Remembering Bobby

DIVE LOG

date: July 21 1984             number: 1
place: Folly cove-west wall-Gloucester
depth:26 feet
submersion times: down-7:11am     up-8:04am
weather condition: sunny    temp: 70F
water condition: calm (high tide)   temp: 47-53F
water viz: 15-20feet
partners: EP Williams PADI-dm# 19872   Bob Boyle PADI-instructor #17390
equipment used: 30lb weight, rental suit 64L, sm.hood
(information for rentals) rinse equipment at dive shop
notes: marine life: star-fish, moon snail egg casings, anemones, crabs, flounder, urchins, snails, sand dollars, horse shoes crabs


It is hard to write this as I copy this from my first log book describing my first UW session with Bobby.
And now 30 something years later, almost 1000 dives later, I still dive.
All because of Bobby.
I remember him as a skinny kid with blond shaggy hair and always barefoot
I even took an UW photography course from him some time in the 1980's. We still stayed in contact all through the years. I would stop by his shop on occasion with my friend John who also took scuba lessons from him as well. I bought all my initial equipment from Bob at Northeast scuba in Danvers and many years later I bought my DUI dry suit from him at his shop at Undersea Divers on water st in Beverly as well. He was always cheerful and always eager to talk about diving adventures.

Dive# 222-236 March 16 1998 Bonaire
I took my first trip to Bonaire with Bobby (along with Fred, Chris and Ann L)
And of course, I fell in love with Bonaire.

The last time I saw Bobby was at the froggie's holiday party last year (I think 2013) We would joke about who's been to Bonaire the most times. He, of course, had been there the most(-even when he was sick he would still go).I would call him on occasions whenever I saw a super deal on air flights to Bonaire to give him the "heads up".
I really hope there is a heaven.
And I hope heaven is like Bonaire.
Someday I will see you there Bobby.
Keep an eye out for seahorses, will ya?

June 13th Pigeon Appreciation Day

Palomacy (a pigeon rescue in California) announced that June 13th is pigeon appreciation day.
I like to check their facebook page on their rescue stories and for the most part they have happy endings.
It is summer time on at the beach so I can no longer feed the pigeons. I did feed them in the winter because there is no food available for them. There are less and less pigeons at the beach and therefore less nests. Mostly because the pizza shops built barriers so the pigeons can't roost there. I did see a couple youngsters on the beach. I can tell they are youngsters by their pinkish beaks and residue fluff hairs. I saw one chase an adult for food. I found a few new nests under the pilings which makes me nervous at every high tide.
A week ago I got a call from a lady who found an injured pigeon on rte 114. from what she described there would be nothing I could do initially unless she could bring the bird to the vet first of all. The wing was torn off at the tip and there was a hole in the chest (crop) Once a vet checked the bird out and did what needed to get the bird in the right direction I could step in and provide the palliative care (i.e. give medication, clean dressings, feed, clean ect...)
It has been a problem finding a vet who will examine pigeons especially ones found in the "wild". The odd thing is that they are not considered technically as "wildlife" since they can be kept as pets or..as food in some cases. (gasp)
With the help of "Jody' (wildlife rehabber) to have her vet look at the pigeon. I awaited the call so I could step in and help this bird.If the wing was so damaged that he could not be released but still could live out his life as a pet (resident) he would be welcomed in my home.
Sadly, the wing was'nt the only thing  messed up. The injury on the chest was a torn crop and it was seriously infected. (The crop is what holds the food in). This little pigeon was a youngster and must have stumbled into the traffic to have obtained these kinds of injuries. With that being said, he couldn't be saved.
My pigeon must have known something was up because she followed me everywhere I went in the house. People don't realize how smart, loving and loyal these birds are.

I don't own birds... they own me

"Button's" health has been improving since I've tweeked her diet by adding cooked food and bringing her outside for some muted sunlight.
 I've been trying to alternate the rest of the birds to bring outside as well for sunlight.This has now been added to the daily routine as well as cooking and cutting up veggies for them.
I had been recently diagnosed having extremely low Vitamin D and I now have full blown osteoporosis. I am relatively young to have such a severe case. The bone density level dropped dramatically within a year span since my last test. I'm not really sure of why but it could be medication (?) I take that could suck calcium from my body, hormonal changes, lack of sunlight from the winter and I now think, overhead fluorescent lights.
With this being said, I think my birds as well  are all suffering from low calcium and low levels of vitamin D.
"Lucille' laid an egg that was paper thin. The colouring on Button's beak was anemic looking. So lately, as well as bringing them outside for sun and air, I've been also feeding them with nice big delicious dandelion greens. These leaves are loaded with vitamin and minerals. I told my husband not to mow down the dandelions in the back. People think dandelions are just pesky weeds but they are actually a golden food source (the dandelion leaves)
On a decent day, I'll bring two birds at a time to sit with me outside. Their food is healthier and my egg layers get a sprinkle of calcium on their food.
I've just started taking calcium tablets and vitamin D3. I do eat calcium enriched foods such as broccoli, collards, spinach and almonds but apparently not enough, and no, I don't eat yogert, cheese or drink milk.
Yuck. Dairy makes me gag.It feels slimy in my mouth.
My doctor prescribed fossamax but it is sitting on my counter unopened. I've heard only bad side effects from taking this stuff-like jaw bone resorption. I haven't heard from a single person so far touting the benefits of this pill.
So there it sits.
Remarkably my beak less pigeon who has/had a bone eating disease appears to be healthy and strong. She sits by the screen to take in the sun. She is kind of fat and flies on occasion but mostly likes to walk. Her main diet is harrison's enriched pellets and pigeon peas. She also loves Indian food in which she will mob me to get a share of my left-overs. She hasn't laid an egg but lately is very "nesty". She took a bottle cap, pushed it under her chest as if it was a egg and guarded it.She has taken over my slippers and charges me if I take them away so I've left those slippers there and I just wear a different pair for now.
I just went food shopping and my thoughts were "what will be healthy and yummy for the birds..oh yeah, what will be healthy for me too.."
My priorities seem to be always about my birds,

horseshoe crab bonk-o-rama May 18 2015

On occasion, I would see horseshoe crabs at our shore-lines from Hampton beach all the way down to  Rhode Island. In the 1960's, I remember seeing hundreds of horseshoe crabs at the Rowley landing (boat launch).
My husband reported to me there were sighting of horseshoe crabs converging at Great Bay in New Hampshire.
The Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve is quite a large area dipping inland of the New Hampshire coast. We sought out first in our quest to find horseshoe crabs in Stratham, NH (Sandy point). It's a nice place to take easy hikes and bird watch. We walked around the shore line but no horseshoe crabs.
 The next place we ventured to was Turtle Quarry. This spot is located deep in the woods through unpaved roads in Newmarket. We wore hooded sweatshirts, long pants and hats but it was no match for the ridiculous swarms of horseflies and mosquitoes. We got lost in the woods  but lucky for us, we found our way back to the car unscathed. This place looked like a scene from the Blair witch project.
We found other more "civilized paths" in Newmarket to view the ocean but none close enough to walk on the actual shoreline.
The next spot we went to was Adams point in Durham next to UNH's research lab. You absolutely have to wear long pants here. The walkways are one big a poison ivy 'farm". I've never seen so much poison ivy and sumac in one area in my entire life.
We found our way to the shoreline and alas! And there they were! The shore was teeming with horseshoe crabs in various stages of coupling. The horseshoes that were amiss in the action were quite mobile trying their best to kick one male off the female to gain position.It was easy to spot the females because they were larger. The males were like little jockeys. It was a horseshoe crab bonk-o-rama.
It was interesting that the horseshoe crabs picked this particular area to mate. Whereas a few hundred feet away around the bend, I didn't see any. Perhaps it is the mineral content of the mud here that is best for them and their babies.
Anyways, it was fun looking for them.

Button's dilemma part 3

I feel a little more optimist.
 I've been separating Button from the other birds at dinner time so that she is not disturbed while she eats. I've been giving her carrots, dandelion greens, zucchini and cooked rice, veggie pasta with cooked greens and her pellets. She has been eating it with gusto. Her appetite is back.
She has her pain management medication, metacam, twice a day and I do think this has helped her. She flew across the room without crashing. She hasn't done that in over a month.
In addition, I've been taking her (and Scizzorpoop) out in a small cage for outside morning sunshine (vitamin D)She even took a bath by herself!
I weighed her yesterday and she gained 5 grams (She is now 103grams)
She looks scroggie looking but so far with this extra attention paid to her "whole health" she seems to be doing OK. I know myself when I am feeling lousy that good plain greens, sunshine, a nice bath and (for me, migraine meds) makes a world of difference.
One day at a time.

Button's dilemma part 2

I took Button back to the vet after her second visit this year 2 weeks ago.
 Her condition had deteriorated significantly. Her preening gland is huge. Just the slightest touch causes it to bleed. The same situation goes for the spot on her head. The skin pulled away from the "tumor" leaving a gaping hole.
Her weight on April 27 was 117grams. Her weight two weeks later on May 11 was 97 grams. That is a 20 gram weight loss in a short period of time. The vet was concerned and not very hopeful in her prognosis. If she had an infection the baytril would have made her gland smaller- not bigger.
It appears that she has cancer.
To operate on her, if indeed you could remove the offending tumors, she would most likely bleed out, even with the best of care. Her skin is like paper. The fact that she lost so much weight and she isn't flying indicates possible internal shit.
She is mostly alert and has a good appetite. I now feed her away from the other birds with rice, veggies and her pellets, with a sprig of millet for dessert. She is on metacam for pain management. I took her outside in the morning for vitamen D sunshine.
 I am doing the best for her comfort. I couldn't bear having her pass away alone on a operating table. At least this way she is having managed care surrounded by her friends.

Button's dilemma

Button is my first lutino cockatiel. She was hatched on May 16 2002. She will be 13 years old. This is not especially old for a cockatiel. I've read they can live to 25 to even 30 years of age. Fancy variety breeds such as lutinos do not live as long.
Through the years Button has had a bunch of different health issues. I do think it is because she is a lutino (albino). She's a feather picker and tends to get yeast infections. The latest health problem is I noticed she wasn't able to fly. I thought perhaps she banged into something and injured her wings. I took her to the vet, she had x-rays and a dose of metacam (pain reliever) But the problem still existed. Then, I noticed a nod on her head like a wart. I took her back to vet and the vet found that in addition, that  her uropygial gland was huge and missing it's wick feather (This is the preening gland which is important to keep the feathers oiled and cleaned)
As instructed, I gave her antibiotics fora possible  infection, put warm compresses on her head to hopefully open up the little cyst on her head but for some reason the hot water from the cloth caused the skin to pull apart and she would bleed. I can not figure out why this would happen-no scrubbing or anything else would make this happen. Just the light pressure caused the area to bleed and pull apart. The same thing happened with the preening gland. I would gently press it as instructed because it might have been clogged with wax but instead it would bleed and the feather base would bleed too. The gland got bigger instead of smaller.
This was most distressing. And alarming.
I read in my bird vet books that it is not uncommon for 'older birds of especially of the variety strain" of cockatiels to develop cancer.-especially on the uropygial gland.This makes me nervous.
If it is just a major "clog" in the duct she will need an operation -which is very risky for birds.
Either way I am worried.
She has been quiet and sleeping alot.
Tomorrow she has a vet appointment. One can only hope...