estream

I'm fairly sure he means "in quantity" with spinach. A little goes a long way? I'll be sure to ask him to expand on that, there is so much conflicting info it gets terribly confusing. I figure to everything there is a balance :-)

Ah, memories :-) Love those songs. I went to my very first concert this past December, the close of U2's tour with Pearl Jam. It was my 30th birthday present, and what a gift it was! I have never seen so many people in the same place in the same moment thinking and hoping and screaming for all the same things. It was a night to remember :-) <br><br>Post edited by: estream, at: 2007/06/05 00:44

Aloha, Do you have access to foods like Harrisons or Roudybush? These are pellets most avian specialists agree are ideal. Both can be purchased online :-) Fruits and Veggies are a part of a bird's balanced diet. It's good to offer your bird variety, and it's cool to mix it up with your pellets down the line, but when you are first starting out you might consider keeping them in separate bowls so that you can tell how much of which thing your bird is eating. rules I follow according to my avian specialist .... ABSOLUTELY NONE OF THE FOLLOWING DANGEROUS FOODS AND DRINKS Alcohol & alcoholic beverages Avocado (skin, pit) Caffeine, Chocolate Cigarette Smoke, Coffee, Corn (stored in humid area), Highly salted food Mushrooms, High Oxalic acid foods (spinach, rhubarb), Raw peanuts in shell (poorly stored), Seeds (in quantity apple, apricot, bitter almond), seeds (in quantity cherry, peach, pear, plum), Soft Drinks (with caffeine or colas), tea, wines<br><br>Post edited by: estream, at: 2007/06/05 00:12

I go away twice a year, 3 weeks each. I treat the situation in a very mellow manner ... I think the calmer I am, the calmer they are. When I'm nervous, they pick up on it and model that behavior themselves. When I'm laid back about things, so are they. Each time I return home I am greeted heartily with each and every word in their vocabulary, plus any extras they may have learned while I was away :-) That said, I do call every other day to check in on them :-) I drive my birdsitters batty :-)

celery, if you're seriously considering cages by design and can price accordingly,, you might also consider avian accents :-) avianaccents.com. They are a good lifetime investment and most definitely sturdy. We love them! I would suggest contacting Pat there, she was lovely and was able to answer all my questions.

I second that, you will always see the white downy feathers all over as well as the occasional red or grey full feather - even more so when molting. As long as you see no balding spots on your grey's body, plucking should not be a concern, but it's immeasurably good of you to be so cautious and seek out advice! It's always better to ask questions then to let things go with a bird. Clearly your grey is in loving hands :-)<br><br>Post edited by: estream, at: 2007/06/04 01:38

Aloha, welcome! And congrats on your new family member :-) She's beautiful!

I love threads like this :-) I can always count on a good giggle :-) Here are a few faves from the now 4 pages of vocabulary from Shyloh ... I'm so honored I get to be her mom :-) Who is da bird, da bird is da word! Back away from the bird! I love you veeeeeeeery much! quiet, it's quiet time now ... shhhhhhhhh! it's all good right on! wacha doing little bit? upside down! pop pop pop pop POPcorn! hey, no no, there's no chewing on the curtains! I see you, you're busted!!! Sings - you are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy, cuz youre so grey! A bittersweet addition - not long ago there was a military excercise fairly close to where I live ... it included helicopters ... which flew quite close to my place. Shyloh was out on her rec stand when a huge black hawk looking chopper flew right past the window and frightened her into jumping to the floor and dashing away :ohmy: This would have been a terribly sad story if it hadn't been for her following reaction - while simultaneously waddling away under one part of the couch and out the other, down the hallway and towards her sleeping cage, she repeatedly said to herself, "it's ok, it's okay, it's okay, ok ok ok okay, it's okay!!!!" Worriedly chasing after her, she realized I was behind her about halfway down the hall. She stopped, waddled over to me, and said "Okay, step up, step up, STEP UP!!!!!! it's okay, it's okay, it's okay, Shyloh wanna go home now?". It was so sad, and yet such a good example of using words in context on her own without training and example. I would tell her it's okay in other situations when she was frightened, for example; thunder, but she applied it to this one on her own. As heartbreaking as it was, I must in all fairness confess it was incredibly difficult not to laugh :whistle: Once she was secure in her sleeping home, I had to leave the room and burst into hysterical laughter so as not to offend her :blush: and on a more purely humorous note, this one has been posted before but it still makes me laugh... in honor of random incredible moments: The air conditioning repair man, while deeply focused in his work, did not notice that Shyloh was out on her recreation stand ... in the silence that often accompanies deep thought, Shyloh announced "Back away from the bird!". The poor man must have jumped a good foot lol, then turned to me insisting that strange bird had not in fact just spoken to him. Before I could answer him, Shyloh said, "Who is da bird, da bird is da word!"! Needless to say we both laughed so hard we were crying Shyloh approved as if her work here was done, then promptly demanded popcorn , "pop pop pop pop POPcorn! Shyloh popcorn?!!!" Hope this brings everyone the smile it brought me! Post edited by: estream, at: 2007/06/04 01:07<br><br>Post edited by: estream, at: 2007/06/04 01:12

That's wonderful! Many thanks :-)

lol, this was a great read, you turned my day around :-) thank you for reminding me to laugh it out! In an effort to to embrace a little bravery, here goes ... this my father and I from his visit in March :-) He claims it hurts to smile lol, but he's secretly squishy on the inside :-) <br><br>Post edited by: estream, at: 2007/06/01 02:03

I hear you, Judy, it took me a little over a year to save for each one :-) Honestly, a safe space and loving attention are the most important things for them, and clearly your bird has both :-)<br><br>Post edited by: estream, at: 2007/05/31 06:44

Caspersmum, Awe, thank you :-) Never won anything before, I'm honored, but the kudos should go to Avian Accents, Impeckable :-) They build them with bird proof interiors, (check out first picture post of the inside - the wood is inaccesible to your kids unless you allow them to climb on the outside of the home - I prefer rec centers for play time, but everyone has their own way ). I dig these homes - built with ease and access in mind, side to side med grade stainless steel bars for easy climbing, cage guards and hepa filter strategically designed for the top of the cage. It took some VERY serious planning and saving, but I feel it was a good investment for everyone's future. Check out avianaccents.com. Pat runs the site and she's been lovely to work with. Cheers, Jenna Post edited by: estream, at: 2007/05/31 01:01 Post edited by: estream, at: 2007/05/31 01:08<br><br>Post edited by: estream, at: 2007/05/31 01:09

ditto :-) errr tritto. Okay it's official, I need to get some sleep lol :-)

Success!!! *insert virtual happy dance here* I could still use a few pointers for my album if anyone is willing ... <br><br>Post edited by: estream, at: 2007/05/30 23:06

Aloha FairY, I suspect the problem lies with me - I'm afraid I'm not terribly computer literate, apart from using word and pages lol :-) I have a mac, using iphoto, and have added pictures before without any trouble - I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong but I would guess it's something copiously silly. Would be grateful for any guidance anyone might offer. Until then, I figured out that by posting and then "editing" in the forum, I should be able to post pictures right here .... here's hoping this works .... <br><br>Post edited by: estream, at: 2007/05/30 22:57