I had to tell you all a funny story. Quite a few years ago when I was in high school or college (can't remember), I was swimming in our pool in the backyard during the summer. (Live in Az) Anyway, all of a sudden I hear the strangest thing, it sounded like someone quoting the poem by Edgar Allen Poe entitled the "Raven". I thought I must be studying to hard or something, I'm hearing things. But no, sure enough I heard it again! I looked up and around because that was where the sound seemed to be coming from, and on the telephone wire that goes from our house to the alley, sat a BIG BLACK BIRD! A few things crossed my mind, first of all I had never seen a bird like that in Phoenix, and secondly I asked myself, was it that bird that was talking? Sure enough as soon as I thought that, the bird perked up and said as clear as day, "never more the raven"! I was flabbergasted! I got out of the pool as quietly and as slowly as I could I got out of the pool and headed for the house. But as soon as I hit the inside if the house, I started screaming, "everyone come and see this bird" you will never believe it! My mom and dad came out of the house to the backyard and they could hardly believe it either! My dad succeeded in coaxing it down with some bread, and then he grabbed it. He made a good size make shift cage for it until we could find out what the deal was with this bird. But what to do with the darn thing, obviously it was someones pet but who would have a raven for a pet? I don't remember if we ran an ad or if my dad called someone, but the owner was a person who lived a couple of streets away and was a park ranger. He had found the bird when it was just a baby and had raised it with the idea of letting it go when it was bigger, but during that time he would quote Edgar Allen Poe to the darn thing. The park ranger told us that ravens are able to mimick speech. He told us that as much as he hated to let the raven go, he guessed it was time if the bird could get out and fly away. He later called us and told us he had let it go at the Mogollian Rim up in Northern Arizona, on preserve land, imagine a campers or hikers surprize when they think they are in the wilderness and they suddenly hear a voice quoting Poe! I will never forget that story as long as I live, which is why I have always loved birds and especially ones that can talk. I am getting my first African Grey in about two months! Maybe I will name it "Poe" since I don't know if it will be a girl or a boy until I get it sexed!