LindaMary

I think this is actually not a problem, Azure. My Maxi does exactly the same thing, and somewhere on here there's another thread where people have discussed that their birds prefer ice water, too. I guess some of our little African birds have a secret longing to be penguins!:lol: I prett uch aleways give Max ice water now, she loves it so much - and she really only tries to bathe in it when she's fresh out of the real shower and alreadt wet. Then, tho: watch out! Ice water flying everywhere!

Hear hear!

Thank you Davey! Delightful! :P

I think a poem would be just what the doctor ordered. Go to, Davey!

Hey folks, I've scarcely been here for a while, and I miss my friends! Just wanted y'all to know I've been pretty thoroughly buried in family support issues, and will be for some time to come, I expect. Three weeks ago my mother (age 87) had to begin some real chemotherapy after getting hormonal therapy for 3-1/2 years, so we've gone from one shot once a month with almost no side effects to a three-hour infusion weekly with plenty of 'em - and all the emotional fallout that goes along with that. Meanwhile we have also discovered that the settlement of my father's estate had gotten stalled (he passed away last year) and I am needing to do a lot of running around for that. Lots of road trips between NH and CT, in the course of all this. Maxi's taking it all in stride; Tanner is overpreening, and I'm doing my best not to add my stress to his or his to mine. He and Max are both learning whalesong from a tape I've been playing them. Given a choice between being on the forum and spending time with my birds, I choose the latter, so there's some of my absence right there. Mary (daughter) is enjoying her summer, looking forward to high school this fall and being my Rock of Gibraltar. The bunny's eye is still weepy, but he doesn't seem to give a hoot; and the cats are indestructible. That's the news from rainy Portsmouth for now. Just wanted y'all to know I'm thinking of you, and I'll check in when I can. Love the new changes on the forum!

I found a link to this on another bird forum, and I thought it was quite interesting. Enjoy, folks! http://www.holisticbirds.com/pages/foodpp1002.htm

This is just such an amazing story, Dan. If it were fiction, it would be hard to believe! I'm SO glad Jake is re-united with you all, and hey: tailfeathers grow back. That is one lucky (and smart!) little peach-fronted devil. Has Dayo given him a good talkin'-to yet? Congratulations, and thanks for keeping us all in the loop!<br><br>Post edited by: LindaMary, at: 2009/06/06 14:08

Wow, you just made my day, Dan! This is wonderful news. I hope we'll see a homecoming photo on here sometime in the next couple of days!B)

Dan, thank you for the update. Has Dayo shown any kind of noticeable reaction to Jake's absence? I will keep you all in my prayers, as well, for Jake's return! Fingers crossed!

Wow, that is wonderful news, Pat! Such a good step forward for both of you. Look what patience and love can do, after all!

OMG Dan - this place looks fantastic. I am so glad there is at least one place like this out there, and I hope word spreads about it and some more of them develop in other parts of the country along this philosophy. Sadly, I'm afraid that the grey's popularity these days is going to make places like this crucial and much-needed...

Where is Dan's thread to which you refer, Dave?

Thanks for the detail, Dave! Well, now that summer's here, maybe I can make myself take colder showers...see, I'm usually IN the shower when my birds are - that's how I got them both interested! I just turn it colder when it's their turn, but of course I get some of the spray, too. Maxi has made it obvious that she prefers ice water in every way, and Tanner actually pants if the shower water is lukewarm in any way - but he has never bathed in his dish that I've seen. I think I'm going to try them on your method, Pat. They are both accustomed enough to the tub now that they could probably handle it, and I think they'd get a better bath! Meanwhile: good luck, chimaysmommy! Now at least you know The Bathing Parrot is in Chimay somewhere... you just need to find the key!B)

Why is that, Dave? I always know when I have given Max a pretty decent soaking, because she continues it in her water dish right afterwards - but ONLY if she's "wet enough" already. I usually shower her under "luke-cool" water, and at that time of day her water dish probably still has an ice cube floating in it. Does she need cooler shower water?

I always love hearing what Jeepers is doing, Pat. I think it's great that you post these detailed updates periodically: they not only show that you are definitely making progress in gaining his trust:woohoo: :woohoo: , but they also show how L-O-N-G it can take to make that progress, and how much patience it takes! Your birds are all SO lucky to have found you. Tanner has also just recently decided that there must be something to this head-scritch thing that he sees me doing for Max all the time. Starting a few weeks ago, he starting letting me scritch his head sometimes, too (only on his terms, of course, meaning he could whip around and nip me any time....:pinch: ) - in fact sometimes he actually "leads with his head" leaning toward me - to tell me he wants a scritch. Good for you for being so loving and consistent with him. I know it was a huge positive for him to move to a more integrated location with your other birds. I really find that the more time Tanner spends in the middle of things, the calmer he is... Maxi is much more independent than he is.

Congratulations on Ana's first words in a foreign language (Human... )! How exciting for you - and she's so young! Better get ready for the onslaught now, Janet!

Happy Hatch Day - (a day late), Miss Josey! 3 years old and still never bitten Mom: what a doll!

Beautiful! We've missed you here! Don't be a stranger! Glad to hear Ceasar is doing well - and we hope you are, too!

Great pictures, Dan - and thansk for the link to the toy parts place, too! I'm really jealous of your ability to do this so often and for so much of the year. We do have some days up here in NH when the weather is hot enough to do this, and if one ever happens to land on a weekend, I'll be doing this as well. It was 94 degrees 2 days ago - but I was at work... Meanwhile, my birds will just have to cope with the shower perch, I guess. (At least they both like it okay...)

Maxi actually lied to me yesterday. She said "I love Tanner"! But believe me, if I were Tanner, I'd be thinking "Well, girl, you have a mighty funny way of showing it!" She generally treats him with pained tolerance at best, poor guy....:dry:

I cannot even IMAGINE Maxi doing that, although Tanner, my macaw, will. Maxi has this real southern-etiquette-dainty-lady thing going on - she will not brook any offenses to her personal dignity. :P I think she woudl regard this as "veddy VUL-gah beHAV-yah" ... God bless little Cleo - what a cutie!

Wow, Janet, that is awesome news! I woudl be so excited about the new feathers that he is letting grow in. Don't be too disappointed if he relapses - you know you're getting some purchase here. Good for you!

That's wonderful news, Sheila - I'm so glad that she'll gebe able to kick back and relax a bit now. It's terrific that the facility she is using is so good! I really think cancer treatment is often strengthened by the solidarity the patients develop amongst themselves sometimes. Give your mum a BIG hug from us, and enjoy those vodkas!

We had an exciting event a few days ago. Maxi's flights have been gradually growing in, and she has been trying out little short flights in the birds' room - going 10 or 15 feet before either having to try to bank (to break her impact with a wall) or landing on the floor. Well, the other night I happened to be standing with her at one end of my living room, from which point you can see the single longest straight shot within my house: through living room, down hallway, into guest bedroom. It's about 60-70 feet. Suddenly she took off, and not only flew all the way, but flew all the way LEVEL, and managed to bank at the end and not hit the wall hard! :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: I was SO excited for her! I went down, picked her up, and walked her back to the living room - and she proceeded to take off again in the same line! This time she sloped down to the floor by the time she got to the bedroom - gotta start working out those flight muscles! You could just tell how proud she was of herself. Now if I can only get her past harness-phobia...!:whistle:

Now that's what I would call a nice reward, bry!