parrots at Christmas 2013

Pislner the parrot and Moondog

Ray getting "tickled"

Ray waving "hello"

This year "Ray" stayed with us over the holiday period.
We usually have quite a few more birds that stay with us over Christmas but this year it was just "Ray".
Believe me when I tell you "Ray" is a "high energy bird" . He likes to have a lot of attention with somebody to play with him.so it was just as well that "Ray" was the only visitor bird -besides my own twelve birds.
Ray is like a monkey with feathers. He is full of energy so I had to make sure I had  lot of toys that he could wreck to keep him busy or else he "finds things " to keep himself busy. (I stupidly left my mail on the counter within 5 minutes the letters were shredded.)
I made a bunch of shredder toys made of small boxes with paper and hidden nuts inside for him. I made a couple of paper mobiles so he could destroy and things with small nontoxic wooden blocks.A toy is "a success" when it is chewed up and reduced to a sawdust mess.
Ray loves to be with you too. As with any bird you got to make sure you are wearing a crappy clothes. Again he enjoys chewing things and that means necklaces (do not wear!) and sweatshirts.
My husband just loves Ray.
He plays little games with him on the couch such as "who's under the towel". Ray loves this and uses him as a climbing perch as well playing "king of the hill" on top of his head..All the birds like watching sports events (especially baseball and football) This includes Ray.
My husband was scratching Ray's head while they were both watching football. He fell asleep on the couch and I found Ray on his back with his feet up with his head nestled in the crook of his arm. I found this to be the funniest thing ever.He looked like he passed out..
All I could do is think of "Pilsner the parrot" in the "Monty" comic strips (see above)
Funny bird

Christmas village 2013

I was thumbing through a Christmas novelty catalog recently and they were selling. these cute "theme" nativity scenes with cats, dogs, native Americans and cowboys!(-but no birds.)
 So I made my own "bird theme" nativity scene (*see above)
I couldn't help but think of Steve Carrells character in the movie "Dinner with Schmucks" where he made dioramas and little villages out of dead mice.Every once in awhile a friend would mention that movie and ask if my father still sets up his "special villages" anymore.
During the Christmas season when I was a little kid my mother would set up the Christmas village and let my sister and I play with it  It was kind of special since it was out only for the Christmas season.
 My father would try his hand in woodworking and make light-up churches to add to it. He then got a little more creative and started making his "own" special villages that were fun and funny.
Over the years, as dementia slowly, silently and quietly tiptoed it's way into my father's being the villages started to get more and more bizarre. One was "OJ"s wedding, another with Dr. Kevorkian and then the final village, the alligator invasion at the troll park.
I don't know what happened to the original village. My sister and I probably wrecked it over years of play.
Sometimes I see at specialty vintage shops those little frosted sparkly covered roof churches with the paper windows.
 They still look magical to me.

holiday 2013

"Sal"

"Teddy"

                                                         
                                                            "Craow Dum" (Bust-a-move)


Things had changed at my husband's place of employment. For years his company hosted some really nice top shelf la de da holiday functions such as at the top of the hub and at Fenway . However, this year, his company isn't having a holiday party.
So this year we splashed out and went to the NHSPCA (animal welfare/rescue) fund raising gala at the Wentworth. This, I felt, was a good substitute for a fancy holiday party since I had to wear a gown plus the money for the tickets went to a good cause.It was quite an elegant affair .We had also made an additional  contribution specifically aimed at pet birds given up at the rescue.And of course during the delicious dinner the host presenter showed slides of various animals up for adoption.This included birds.
Six days after the gala we showed up at the rescue to adopt this elderly cockatiel that had been at the rescue for a long time.The name of the bird was "Sally" and as soon as I saw the photo I said, "that is not a female.. that is definitely a male!" For one thing, females do not have yellow heads, females do not talk and females do not "strut". So "Sally" is now "Sal". To us, it didn't matter if the birds was a male or a female. What mattered to us is  that most elderly animals do not get adopted. Believe it or not this wasn't my idea but my husband's. He felt sorry for this "ol' 17 year old scrog". So Sal is home with us just starting to settle in.
.(See first photo of Sal)
Meanwhile, Teddy (ring neck dove) has taken a liking for the little Christmas tree I just set up(see second photo)
And of course, the silly little pigeon can't stand not to be involved in any activity (see third photo)

new era of troll dolls?

Well, winter is upon us. Last weekend we had to to turn the clocks back. Our trees are bare. Frost has killed any and all flowers outside now. The goldfinches are now brown.Christmas shopping ads have already started.
 In last sunday newspapers flyers was the new" toys-r-us" Christmas wish book.
A I was perusing through the toy wish book I noticed there were these "new" troll-like dolls on the market called "zelfs". They are a product originated from Australia..They are similar to troll dolls with their pointed ears, colorful hair sticking up and stout bodies with cute faces.
There had been so many different 'generations' of troll dolls from :dam trolls, wishniks, treasure trolls, russ trolls, and the list goes varying from assorted licensing propriety and manufacturers.Some were cute and fun and some were downright scary and awful.
These little troll like dolls are cute. It will be interesting to see if kids in this electronic age warm up to them like they did with wishniks in the 1960's and again in the 1980's with treasure trolls. :-)

a visit to the 9/11 memorial in NYC

*I took this photo at the memorial.
 I placed at flag with "Boston strong" on it for flight 77 at the pilot John Ogonowski's engraving.*

I made reservations (online) to visit the 9/11 memorial during my visit to NYC. There were hundreds, perhaps thousands of people waiting in line to view the sight.
 As I walked down the financial district to the memorial I couldn't help imagine what took place that September 11th morning at 7:00am.  It was a cool sunny blue sky day just like the morning of that tragic event.. People were hustling and carrying on to get to work, grab a cup of coffee or to hail a cab.
My shoes were covered with grey dust. I am wondering if this is still the same dust that has remained from twelve years earlier.
The memorial consisted of two large "pools' with a waterfall that fell deeper inside the pool. The walls surrounding the pools were embossed of the names of victims from the flights, the pentagon, the twin towers, the first responders and also from the world trade center. People were allowed to place flowers on the names. I think I was the only one (at least on that day) that brought a flag.
I placed a flag with "Boston strong" on it that I had brought from home for flight 77. As I walked away, my husband said to me, 'LOOK!".I turned around and saw a bunch of people gathered at where I placed the flag and started to take photos.
It was very emotional.
I looked for the name of father Mychel Judge. He was the firefighter's chaplain.He was a Franciscan priest. He was one of the first responders to the sight and he had perished.
Prior to visiting NYC, I had watched a DVD : "the saint of 9/11". This was the story of father Judge. He was a true Franciscan. He reached out to the poor, the homeless, and gays with AIDS.
I wished I had met him.
After we left there I went to the churches of Saint Paul and Trinity church. They had special displays commemorating the victims of 9/11. I went to the church's gift shop with the intent of finding a saint Francis medal .Instead, I bought a small cross necklace.
 However this cross was 'different".
The story goes after the tower's devastation two girders fell away and serendipitous landed on each other making a cross in the rubble.The cross I bought was a image of the two girders.I spent some time chatting with the saleslady about this story.
This trip to NYC to visit the memorial was on my "bucket list"
.It was very special

NYC pigeons and people

I stayed in a small expensive hotel near Rockefeller center.
 The room was the size of a closet and cost close to $300.00 a night. I did my "research" and this was one of the cheapest hotels in this desired area. Sure you could get a cheaper hotel but they were located in really scrotty sections of New York.  Aaah, no thanks.
What I noticed about the people here was I did not see any obese people or poorly dressed (except for a few sad homeless souls near the churches). Everyone walked to the subway station, to their jobs or where ever at a fast pace.And I do mean fast!.
I really tested my feet on this trip.I must of walked over 200 miles. I was so glad I invested in a pair of really good walking boots.(Cobb Hill by New Balance) And yes, my legs and feet were aching at night but I had no blisters and that was key. I walked more than I ever did in my life.
I noticed the women dressed nicely even the ones that dressed casually. Skinny jeans, boots, tailored wool coats and fancy scarves was the "uniform" on the subway. I did see lots of high end fitted designer clothes and yummy looking high heels as well on the streets..
No crappy looking sneakers, junky ill fitted jeans, sweat shirts, pajama bottoms, crocs or sandals with socks (Thank God)
There were delicious looking shoe shops were everywhere.Gorgeous fashions( not seen in Boston), major league eye-candy, displayed in la de da shops at every corner. I even took the time to check out a "thrift shop" near Park avenue where I scored this high end designer precision cut jacket.When I tried the jacket on no less than four passerbyers commented on how awesome that jacket looked on me.(The selling part for me was when an elderly man walked by, stopped, stared at me and said, "skinny minnie") HA!
One thing I did notice in NYC is that Everyone was glued to their iphones, ipads, ipods (electronic devices)
And I do mean just about everyone.
I frequently heard yells of , "get off yer f*cking phone and pay f*cking attention you f*cking @$$hole!" "wake up @$$hole!"
Considering how many people are in NYC the streets were relatively clean of litter.
I expected to see scroggy looking pigeons but instead I found them to be robust and really colorful.
There were signs everywhere "do not feed the birds"-especially in the parks.
 I mostly found the pigeons to be around the churches, near eateries, on roof tops, and girders. There wasn't as many pigeons around as I thought there would be.There wasn't any pigeons on liberty island where the statue of liberty is located. I found that rather odd.
When I was in central park there was a lady who had a bag of peanuts. She furtively ground up some peanuts, looked around and fed a few pigeons. She must do it all the time because she was saying to one, 'go to your place. You know your place and I'll give you one". And then she moved on quickly. I smiled at her as she fed the little ruddy colored pigeon. I am guessing she might have been one of the "pigeon people of NYC". There is this small group of people in NYC that rescues, rehabs and protects the city pigeons (see link: www.nycprc.org)
Yes, I had to make my observations about the local pigeons on this trip.

the reason why the Red Sox won the World Series

Here is the answer to that question.

I set up my Red Sox good luck trolls up on display.
And that is why the Red Sox won.

A visit to the troll museum of the lower east side

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpMFVKO6eCk


I just got back to a trip to New York city.
This is the first time I've been to the city.
I wanted to see the 9/11 memorial, the statue of Liberty, central park (to see the pigeons and hopefully the monk parakeets) and to visit "Reverend Jen" and her troll museum.
I wasn't disappointed.
Reverend Jen is quite the character.
 I spotted her coming down the street during the lower east side's "pickle festival". She was wearing hot pink go go boots, red heart shaped "Lolita" sunglasses and a leopard print coat.
I immediately liked her style.
She was friendly and funny.She seemed genuinely happy to have other troll enthusiasts share her interests and stories. There was another couple who joined us who were also troll fanciers.
We climbed what seemed to be 12 flights of stairs to a small room  amassed with her troll art work and  hundreds of trolls along with assorted troll paraphernalia.
It was hilarious! She told the story of her troll collection and showed us different types of trolls and their history. She was also the author of trollz kids books. We talked about the upcoming troll movie in the works by Dreamworks. She was hoping to have her
I wore my troll t-shirt, troll stockings and a hair bow with a troll on it for this event. I also brought along a troll hair bow for Rev. Jen as a gift. We chatted for quite some time.
I was really glad I made the trip out.

the Wild Pigeons of Salisbury beach part 101

The little pigeon I rescued with the broken wing (CORRECTION: Cape Ann wild life rescue actually did the "rescuing") is still in rehab wearing a brace but carrying on.
Yes, it is not my imagination but there is definitely a larger more aggressive population of pigeons residing on the beach. In the last 8 years that I've been feeding pigeons the population has remained stable. I thought about where they "new' pigeons came from and I do believe my hypothesis is correct that they came from Hampton beach. I remember reading in the Hampton paper that there was a "pigeon problem". So a ban on feeding them was in order not to mention netting and other roosting deterrents.
I've noticed more piles of poop now as well and I worry somebody will decide to do "something about the pigeons" here. Retahhded guy still sics his dog after them and just glares at me in defiance.
I think the best thing to do is to start weaning the pigeons away from the store fronts and street area where there are people. I think if I stop feeding them cold turkey (pardon the pun) they could starve.
 I've starting feeding them on the beach now to try to get them away from the sidewalk and street. I've asked for suggestions from my pigeon chat group as well in how to deal with this in a humane way and not to piss people off with bird poop everywhere. The bottom line is the pigeons need to move their bums to a different area. I do not want to initiate any firestorms against the pigeons when my intentions are kindness.
 

more bad art

* Once again, I found this 'gem" from the museum of bad art website.
One of the reasons I don't really like to watch "family Guy:" is not only some of the humor is a bit over the top but the art work bugs me. I just want to "fix" some of the characters. I find myself 'air drawing" my corrections when ever my husband put that show on.

A few years ago I had painted a self portrait. There was something about it after years of looking at it that was, well, not right. Yesterday I couldn't stand it anymore, took it off the wall and started going crazy making pencil corrections.
The eyes were off, the boobs were too big, the smile was gross and the cockatiel that I was holding was too fat.
I just couldn't stand it. I felt by making the corrections I couldn't ruin the portrait anymore than what it was It looked like a piece from the museum of bad art. People don't say anything about your art because they are afraid they will hurt your feelings if they do-except for my long time pal Sue.
I vaguely remember her saying  at one time that it was "f*cked".
 I actually welcome honesty.
Think about it. How many times have you've gone out thinking you look like a total babe only to catch yourself in the mirror gasping at the pants that were too tight giving you a nasty wedgie or your underwear sticking out above your pants line or bad makeup application that makes you look like a sad clown? Raise your hands boys and girls!
I'd rather someone say, "errr...don't wear those pants because...."
The more I worked on the painting the more mistakes I found.
I am hoping I fixed it for the better.

the wild pigeons of Salisbury beach part 100

*this photo above is a picture of a Bermuda pigeon. The pigeons at the park were bigger, cleaner and more colorful than the pigeons I saw at the Bermuda bus station.
Over the last couple of months I noticed a larger population of pigeons at the beach. They are not the "regulars" that have lived and bred above the pizza shops but, I think, have migrated from Seabrook or Hampton. The "regulars' still perch in their usual spots above the pizza shops. The "other" pigeons roost on the cabana at the rotary.They look different from the "regulars" as well.They are short, fat with shorter beaks. They are also very bold and aggressive. When I bring the morning food, I'll have pigeons on my head, shoulders and out stretched arm as well as a bunch of them sitting on the car.
I worry about their boldness. Although I do not mind it. Most people do not. This may mean bad repercussions for these overly bold pigeons. Sometimes I find squished ones on the road. It is awful to see this. Some people just suck and are just nasty bastards.
On a funny note, one afternoon I drove to the beach to buy candy for my father.It was a nice fall day. A family was eating pizza at the rotary under the cabana. The "Hampton"pigeons got very excited about the prospect of a corn meal covered pizza crust and decided to descend upon the ones still uneaten in the box. The family fled.
On my birthday, my husband bought me a book on the story of Nikola Tesla. I was puzzled on why he bought me a book on the inventor of AC electricity and wireless communication. I know nothing on such matters never mind inventors of such. Well it turns out this eccentric Serbian immigrant inventor  had a passion for pigeons.(*I'll fill you in on the details when I finish reading the book)

the wild pigeons of salisbury beach part 99

I'm back.
I haven't written in a while not because I didn't have anything to write about but instead, it seems like, I had so many things to write about.
I chose to just lay low since it hurts to much to sit here and type.
Two weeks ago, I found another baby pigeon at the beach that was in distress. The poor little thing was injured and hungry. He ran over to me squeaking!.  (Hungry young pigeons will do this).
His wing was broken and his foot was messed up. I took him home, sprayed him with lice spray and gave him some seeds. He was able to eat but was in dire need of help. I contacted Jody from the wildlife rescue (again).
It turned out he did have a broken wing.She treated him for worms and trich as well. In addition, she hand fed him to build up his strength. It seems like this "thing of finding injured/abandoned youngsters" may be a continuing issue.. I need to learn quick on how to care for them. I also need to learn how to successfully  ensure a proper way of their release so that are welcomed back into a flock. The other little youngster I brought over to Jody's is doing well and thriving.. In the meantime, I am working on my own personal healing process as well.
I was at the doctor's yesterday to evaluate my foot and neck from MRI results. And yes, There is an degenerative issue with my neck. My foot has severe nerve damage as well.So I am just dealing with it.One thing at a time.
Two days ago I saw this jetblue airline commercial starring pigeons.
It's really a good ad. It's definitely my favorite.
I have to tell you though, those pigeons in the ad are not 'street pigeons".
They are (OK laugh) "professionals".Those are homer pigeons. I can tell by their body shape and necks.
I actually wrote to jetblue letting them know I like their ad. I guess I am one of the few people that would appreciate an ad with pigeons in it.

the wild pigeons of Salisbury beach part 98 (baby pigeon)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7prT77Bc4I&sns=em

For the last couple of days, I've felt like I am "out on parole". I've had a few good days without headaches. You have no idea how 'free' you feel. I've doing my four times a day yoga stretches along with physical therapy.
I am hopeful.
 Every 'clear day" is a gift.
Seriously.
I visited Jodi from Cape Ann Wildlife rehab again so she could show me how to 'tube" a pigeon. She also sent me this video (see above youtube link) as reference. The pigeon in the video "Bob" is a severely deformed pigeon similar to my pigeon . She uses a 14 guage curved stainless steel feeding needle attached to a 20cc O-ring syringe. The food is kaytee exact baby parrot formula (no seeds just formula). She will leave bowl of seeds and bowl of water to hopefully encourage them to eat on their own.The cage is a mesh "reptile" cage with  a bark covered perching stand and a pigeon cuddle toy with (I think) an overhead heat lamp.
(*see above photo. That's Craow Dum enjoying the sunshine). Both pigeons need constant care and are both so sweet and loyal. Thankfully, my pigeon eats on his own with a full bowl but as I had stated numerous times he needs his face/nose/mouth cleaned twice a day or he will suffocate and /or choke.
Poor little "Bob" is missing his beak due to a severe case of "canker". He also has a hole on his head as a result of the disease and his legs are a mess. He does like to flap his wings and enjoys a cuddle.
The little pigeon I found at the beach who is now under Jodi's care is , so far, doing Ok. He is still severely emaciated but he is taking in food and pooping. Prophylactically, she gives rehab pigeons flagyl (to get rid of canker) and vetafarm wormout tabs (for any intestinal nasties). Once the pigeon is out of critical health danger , she will give these meds to them to clean out the "bugs"- so to speak. this little guy looked pretty good.
 Jodi said that he probably still had a sibling on the beach because there are usually two together. I did see a youngster in the flock.He was eating and carrying on with the others without a problem.
Hopefully, this little pigeon will be able  mix with other rehabbed and potential releasable pigeons.
Like I said before, every "clear" day is a gift.

the wild pigeons of Salisbury beach part 97 (movie star pigeons)

On friday, the beach front was blocked out for a movie shooting  of "The Equalizer' starring Denzel Washington and Chloe Grace Moretz  (She starred in the movie "Kick Ass". This was one freakin'  funny movie. She totally made this movie).
There were a bunch of additional "props" moved to the beach arcade area such as a ferris wheel and some carnival games( like they used to have in the 1970s). They starred filming around 3:30 in the afternoon but I was there as usual feeding the pigeons in the morning regardless of the film crew setting stuff up. I got a few odd looks but so what.? Sure, I could've been filmed as the crazy pigeon lady feeding the pigeons.
However, the truth be told, that MY pigeons will be in the movie!
I wonder if they will sign autographs?

the wild pigeons of Salisbury beach part 96 (baby rescue)

We are back from vacation.
We did our usual early morning pigeon feeding on the beach. I noticed a youngster huddled over near a corner. People were walking their dogs and I felt for sure this baby would get killed. I saw retahded guy deliberately let his dog go at the flock. I stood by the baby to protect him and just gave jerko the ol' stink eye.
I had my husband pull some chairs over by the neighboring bar so he could stand on it to place the baby back on the ledge where I presumed he fell off of. We watched for a few minutes to make sure the parents would feed him.
Instead they both viciously attacked him and tossed him off the ledge.
I was horrified.
This pigeon was not even a fledgling. He was only about 3 weeks old with fuzz still on him. I had no choice but to take him home. The poor little thing was covered with lice and mites. I was then covered with the creepy crawlies as well. I brought him in the basement because I did not want to infect my other birds and sprayed him down with bird lice spray. The creepie crawlies were falling off in mounds. It was disgusting.
 I placed him in an aquarium lined with a towel. I tried feeding kaytee baby parrot formula (a warm slurry mix) in a washed out medicine bottle with a rubber cover with a small hole opening for him to stick his beak in. I sat there for a good hour and tried again a few hours later and again. I think he drink a little of the solution but not enough to nourish him.I tried mixing the slurry with seed to see if he would respond to that but he only gulped a tiny bit. I offered him a bowl of water and which he sucked up. I laid some  seeds at the bottom of aquarium to see if he was old enough to forage but no luck there. He was pooping only scant amounts which made me worried.
The next morning I thought I would bring him back to the ledge but at a different side closer to where I found him hoping the parents would welcome him.Sadly, this set of parents did the same thing. They attacked him and tossed him off the ledge. Again, I brought him home hoping he would eat.
I contacted pigeon.biz and Jodi from Cape Ann wildlife rescue to ask what I need to do to help this bird.
The folks at pigeon biz said it would be difficult to release the pigeon once he is old enough to fly because the other pigeons will not accept him in their flock plus he would be imprinted to me.
Jodi highly suggested I bring him to her rescue so she could check him out, "tube' feed him ( a long thin tube is inserted down his throat for gav feeding. Many vets do this) Plus she would release him with other rehab pigeons in her care as a flock when he was old enough and strong enough.
I thought about this and figured this would be the best choice. I was hoping I could do this on my own but this made better sense.
Despite of  a nonstop pounding migraine, I drove over to the Cape Ann wildlife rescue located near the marina.( I would drive by her place on my way to Easy Diver!)
Jodi was very nice and accommodating for the little pigeon. She inspected him and saw his keel was very pronounced. He was starving. Other than that he visually inspected OK. Most of the mites & lice were eliminated now.She would give him a dose of flagyl as a preventive just in case he had trichomonads which is common with pigeons. Under her care, she a couple of severely handicapped pigeons, a dove in recovery that was run over by a lawn mower, a white wedding dove and an injured hawk.
I scrubbed my house down just in case any creepie crawlies made their way on my floor or rugs.
I will keep in touch with Jodi to see how the little pigeon is doing.

cruisin' when you are bruisin'

This summer was a total bust.
I had hoped my foot would be "normal" by the end of the summer so that we could sneak off to Bonaire for some serious diving. Unfortunately, that was not in the 'cards". I am in rehab now learning to walk "normal" and also dealing with neck issues.
I've been really down in dumps so my husband suggested we take a cruise out of Boston for a 'change of scenery". I thought to myself, "hmmm... no dirty digusting painful airplanes and suffocating migraine inducing germy airports to deal with" "A week of NO cooking/cleaning/ just pool side relaxation..."
Hmmm That did sound appealing.
So off we went.
We drove into Boston and whamm, we were immediately on "vacation".
Since funds were a bit limited since I have not been working we stayed in the "bargain basement" room which was the size of a closet. (My shoe closet is bigger). (I called this below deck area with all  the other "budget conscience" folks 'the projects") With that being said, the bed was the most comfortable bed I've ever slept in. Seriously. it was so comfortable that I went online to see what mattress they used. (It's a Italian memory foam topper) This was the first time in MONTHS I actually fell asleep.
 I still got up at 3:00am to do my yoga stretches.Mostly because my 'neighbors' got into a massive fights every night, screaming, swearing in spanish and throwing each other against the wall. When this finally subsided, they "made up" by getting "busy". If you know what I mean (wink wink)There was a lot of creaking and moans.I never saw them and they always ordered room service.
When people talk about cruises they obsess about the food.
For two days, I just ordered steamed broccoli and rice. I hadn't had an appetite and had shriveled down to about 104lbs. After a few nights of good rest and no headaches, my appetite came back like gang-busters and I had discovered the vegetarian Indian buffet.
It was wonderful.The main chef was Indian. The food was delicious.
It was also so nice not to have to cook and clean for a full week.
I got up at 6:00am and worked out in the gym overlooking the ocean for a good 1 1/2-2 hours in the morning. It was mostly yoga stretches and weight training. The spectacular view was very motivating. My husband would go off to play basket-ball on the upper deck when I hung out at the gym so we both got our exercise.
Since my activity level was still limited I was happy to be able to get in the pool and move my legs around. The water was cool and refreshing although a bit crowded.
I splurged and went for their on board spa treatment where I had a facial and mini massage. I ended up buying one of their cooling/detoxifying gel for my feet. It seemed to take away a lot of the swelling. It was expensive at $55.00 a bottle but it was worth it.
I liked the fact that I could dress up at night for dinner and a show-which I did every night.I bought a pair of flat healed sparkly sandals for this occasion  since I could not wear any of my many sky high heels. (Sadly, it is going to be a very long time that I will be able to wear heels or most of my shoes for that matter since my foot is still huge)
I don't care much for singing/dancing shows since I am not much of a music lover but I did enjoy the game shows(Newly wed game) and comedians.
The weather going down to Bermuda was foggy and drizzly but when we arrived in Bermuda the sun came out.We didn't do any of the "shore excursions". I would've liked to go on the catamaran snorkle trip (maybe next time).
 There was a small beach near the docking station that I could walk to. I was happy as a clam to be able to walk to it and get in the water. The water temp was 80F! We took the bus into town the next day for 'high tea" but it turned out the day we were there no high tea servings were available so we just did some shopping instead. My husband bought me a UW citizen watch. Isn't he sweet?
After being out and about most of the day, walking around and photographing the local pigeon population. I was exhausted and my foot was really bothering me at that point. I overdid it but at least I felt somewhat "normal" to be able to do some things..
The staff on the cruise were extremely nice and helpful. I usually had an "escort" help me up and down the stairs. They would also 'special order' me a plate of steamed broccoli and spinach. There was this one Jamaican guy on staff who had multiple duties.He had many talents He would deliver coffee and sign it off making this amazing rooster call.He was my favorite guy.
No, a cruise is not for everyone. People joke and say it for the "newly wed, over fed and nearly dead". Well This trip worked for me. It was true VACATION!
 No hassles, no stress, no work. NO F*CKING  airplanes!(Did I say that already?) I just relaxed, read books, sunned by the pool, dressed up at night and was pampered. When we arrived back in Boston we were back home in less than 2 hours (compared to 14 hours leaving the apartment in Bonaire to arriving to our home.ugh)
Would I do it again?
Yes! But the next time I would definitely upgrade and get a la de da balcony room. I would probably be fit enough to do the catamaran snorkle trip as well and hike to the more adventurous beaches.
This is just what the doctor ordered! :-)

wilted sunflower

I had my cast removed but my foot still hurts like hell when I walk and it is still extremely swollen.
I just started physical therapy. I thought by now my foot would start to look normal. I must have torn muscles and ligaments.One lady saw me struggling to walk and asked if I had gout. She probably saw the one big leg and and the other normal sized leg. I look like a freak.
As instructed through physical therapy  to just walk "normally" and without a cane..I feel like an injured bird just waiting to get picked off by a hawk. I'm really trying to hide the injury.
.My neck and head constantly hurt. I've been eating zomigs every single day and I am running out of them.
The pharmacy always seems to run out of them and then forgets to reorder them.The insurance company will only pay for 18 of them at max per month.Nothing else takes the edge off.
The pain just will not fucking go away
Twice I felt so hopelessly shitty that I was ready to glug a entire bottle of whatever.
 I've had a migraine for two months solid. And yes, I've talked to the doctor about it and it appears nothing can be done.
I just started to get up at 2:00am before the headaches start and do yoga stretches. My long time pal suggested I do this. The pain starts from the back of my leg all the way up to the top of my head.
These stretches seem to be helpful.
I'm tired of complaining and I'm tired of feeling shitty. And I know people are sick of listening to me.
My birds are the only thing  that keeps me going....
I feel like I am just "waiting".
Waiting for the pain to go away

la nube negro (the black cloud)

Wow..these last two weeks have been really really tough. I can't seem to shake this nasty migraine. I feel engulfed by a big black cloud.
 I've been eating zomigs and naproxin like candy. Just when I feel a bit more 'normal'. "Surprise!I'm baaack!' the migraine is back.
 My head is on fire. I spend a lot of time with ice on my head and neck
So I decided to go back on valtrex hoping this is just a virus since now I have blisters down my throat.
Oh fun..
Hopefully this friday I'll have this cast off my foot. I'm not sure what will happen after the cast is removed. My foot still looks freaky, it has spasms and I feel something pulling. Walking with the cast is awkward. I walk like a weeble. I normally walk on my toes (ball of the foot) so walking in a rocking motion and lopsided as presented is exhausting. I'm able to get around, but much more slowly.Since my gait is off and I am slow I stay out of people's way especially in grocery stores so I don't get plowed down.
Some people are kind and some people are complete dicks.
 Two weekends ago, my husband took me to the beach in the morning. The lot was filling up really fast. One fisherman was pulling out of a coveted space near the benches. I got out of the car with my crutches to hold the spot so my husband could back in. A truck tore around the parking lot and told me to get out of way because "he was waiting for that space". Needless to say I was taken back. I proceeded to walk over to the bench. The same guy said that "he was there first".He wanted the bench so he could put is cooler on it so it wouldn't get sandy. I limped down the sand to find another spot. I could understand if this guy was elderly or had difficulty walking but that wasn't the case. It was some young selfish 30 something prick with his dog and girlfriend! Nice, eh?
Last weekend I stopped in Shaws to grab a few grocery items. I stay clear of people not to get in their way since everyone is in a big hurry. There were hardly any people in the store that afternoon. As I was walking out through  the automatic door I felt somebody out of the blue hurry up on my back heels and mumble,"fer chris sake.. I haven't got all day!" I turned around and this snotty woman pushed right by me almost knocking me over.
Wow....really..
Last friday, I noticed one of my cockatiel's "Eddie' was not feeling well. I thought, 'oh no..not you Eddie".  I was of course in a major panic. I called my vet but she had just left for vacation. Eddie was throwing up profusely and slumped at the bottom of cage. I started calling every possible avian vet I could think of. It was friday night and most vets had the weekend off or they were fully booked.I couldn't bear losing her.I found a vet in Gloucester where one of my pigeon chat line chatters goes to. The vet took me right away. Thank God my husband drove me over.Once I gave her a drop of baytril she perked right up.
She had a prescribed dose for ten days but I ran out of meds in two days.(!) The meds were dispensed in a tiny vial and I must of lost some in trying to fill the syringe. I am waiting to hear from the doctor now so I can get more meds.
It's lousy feeling sick and out of commission but I go completely off the deep end when its one of my birds that is sick..

a monkey with feathers

"Ray" stayed with us for the first time even though I've spent time visiting him in his own home.
Ray is a black headed caique.
They originate from the amazon. They are labelled as the 'clowns' of the bird world because of their acrobats. And for a small parrot, they pack a very loud squawk.
And of course the day Ray came to our house I was really really sick with a nasty killer migraine. Ray was in a unfamilar place and proceeded to 'call".
 It was like someone firing a nail gun through my head.
OMFG....
Birds "call" for a couple of reasons: boredom, nervousness, bedtime, hunger, mating season, and for attention.
Caiques are high energy birds.They are kind of like a hyper active three year old on "Jolt" cola. I figured if I had something to entertain him then this would distract him from screaming.
I threaded chinese finger pulls (paper toys) through his cage bars so he could rip them apart. I had a 'foraging toy" of a cardboard box filled with nutriberries and millet so he could spend time exploring and ripping that apart as well ,plus tissues rolled up with berries.
Thankfully that did the trick.
I found that he loves strawberries and raspberries. When he is finished playing with them the cage looked like it was hit by a serial killer. Red stuff was EVERYWHERE!
I have to spend more time keeping him (and the cage)cleaned and entertained.
He is very smart and knows how to undo the locks on the cage. He also knows when it's time to go back to the cage and hides behind my head so I can not retrieve him.
He was more like a monkey than a bird.he loves to climb and swing from things. I definitely have to keep an eye on him because he can easily get into trouble with his curiosity and need to chew things.
Wow!

scootin' along

* I just put this photo of Button here because she is just so darn cute!
I am able to do most of my house work now. I can't stand a stinky dirty house. I still have bird customers coming in for boarding so I am very particular in making sure the house and environment is clean. I am grateful for this progression in the healing process.
Stairs remain a 'challenge' to me. I am unstable. So  walking with a "boot cast" is awkward and uneven.
Also trying to get a good night's sleep is an issue. I've been waking up with screaming migraines just about every night at about 2:00am..
So I am trying to figure out how to stop this.I found my old "neck' pillow so I am using this to hold my head straight. This so far has been helpful in keeping me still and straight so I can elevate my foot at night.
My foot still looks awful and it is sore to the touch.It still looks a freak show. Cool water soaks are pure heaven.
It bums me out that I won't be able to wear "nice civilized" shoes for a while.I'll be lucky enough to be able to wear (ugly ass)sneakers when this cast comes off.
As always the birds keep me busy.
Teddy the dove is something else. Who would've thought a "bird of peace' could be an aggressive dominant male trouble-maker? He'll go after anything to try to "dominant it" including my bird candle holders.
Charlie is a sweet-heart. He loves his one-on-one special attention and training sessions at night. Patches likes to investigate our interactions. Patches and Charlie are best buds. They have a"bro-mance" going on. They are two guys hanging out together ripping up newspaper. It's a "guy project" in which Patches initiates and obliges Charlie's help.
We've had a senegal parrot stay with us for a few days. I place a small towel on top of his cage just in case any of my birds land on top of the cage. Senegals can be pretty nippy so this offers protection. He's not real keen on me cleaning his cage and wiping his perch. Perhaps he is just scared being in a different environment. He seemed to at least enjoy all the birdy interactions.I thought it was kind of funny the sounds he makes. Some were of smoke alarm noises, doors opening and whistles, but mostly fart noises.
Next week we will have a caique parrot stay with us. They are considered the 'clowns' of the parrot world.
Stay tuned.

the wild pigeons of Salisbury beach part 95

*funny photo of gulls taking refuge under beach umbrellas to escape the heat!

It's been really really hot. Thank God for central air. My husband takes me to the beach every morning to at least to feed the pigeons.
 I am hopeful, at least at the end of the summer (whimper) I'll be able to go in the water-even if that means I have to wear sneakers in the water for support and to protect my feet.
I hate the summer passing me by.
We've been keeping tabs on the pigeon activity. Summer time means more food for the pigeons. (pizza crust, fried doe and french fries)but it also means more people, dogs, cats and seagulls. This includes more trash, cars and poisonous substances.All are a danger to the pigeons.
A few days ago I spotted a youngster trying like mad to fly back up to the nesting zone.He must have fell out of the nest or was pushed out too early. He looked to be about four weeks-maybe 5 weeks old. He was small and really dirty. The best thing would be to place him back on the ledge.
I, of course, was panicking. because I couldn't do anything.. I looked around and spotted chairs stacked to the side of a bar. I had my husband place them near the nesting site in order for him to put the little bird back. on the ledge.
Success!
I was so grateful that he did this. The poor little thing looked lost and would for sure would not have made it.
However, his survival still remains iffy. Two days later he was still up on the ledge. Hopefully one of the parents is still feeding him and not neglecting him in order to make way for the new babies. I know that. the mother has a new batch of babies because I found a freshly discarded egg shell under the ledge.
Meanwhile, my pigeon follows me around everywhere. I have to be super careful where I step and most recently, scooting around with the computer chair.
As I was backing out of the bathroom in the chair I did not see the pigeon run up to the door. (The last I saw him he was busy in the bird room doing something) .His feathers got caught under a wheel and I heard him roar.
 I felt awful!
 A bunch of feathers got pulled out. Thank God he was not injured..I held him for the rest of the afternoon.He is back to his old self again but I am extra careful now of his whereabouts.

cast off

Friday, I had a doctor's appointment to check the progress of my foot healing.
The permanent cast on my foot was finally removed. I was counting the minutes for this thing to be taken off. It was like some nasty archaeological find similar to unwrapping a mummy. It was pretty gross.
My foot was completely purple and still obscenely huge. My calf looked like a prickly stick with a saggy flaccid bag hanging from it. I was shocked at how much my calf had atrophied in such a short period of time. I still have a cast now but it is removable and I am urged to walk on it.
The first thing I did when I got home was stick my bare foot in a cool basin of water.It is amazing how such a simple thing like this was pure heaven.
 I tried walking with the help of  crutches to balance me when I got home. It was like learning to walk all over again. The next day was better I could walk using just one crutch as stability. I walked around more to build up strength.
The next day, with the help of a crutch, I walked around with my husband in a grocery store. Needless, to say, I felt like a ran a marathon. I was exhausted and my back leg muscles were sore. I have to say, I was appalled at how obnoxious and inconsiderate people were in the grocery store. I can't tell you how many times women eyes glued on their cell-phones rushing around almost crashed into me. Unfuckingbelievable.
Walking around is getting better. I cleaned the bird cages this morning without help. It takes a lot longer but I feel emotionally better doing my normal routine.I find myself really appreciating all those simple things you take for granted. I want to get back to my old life and comfortable routines. It is so nice to be able to wash my hair in the bathroom shower rather than standing one legged over the kitchen sink.
At this stage I still have stability issues going up and down stairs. I do my morning exercises to keep fit.
My husband still helps me around with the other chores and he still takes me in the morning to see the pigeons.
One day at a time,I tell myself.
At least my foot is healing, and so far, no need for surgery. I'll still have to wear this walking cast until mid-August.
I look forward to wearing 'real shoes" in a few months as well, not this ugly-ass sneaker I've been wearing on my 'good' foot.The doctor told me close to six months before my foot will be "normal".

bad luck woodchuck

Here is the culprit (above) who had been digging at the back of the house. Yes, I am going to blame this woodchuck for why I fell over the wall. Perhaps if I had not been distracted by seeing a big hole at the side of the house I might not be sitting here in a cast.
Yesterday, I caught the little booger sitting on my sun chair. I grabbed my cell-phone (camera) to take a photo of him to show my husband. There he sits underneath it for now.
My cousin came over yesterday to keep me company. We played spanish music. It reminded me of when we were teens just hanging out and  listening to "Emerson, lake and Palmer".
We also listened to some beginner spanish instructional videos. But being the brats-who-never-matured-past-adolescence I had 'fun" with the videos. Me llamo.....(fill in the blank)...... senos grandes. (big boobs)
And of course, it went down hill from there.
I was a bit over tired last night, lost my footing and fell in the bathroom. I'm a bit banged up.My foot was really swollen too. I just can't seem to just do nothing and relax.
Well today I'm going to just rest and put my foot up. ugh....

trying to make the best of the situation

I was very very tempted to cut my cast off yesterday.
It's hot, smelly and suffocating.
 I long to stick my foot in cool water!Arrrrrgh!
My husband has been very kind to take me to the beach in the morning before it gets too unbearably crowded and hot .He knows how much I love the beach-even if I am just confined to a bench overlooking the Merrimack. I am at least out in the fresh air and the sun. We get there early so we can park at the bench area so I only have to hop a few steps to it.
(*this is my view from my seat)
People are out on their boats, the early birds are out fishing for stripers and the "Hampton beachers" are in the water.. The seagulls have figured out beach bags and plastic Shaw's bags mean chips and cheetos. A cooler means sandwiches.It's kind of fun to watch the gulls steal from the unsuspecting tourists.
 I can't wait to go in the water to feel that cool water on my feet!. I feel like I'm looking from the outside through a window at a party that I wasn't invited to.My bum hurts from sitting.My foot is still swollen and gross.Blah blah blah!
 I do my morning exercises routinely. My arm muscles are getting stronger and more defined. I have to admit my arms do look good, if nothing else.
We had a birdy visitor over the 4th. Her name was Jasmine. She is a green cheeked conure. She was scared when she first arrived. Once we had lunch she became more curious and interested in what we were eating. She definitely had a bratty side to her.
For a conure, she was relatively quiet. Oh yeah, she squealed but it is nothing like the noise sun conures make. A sun conure could break glass with their thrill 'call". She was a bit of a biter so I had to seriously monitor the other birds around her cage. I placed a small towel on top of her cage just in case any of my nosy birds landed on Jasmine's cage. Jasmine could easily bite off a toe. My husband did a great job cage cleaning and feeding Jasmine.Everything worked out well.
Well that is it for now. I need to elevate my foot now.

the pigeon waits for the bus

I was wondering where the pigeon was at dinner time. 

He is usually following me around.

I found him sitting in the bowl of greens that I had been soaking for dinner.

Needless to say, my husband had a fit when he saw the pigeon bathing in his collard greens.

Oh come on! A few feather bits and pigeon dingle-berries won't kill you!

Comfortable on my leg, ready to go to the next stop as I scoot around on the wheeled computer chair

He tries to find  a comfortable seat, on 'the bus".

He can't quite decide to sit on my pants or on my leg cast.

Soooo what are you waiting for? 

Let's go!

There he is waiting patiently at the "bus stop".

This is where I usually find him waiting for me to 'pick him up" to take him around and about the kitchen.

the corvette dodged a bullet

I'm trying to establish somewhat of a routine in able to cope with being incapacitated. I work out with hand weights, do leg lifts, sit ups etc.. for a good 30 minutes in the morning. I am sticking to a strict weight watchers format since, obviously, I can't go running in the morning. I must get some exercise by hopping around on one foot because at night-time I am exhausted.
I scoot around with the wheeled computer chairs to at least do some of the bird clean-ups and wheel over to the stove to cook dinner.
The pigeon likes this business of scooting around on the chair. He waits at the bottom of the stairs as if he is waiting for the bus so that I pick him up and put him on my lap so he can whisked around the kitchen.
The weather was weird yesterday with blasts of down pouring rain intermittently.It was really humid too. Thank God for central air.
About 3:00 pm, the phone rang from my long time friend telling me to turn the TV on.
 There was reports of a tornado sighting in the Essex county. The news was informing people to get in their basements and to wait.. In addition, I got a reverse 911 call from the police issuing a warning.
Oh what the F....!?!
Are you kidding me?
I was alone with my foot in a cast.
 I called my husband telling him to stay put at work and to turn on the news to watch the weather.
No way would I be able to go in the basement AND I wasn't going to leave my birds.
I have a small closet in the midsection of my house and if need be, I'd toss everything out of it, cram as many birds as I could in one cage and go in there.
 I think this would be the safest spot in the house because even the cellar has windows plus saws and other shit that could go projectile.
I kept the news on and thankfully, the tornados in our area turned out to be duds.
We did get some massive flooding in our area but my house was OK.
As we say on the boat, "we cheated death again".

repairing the corvette

I had an appointment yesterday with a bone doctor to access the damage. My foot looks like a base-ball mitt or like one those fat diabetic lady's feet with dropsy. It is huge, swollen and black. It was confirmed that I had three fractures at the joints. I now have a lime green cast on my foot.I have to wear this for two weeks and then I have to be refitted for a different cast once the swelling goes down.
 I still can not walk at all. I hop around on one foot,crawl  or use the rolling wheeled computer chair (downstairs)to get things. Simple things are a major production. To get something across the room takes a big effort and I am exhausted. I feel like I've swam a mile.
It's gross too. I can't take a full shower because I can't get the cast wet so I have  to just wash off with a cloth sitting on a plastic chair.It's going to be gross when they take that cast off too. My leg is going to look like Osama bin Laden's chin. (Sweaty, smelly dirty and hairy...ewwww!)
My poor cousin was just 15 years old when she had to wear a full body cast for six months due to a spine problem! OMG! Since the cast covered her from her chest down to her hips we drew "boobs" on her so she wouldn't feel left out since at this time we all were starting to  wear bras. God knows what the doctor found after he took her cast off. I bet old M&M's,  crayons, dead bugs, candy wrappers,. and perhaps a David Cassidy record she hid from her brothers. Ha!
I have to lay down most of the day with my leg elevated. I have all my spanish tapes, music and books to keep me busy.
My husband has been a star in helping out with the birds. He cleans the cages while I stand one legged at the sink cleaning their bowls. I feel like I need to do something so this way we work as a team.
This morning he brought some of my hand weights up from cell-block #9 so I can at least do some exercises to keep my upper body strength up.I had injured my left arm from the fall so I could barely move it. It finally I feels like I can (and must) keep my arms fit.
The doctor also suggested that I spend time in the sun for vitamen D (plus take calcium supplements) My dear husband took me to the beach in the morning (to see the pigeons) and then sit on one of the bench's for a little sunlight.
So that is all I can do for now

corvette crash

As you all know I like to compare myself to a "vintage' corvette.
Unfortunately, the corvette "had an accident" on monday night.
 I'm still not sure of what exactly happened. All I know is that I went out in the back to retrieve my wet suit from the porch because it was going to rain with fierce thunderstorms. I remember noticing a big hole that was dug on the side of the house most likely done by a raccoon or some kind of gopher and I was cursing at those critters
And then I found myself face down hanging off the side of three feet high concrete wall with my foot bent in a terrible position.
I couldn't stand up. And was shaking even through it was over 90F.
 I crawled up the stairs like an inch-worm climbing up a elm tree and realized my foot had to be broken.
The next day I went to the emergency room and sure enough, my foot was broken in fours spots.
Shit
I will see a specialist to find out more later after the swelling goes down.
It's amazing all those simple little things you do normally without giving much thought to it are now  daunting tasks. Forget about going out to get the mail, water the plants and fill the bird feeders .Just climbing out of bed to use the toilet is a challenge. Showering is a bigger challenge and doing any other "normal" tasks is exhausting, scary and even beyond my scope now.
Thankfully, my husband is taking care of the birds. I scoot around downstairs on a wheeled computer chair in the kitchen to empty food /water bowls. Thank God for him, really.
This is my biggest issue. I worry about my birds.
Yes it sucks I can't walk, drive, dive, run or just about anything else for a couple of months until my foot heals but it is caring for my birds is my biggest concern.
I probably will not be writing much because I need to rest and elevate my leg.
The pigeon sits with me and will not leave my side.
My loyal companion.

dive # 896 & 897 June 23rd 2013

Dive #896 June 23rd 2013
It's a perfect day to be out on a boat. Weather predicted to be the triple "H"s. And it was. I was glad I brought my wet-suit. Fred, Chris, Pete were in charge. Larient and a new girl, Andrea were on board.
We anchored off the restaurant. I don't mind this spot but Larient hates it. He likes to lobster  and this place was vacant of his prized victims. You also have to be careful at this spot because of fishermen casting their lines (and big nasty hooks) I ventured away from the wall where the fishermen were.
I was more interested in observing the pretty black and white ducks sitting on a rock.I believe they were common eider ducks as depicted in the photo above. I found quite a few flounders, schools of pollack and a good sized striper. I got a temp reading of 51F at 20 feet with a bone chilling thermocline.
Dive #897
We anchored somewhere in Lanesville. I had taken my wet-suit off and figured I was done for the day.
It was HOT on the boat and I couldn't stand it anymore so I did a "Hampton beacher" and jumped in the drink.
Shit
 It was COLD but invigorating.Chris joined the insanity as well. I think of my Aunt Grace from Quincy who used to jump high off the rocks wearing her ked sneakers into the icy brine from her cliffside home.
After drying off, a rouge wave rocked the boat. The portable shower fell overboard and started to drift away from the boat. Since I was already wet, I felt eyes upon me to retrieve the wayward sun shower drifting away to China
Soooooooooo... I am logging this as a dive. ha!
 I paddled as fast I could.
I must of looked like a golden retriever fetching a stick.
Success! I got it!
Again, we all cheated death once again. :-P

crazy days in the bird house

*Here is a pic of Patches just "being Patches". As you can see he is full of himself. He is a typical male strutting his stuff.
Well, I've been getting a flood of calls right now that the summer is now here for potential vacationers looking to board their birds. The calls are  referrals from my vet's office. It's been crazy! A lot of my 'regulars' are here boarding right now. As with all my birds they all require heaps of attention and care. People do not realize how much goes into caring for birds. And no you don't just lock them in a cage all day and give them a bowl of seed.They get 'flight time", one-on-one 'talk time", fresh veggies and water changes (constantly) and of course, cleaning up poop and feather dust non-stop.
Charlie (the formerly "lost cockatiel") has been getting along wonderfully. He waits for his daily evening routine by poking his head out his cage looking for me. Many people would think he is "slow' in learning since it has taken over a month for him to get used to my hands. I think of the way I learn (say spanish) I take a few steps forward and a few steps backwards.I eventually get there but it takes awhile.So I understand him. I personally think he is doing great. He now makes "kissing" sounds. He actually "helps me" with my studying because he likes when I read out loud to him. He will give me an affirmative "PHEEEEWWP!" Patches finds this all so interesting as well and will climb in Charlie's cage to eat his food and tear the bottom cage lining newspaper for fun.
Croaw Dum follows me around and has to sit on my lap whenever I interact with the other birds.When I "disappeared" into the bathroom I found him on my computer "pressing' keys on the keypad. I have no idea what he did but he made copies of my files (!?)
Teddy the new ring-neck dove is quite comical but you have to keep an eye on him. You would think doves are 'gentle' but he goes after all the birds and attacks the dove-shaped napkin holder.He is a very hormonal dominant male. He has the attitude of a football player (except for he is a dove.) A female mourning dove visits the back deck every morning and he does his bowing, dancing and cooing.
I have a couple of potential new customers that will be interviewing me this weekend.It's kind of fun to see all kinds of new and different birds. thankfully, my birds don't seem to mind the company and thankfully my husband doesn't mind either, for the most part!

Bird lady of Salisbury and "super model"

I just wanted to share with you my lastest icon painting. It says 'pigeon saint" in Russian (feeding baby pigeons).  I used multi-mediums in the piece such as felt cloth, silk cloth, 14K gold leaf flake, medallions that I had found, a pipette, and a religious relic that Dive buddy Chris found on the boat. The painting gives off good energy!
I had just recently entered a bird food contest and was picked as one of the winners.of a $50.00 sample basket. My birds like Lafeber products as you can see "super model""-Buttons" enjoying out of a small dish. Her photo may be used in one of their advertisements!

Teddy

Sometime before Christmas I got an email from a small bird rescue up north looking to place a baby ring neck dove. I thought about it but declined.
Teddy the ring neck dove was still advertised in my bird club newsletter looking for a home nine months later
.Nobody wanted to adopt Teddy.
 It's not that I had extra room or anything to house "another bird' . However, through my husband's curiosity he wanted to just "take a look at Teddy".
We called the lady who ran the little rescue way up northern New Hampshire to see  if we could  "just see" Teddy.
My husband urged me to use my vehicle since it is larger to transport cages. I wasn't keen driving that distance since I tire easily and my eye-sight is not that good for highway driving. Plus, I thought we were ONLY going to just "look" at teddy. That's all.
Well as you can see from the above photos, Teddy came home with us
He is a light brown "proved male" ring neck dove. They originate from Africa. He is a proved male since he mated with another dove and had babies. Teddy was "eager' to mate again to the point he was attacking the female and the babies. Teddy needed a new home ASAP.
Teddy is very vocal. He spends most of his time doing this mating dance and vocalizing. No, he doesn't just "gently "coo". He appears to say, "whoops! There  he is..whoops! there he is..." He also laughs raucously. He reminds me of the bare-eye doves in Bonaire.
He eats dove seed, Harrison's pellets and fruit and broccoli!
I have this Mexican brown dove napkin holder on the table.Teddy has taken a fancy to it and will attack any of the birds if they get near it. Oh my God. Teddy is a handful!
 I keep Craow Dum away from him-especially since Craow Dum is hand-capped.
I took Teddy to the vet for a wellness check-like I do routinely for all my birds. Teddy checked out A-OK.
I put some toys in his cage to keep him busy. He likes woven chain toys and bobo dolls that he can bop with his beak.He also 'steps up" on your hand which is unusual for a dove.
He's a pretty bird, for sure. I think since I know what to expect now from Teddy he will do fine in my crazy bird house. He is getting used to the daily routine and is doing fine.

dive # 895 June 9th 2013

Dive # 895 June 9 2013
I had been watching the weather. There was a tropical storm in the south stirring up trouble. The waves and wind on saturday was pretty dicey but sunday it cleared up nicely.
Fred, Chris & Pete were running the show. Larient was onboard giving a helping hand. We had Jackie K, Andy, Isly (sorry for the incorrect spelling) and a new guy-Eric.A nice mellow group.
Since the winds were still a bit compromising we headed up north to naked man beach.( I could vaguely spot perhaps one naked guy on the rocks) The winds died down in the afternoon and it got toasty! Regardless, I wore my dry suit this time-which I was glad I did. I was still frozen especially my hands. Thankfully, no critters emerged from inside my dry suit after a long winter's nap.
At about 25 feet I got a temp reading at 46-7F. It was a bit murky on the descent but cleared at about 20 or so feet with a current. I just followed a lobster line as a guide.
I saw lots of cunners, pollack, skates and some big lobsters outside the traps. I think they were deciding whether or not to enter.Any place that offers "free food" could mean trouble. (think:"free donuts")
All in all it was a nice relaxing dive.
As Fred would say, "ahh..it's great to be US!"
Yup, I would have to agree.

summer colors

As one may notice this time of year, how bright and colorful the American goldfinches are.
 It's their "summer coat". I can't help think how similar I am to the goldfinch with my "summer coat". The summer coat I am referring to is a summer tan. Yeah, yeah I know the pasty white barneys are screaming how 'the sun is bad for you". I recently had some iridescent pinky tell me how "unhealthy" my tan was.
Sorry but I look and feel gross without somewhat of a tan-even a "fake bake" looks better than frog belly white. I bet the goldfinches feel the same way.
OK I've tried all kinds of different sunless tanners & bronzers to boost the 'summer colors" .
I will present my unbiased review on the ones I've used and tried.
1) Neutrogena "sun fresh" sunless lotion price $8.99 CVS
It claims to have "delicious fresh scent". I assumed it didn't have that sunless tanner smell (chemical) and claims it "goes on evenly" without making you look like a pumpkin.Wrong. It smells the same and I never got any color out of it despite using medium deep tones. Perhaps I wasn't patient enough.It also felt a little sticky.
2) Jergens natural glow $8.99 Walmart
This is very popular. It also claims to not have that "sunless tanner smell" and you get a "even golden color in 3 days". Hmmm..It still has the smell and it took two weeks to get any color. It is just an "ok"  moisurizer.
*3) amir argan oil sunless bronzer $19.99. online drugstore.com
More expensive but this is the best bronzer. It still has a 'smell' but it goes on evenly and naturally plus the argan oil is top notch in moisturizing. This was the best bang for the buck. My only complaint is don't get any on your mouth. It tastes like lady bugs (don't ask)
I've tried other ones in the past and they were awful. They smelled bad, streaked and turned you a dirty orange color.
For a washable bronzer, Bonney Bell is still the best. I  can only find it online.
So there you have it.