a month (and more) with Ray

Ray is a black headed caique (pionites melanocephela).
Ray had been a 'regular" birdy boarder with us.
Caiques are quite engaging and can be very entertaining.
They are small parrots with big personalities AND loud voices.
As a baby he was very sweet and delightful but not unlike a teenager he started to rebel, act up and test you. Some of the "unwanted behaviours" such as biting and screaming was becoming a problem for his owners . I wanted Ray to maintain a good relationship with his owners so Ray would stay with us for periods of a week or longer. I would observe Ray and work with him to curtail some of the unwanted behaviours.
One of the main things I would do with Ray is put him on a strict predictable routine. He was up at 7:30am and at night, in his cage to relax by 5:00pm, and covered by 7:00pm. When I fed him (healthy nutritious food)I left him to enjoy his food without fussing around his cage. He only got treats (nuts) when he was quiet as a reward and when I wanted him to go in his cage. I also did not let him climb on my shoulder. When he was on your shoulder he would start to assert dominance so this was something I would not let him do. So with these simple things he stopped biting.
Screaming was much more trickier. I would do things to keep him preoccupied and entertained. I would give him lots of attention. I would give him a morning shower. All these things helped curtailed the screaming but sometimes he just liked to scream for the shear fun of doing it and there was nothing you could do to stop it. caiques are parrots and parrots love to scream.
Sometimes it was challenging when I had a migraine run that lasted for two weeks. Thankfully my husband would take over and take care and play with Ray. Ray really liked him too.
Ray was happy just sitting on his lap while he worked on the computer.Ray pretty much demanded all your attention which would be fine if he was your only bird. Again, thankfully my husband helped out with all the birds as well because they needed our attention too.
Ray was also very much in tune with my emotions and when I was upset about something Ray would react. Ray stayed with us this time for well over a month -almost two months. (Ray's family was in the process of moving cross country).During this time we had a flood as a result of both the dishwasher, the garbage disposal and water line kaboomed. Needless to say my husband and I did our best as "Mack and Myer" to replace the dish washer and disposal ourselves.
All I can say is that Ray learned a few 'new words". I had to "retrain" Ray into saying "fire truck" and "night shift" rather  saying fuck and shit. Yikes! I also learned when I screamed about something Ray screamed also so I had to keep my emotions in check. No more meltdowns!
We also had an attempted break in during Ray's stay.
Thank God the bad guys didn't get in. My birds freaked out and there was feathers everywhere due to their "night terrors". My major concern is always about my birds so this was a wake up call to "secure" our home better and to reach out to our neighbours.
When Ray's stay finally ended I will be honest I was relieved. He was kind of like having a hyperactive toddler stay with you but after a few days of no Ray I was starting to miss him. I do miss him now.
Ray was then going to embark on a road trip  to his new home to Washington state.
 I wonder how that will be.
My husband was almost going to volunteer to drive cross country with Ray. That would be one long road trip-especially with a rambunctious parrot!
I'm sure that "adventure' would make for many chapters for the blog!

dive # 969 Sept.27 2015

dive #969 Sept. 27 2015
Sad to say, the season is coming to an end. The weekly weather has been really warm but it seems that crap weather falls on sundays, my dive day.
However, this weekend, the sunday weather was cooperative. It was sunny in the low 70s but for some reason I felt cold. Everyone was wearing wet suits and remarking on 'what a nice day it was" but  I was glad I packed my dry suit. With that being said, when I started to put it on my left rubber sleeve tore.
shit.
That is at least a $200.00 repair and a long drive to Somerville which is something I can't afford now.
Andy saved the day and taped it up so I could salvage the dive.
We had Fred and Chris in charge, Pete, Andy, Jackie and Alan H. A nice group of capable divers. Pete seemed like his old self telling corny jokes and such.
Despite my misfortune of a torn drysuit we had a remarkable day.
We anchored off of the 'restaurant" just above large boulders. The water temp was 55F but I was freezing. The viz was a marginal 10 foot at best. I made it down to 40 feet. There was lots of fish activity. The cunners were busy doing their thing. They are extremely curious especially when Chris was tapping on a rock. I do not know what the attraction is but they all gather when ever you are busy doing something. I enjoy just staying in one spot and watching the fish. I think the fish in turn like to do the same and watch us.
I am hoping for at least one more dive day. I patched up the tear on the sleeve but we shall see what happens next time.
One more day.

trixie part 3

Trixie is doing Ok.
 I re-splinted her legs with ladies foam curlers, paper bandage tape and paper twist ties.
 She is adjusting. She can fly and can land as you can see (the first photo on her playgym). It will help strengthen her feet by gripping. I take her splints off occasionally to clean her legs, massage her legs and to put clean rollers/bandages on.
 I am still tube feeding her 20cc in the morning for extra nutrition but she may not need it since she will eat seed/pellets on her own (so long as I am there!). She will not eat all alone. She likes when I hold the bowl and tap the inside of the bowl. The same with the water. My finger must look like a beak dipping in the bowl.
As you can see I put a soft shelf for her in the second picture. She will fly up there herself and rest on it like a hammock. In the evening I give her a drop of liquid calcium for her growing bones. She loves when I take her out of the cage and cuddle her. When my "visitor" birds go home I will then bring her upstairs to join the flock. Right now she is still on quarantine. I have seen no more lice so that business is done.
It's very hot today, when it cools off later I will take her outside for fresh air and ambient sun.
I am feeling hopeful. She most likely will always be handicapped but so long as she can get around, balance and stand I think she will be fine.

dive #965 & 966 Aug 30 2015/dive #967 & 968 Sept 7 2015

dive #965 Aug 30 2015
My first dive back from Andros. All aboard Easy Diver we heading to our fav place to dive at Foley Cove . (More specifically "calf's cove)" to check out the photosynthesis of bubbling green algae. We had Fred, Chris, Pete, Andy, Lyndia and Myanna and John from froggies. Even John did a dive. The water was remarkable y warm at 65F at the surface.
dive#966 Aug 30 2015
What a difference in temperature at various locations. We anchored this dive off of naked man beach. BTW there were at least 3 ballickly men sunbathing on the rocks. The temp at 30 feet was 50F. It was clearer viz but God awful cold.


dive #967 Sept 7 2015
You would never know the summer was on it's way out by the heat and amount of boaters/beachers today. It had to be in the mid90'sF
We had Fred, Chris, Pete, Kate and her two students, and Jackie.We headed over to Foley. The water temp was 63F. The viz was poor. I did see quite a few large rock gunnels. Jackie said she saw a torpedo ray. I checked out Anna K's grave marker near the point under ledge at 25-30F. It was quite nice. The water temp at this depth was dramatic and COLD!
dive #968 Sept 7 2015 We stayed anchored in the same spot-which worked well for me. Kate was busy with her students. I checked along the wall looking for critters.I stayed shallow so I could enjoy the warmer water.Hopefully we will have a few more of these nice summery days.

Trixie part 2

Poor Trixie.
She was having such a hard time getting around. I spent time searching for ideas for different methods of splinting her legs but none of them worked. So I freed her legs in hopes she would adjust to her handicap. Unfortunately her 'good leg' was turning out and she would just flop about. My husband thought I was fussing about her too much that it was harmful to her well-being so I let her be last night.
In the morning I washed her, fed her and took her outside for sunshine. Her freed legs looked worse. She was crying and fussing about.I couldn't stand it and thought about what I should do. She was messing about in the carefresh and most of it would land in her food and water.I thought the carefresh would help her not slip but it did the opposite.
 So I bought some nonslip rubber liner and lined her cage plus I put a nubby towel down. I took a sistal perch and I sewed a layer of craft foam and soft mesh screen to it making  a soft shelf so she could get used to perching. I rolled towels around the edging so she could rest as well.
I then took a ladies foam curler rollers plus paper tape and made a new soft leg splint for her. She could now balance on one leg now. She seemed so much more comfortable like this. So far this seems like the best thing for her now. When I put her on the soft shelf perch she didn't cry but appeared to be (finally) comfortable. I am hopeful.

Trixie

Last saturday, Jody from the Cape Ann wildlife rehab called me to home a disabled baby pigeon. I was hesitant since I just came back from vacation and have been inundated with birdy boarders. With that being said, 99.9% of disabled pigeons end up getting euthanasia.I don't mind having a handicapped bird so long as they can feed themselves and not sit in their own poop. (As you know I already have a beakless pigeon.)
This splay leg baby has it's challenges.
 I took her to my vet right away thinking and hoping the legs could be corrected with surgery. But unfortunately the doctor said the prognosis was poor and did not recommend surgery. Her gram stains were normal but I noticed feather lice crawling on me so she got a drop of ivermectin and sevin powder dusted in her cage. Gross.
 The vet  did recommend supplements and calcium drops that may help her. She was doubtful the splint would help since her leg was so out of joint and the ligaments stretched.She is about 5 weeks old. She still has baby fuzz on her head and cries. She can lift off the ground by flying and can eat a little seed/pellets on her own. Although I have been soft tube feeding her in the morning  20 ml liquid combo of kaytee exact and "recover" formula (harrisons) for that extra nutrition.. I had lined the walls and ceiling of her cage with a soft screen mesh so she doesn't injure her wings when she flaps. The bottom of the cage is covered with carefresh ( soft cardboard mulch) (or a towel)
I've been taking her outside in the morning for morning sunshine and fresh air in a mini-cage.
I have been trying all kinds and methods of wrapping and splinting her legs so she can stand.I used paper surgical tape, paper twist ties and I even bought foam (ladies hair)rollers to cushion her legs.However, She would manage to kick them off, tumble and cry. I would wash her legs and rub vitamin E on the joints since they looks irritated. It has been more than frustrating because the reality is her legs will never be corrected so I either prop her up with splints for the rest of her life or let her adjust naturally to her handicap with her one bad leg facing straight behind her. It's a hard choice to make. I took her splints off tonight and placed her in a tiny basket. Hopefully she will be comfortable and she will be OK.
One day at a time.