Park West

I haven't written in a while mostly due to the aftermath of the Marathon bombings..
 I've been one big mess of sadness, disgust and anger.
I try to keep this blog upbeat so I just couldn't write for awhile.
Last week, my long time pal "Sue" asked me if I wanted to go to a Red Sox game on sunday.
 I enthusiastically replied, hell, yeah!"
Seriously, we had the BEST DAY! 
Thankfully, she drove in. She is a seasoned "Boston driver".( I for one, hit a curb on my way down to her house due of my lack of spacial distancing.) She knew all the places to have lunch next to Fenway too. We got a seat right away in a local jaunt and I got a veggie burger. She got a grilled chicken sandwich and a whiskey (for medicinal reasons -wink!)
The weather was glorious. (Although I was glad that I snitched my husband's Red Sox jacket because of an easterly wind.)
We both bought "Boston Strong" hats to wear. Like the kids that we are, we were so pleased with our purchases and admired ourselves wearing our cool new caps!
The seats at the game were great! They were just a few rows up from 3rd base. Not only is it fun to watch the game but it's also fun watching all the going on's around us.
I felt a surge of "Boston pride" standing at attention for the National anthem and singing along with "sweet Caroline" and "Dirty Water"
.Seriously, how can you not?
Baseball is probably the only sport I like watching.
Maybe one of the reason is that: BASEBALL=SUMMER!  :-)
We won over Houston 6-1. David Ortiz can really still slam it.
I couldn't help but reminisce back to 1973.. As  junior high kids we would hop on  the "T" to afternoon games.I think bleacher seats were $2.00 back then..
And here I am,  40 years later with my same pal, still enjoying a game at Fenway.
*Oh, BTW, "Park West" was were we attended seventh grade.

We are Boston strong!

 Enough said..we ARE wicked awesome!

What the F*&^???????????

Yesterday seemed like a normal "nice" day.
It's a Massachusetts holiday :"Patriot's day".
 There's a big parade in Lexington where at the crack of dawn there is a the "shot heard 'round the world" of the American revolutionary war re-enactment. As a kid, my friend Sue and I would go to Lexington for the parade and re-enactment. I've always been an American revolution enthusiast.
 The Boston marathon would go on as well. It has of course, changed over the years. It was mostly locals running the race without a big money prize. Now, it has become a big international event with Kenyan runners winning usually procuring the big money prize at the end.
Locals of course, still compete as well trying to beat their own race timing scores.Lots of people also run as a part of special interest fund-raisers or for some cause or memorial. I ran a relay as a part of a memorial in the 1980's. I ran six of the 26.5 miles. I still run just about every day  for about 1.5 miles but I think snails, turtles and old guys with walkers could beat me.
 It is way too crowded for me to get involved with anything to do with marathons these days between spectators, numbered runners and everyone else running to be a apart of the event.My pal Sue usually goes in town to watch the race with some of her pals as an excuse for a social get together in Boston.Lots of people like to do that for fun.
Yesterday, she was sick and didn't venture in.
I walked Mattie, had a vet visit, attended my birds and did errands yesterday listening to my spanish learning language tapes in my car.
I was clueless to what events had happened in Boston at about 3:00pm-until later on in the evening.
I put on the news as I was doing my usual evening routine of cleaning up the birds and giving them their supper.I saw something about "security" at Logan airport and then I saw the images of the explosions at the finish line near the spectator bleachers.
What the F*&^!!!!!
A couple of people were killed and over a hundred people injured from bomb detonations.
A terrorist attack?
We are still waiting to hear the details of the "who and why" involved.
This is terrible....

more on Charlie part 2

Oh boy Charlie is a feisty boy!
 When Patches calms down then Charlie starts up!
 OMG!
At 6:30pm forget about talking on the phone with all the racket they make.
 The both of them get going and then Linus and Louie will join in on the "chorus"(plus I have Dover visiting us as well).
Do you notice how it's all the "boys" that cause trouble, eh?!
Charlie has been on SMZ antibiotics for a week now.Yesterday, I brought a poop sample from Charlie to the vet to see if his bacterial infection has dissipated but unfortunately he still had "rods" in his droppings. It is most likely e.coli. in his system that he got from drinking in a puddle so he remains on the antibiotics for a little longer and he still has to be quarantined from the other birds.
Meanwhile, yesterday was a nice sunny spring day. I opened the french doors to get some fresh air and sunshine in the room. The pigeon walked over to the screened-in area. He plopped on the floor, laying on his side like a drunken sailor enjoying the warm sunshine
.I should have taken a photo of him. He looked hilarious. I've never seen a bird lay on their side before .
He looked up at me as if to say,"ahhhhhhh! This is the life!"
Charlie still doesn't know what to do with fresh veggies or rice. He'll eat seeds and pellets but not fresh food. He will learn once I bring him in with the other birds when he sees them eating it.
It's crazy in this house right now!

more on Charlie!

http://www.newburyportnews.com/local/x1862031415/A-home-for-Charlie

Well, I made the front page of the Newburyport news about "Charlie" and my pigeon.

My house is really busy with the birds right now plus a few house guests.

Charlie

I took Charlie to my avian vet for a "wellness" check up.
 If Charlie is going to live with us he has to have a vet check in order to commingle with the rest of the birds.
I had his wings trimmed as well as his nails. I generally do it myself but I let the vet do it this time for a full check over. Let me tell you Charlie was not happy with this ordeal.
He had a gram stain test done as well (they check his poop for bad bacteria). It turns out he did have some 'rods" in his poop so he is now on a broad spectrum antibiotic  This is another thing he not happy about is having to take medicine. It is listed on the bottle as "SMZ". I am not sure what that is.Most likely a new brand of antibiotic.
The vet got a good look at his leg band. It says "MRT FLA 1874" which says he came from a breeder in Florida  and he is number 1874 (and then most likely sold to a pet shop chain.) It was odd it did not list his year of birth.
I feel bad that I have to subject poor Charlie to medication and handling. Hopefully I am doing the right thing.
As you can see he is quite the handsome boy.