atop the water. As the female drops the eggs (roe), the male catches each one in his mouth and blows it into the nest. From then on, the care of the eggs is in his charge. If they should fall out of the nest, the male gingerly picks them up in his mouth and swims them back to the nest. The baby Bettas are born with a yolk sac, which nourishes them. When the yolk sacs are gone they eat the live food that is provided. Their tanks require no aeration because they are one of only 13 species of fish that are air breathers, meaning they have lungs as humans do. They come frequently to the surface to gulp a breath of air.
There’s also a perpetual jigsaw puzzle in progress at Jo Lynn’s. Many women come early or stay after their hair appointment to put just one more piece in. Husbands occupy their time while waiting for their spouses by puzzling or by teaching Talon a new song. There’s never a dull moment at Jo Lynn’s shop of many colors.