Puddle Jumping in DC

Time for another Bug entry

I'm trying to do homework this morning (can you tell that I'm trying hard?), and Bug has been very distracting. I finally moved her play stand in front of the windows so she can look out but she was being very clingy. I think the problem was Yo Yo Ma's rather dissonant cello solo. As soon as forwarded the cd to the next song, she started playing happily.

 

Dancing Bird - ok, stretching bird; but it's a fun shot.

It's like strange test of will

when you find a little baggie of almonds and chocolates in your office after deciding to give up chocolate for a month. I had to walk out of the room while I decided what to do. I gave away the chocolates and ate the almonds.

Up on the roof.

The thing about owning a house and being a graduate student is that you have no money but, when the roof leaks, it's still your problem.

Consequently, we spent Saturday up on the roof hunting for holes, patching them, and re coating the roof with waterproof coating.

How's that for a non-sentimental view of the capitol:

Click here for a 180° view from our roof.

The 21st of October has no particular significance

to me except as the day I gave up chocolate.

I'm not sure why I did it except that I've been thinking about it for a while . . . how I respond to it in an addictive manner . . . how it messes with my digestion when I over eat it . . . how I crave it when I don't.

I've made an exception for fudgesicles and hot cocoa.

I gave up coffee same way over a year ago, just gave it up one day. I tried a cup of coffee one morning a couple months later and got a rapid heart-beat and the sweats - haven't tried it again.

I'm going to re-evaluate after a month.

Preening

click for larger view

I'm not coming out.

My husband and I have been bitten by the travel bug (photos, travel tips). Most trips are not parrot friendly so Bug will have to stay with friends when she can't come along (If anybody near DC wants a parrotlet for 6 weeks during the summer of 2006 while I'm in Korea and maybe Indonesia, let me know). That is among the reasons that I am committed to teaching Bug to be flexible about routines, objects, and people.

The other big one is that I'm a disaster about routines. Daily toothbrushing is about as much routine as I can handle. I can't even remember to take vitamins.

And the third one is that my schedule changes constantly. I'm a student and this semester I'm gone for 8-14 hours a day 4 days a week and mostly home the other 3. She seems to understand that because she doesn't put up a fuss when I leave on school days. On weekends, she gets much more protesty when I leave the room.

Bug is really good about new food. If it doesn't look right, she'll yell at me. But, once it's obvious that I'm not taking it back, she eats it. As long as it's in her bowl, it must be food right?

New objects and new rooms are a different story. Objects can induce panic really easily and new rooms make for a really clingy bird. She lives in the diningroom with a complete view of the living room. Still, the livingroom is just barely ok. The kitchen and the front hall are terrifying and don't get her started on the upstairs. She doesn't even know that there's a basement (our bedroom is down there.)

Bug's first trip will be Thanksgiving. It occured to me that I should get her used to her travel cage and I didn't know how long that would take so I brought it downstairs today. I have have two of three her favorite toys so I don't have to move them back and forth between the travel cage and regular cage. She got all excited when I started messing with the duplicate tent so I held her close to the travel cage. I then held her inside. She jumped right off my hand and played in the cage all afternoon. Ultimately, I had to coax her out with food so I could go out for the evening.

Bug in Hollywood?

Bug lured me over to play ball today and I got it on "film."

click here to watch the movie

Someone is looking very pleased with herself.

Look where a few flight feathers can get you.

Bug is going through her first major molt where she'll replace most of her feathers. Once they're done growing in, there is no blood or nerves in the feathers so it is possible to cut them shorter then they would naturally be. In my opinion, either too many of Bugs feathers were cut, they were cut before she learned to fly, or they were cut too short. She was falling like a little stone when she should have been gliding to a controlled landing. I'm letting them grow back a bit so she can learn some control and flying skills before trimming them back again to limit her lift.

She doesn't really have the flying thing down yet so we are treated to a couple of daily out-of-control flights into the wall behind the potted plants or to a random spot in the middle of the living room. She doesn't have much speed yet either so I don't think she'll hurt herself and she's getting better fast. Tonight's flight to the top of the china cabinet was one of the better controlled flights so far.

About wing-trimming:

Wing trimming can be highly controversial and discussions about it can be very emotionally charged. It is considered the norm in the U.S. most vets and breeders recommend it for safety. However, it is not normal for bird owners in Europe and an considered barbaric by some bird owners. I don't want to get too much into the pros & cons right now but Pamela Clark has a really good article about attitudes toward wing trimming here.

The diagram of the wing is from exoticpetvet.net. Click on the photo to see the full article about wing trimming.

Bird vs. fleece - it's bird, hands down.

Replaced Bug's tent today after I watched one side of the perch drop down and the tent suddenly get more lopsided. Whops.

She chews on the point where the tent meets the perch and had nearly chewed right through. Luckily a couple of weeks ago, I bought some spares.

 

I tied a thin strip of leather from one side of the perch, up on the outside of the tent through the grommet, and back down to the other side of the perch. Should hold a little longer than the fleece alone. Plus, the leather is fun to chew too.