tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45331487407189587312011-12-03T21:27:42.808-05:00I am a writer who lives and works in a city somewhere below the Mason-Dixon line, east of LA. This blog is about my four parrots, various and sundry things going on in my life, and whatever events occur that demand my opinion. All material contained in this blog is copyrighted, 2007-2011. All rights retained by the author.Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1551100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-54479713437968780702011-11-16T20:18:00.000-05:002011-11-16T20:18:27.356-05:00

Since my last post I've been teaching, working on the book, and then taking the Parrot Lovers' Cruise.  When I returned from the cruise I immediately came down with a nasty case of bronchitis that's kept me basically homebound for a week. My mother had repeat surgery on her ear; this time it seems to have been successful -- we hope.  We should know for sure by next Monday. Tonight I see that

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-45177754934988628002011-07-08T12:07:00.001-04:002011-07-08T12:09:01.606-04:00

Here is a video of Charli ripping up paper towels; her Most Favorite Activity of All Time.  Well, at least for now. And another one. She is extremely aggressive about paper lately. The BobbseyTwins are wonderful, as usual. Here they are performing Very Valuable Sentry Duty. People who don't live with happy parrots have no idea what they're missing.

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-19915745974058718142011-06-27T15:48:00.000-04:002011-06-27T15:48:44.471-04:00

I've started a new blog -- just links about parrots and some birds.  Whatever strikes me as interesting or useful.  If you find something interesting or useful about parrots, send me the link.  Enjoy! The Chewing Parrot

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-65839876631757740742011-06-25T12:57:00.008-04:002011-06-27T13:11:48.202-04:00

This is one of the toys Charli loves -- for the moment.  She's still learning that each one has an almond or two, maybe even a peanut hidden inside.  The lid is connected to the box by a small, safe chewable bit of wood that keeps the lid from opening completely.  It opens just enough for the parrot to see goodies inside.  The parrot must then chew the safe cardboard to release the treats. 

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-38000873190485235042011-06-05T21:24:00.001-04:002011-06-05T21:25:41.503-04:00

No, I'm not a hoarder, but I frequently watch old reruns of the program on Netflix lest I become absent-minded and allow clutter to take over.  I have true hoarders on both sides of my family -- my father's side seems to be the worst.  When he died I had to go through his old pick-up truck and an old trailer that was too cluttered to live in any longer.  Frequently he would buy huge lots of

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-25031770575004188052011-05-22T15:01:00.001-04:002011-05-22T15:02:23.953-04:00

Last night the women's chorus I'm in finished its spring season with a fabulous concert; we've never sounded better.  Unfortunately, it was our director's last concert -- after 11 years he finally decided he wanted his Sunday evenings back.  Our new director is fine, but I don't think anyone will ever be as wonderful as John. I'm relieved the chorus season is over though.  Those Sunday evening

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-35275520027332351452011-05-10T05:21:00.020-04:002011-05-10T05:21:00.288-04:00

During my recent trip to the zoo I spent a lot of time in a little building that was dedicated to the Carolina Parakeet and to Martha, the last Passenger Pigeon.  The building also houses that beautiful Audubon picture of a flock of Carolina Parakeets (you can see that on the included Wikipedia page link), various news clippings about the demise of Martha, and some tasteful displays about

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-8954202784373931042011-05-06T17:15:00.000-04:002011-05-06T17:15:26.920-04:00

Yesterday I went to the zoo for the first time in several years.  I and some friends used to make a trip in early spring to either the zoo or the museum or botanical gardens, but we got out of the habit.  It's one of the better zoos in the nation, and we're lucky it's just an hour or so away. Most of the exhibits were as I remembered, but they'd added a lorikeet exhibit and I spent some time

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-80932842636767090432011-04-30T11:40:00.002-04:002011-04-30T11:54:49.646-04:00

  This is Charli, with her Most Favorite Toy in the Entire World -- a roll of adding machine tape.  She will chew and gnaw and rip at a roll of paper for hours and hours until she's filled up the entire corner of the cage. It's a beautiful Saturday, bright sunlight.  After over a week of severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, and incessant rain, the sun is like a miracle.  I'm having my

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-77411191341691055292011-04-19T12:46:00.000-04:002011-04-19T12:46:29.266-04:00

I finally got myself organized enough to get the birdies to the vet for wing and nail trims.  The office wasn't busy, which was a relief since Nicholas tends to screech and call in a voice of about 200 decibels.  You can't imagine such noise coming from such a tiny creature, but you can hear him a block away. Nicholas has a touch of separation anxiety, so if he cannot see Flash he will begin his

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-18178597637520449942011-04-17T00:01:00.000-04:002011-04-17T00:01:09.792-04:00

Forgive me, readers.  It's been several months since I updated my blog.  In that time I've had the living/dining/kitchen area and bedroom repainted, done major decluttering of closets, had a harmless growth removed from my leg, and am currently recovering from the annual round of springtime allergies that end up being sinus infections requiring lots of antibiotics and extra naps. This picture is

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-87543681436771067422011-01-11T18:41:00.000-05:002011-01-11T18:41:38.372-05:00

Tuesday, January 11, 2011 I'm snowed in, which means I sit around and surf the internet.  And eat.  And watch trash TV.  And scritch birds.  And stay up until two or three in the morning, then sleep exceeding late.  Which is okay, of course, except that I've basically been doing this for over a month.  And that's not okay.  Or at least it's not okay with me. It's not like there's nothing

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-63676051213734140542010-12-28T09:13:00.001-05:002010-12-28T09:15:02.247-05:00

Had Christmas with my mom on Christmas Eve.  Neither of us wanted to drive in case we really got the three inches of snow predicted for Christmas Day.We met at the Cracker Barrel at Brannon Crossing to eat and exchange gifts.  We were both thinking the same things because we gave each other candy and chocolates and money. We did get about three inches of soft fluffy snow; it was the nice

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-89118337567063540442010-12-13T12:05:00.001-05:002010-12-13T12:13:00.136-05:00

We got about 3 inches of snow last night.  I'm so glad I don't have to go to work in this mess.  In fact, I'm glad every day now I don't have to go to work.  People I talk to who are still there say nothing has changed, and I count my lucky stars. I'm not getting as much writing done and I'd imagined I would.  On the other hand, I'm sleeping more and a lot better.  I no longer get those awful

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-15580617848107361982010-10-02T18:48:00.001-04:002010-10-09T19:20:50.311-04:00

I invited some very special friends to lunch at Carrabba's today to celebrate my upcoming retirement.  There'll be something at work, but there are a lot of people in the department now I've never met so it won't be the same.  Here is Bev's Squawker, holding the rose that Ken W. gave me.  Allan gave me a lottery ticket and I promised him half of the winnings. Dick "Happy Rocks" died last Sunday,

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-34229751838297129452010-09-29T21:39:00.000-04:002010-09-29T21:39:25.974-04:00

My most beloved Sugar Franklin died a year ago tonight.  I often wear the locket that contains some of her ashes, as I did today. My official retirement from work is next Friday.  My office is nearly cleared out and I've decluttered my home office almost enough to have everything fit.  I have no idea how things are going to turn out, but my plan is to finally get some serious writing done and

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-12892917334122590982010-07-10T23:55:00.002-04:002010-09-01T17:49:42.103-04:00

It's been dreadfully hot and humid the past few weeks.  Storms yesterday, and a nice peaceful day today in the mid-80s. I've had a good Saturday.  Farmer's market early this morning, then some serious decluttering of my home office.  Threw out three big bags of trash, and took two big loads to Goodwill. Birdies and I had fresh, sweet corn on the cob for lunch, and I also had tomatoes with cottage

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-48929035274771636852010-06-07T18:43:00.000-04:002010-06-07T18:43:28.560-04:00

Sometimes the boys come out of their cage and decide to trek across the living room floor.  I managed to get some of their latest trip on film.

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-87088076380423731082010-06-05T13:40:00.008-04:002010-06-12T19:25:50.166-04:00

I went to the Farmers' Market again this morning.  Among the haul was a nice stalk of broccoli, which Charli fell in love with as you can see (the broccoli is on a skewer).   Here, she's hanging upside down with her wings spread out a little bit.  She loves raw broccoli! Later on I gave her some clean pea pods after shelling out the fresh peas.  She thought they were mighty tasty, too.

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-74653494091737398132010-05-29T19:00:00.001-04:002010-05-29T19:01:15.772-04:00

I managed to get up, get showered, and get out early this morning.  First, a quick trip to S's Bakery for doughnuts that make Krispy Kremes look and taste like lumps of lead.  They're only open a few days a week and on Saturdays; they're always sold out by 10 am.  They refuse to franchise. Then my second trip of the season to the farmer's market.  The city finally built a nice pavillion (above)

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-11227385069917740802010-05-28T21:38:00.007-04:002010-05-28T21:51:26.757-04:00

Storms in the morning and threats of storms the rest of the day.  Suited my mood perfectly.   Here is a picture of a dying heron, caught in the oil from the oil slick in Louisiana.  Here's a closer view.  Those  of you who have parrots probably recognize the pose. To say that I'm sick to the very soul of what's happening in the Gulf of Mexico would be the understatement of the year.  I try not

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-18471964931362594422010-05-01T19:54:00.001-04:002010-05-26T18:46:36.322-04:00

Yes, I know it's been awhile.  Work, life, friends, family, strangers, and so on. Today I finished the first draft of a book I've been working on.  A very bad draft, but finished all the same.  Now all I have to do is fill in details, get the style straightened out, polish the prose, make sure things flow in a logical order, and so on.  Another two or three drafts and I might actually have a real

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-88722214633466640622010-02-26T21:23:00.004-05:002010-06-12T19:28:14.472-04:00

This is little Flash, snoozing between bouts of scheming with Nicholas.  He has such a beautiful crest, and he's an awesome flier.  I adore him. Things continue to be unhealthy at work, and I've got applications out everywhere I can.  Personal life is pretty stable; family members and friends all well. The weather here is nearly as bad as it is everywhere in the nation.  Spring cannot come

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-39611771026751228352010-01-30T13:08:00.002-05:002010-01-30T13:11:52.876-05:00

We've had our second serious snow last night; maybe three inches.  Shallow enough to drive if I had an emergency, but deep enough to stay home with no guilt. Here's a video of several birds feasting at my bird feeder.  Dozens more birds visited earlier today, so there's not much left for these. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76bOdRzHBCI So I slept late, took videos, listened to NPR, had a

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-63712458123332445352010-01-07T17:09:00.007-05:002010-01-07T17:26:05.428-05:00

I ordered some stuff from ParrotNutz.com and they arrived today.I gave everyone a single Plopz treat to see how they would like them. The Bobbsey Twins ignored theirs, of course, but Charli was brave and tried it. This picture is of her after downing a bite and before delicately selecting another bite. (I'd crumbled it up before putting it in her bowl.)Her feathers are so beautiful I just had

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-47570755657467279182009-12-31T18:35:00.004-05:002010-01-07T17:32:51.602-05:00

I was reviewing the resolutions I made for this year, and they reminded me of that old saying: "If you want to make God laugh, tell Her your plans."2009 turned out to be a year of personal loss. I lost both of my writing mentors; Jim in June and Jack Myers in November. The best avian vet in this region of the US left for Iowa in August (and I'm still upset about it). And, of course, I lost my

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-46364579086935021882009-11-17T10:26:00.003-05:002009-11-17T10:58:38.249-05:00

This Charli's favorite foraging toy . . . well, at least for today. It's a small bird-safe cardboard box that has a tiny piece of chewable wood inside that prevents the lid from opening all the way. It opens just enough for me to put treats in and that she can see they're inside. The rest is up to her. As you can see, she does her best. I just love her face when she finally chews it up

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-26839681493572199152009-11-14T09:49:00.000-05:002009-11-14T10:15:57.772-05:00

I was up late last night, which was okay because I figured I could sleep late Saturday morning. Except, of course, that I forgot that Nicholas does not believe any creature should sleep once the first molecule of sunlight appears.So, in response to continual chirping and calling and demands to get the cage covers off, I drug myself out of bed and took off the cage covers. Congratulated everyone

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-32663291953244471992009-10-16T16:09:00.001-04:002009-10-21T08:19:37.761-04:00

It's been almost three weeks since Sugar Franklin died. I finally cleared out the cart her cage sat on, cleaned her cage, and put them both out in the little storage building. The suddenly cleared space seems enormous now and I'm still getting used to it. There doesn't seem to be anything I can put in that place -- not the play stand, not a chair, nothing seems to fit.When I come home I still

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-6312750327197646742009-09-30T09:07:00.006-04:002009-10-02T21:09:08.102-04:00

June 11, 1998September 29, 2009Thank you for all of the joy, and for making these past eleven years the very best of my life.

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-30324018861254388032009-09-27T18:29:00.000-04:002009-09-28T18:31:42.697-04:00

This morning I sat and watched Sugar Franklin run back and forth, back and forth, in her cage at approximately 70 miles an hour, wanting out. I took her out and she's now on my shoulder, helpfully chirping directly into my ear. She occasionally stretches out, first one wing and then the other. Her weight on my shoulder feels normal and solid. Sometimes she faces forward to chirp at the other

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-40388769019755884042009-09-09T19:48:00.001-04:002009-09-09T20:01:16.626-04:00

I'm so proud of Charli. I would have posted this when it happened, but I've been too busy with other stuff.Our routine in the morning is for me to uncover the birds. Charli demands a little scritch to start her day (unless she'd rather bite me), so I unlock the cage, scritch her little head, lock the cage, and go on about my business.One day a week or so ago I got home from work and said hello

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-85232346634179815082009-09-09T19:36:00.002-04:002009-09-09T19:44:04.109-04:00

In this picture she looks like she's been in a fight. The real story is that she had a tiny nick in the air sac behind the vein while having blood drawn at the vet's. This air sac circulates through the head and usually heals/closes very quickly, but not in this case.She has blood in her beak and her nares, but she's okay! This should clear up in about a week. She's eating like a pig,

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-82153030908362068012009-08-24T20:45:00.002-04:002009-08-24T20:52:51.966-04:00

Despite all my efforts to encourage bathing with water, Sugar never does the rain dance when there's water around.But give her a bowl of warm yummy veggies, like peas, and she's in bathing heaven!

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-11050572946197196552009-08-10T17:15:00.006-04:002009-08-10T17:48:14.651-04:00

Parrot Musings recently discovered that one of their parrots loved cucumbers, so I decided to try some with Charli.I took her into the kitchen and I could barely keep her away while I peeled the cucumber. She loves peppers and corn and green beans (raw or cooked) and peas and various other vegetables, plus almost every fruit I've offered, but we'd never tried cucumbers.As you can tell by the

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-24405885190888380002009-07-23T18:15:00.004-04:002009-07-23T19:20:30.819-04:00

Flash was walking around the living room -- he was so cute trotting around. But by the time I got the camera he'd gone back under the cage and wasn't much interested in coming back out.I just love how well he minds me.

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-3606534439383151482009-07-11T17:09:00.007-04:002009-07-11T17:34:55.393-04:00

The music was to begin at 3:30, then the memorial service from 4 to 5, then the reception complete with numerous bottles and jugs of wine and food.I didn't want to go, but I owed it to him.I arrived at 3:05. Because the skies threatened rain everything had been moved indoors of the Carnegie Center for Literacy & Learning. It's a big stone building that once served as our city's only library,

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-91534730189187651282009-07-03T17:46:00.002-04:002009-07-03T17:51:47.856-04:00

Back to the vet's this morning for hydration, meds, and gavage. It waa also time to do bloodwork to see if her uric acid levels were bad. I thought she was so much worse that all day I tried to prepare myself for the inevitable euthanasia.I went back to pick her up this afternoon, and the vet said all her bloodwork came back normal.Normal!I can cut out the morning meds and assume all is well.

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-14015333339793199842009-06-24T19:46:00.008-04:002009-06-28T20:30:26.085-04:00

We all knew this was coming, but when Charlie casually mentioned he'd heard hospice had been called it was still too much for me to hear.I called his wife and left a short message but they both already know how much I love them. There's nothing left to say.What I will remember is his laugh and the clear way he always pronounced my name, each syllable crisp, his long discourses on poetry and

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-10014721840938084352009-06-22T19:51:00.002-04:002009-06-22T20:00:21.410-04:00

When all the birdies are out I naturally leave their cage doors open so they can go back when they want. I have decided that eating another parrot's food is the highest honor a parrot can give to another, because that's what all the birds in my house do. Eat each other's food, especially if it's the exact same food in their cage.A few weeks ago the birds were out, and Charli made one of her

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-7634269752478432932009-06-12T20:27:00.004-04:002009-06-12T20:52:05.463-04:00

The night I made my last post Sugar was quiet and spent the night in the corner of her cage nearest me, no chirping, no fussing. Whatever was going on was not related to a hard molt. I slept very badly on the couch beside her cage.I was at the vet's the next morning the moment the door opened. By four o'clock the verdict was in: renal failure, be prepared for the worst. I don't want to talk

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-21782477519621402472009-06-04T19:18:00.002-04:002009-06-04T19:27:06.835-04:00

I opened Sugar's cage when I got home today, but she stayed on her perch. I left the door open in case she changed her mind while I went around doing after-work stuff.Later I picked her up and was astonished at how light she felt. She hadn't felt that light last night. I weighed her -- 94 grams. Her normal weight flucuates between 98 and 101. She's been having a very hard intense molt this

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-6885421721649348322009-05-02T05:04:00.003-04:002009-05-02T09:03:02.895-04:00

Here is Charli, my African brown-headed parrot, chewing up my copy of Will Shortz' Little Black Book of Suduko. Don't worry -- I'd already worked all the puzzles, and she doesn't ingest any of the paper. Sometimes she gets so involved in chewing that her little feet actually come up off the surface.This is her favorite toy (after me, of course).

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-83973998834808321032009-04-02T18:08:00.003-04:002009-04-02T18:30:19.591-04:00

Little Flash and Nicholas showcased tonight!Let's see -- Sugar Franklin acted ever so slightly distressed on Saturday; tail bobbing just a tiny bit, sleeping a lot. She'd laid an egg on Tuesday, so I knew there was another one on the way despite my very best lectures to her. The vet's office closes at noon on Saturday so I rushed her in, whereupon she perked up enough to make a liar out of me.

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-25130288398221752662009-03-28T22:39:00.000-04:002009-03-28T22:39:52.571-04:00

test 

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-16030327258286020932009-03-26T17:49:00.011-04:002009-03-28T21:53:56.143-04:00

I'm taking tonight off from piano practice, laundry, writing, cooking, and anything else I'm supposed to do. I took some pictures of my beloved Sugar Franklin, and I'm going to try to upload a little video. This may be the video that ends with me tilting the camera up to the ceiling, but I don't know yet how to deal with the software to fix that.Keep your fingers crossed!

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-8614640164943229002009-03-25T19:13:00.003-04:002009-03-25T19:51:30.312-04:00

Been raining all day. Spring rain but still rain.I'm seeing someone at the credit union Monday about refinancing my house. He said on the phone he didn't think rates would go down much more so I guess I may as well do it and get it over with. I seriously doubt I'll ever get this house paid for.I applied for an online instructor position with a local community college, and got hired on the

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-10770215079475051192009-03-17T19:34:00.005-04:002009-03-17T20:08:40.814-04:00

Busy, busy, busy, which is not really an excuse (except that it is) for not making an entry sooner.Had a really good piano lesson tonight with O. I actually managed to do a decent job of a murderously difficult (for me) piece.I made up my mind about what I would be willing to pay to have a water line installed so I could have ice and cold water from my new frig. When I got a quote from my

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-47591350630215312832009-02-27T21:27:00.002-05:002009-02-27T21:30:55.702-05:00

Brian Wilson, from Damascus, Maryland, suffered life-threatening injuries in the accidnet (sic) 14 years ago. He also lost his ability to speak.But he now claims that the chatter of pet parrots confounded the bleak outlook of doctors, who were convinced that he would spend the rest of his life in bed at a nursing home."Two birds taught me to talk again," he said. "I had such a bad head injury I

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-26359667693841587702009-02-21T20:36:00.005-05:002009-02-21T20:58:37.858-05:00

Well, the last update saw us with a statewide emergency situation of an ice storm. Then it snowed about four inches. Then, in a day or so, it turned 60 degrees for a couple of days. Typical weather around here. It was 50 degrees here this afternoon, and by 7 we were having a mini-blizzard so thick I could barely see to drive home from the movies with a friend.Let's see -- last week my 14.5

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-66272255245134084692009-02-21T20:24:00.002-05:002009-02-21T20:36:04.264-05:00

I've started a little routine with my brown-headed parrot Charli. When it's time for bed, I cover up three sides of her cage. She likes to hang upside in the dark corner of the cage and watch the procedure.One night, who knows why, I gently touched one of her toes while she was hanging upside down and said, "One Charli toe!." Then I touched the next toe and said, "Two Charli toe!", and so on.

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-84156324061440158982009-01-28T21:27:00.003-05:002009-01-28T21:49:17.565-05:00

This morning I awoke to the trees being coated with an inch of ice, branches bowed down to the ground. Some of the branches were touching my house and there was an occasional whoosh and crack as more limbs broke off.We got two more inches of snow on top of the inch of ice. And, of course, the power went back out at quarter past noon. I waited until about 3, then packed up the birds and went to

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-49694706374390122872009-01-27T23:28:00.002-05:002009-01-28T00:02:37.452-05:00

I've been home since Monday afternoon with some version of sinusitis, laying on the couch taking antibiotics and decongestants and occasionally cruising the internet until it's time for another nap.We had an ice storm here last night -- about an inch of ice over everything and maybe half an inch of snow. Everything looks lovely -- from inside. The local TV people kept telling us this afternoon

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-27610748046978171842009-01-24T22:12:00.002-05:002009-01-24T22:47:07.291-05:00

Another woman missing tonight, according to the evening news. She was last seen two days ago,arguing with her boyfriend.It seems to me there have been a lot of missing and murdered women making the news around here for several months now. One had dementia and was found frozen to death. One owns a farm and was last seen with a handy man who'd been recently fired. A woman and her children shot

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-87429911200624523782009-01-11T13:28:00.004-05:002009-01-11T14:01:03.318-05:00

Nice cold Sunday afternoon. Just a touch of snow.Yesterday I had breakfast with the woman who was my best friend back in junior high (no, we didn't have middle school back in the Dark Ages). She showed me pictures of her six grandchildren and caught me up on forty years of her history. Then I caught her up on forty years of my history. She and I work for the same university medical center,

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-10559101420013463082008-12-31T16:18:00.003-05:002008-12-31T16:32:01.946-05:00

(Picture is Sugar Franklin spreading her wings -- she was really mad at me when I took this picture. The other cockatiels are Flash and Nicholas.)The end of another year! I really hadn't thought about things until I was reading my favorite blogs -- all of which talked about what had or had not occurred during the year.So here's my take on 2008Continued to work and deal with all manner of BS at

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-40654866180088502962008-12-29T08:07:00.001-05:002008-12-29T08:09:50.081-05:00

I can barely wade through the technical stuff in this article, but it's interesting if you've ever wondered just how long parrots have been around.What Parrots Tell us About the Origin and Evolution of Birds

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-59260371038307998902008-12-26T17:06:00.003-05:002008-12-26T17:22:39.183-05:00

Flash, the little cockatiel pushed on me at a bird fair by a rather unscrupulous breeder, doesn't like me much. He'd rather die than allow me to pet his head or touch him -- unless he needs transportation across the room.That's okay; I love him anyway.I took him in for his annual well-bird exam, and the vet found a little spot on the hock of his right foot. It looks like a little scab from a

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-34753656824733888722008-12-25T21:08:00.006-05:002008-12-25T21:15:10.461-05:00

For those who don't know, Stephen Fry is a comedian, and used to do movies and comedy acts with Hugh Laurie. I think he was also Jeeves with Hugh Laurie being Bernie in a BBC series (but I could be wrong!). Here's the link to the article.Fry filming threatened parrot breedStephen Fry is spending his New Year visiting a threatened species of parrot whose breeding chances are being boosted by the

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-22072300590727635782008-12-18T15:26:00.004-05:002008-12-18T15:33:05.930-05:00

Please accept with no obligation, express or implied, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low stress, non-addictive, gender neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasions and/or

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-55500065348935726432008-12-17T16:25:00.004-05:002008-12-17T16:34:10.009-05:00

Holiday Fruitcake Recipe1 Cup water1 Cup sugar4 large eggs2 cups dried fruit1 teaspoon baking soda1 cup brown sugar1 teaspoon saltlemon juicenuts1 gallon whiskeySample the whiskey to check for quality.Take a large bowl.Check the whiskey again to be sure it is of the highest quality.Pour one level cup and drink.Repeat.Turn on the electric mixer, beat 1 cup butter in a large fluffy bowl.Add 1

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-41747295394124535742008-12-16T17:25:00.005-05:002008-12-16T17:38:06.540-05:00

Seems like it's been awhile since my last post.I've been working on a new blog with a friend -- keep your fingers crossed it makes us both a ton of money.Let's see -- birdies are all well and fussing at me as I type. Nicholas still flicks his little wing but not as much.I've moved most of my domains over to hostmonster.com, which is cheaper, has an easier-to-understand control panel, and 24/7

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-68427946859664120712008-12-05T14:36:00.003-05:002008-12-05T14:44:13.672-05:00

Last weekend I figured Nicholas was fine and that it was probably my overactive imagination at work, but then I saw him scratch his head by moving his leg under his wing instead of over it. So Monday afternoon I took him back to the vet.She did a good exam and found three short blood feathers under his "arm pit," and thinks maybe that's making him uncomfortable enough that we would move his leg

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-23324297982455767822008-11-30T09:12:00.006-05:002008-11-30T16:35:27.701-05:00

L and I went to see The Changeling last night -- the 9:50 showing. We spent some time considering if we could actually stay awake long enough to see a movie that late, but Clint Eastwood made a movie you can't snooze through. I got home around 12:20 and because I'd had so much iced tea and coke, I stayed up until around 4, cruising the internet and learning about the true story the movie is

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-55048506237193755682008-11-26T17:51:00.002-05:002008-11-26T17:53:21.898-05:00

This has been around for years -- I don't know the author, but they've sure given us a lot of laughs over the years.HOW TO STUFF YOUR PARROT ON THANKSGIVINGIngredients:TurkeyStuffingSweet PotatoesMashed Potatoes with GravyGreen BeansCranberry SauceHot rolls and ButterRelish trayPumpkin Pie with Whipped CreamHot CoffeeGet up early in the morning & have a cup of coffee. It's going to be a long day,

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-81876960551447365422008-11-20T20:26:00.004-05:002008-11-22T18:49:12.724-05:00

Dr. Z said all of Nicholas' lab work and gram stain results were all normal. I'm glad he's okay, but I also feel like an idiot. A poor idiot. His well-bird exam was due next month and would have cost me about the same, so I have nothing to complain about.She reminded me that some problems are not related to blood chemistry and that we can do more diagnostics or, if I think he's in pain we can

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-23309961809847722022008-11-19T17:58:00.005-05:002008-11-20T08:35:01.236-05:00

For several days now I've noticed that Nicholas' eyes are not quite as bright as usual. It's a subtle thing, so subtle I keep thinking I'm imagining it.A few days ago he got himself between the couch and the wall and hurt his wing -- he cried for a minute and held out his left wing. Then was fine. Of course, I wasn't allowed to go near it, but he acted fine. Except every great once in awhile I'd

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-60605242507724775862008-11-15T19:35:00.003-05:002008-11-15T19:43:24.345-05:00

So I put an ad on Craig's List last night, in the Personals section. I used my hushmail.com account in case someone I know answers the ad. I was very frank in the ad -- just want to chat, should be intelligent and have a sense of humor, and not assume sexual favors will be bestowed just because we exchange enough e-mails, etc. I said if something happens between us we'll act like adults, but

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-89792106805776812692008-11-15T19:17:00.003-05:002008-11-15T19:31:05.308-05:00

I found out today that Meijer's no longer sells birds, so I was so happy to go shopping there again. I got a weather station to replace the little one I've had for 10 years or so. I don't want to replace the old one, but it won't tell the temperature correctly anymore, no matter how I position to outside wire.It rained most of yesterday and today, but this afternoon -- just as the news

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-73364751580218877302008-11-10T20:35:00.003-05:002008-11-10T20:45:25.691-05:00

Everyone I meet or talk to or communicate with online had the same reaction to Obama's election. Tears. Pride. Relief. Joy. Hope.Hope where there has been none for nearly a decade. Hope that doesn't have to hide or be ashamed. Suddenly, it's okay to let it be known that we love our country and we want to build a better nation.Obama brought us hope again, and now he is tapping into that.

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-41910687339678012042008-11-05T09:39:00.004-05:002008-11-05T12:35:01.319-05:00

I went to bed at 9:30 last night, unable to stare at the numbers on the television any longer.When my clock radio clicked on this morning the first thing I heard was McCain saying they'd fought the good fight -- and I knew Obama had won.I continued to listen and heard Obama say, "If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-46510264388132991052008-11-04T19:08:00.002-05:002008-11-04T19:18:05.607-05:00

I voted (Obama, of course) this morning around 8; waited about 10 minutes. A couple of other precincts were in the same auditorium, and they had very long lines. In some parts of the city the wait was up to three hours.Our state is known as a solid Republican state, though we have more registered Democrats than Republicans. We have had a very serious senatorial race going on in this state, and

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-34481922227740430762008-10-30T18:59:00.002-04:002008-10-30T19:08:50.525-04:00

Two men have been arrested for the effigy of Obama. It was reported on the news that they were remorseful and said it was just a prank that got out of hand. They said they got the idea from the Palin effigy in California that made the national news earlier this week.If it was just a prank, why choose Obama -- a black man (half black and half white, remember)? Why not McCain or Biden or Palin?

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-49385313738893171632008-10-30T09:36:00.002-04:002008-10-30T09:44:16.043-04:00

Last night I read Irene Pepperberg's new book, Alex & Me. An easy but emotional read for those of us who followed Pepperberg's work.And last night Nightline did a segment on Alex.A lot of us still miss Alex.

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-21044838994236406142008-10-29T13:59:00.006-04:002008-10-29T17:53:03.605-04:00

Someone placed an effigy of Barack Obama in a tree on our university's campus last night. With the neck in a noose.I am ashamed and enraged that someone in this state would do such a thing.Have we not learned anything about racism and hate in the past 50 years? Who are these people who teach their children to hate people who are different from them?Update: The president of the university sent

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-88407819399169805872008-10-23T15:07:00.002-04:002008-10-23T15:10:23.947-04:00

Oct. 23, 2008 -- A species of cockatoo feared to have become extinct has been "rediscovered" with the sighting of a handful of breeding pairs on a remote Indonesian island, researchers said Thursday.Ten Yellow-crested Abbott's cockatoos were found on the Masalembu archipelago off Java island, the Indonesian Cockatoo Conservation group said."We were excited when we found them in residential areas

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-79135899930198345622008-10-16T17:46:00.005-04:002008-10-16T18:06:29.809-04:00

Rain today and cold tonight. Cold forecast for tomorrow as well.The rain is very welcome; we're in a moderate drought here, but other counties in the state are in a severe drought.But the first of the autumn rains means summer is over. And I'm not ready.I've started back with my piano lessons, which means learning chords and trying to get my fingers to stretch and move independently of each

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-69268573295193313252008-10-05T20:44:00.003-04:002008-10-05T21:00:10.324-04:00

I uncovered Charli this morning and was dismayed to see about 40-50 down feathers on the bottom grate. Charli was in her Hide 'n Sleep, acting afraid.I got her out and she seemed to be coming out of that poicephalus freeze I imagine she had been in. It scared me to death.She's had night frights and been afraid before but she's never pulled out feathers. She just finished a big molt so the

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-13754341220239499902008-10-04T21:58:00.003-04:002008-10-04T22:28:10.049-04:00

Things have been relatively quiet lately. All is quiet with the neighbors. A never-ending stream of those awful political ads for senator of our state. Got a haircut today, too short, like a man's haircut -- but it'll grow out soon enough (I hope). Got a pedicure and manicure today. Got a full tank of gas and enough food and supplies to keep me for a month if necessary, and enough bird foods

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-10087483120826443512008-09-29T20:29:00.005-04:002008-09-29T20:45:29.578-04:00

Saturday I happened to glance out the window at my backyard -- there were three or four of the neighbors' puppies playing and rolling around in the yard.I walked over and the young black woman (whom I haven't seen for several weeks) came to the door and came out on the porch. About the same time the puppies came running across my front yard to the neighbors' front yard. I leaned down and petted

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-68322169900076106622008-09-27T10:22:00.005-04:002008-09-29T18:02:50.773-04:00

If there was ever an actor with class, it was Paul Newman. A magnificent actor, a man married to the same woman for 50 years, a creator of a successful charity, a fast race car driver . . . .And he never had to appear on Entertainment Tonight to show himself off. Very few actors have the kind of natural presence he had. As handsome at 83 as he was at 25, I've loved every movie of his I've seen

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-57942939282069051562008-09-24T19:28:00.006-04:002008-09-29T18:04:12.851-04:00

I had what I thought was a friendly moment with the Asian looking woman this afternoon. She had come out of the house to put some mail in their mailbox just as I was coming in from work. Five of the puppies followed her out the door. They wandered over to my yard and she frantically tried to shoo them back to her yard. I complimented the puppies several times; they really were cute little

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-69889441918523384922008-09-22T18:54:00.004-04:002008-09-29T18:07:16.752-04:00

Ken Globus' methods were decried by numerous parrot behavior consultants because those methods depended on the technique of flooding, but there are several parrot owners out there who found his techniques effective through all the years he practiced._____Ken Globus: March 7, 1946 - Sept. 10, 2008 The Bird Whisperer Dear Friends:This will come as a surprise to many people who didn't know he was

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-23209342107787998602008-09-22T17:42:00.006-04:002008-09-22T19:05:25.086-04:00

Let's see -- the young black woman hasn't been seen in several weeks, but the young Asian looking woman has evidently taken up residence.A month or so ago an older white woman was visiting or staying there, and there was a big metal milk crate full of gray puppies, all squeezed in there together. It was hot, and they had no water or food -- just sitting out in the front yard, yelping like

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-25131020009323695652008-09-19T20:10:00.003-04:002008-09-19T20:17:16.000-04:00

I'm proud to say that I've been a member of Ghostletters (aka The Magic Telegraph) since its beginning back in 1995. Here's how it works -- you pick a character, living or dead, then write letters from that character to another character in Ghostletters. Things can get crazy -- just ask the demon Pniff and Lilith and Sam Clemens aka Mark Twain. Things have been slow lately around Ghostletters

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-80818057693185773642008-09-17T11:49:00.001-04:002008-09-17T11:51:30.284-04:00

If Parrots Could Vote

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-20076539491890558022008-09-14T13:24:00.004-04:002008-09-14T13:57:23.545-04:00

Jim BH called me this morning; he's my writing teacher/mentor. He seemed out of breath and when I asked he said he thought he'd told me -- he has rheumatoid arthritis-associated pulmonary fibrosis. I knew about the arthritis, but not this. No treatment, no cure. And yes, it's fatal if it progresses. He said he's been pretty stable but really about all he can do is sit. He said he does walk

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-46585652446575094042008-09-13T13:46:00.002-04:002008-09-13T13:50:05.218-04:00

The Kiss Sorry; can't copy it here for you. Just click on the above link.

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-75616833250509143192008-09-12T11:50:00.002-04:002008-09-12T11:52:10.033-04:00

You gotta admire the gall of the oil companies. I just heard that gas is going up to $5.00 a gallon in response to Hurricane Ike.Never mind that Ike hasn't hit yet.Hurry Obama!

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-32674385013095563022008-09-12T08:45:00.005-04:002008-09-14T13:58:54.957-04:00

Thank goodness we learned from Katrina!

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-8333887347493297002008-09-11T20:56:00.003-04:002008-09-11T21:03:44.746-04:00

Between dying cockatiels and the black hole of despair at work I'm starting to get depressed.Luckily, coming home and scritching birds helps lower my blood pressure. I was thinking perhaps I should go down to the crossroads at midnight, like Robert Johnson, and sell my soul to the devil. But what would I ask for since he's already got the lock on the blues?I watched Charlie Gibson's interview

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-8049225702537950622008-09-09T12:02:00.008-04:002008-09-09T16:50:19.481-04:00

Only people who live with parrots can understand why this is such an endearing picture. There's nothing much cuter than a really wet parrot.This is Tweety, who owned Jenn, for 13 years. Tweety died after a long illness on Monday, September 8.People who have never lived with parrots cannot understand. Yes, it's devastating to lose a loved pet, but parrots are different. Parrots are not like

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-13371093614784520392008-09-07T14:07:00.004-04:002008-09-14T14:00:22.063-04:00

I'm scheduled to report for jury duty at 9:00 a.m. Monday.This morning I woke up at 7:38, and realized I'd overslept and would barely barely be able to get downtown in time. So I raced through a shower and went into the bedroom to throw on my clothes -- and then stopped. The radio, which I keep tuned to NPR, was playing a little tune they only play for a Sunday morning program.Sunday? I

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-57950251904992842022008-09-03T09:11:00.003-04:002008-09-03T09:35:51.760-04:00

Day before yesterday a distraught man wrote into Tiel Talk; his little male cockatiel (a new daddy) was gasping and acting weakened. The area was in the middle of a storm and most of the town had evacuated. He called vets as far as three hours away -- none of them treated birds or had already evacuated. Then the power went out. All day yesterday and last night all of us worried about that

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-62931384647163144592008-08-29T20:34:00.002-04:002008-08-29T20:39:13.690-04:00

The dark maroon sedan is gone. The big copper-colored truck is back as is the red car. I saw the young Asian-looking woman getting out of the red car as I was picking up my mail yesterday. I haven't seen the young black woman for two weeks or so.The dog is in their backyard tonight, barking like crazy at 8:30 pm. We have noise ordinances that include barking dogs.Perhaps I should write a soap

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-62499653390709980382008-08-26T19:16:00.002-04:002008-08-26T19:19:29.694-04:00

The copper-colored truck and the red car have been gone for several days now. This morning there was a dark maroon sedan with in-state plates in the driveway.On second thought, I probably don't want to know what's going on over there.Got an appointment to get little Nicholas' toenails cut tomorrow; his front nails always grow so long and so fast. The vet and I can't figure it out. Of course,

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-78528685929872589022008-08-26T18:56:00.003-04:002008-08-26T19:14:50.121-04:00

I wonder what kind and how many drugs Hillary had to take to get through her event at the convention tonight.And what, exactly, was the purpose of having Michele Obama address the convention last night? To prove that women can only get the political spotlight if they're married to a powerful man? To imply that she'll take over if Obama is unavailable? What?

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-21222944633915056132008-08-26T09:19:00.008-04:002008-08-26T09:40:08.968-04:00

The "employee satisfaction" survey was, of course, a joke. The interviewer said it came as a directive from the big dude, then tried to change it to saying it came from the semi-big dude. Either way, it was a waste of time. The interviewer said they understood that happy employees produced more and better work. She kept her face as hard as a mask through the whole thing. I told her I'd been

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-34107059335573775782008-08-25T09:05:00.003-04:002008-08-25T09:22:32.320-04:00

Had a nice quiet uneventful weekend. Friday my physical therapist worked my arm mostly to death, but it's feeling better and I'm doing more of the right things so it will continue to feel better.Saturday R and I went to see Bottle Shock, which was excellent. I sort of intended to see Gonzo on Sunday but I was too lazy to go out. So I stayed home and played with the birds all day. Or rather,

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4533148740718958731.post-26944774047252617212008-08-22T19:17:00.015-04:002008-08-24T13:08:27.670-04:00

I deliberately went to the local bird club's bird fair with only a debit card and maybe $15 in cash. It was maybe four or five years ago. I had two birds: Sugar Franklin and Charli. I wasn't going to let myself become a victim of MBS (multiple bird syndrome).It was a great day -- lots of beautiful parrots and toys and cages and toys and treats and toys. Baby parrots, breeder parrots, pet

Beloved Parrotnoreply@blogger.com1