I am married to an extraordinary woman.

She’s smart, intuitive, loving, pretty — and she’s got this way with birds.

I saw evidence of it once again this weekend.

There have been three distinct encounters with birds that tell me she’s got this interesting gift with our feathered friends.

* The first time occurred many years ago, in Portland, Ore. I wasn’t there to see it. She told me about it. I believe her account. It involved a large crow that ended up in our dining room. It was making that loud sound that crows make. She managed to talk the crow out of the dining room, into the living room and out the front door.

* The second time occurred in Amarillo. It was about 2003 or 2004. Our kitties were still young and spry. Our little female, Mittens, stalked a cluster of sparrows that were scarfing up some dropped bird seed among my wife’s day lilies. Mittens crept forward, then sprinted and leaped into the flowers. The birds scattered. All but one, which ended up in Mittens’ jaws. Our cat looked at me wide-eyed and then sprinted into the house, bird in mouth. She dropped the bird, which then flew into our bedroom. My wife talked the bird into a corner, where she picked it up, inspected it for injury. Seeing none, she let the bird go and it flew away to join up with its pals.

* The third time occurred just this weekend. A blue jay had come down through the chimney and ended up atop our kitchen counters high above the floor. We managed to coax the bird into the dining room. My wife grabbed a broom and nudged it under the jay’s feet. It then flew to a ledge over our front door. I opened the screen. My wife nudged the broom under the jay’s feet once again. It climbed onto the business end of the broom as my wife spoke soothingly to it. She lowered the broom — and the blue jay flew off to points unknown.

Hmmm. I’m now wondering: Is there a market for a bird whisperer?