katana600

Aw come on, none of these little angels is flinging food, they relish every morsel of your good cooking. Maybe Jay is trying to start a food fight with you. LOL.

Ha ha, I saw Kopi doing this and thought he just got tired and was catching his balance. Now I can see he was marking his words with expression. What does it mean that he yawns when I talk to him?

I am amazed at Spock's great attitude and how hard he is working to eat and get well. I just keep hoping you wake up some morning and see a trend in the direction of returning to vibrant health. His feathers may be a little ruffed, but he has bright eyes and a sweet outlook on life. Ana Grey is sending sweet nothings your way... woot! Many a good man has come to life with a sweet girl to perk up his day!

I just love your posts. It is so sweet to hear your whole family involved with Yoshi and sharing all these little moments with you. Judy is right about the big things that seem to demand our attention and how precious it is to rejoice all those little victories and joys as our greys keep reminding us what is important in life. We are also on the feather watch to regain flight and our life will be different when we have that joy in our lives. Thanks for sharing with us Jessica. We love the little things on this forum!

The way I have posted previously is not working just yet. Tomorrow I will learn to use Photobucket and try that route. Spring break is over so I can catch up on my house cleaning and work on Juno's quilt. It is just awesome that all four of us were together to welcome Kopi and he is comfortable and happy with each of us. His wings are lightly clipped so he can fly off his cage and land on the floor, but he doesn't have control. He should molt soon and regain his feathers. He flew off the cage last night trying to come to me and hit the computer table and has a small abrasion above his eye, but the poor little guy has a black eye. I need to put landing strips on the hardwood floors so he can get friction to slow himself down. I sent Mama Ann his recording and she was elated that he is accepting us so much faster than any of us expected. I am still on cloud nine and just can't believe it took me so long to bring Kopi home. Life is good.

Trying Kopi's picture again now that the forum is back up to speed. Thanks so much to all our hard working moderators and techs for your time. When I couldn't get on the forum, I just looked forward to when we would be back together again.

Ahh, the forum is back. All is well, we were on spring break with two girls home from school to welcome Kopi. Elation and joy are every day emotions here now. He is coping with this transition better than I could have dreamed. Ann said she taught him to be a gentleman and he is that and much more. Yesterday he suddenly blossomed and started talking. I was afraid to answer him for fear he would clam up. I grabbed a recorder and the little fellow talked prolifically for almost fifteen minutes. He mocked the dogs barking and said "Come here puppy" He changed from two quick whistles Ann used for their dog to our "tune" for calling ours in and out. I was stunned and of course delighted. I hadn't really even gotten to the point of expecting him to talk, so just one Hello had me, but he just chatted like he has been part of our family for much longer than one week. I am stunned beyond belief at the unexpected quick acceptance and how he is totally at ease, he lets me give him scratches but wants nothing to do with sitting on my shoulder or the arm of my chair. He is most secure in his cage or playing on top. He comes right to me when I go to his cage, he takes food readily and will step up, but he looks and leans toward the cage because he would rather be there than with me just now. I am just giving him room to decide when he is ready to interact more personally, but reinforcing the step up as much as he is willing. As will all of your greys, his personality is unique to any other and I just feel overflowing with joy and delight. Thanks for hanging in there with me while we figured out that we absolutely needed him in our home.

Vree is a poster child for overcoming adversity. I believe his cheerfulness and drive to overcome the odds is directly attributed to your care and the lengths you have gone to giving him the best care and understanding and encouragement. Your work and Vree's improvement are inspiring. Thank you so much for sharing with us.

Oh goodness, I thought I was ready for anything and was going to accept if he never got close to me, just to know he was in a good place and cared for and happy. This morning he stunned me. First I heard him say good morning. I was certain that it was just wishful thinking on my part until he followed up clearly by proclaiming, "I'm a good boy." Oh the joyous celebration, he is a good boy. I am so awestruck with the time and care Ann has given him. When he was about ten weeks and had some traumatic medical procedures, he was lunging and biting. Even his Florida vet can not believe how far he has come. I feel so honored just to spend one day with him, and this day has already been beyond my greatest hopes. I have been nearly stunned into silence.

It is just an amazement how far you and Vree have come together in the healing process. I think of you often and hope you are doing better and better with every passing day.

Jill, I am so sorry you are the subject of this abuse. One piece of the first aid kit our breeder put together for us has a hard rubber doughnut. She says if you can anticipate a bite and let them bite down hard on it and give that his attention it might spare a finger. With that said, there is something about a surprising bite... as long as it doesn't draw blood, that makes me laugh. When Dayo was pinching Dan's neck, I couldn't stop myself from the mind-picture that would send me into snorts. My day will come and it won't be so darn funny then. Seriously, I am sorry that you are going through this and know you will figure out a way to thwart the little heathen within Harvey.

I am also glad for you to have found a different arrangement. The heat and sand dust may have been a hardship for your grey. But like the others have mentioned, being put into relative seclusion would have been harder on him than the elements. You would miss him a lot too.

What a cutie Pepper is to share your bath time. She is probably amazed that you can take your "feathers" off and put them back on again. Next she will want you to put a basin of water next to the tub so she can bathe as well. I am so glad you are enjoying her so much.

Yes! My theory is that Harvey has been pretending to be mute just to build up a wealth of vocabulary of things you have said and he plans to repeat ALL of them very clearly at awkward moments. Now the extortion plan is complete and he is going to regale you with all the things he might decide to say in your voice to vex you in yet another unique way. Seriously though Jill, I am really happy for you to start a new phase in your relationship with Harvey. The fun has just begun.

Welcome back to you and Abby. Hooray for removing the band that has been causing her friction. I wonder what she thinks when she goes to pick at it and suddenly realizes it is gone. It is going to be a wonder when she regains her flight feathers and flies to you.

This is just a magical time. I waited until I was prepared for a long wait for him to accept us, but it isn't that way at all. His cage is low and the top opens. When I am in the room he comes out the top. When I walk past him, he runs to my side. When I leave the room, he ducks back down into the cage just like Ann said he did at her house. He has let everyone in the family pick him up. I am smiling and laughing. I am letting him stay up way past my bedtime because he is more active and playful. Then, I wake up before the sun is up and wonder if it is too early to get him out of bed. He likes to sleep in, LOL. But that makes a good time to spend with Java and the dogs.

We are letting Kopi lead the way and he seems relaxed and while he is a little wary, he is getting to know all of us. Today I put the travel cage on the floor and his mid-size cage beside it. I offered him a step up and he came right out and went to the new cage all by himself and has been playing in and on it the rest of the afternoon. Three times now, when I have offered him a step up, he came to me, flapped his wings and then I pulled my hand close so he could support his head on my chest and he has been letting me give him head rubs. I thought it would take a couple of weeks to get to this point, but he not only tolerates it for a little longer each time, he is closing his eyes and enjoying it. It is just awesome. Both Ann and I were prepared for some bumps in the transition but it looks like he is going to embrace his new home with minimal stress. I can't even express how happy this weekend has been for me. Thanks for all your support and encouragement. Two months ago I thought I could be content to walk away knowing I gave it my best. One phone call, hearing him call out was all it took to set things in motion to bring him home and take what comes. All my concerns have been tossed to the wind. We are really blessed to have this second chance and every day seems like Christmas, even better. He is just the best.

Kopi is still most comfortable in the travel cage, it is about 2X2X2 feet. He shreds wood like nobody's business. I went back to buy him a truckload today so he won't have any fear of running out. He is eating great, I have mixed pellets of several brands, added the Harrison's today and he loved it. He eats everything I offer him, all sorts of veggies, beans, grapes, nurtriberries. Bananas are his favorite. He is going to fit in just fine here. He has only had one bad moment and that was when I offered him a stainless steel bell. He went ballistic with trying to get away and complained loudly. As soon as I removed the bell, he calmed down. Other than that he has accepted every toy and offering. I am over the moon. Hard to pay attention to kids home on spring break, but managing to enjoy them too.

He just flew right out of his cage when I had it open so he could see me opening some new toys from a little bit of a distance. He moves really fast. He does let me come get him and steps up willingly but he is leaning toward the cage the whole time, so I give him the chance to go where he feels safe. It might be the forum issues that wouldn't let me post a photo in the full reply page, but I was able to update my image with Kopi's picture. Thanks everyone for your best wishes and confidence in our care. All I know is that all my concerns are gone about whether I could love him as much as his brother without starting out getting to know him from the start. He makes our whole family delight with his vocalizations and antics already and we are just getting acquainted. He just fills me with pure joy. One day with him is worth anything it takes to share his life.

He is wonderful. He talks in a really deep voice, he got really excited when I asked him about Kahlua, the dog he had, and it sounded like he called her name. He is settling in and still a little quiet, but he let me hold him again, I didn't overdo it, giving him a chance to make his own choices. He was happy to see his familiar foods this morning. We give him a little piece of a banana every time we walk past him and he is accepting all of us.

last try for now to post a picture

Omigosh, Kopi is home!

It has been a long hard road to get to this day, but it is all the more sweet. He is nearly ten months old and I was a little worried at how long he would take to warm up. He is eating, playing, preening, napping. I don't think I will be able to get any sleep tonight. It doesn't seem real. I heard him clearly say "I can talk". He has been here less than four hours and he has settled down faster than I can.

Hooray for you. Hooray for Mojo. That looks like an awesome place to play. And... go Steelers! Our family is originally from Pennsylvania... it is still home.

When I got a call saying they would arrive in Atlanta at one the real excitement has officially begun. When his Papa Tom handed him to me he wasn't interested. But when we put him in his travel cage, he was happy to step up and let me hold him. He was jubilant on the way home in the car, hanging upside down and doing all sorts of acrobatics. When I spoke to him he stopped and watched me intently. Now that he is home he is quietly watching. He is eating his banana and treats and he is talking!!! So, it won't be long until he is settled in enough to take his picture. I am not going to move too fast or bother him, but he is wonderful, magnificent and perfect.