MizNonny

Thank-you, so much, for the warm welcome! I'm having so much fun on this site, already, that I must admit, I'm already obsessed! Last evening I began reading through the different forums...not knowing exactly where I should go, first. It didn't seem to matter WHERE I started because everything I read was so interesting! Some of you made me laugh out-loud, other stories and conversations touched my heart...while still others taught me a ton of things I'd never even thought of before! I can see already that I'm going to have to pace myself, because before I knew it, the sun was peeking through the shutters! I'd been reading the WHOLE night through! Not a good thing, since my little girl was beginning to stir! So, I didn't get a lot done today...because I was so tired, and I spent most of trying to slip in a nap, every time Bindi was napping! My dog, Carter, seemed rather puzzled as to why the two women in his life, spent the day snoozing, but he just snuggled right next to me, and only woke up when WE did, so a quiet day was had, by all three of us! I have tons of questions for some of the people who post here, but I'll wait...do a little more reading to find out if some of my questions have already been asked....and answered by others! Meanwhile, I'm going to try to learn to use my phone to take some pictures. I also have some concerns about my little girl's beak...but I think I need to ask you all about that in a different place, so once I figure out WHERE that IS...I'll post, again! Thank you, again...to EVERYONE, for sharing so many of your wonderful stories & pictures!

Oh my STARS!! All the things that I'm reading on here...are making me think I need to move to Seattle, NOW...to be close to an Avian Vet...instead of waiting until the Spring! A "clogged nare from regurging"?? What's NEXT? I've been so INCREDIBLY lucky, thus far!! Thanks for that post! Keep us informed on how he's doing! PLEASE! ...(she groans as she buries her head in her pillow....and prays....)

So, maybe THAT's my answer; I'll get some cute little rats!

Two years AFTER this post and it's STILL hysterically funny! LOL!

I cannot TELL you, how frightened I was for you, when reading your post! My hand was clamped over my mouth...and my heart was in my throat; I just KNEW you were about to say, your precious little girl was GONE! Thankfully, that wasn't the case, though...and I know how relieved you must be! When I first got Bindi, last year, she had just been clipped. It was dreadfully hot here, and I'd been watching her, carefully for 3 weeks, and she had never tried to fly. My puppy was also brand new, and needed to be taken out frequently. Bindi would see us going outside, without her, and immediately start "calling" me. I felt terrible about leaving her, even for a few minutes...and wasn't sure how I was going to manage. One day, when it was desperately hot, I finally chanced a trip outside with her. We sat on my covered porch and she seemed to just LOVE it as much, if not more, than I did! So, every evening I sort of made it a ritual, for the three of us. With the sun receding, the cooling air seemed so refreshing after the blistering heat of the long summer day. With my girl on my shoulder...and my exhausted boy beside me, we'd sit on the outdoor love-seat, looking at the colors of the sunset, reflecting off of the snow-covered, Mt. Hood. This summer, Bindi's wings are all grown out...so I didn't dare repeat the folly of last year. After reading your post, I will NEVER attempt such foolishness, again. To think that she could have flown away from me, never to return...? Well, it WILL NOT happen again. I'd love to take her outside, at some point...but she WILL be caged when we do it. Thank-you for the words of warning. Point taken!

MizNonny here! Just wanting to say hello, and test my wings on this site! I'm not great with computers so this is going to be a learning experience for me. I hope you'll all be patient. As stated in my newly created "profile", I have a one year old CAG, named "Bindi". When she arrived in her traveling kennel, at the Portland, OR Airport, a year ago this past August, she was fully weaned and 4 months old. I opened the little door, expecting her to be terrified, but she hopped right into my waiting arms! She scrambled onto my chest, and snuggled up close, under my chin...and right smack into my heart. After a long cuddle, the "happy-tears" finally subsided, and I offered her my finger and she stepped RIGHT up. I reached for her waiting water bowl, in the traveling cage I'd prepared in advance, and as she drank I took my first good look at her. I was surprised to see that this precious little girl had a bright red dot, right in the middle of her forehead! It looked like a pretty "bindi"; the decorative red dot which traditional Indian women place in the middle of their foreheads, in India. I turned to my girlfriend who'd volunteered her services as our "Bringing-Home-Baby" Chauffeur, and said, "Why, LOOK! She has a BINDI!! Thus, the name for my beautiful girl, was born! Turns out, she'd been marked with a bright red "Sharpie", back at the shop where I'd bought her, on the east coast, to indicate to everyone that THIS little baby had been SOLD! So, her "bindi" didn't last forever...but the name stuck...and it fits her, perfectly. Bindi is incredibly sweet, and in the year that I've had her, has NEVER even ATTEMPTED to bite! She sometimes lunges with her face toward strangers as though she MIGHT bite, but she simply wants to explore with her sweet, rubbery tongue! I love her with all my heart...and will keep everyone posted as she grows into a big girl! Her "main" cage is right near my bed, in my room, where I spend most of my time. She has another cage in the kitchen, where she watches as I prepare her food, and do the other necessary chores around here. She didn't like her EXPENSIVE manzanita "play tree", that I ordered, on-line, for her this summer. So I'm looking for something a bit smaller for her to frolic and play on when I'm moving around our small cottage. Years ago, when I had birds, they were rarely caged when I was home, so the goal is for Bindi to have as much freedom as possible, once her wings are clipped. Because, I'm not as fast as I once was, and since I have a galoot of a Great Dane, youngster...I cannot trust that she will be safe, flying around here, at will, with unclipped wings. She ARRIVED clipped, a year ago...but of course her wings are fully grown-out, now. She soars like an EAGLE, whenever she's out...and although she flies like....well, a BIRD (!!)...her landings are not so good! She used to be content to just hang out on the top of her cage, whenever she was out, but she out-grew THAT habit, and only wants to be with ME...or Carter, when she gets a taste of freedom, now. She has no fear and takes off with purpose, usually landing right between Carter's big paws, about 2 inches under his chin! NOT GOOD! He's still a puppy and although he means well, one NEVER knows. So, I either have to lock HIM away...when she's out...(and put up with the resulting CRYING, at the top of his lungs) OR, she has to be in her cage, much more than I'd like her to be. Hopefully when we get a bigger home, we can change all of that. The only Avian Vet we had in the area, closed down her practice, due to illness, RIGHT when Bindi arrived, so I've been looking for a new one, ever since. However the closest one is nearly 2 hours away. My vision is very poor, and I don't drive much, anymore...so...it's been difficult and worrisome, this past year. My son recently bought a house in the Seattle area, so I plan to sell our cottage and move there, first thing in the spring, to be close to him. I've already checked out the Avian Vet scene, there...and am packed up and ready to go. Once my cottage sells, I'll be picking out a home, close enough to get to the vets for BOTH of my critters, easily and quickly, once we're moved in and settled. Having a good vet close by, has always been a priority for me, so when the Avian vet, here, had to close down her practice, it caught all the local bird-people by surprise, and saddened us, greatly. Bindi's first appointment had been scheduled for two days after her arrival, but the vet closed down suddenly, so Bindi has never been seen. That worries me to no end. Again, I'm so glad to have found this site, and hope to be able to meet as many of you, as possible. I'll certainly post pictures, if I can ever figure out how to DO it!