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As we head for our BBQ's etc., and feed our fids their favorites, never forget the real meaning of Memorial Day. Remember all those who served and sacrificed all for our freedoms. My thanks to all who served or are serving. God bless

Hi old friends! Gosh, it has been awhile, and am so delighted that the forum is still here (thank you, KevinD!). After a trip to Ireland in the early fall of 2019, I came home with a crazy virus that landed me from the plane directly into the emergency room, then a recovery of 22 months. It was a bit early for Covid-19, and no one seemed to know at the time what the heck I had. Suffice it to say, it was a long climb back to my own state of normal. Note to self: don't party with Aussies in the Dublin pubs! LOL For the last few months, I have been catching up on things that fell by the wayside while I was so ill. I now am back to being able to check in to favorite sites, and have had such a delightful morning catching up on posts. So great to see all of you and your beautiful fids! Things at our end of the rainbow are as hilarious as usual with HRH Inara. She continues to talk up a storm and now uses very complex complete sentences most of the time, which amazes and sometimes freaks out our friends and visitors (although since C-19, because of my immune disease we don't really have any of those unless the weather is good and we are outdoors). Her sense of humor still cracks us up, and herself too. One of her favorite jokes that she made up was once when it was snowing really heavy outside. She broadcasts the weather for us if it is raining or snowing or really windy (for windy she makes a loud whooooshing sound). The day it was really snowing, she was looking out the window and as usual said, "It's snowin' out there!" I agreed. A little while later she saw Joe out the window snow blowing, and she said, "It's Joe-in' out there!" then started laughing! Of course I laughed too, and now it is one of her favorite jokes, summer or winter when she sees him out the window. Somewhere along the line she picked up, "I sure would like to....." So she will let us know, "I sure would like to go to the big shower, (or night night, or to see the squirrels, or to see Joe at the big chair, etc.). The first time she used it she was looking out the window and said, "I sure would like to go to the big tree out there." She blows my mind with her language capabilities. People always ask how I taught her to talk like she does. After much reflection I think it is two-fold. One, I believe that when I got her, her brain must have been (much like a human child's) just in that perfect developmental sweetspot for language; and two -- (as a developmental behaviorist) I never taught her to mimic words. Instead, knowing Greys' cognitive abilities, I treated her from the beginning language-wise like I would have a human child, in that every single thing I did all day long (I had the luxury of this because I was working from home, and then retired) I explained and vocalized for her, named every object, place, and when she would make noises or use words I never ever ignored her so she knew that language was important. I also listened very carefully to the sounds that she would make and began to see how she had certain sounds that she would make that meant "making the coffee," and "setting something down on a hard surface," and "the squeek of the dishwasher door," "the squeak of the bedroom floorboards," etc. I was able to incorporate my understanding of those into our interactions. So I guess it was three-fold -- learning her sounds that were/are not words, and acknowledging them. And of course, of course, of course, and I cannot emphasize this enough for newer parronts -- *she* was willing *and* able to want to use human language. While Greys are good talkers not all feel inclined to do so. This just happens to be her own personal super power, like some Greys are great with math, shapes, colors, whistling songs, mimicking etc. I would love her just as much if she was the strong silent type like my ancient (RIP) Congo, Lestat. If there is a downside, it is that much like some Cockatoos never want to be put down and demand constant cuddling, she demands near constant verbal interaction except when she is napping or enjoying her periodic quiet times of the day. This means that my own quiet times revolve around hers, but it is so worth it to me. She still loves me to have Alexa play, "Walk Like An Egyptian," every single morning, and if I forget, she tries to get Alexa to do it herself, by saying, "Alexa!" Way-oh-way-oh," which is her own title for the song. One day, I heard her say, "Alexa? I do love you." And Alexa answered back, "Thank you, that is nice." It dawned on me that I am living in Star Trek. I had just witnessed a non-human species, talk directly with intent to a 'droid, and the 'droid talked back with intent. Wild! One of my biggest worries, (and Covid has really brought this to the forefront), is that if something ever would happen to both me and Joe, who else in the world would be able and willing to keep up the communication with her. She knows that Joe goes, "bye bye to work," and she knows what "will be back," means but what if we never came back? It crushes my heart on her behalf to even contemplate. We do have arrangements for her, but they have other birds who also need a lot of attention. I'm having a hard time even articulating what my feelings are, but I know that each and every one of you understand the worry about how our fids will carry on without us, and without the understanding of where we have gone and why we have not come back to them. Am in tears just typing this. Did not mean to write a book --- but you know me, if it can be said in 10 words, I'll use 100 :D. Have missed you all, and there is comfort knowing you and your babies are all well. Lots o'love Jane and HRH Inara