katana600

We have financial arrangements made in our will for Miss Gilbert and Java, but the details are fuzzy. How long would it take one of our girls to get time off work and come up from Texas in an emergency? Things like that. I used a black marker and wrote the web address for Grey Forums, my username and password on the back of her cage so someone can sign in and get information to learn to live with her in case there is an interim period. There is no one better in the world to seek advice than from this forum.

Even though I was a little scared at first thinking I was out of my league with her, it has been worth it since the moment we met. I know darn well, there are going to be times when I think back at how easy it was when she was a perch potato. But difficult on my time is a good trade off for being difficult on my heart. I worried so much about her and that I might not succeed in drawing her out of her frozen state. I worried if she was going to be okay. It is remarkable how she is different when David is home. She even permitted him to pick her up this weekend, bring her down to the sewing room to meet new people. She stayed for ten minutes before she started doing her warning siren and trembling. For two mornings, she has gone into high gear before seven am to draw him out of our room. It is the most endearing thing. She starts calling his name, then making the nose blowing sound that he does when he gets out of the shower. She follows up with a few "C'mere" and "Whatter ya doing down there?" It tickles me that she is smitten with him and he is returning her love. Well... until he sat at the kitchen table with me for dinner and as he got up to leave her sight, she called him a wiener. We have never heard that one before, but it was very clear. By the time he retires in a few years, she will be ready for prime time.

I simply revel in the scent of our parrots, glad that isn't weird. I will have to give Java a snuggle tonight to listen for her heartbeat.

Thanks Ray, we see the many faces of Miss Gilbert too. She answered the question I have had for four years. How does her tail and feathers get so ragged when she is so conservative in her movements and I don't see her bothering her feathers? It was breathtaking to see how much damage she did in such a short span of seconds. No wonder I haven't seen it before. Today she is quiet and content, grinding her beak, like she doesn't have a care in the world. She is such an integral part of our life, what a character.

My endearing little Swamp Queen, I like that. If she went to Mardi Gras, she would have a lot of beads. Not because she was extroverted to show us what she's got, but because she went around taking beads from the girls who did and scolding them and telling them to "be quiet". Hahaha. As usual with our little string of pearls, one day we are up, the next... well, like today. She was wildly swinging from the ceiling of her cage by one toe. I thought she was being exuberant, joyful. She was doing the most unusual gyration and I thought she as biting her foot, by her body was contorted in such a way, I thought she was caught in a string.. it looked like a strait jacket pose. On closer observation, she was not biting her foot or "knuckles". While suspended by one toe, she was using the other talon to reach behind her back and grasp her tail feathers and wing tips in a "fist". Then she was biting and destroying the tips of all those feathers at once. I am so grateful that I took notice yesterday of her "normal" Timneh tail all grown out and looking beautiful. Now it looks like a shredded feather duster. For whatever reason, she was in an especially foul mood long after that thirty second flurry of activity. It is good to see that she doesn't regress far, and that rather than take out her frustrations on herself, she is having more outward shows of disgruntlement (that may not be a word, but it is just right for her mood.) She goes to the top of her cage and pulls the chain for her most stout bell and rattles the living snot out of it. She threw all the toys off her cage top and then ripped up adding machine paper. Inexplicitly, right in the middle of her activity, she will stop and ask for a head scratch. The activity level seems almost "fun", if a bit manic. But she is telling me to "shut up you idiot" when I am not even talking. On any given day, I am not sure who I will wake up to find in Miss Gilbert's home, but I guarantee it is going to be interesting.

I am still relegated to sniff distance only and it isn't that often I get close enough to get that wonderful scent of grey. Java lets me get close and even to snuggle under a wing on occasion, I will have to try that heartbeat. It is an amazing thought. Inside this little handful of feathers, or a bigger handful where an Amazon is concerned, beats a heart capable of understanding and participating in human emotion. Behind those bright and wonderful eyes there is a brain with capabilities far exceeding what we would have thought possible just a few short decades ago.

Today is a red banner day. For the first time, I saw the African Grey tail wag. I was walking through and she lifted her foot for a ride to my chair and as is typical, she didn't last more than a minute or two before she was shaking. She seemed happy enough to hop back on her cage, but then, she flapped her wings with some real determination, then shook her tail feathers. It is more meaningful to me because as she was flapping and had her wings up and her back to me, I was thinking that is the best her tail feathers have ever looked. She has regrown what looks like a typical Timneh tail. It was usually broken, disheveled and missing a lot of feathers. I think her newfound confidence is from the inside out. She is also doing this Karate Kid arch stretch with her beak open and her wings lifted. Then she quickly swings her head from side to side. I have no clue what it means but she looks like she is putting a hex on me. LOL. I would love to get her on video, maybe some day she will trust me enough. Just turning to look at her over my shoulder while she was doing her cage top antics and she ducked inside her cage. It is just too much for her to be the center of attention. Some day when she gets past that, I will remember cheering her on and wishing for her to be more involved with us. :-}

I had the chance to watch it this time. When I saw Fagan come out of the dog kennel, covered with nicotine, in rough condition, I noticed how quickly he made up with his foster home. That was the moment I realized I took in a difficult case with Miss Gilbert. Or maybe she watched it and thought to herself how she got a difficult case to be matched with me.

Life is good. I fully credit this international cheering section for teaching us everything we needed to know to bring this little string of pearls out to the sunshine. It has been a lesson to learn in waiting for grey time. She has continued to offer her foot to me when she darn well feels like it. She has been sitting outside in the sun on the screen porch every day for a few minutes at a time. She has added a new twist to her stair climbing operation. She jumps off a step to launch herself on top of Java's cage and Java just flies over to the top of Gil's cage. Now, Gilbert can't get back to the steps nor to her own cage and she gets exasperated watching Java eat her food, play with her toys and generally taunt her from Gil's own cage. For all the restrictions it put on Java to put up with Gilbert's shenanigans, including one bite on the head, I just can't bring it to myself to interfere with this interaction between them. Also, the naughty word Gil calls me? Well she has been calling her beloved David the lady of the night. Hahaha. The timing is exquisite. She "flew" down the steps as he was getting out of the shower. She skidded to an undignified stop under a nightstand in our room. She shook herself off and marched into the bathroom and promptly wolf whistled at him. He picked her up and brought her back to her cage and quipped "I think you were just trying to get a look at me in my skivvies" to which her equally quick comeback was "ho", and then she laughed and wolf whistled at him again. We didn't hear it again all day Saturday. But when he stood up and announced he was going to bed, I was in the kitchen and there was no doubt who she was directing it toward when she said it again. He chided her and said that isn't the way ladies should be talking. Sunday... we must have heard it fifteen more times. She laughs at her own cleverness.

She certainly is a good sport for a hair raising experience. ;-). I liked the comb over toupee.

I think Isaac has finally trained you. The less it concerns you, the easier it is for him not to fall into the habit. Our first introduction to Miss Gilbert four years ago presented a nearly naked chest and thirty feathers with follicles attached in a zip lock bag handed over with her. Once I came to the place that I knew I was not doing something to add to her habit, gradually and very slowly over time we are seeing less and less. Every now and again, a high stress time such as the tornado sirens and being unceremoniously placed in a travel cage and taken to a room in the basement will predictably result in some nervous chewing of her chest. I don't even look twice or mention it and it doesn't last. It seems a little like nail biting in human children, the less focus on it the better. It starts for one reason and is perpetuated for a totally different reason and we may never figure it out. You have an adorable, totally loved boy. He is beautiful and perfect in every way. The video of Greycie giving kisses is such an enjoyable thing to see. The thought of Isaac giving and affectionate rub to your shoulder makes me melt and I'm not ever there to see it. Good for you to come to an understanding with him. The wonderful aspects of your life together and the bond you are building with your daughter and Isaac are a gift to him.

I admit, I have a similar strategy. However, Miss Gilbert has a panic aversion to the hand held perch. My "go-to I-mean-business" strategy is to place a washcloth in her vicinity behind her and just leave it there and give her about five minutes to decide it is much better to go in my direction and do what is necessary rather than to look at the washcloth. I haven't toweled her but the vet has and it is not a pleasant association. I seldom use that tactic and it remains effective. I am working toward the hand held perch a little at a time. Even though the wash cloth or the stick seems to be punitive, it really is all in how you use it. If we were terrorizing them with it for our amusement it would be horrid. But really it is a stop gap measure of distraction. In my opinion, the perch and treat method is a very good thing to teach. Some day the one they respond to and trust may not be there and it is a familiar ride for a stranger to perhaps get them into the cage should we have an emergency.

Miss Gilbert goes through familiar ebb and flow cycles. With everything new comes a few quiet days. I think of it as the grey time fireman sequence. When she is on duty, it is full-on and when she "rests" it is full recovery and prep time. She came out of her rest pattern yesterday and it was a busy day. What is happening more often now is instead of me asking for a step up or blocking her from escaping back into her cage, she sees me coming and lifts her foot when she is receptive. I took her outside yesterday where I had placed a floor stand on the screen porch. Within seconds she was shaking and looking frantic and waving her foot to return to the safety of her cage. This time though she only needed to recoup for an hour and she offered me another chance. She was gorgeous outside in the sunshine. She was enthralled with the other birds at the feeder. She made some strange sounds like a human baby crying and was a little uncomfortable and distressed but I sat next to her and watched her and it was less of a panic, so I stretched it out as long as I could. She actually tucked one foot up under her and napped next to me. The warmth of the sun overcame the fear of the unknown. I am pretty sure reading to her and telling her about Dorian going outside and wondering what took him so long gave her the push she needed at just the right time. ;~)

This is great news for you and Dorian. Miss Gilbert and I are right behind you. This week she has explored every room on the main floor and the top of the stairs. I can hardly wait until she is ready to go out first on the patio that is covered and eventually to the top deck with full sun while I am out there.

These always make me laugh because it is so true.

My heart is pounding after watching and I can't quite tell for sure... I think it is the emotion , the tribute and thoughts of the firefighters and innocent people and lives changed on that day. But the mess might have kicked me up a notch too. I am sure that is part of the plan.

The thing is, I know I can't say enough words of thanks to all the people involved. Every voice matters. Each one of us has a unique situation and sharing knowledge and anecdotes brings just the right encouragement at just the right time to the person or grey who needs it at that moment. We didn't an instruction book with our parrots and even if we did, they would prove it wrong, wouldn't they? For the individuals who I missed mentioning personally, I know that your advice lifts us to greater heights and education and I thank you all. I do feel emotional when I think that without this forum, I would not have known the joy that is living with an African grey. She would not have the chance to learn trust and to shake her baggage right out from those dusty little frazzled feathers. With all of you, we have a chance of lifting up one parrot at a time and to keep aloft the ones who have come before and have settled in our homes in every corner of the world. I know we all strive to be worthy of the gift they are to us.

What a glorious sight.

They are just adorable. I love that you can keep them as a pair.

Every person out there whether you have one parrot or a whole house filled with rescues is contributing to raising awareness for the unique qualities every caretaker needs embody to live with our feathered friends. Whether you brought home a baby with the soulful deep black eyes, or if you became an inadvertent second home, or followed your heart to open your home to a flock all at once, you are the heart and soul of our forum. Our purpose for the forum community is to share our stories, let newcomers see what it means to create a thriving environment for a companion parrot of any size or species. Sometimes it seems like the baggage is too great to have a meaningful relationship with "a parrot with issues". Sometimes our new baby becomes a "terrible teen tyrant" and we are looking for elusive answers to "what happened". Sometimes we wonder if we are the right home or if we let our hearts get ahead of our coping skills. Then I read a post about Bongo flying to Lisa. We follow Muse and Peck and the whole flock. We cheer Isaac and Stephen for reaching insight. We may get a defining moment or we may clean poop off the stairs and get a surly response to our overtures. Over the course of time we watch Dorian go from being quiet on his boing to flipping the tea mug off the desk. Every story matters. Every quiet day you live with your flock "normally", you have a voice that reaches out to somebody else out there and touches the life of another parrot looking for their forever home. We may lose a loved one after spending hours of heart time and the loss is so devastating it makes us want to build a wall and stay inside to avoid that pain. But every word we share gives someone else the opportunity to know what it takes to live with a parrot. Thank you to every contributing member of our forum and to the family we created here to share our experience. Thank you to every reader, every lurker who is just beginning to wonder if they can find the right match for their home or have come in with an "oh dang, what have I gotten myself into?" There are as many unique match ups as there are parrots and humans. Everything worth having is worth the effort to understand just a little more today than we did yesterday. Life is good.

We are in this for the duration with Miss Gilbert, she really has come such a long way. Of course I would have loved to be her favored ones, but the heart wants what the heart wants. It makes sense actually. She came to me loving "Jim" and still calls his name. Also she could not come to accept her former female caretaker. Our introduction to parrots was with our little Java and David was the one to find her and she responded to him in a way that made him want to bring her home. Then, she grew attached to me. So really, David is the one who wanted the funny little parrot with a big attitude. It is all coming full circle and we are all getting the benefit. As I predicted, after those quiet days, the minute the door opened and David walked in, little miss sunshine was out of her cage and up the stairs. She is doing something new now. She did her mountain climber moves to get to the top step in seconds. She got real protective and wouldn't let David bring her back down. He didn't want to challenge her, so up I went to offer her a ride back to her cage. As soon as she saw me coming, she launched and "flew" just inches from each step as she descended and the open door to our bedroom was her landing strip. We let her get herself back to the living room, where she checked on David in his chair but went on past to ascend the stairs to practice her flight again. The physical and mental exercise she is getting far outweighs twenty year old builder's grade white carpet on the stairs. I'll shampoo it until she figures out what she is trying to do. Bob and weave, two steps forward half a step back is the dance of the normal grey we have living in our hearts. Last night she offered me a head scratch as a reward for bringing her beloved home again. She doesn't have to be grateful to me, or to be cooperative (to a point). She has so much to offer and her antics make me smile every day. We were on the lower patio hanging lights and could hear her upstairs making contact calls, calling the dogs, telling us she wanted us to be with her. Soon I will move a cage outdoors and bring her with us down there. I am whetting her whistle with the "absence makes the heart grow fonder".... the basement stairs have carpet too, I can only imagine the day when she tries to follow her honey down to the patio. Thanks for your encouragement, I knew absolutely nothing about parrots much less the exquisite personality and temperament of a grey. This forum and all of you are the wind beneath the wings of Miss Gilbert, may they grow strong enough to carry her to restore her gift of flight some day.

You're right Ray, she is quietly assessing the changes and deciding when it is safe to come out of her cage again. I am confident that when her sweetheart David walks back in the house this afternoon after being gone for all the excitement, she is going to be on the stairs again giving him the 'Come Hither' sweet talk and cat calls.

And now I will have to go buy toilet paper to clean up the spewed coffee. It may have some other useful applications, I will look that up on google.

What a beautiful, curious and brave little girl you have. I somehow missed Echo is a Timneh African Grey. We are on a path to this kind of roaming and although I never let Miss Gilbert eat after me, I would have never given a thought to guarding the dog's water bowl. I was noticing the photo with the larger dog Kaleigh, and saw what looks like a painting or drawing of an African grey, maybe? And then, I saw thread... lots of pretty thread in the same container I have my thread spools. And then I saw the previous dog and we have a couple little dachshunds too. It looks like there are a lot of similarities between your home and mine. Echo needs to give Miss Gilbert lessons on courage.

Alas, we have taken a slight step backward but it is mild and I am confident it will not last long. She spent the greatest part of her life on the gulf coast in Biloxi MS and weathered some fearsome storms. Her previous caretaker told me she was frantic during a storm. For only the second time since we have lived in Georgia we were in the path of a fierce storm with rotation and needed to seek shelter in the basement for a couple of hours. Miss Gilbert seemed just fine, she was hanging upside down in her travel cage most of the time with her head tucked under her wing. What I wasn't seeing until I picked up the cage to a "snow flurry" was she was barbering her feathers in the usual spot. She didn't get down to the skin, thankfully. The next day she blasted sirens and warnings and foghorns so I know it rattled her little world. Added to that we had thirty gallons of water pour through the living room walls from a poor installation of a five year old roof. So right outside her window for three days were men climbing up and down ladders, power tools and lots of pounding. The really great news is that while she has chosen to stay in her cage, often slamming her door closed if I leave it open, she really is just having a very quiet plateau period rather than a frenzied regression. Well... other than that one moment I tried sweet talking her and she launched into an attack on her bars trying to bite my face. My bad. I knew she was in a mood and should have left her to find her own way out and give me a sign. She had just called me a lady of the night, so in hind sight she was in no posture for being approached.