katana600

All is well here. Gilbert and Java are relaxed again now that I am the one feeding them every morning again. Still seizure free for two weeks now. I'm getting upwards of 1500 steps a day now and stopped taking pain meds which keeps me behaving much better to avoid unnecessary discomfort. Oh yes... it is imperative to make sure David doesn't get away unscathed. LOL... I'm kidding. I do have a lot more hours in the day to do nothing but think.... kind of like Miss Gilbert. We did have a very funny moment with her over the weekend. Slowly I plotted to get showered and lovely even putting on lipstick and earrings. I assured my attentive husband it was for a photo shoot to reassure family. But....As long as I am looking presentable.. lets go out for an early dinner? Technically... the doctor did not say I had to stay in bed... immobilized leaves a little room for debate. So.... after I got a little overextended and David was helping me get back innthe house. As we entered the living room he suggested a restroom stop and I said, "No thanks, I just really need ýou to get me into bed." To which Miss Gilbert piped up "Ya ho!" in her inimitable and unprintable Cussin' Cajun style. Then she laughed uproariously. She hasn't used foul language in so long and was so spot on.... I indeed needed to stop in the restroom to avoid calamity. What an amazing mind she has, ýou just couldn't make this up. What a character. Her of course... not me.

All is well here. Seizure free for six days. I can sit up for short periods of time. David heard me laughing about sitting on that bike in the garage and he moved it so I can't get to it! He has to go out of town next week so I may enlist help from a neighbor to stage photos to set his hair on edge the way he did mine when I went out there to discover his treachery. Bwahahaha! Okay.. I do have to admit I planned carefully for ten days to procure staple removers... a bright light... an ice pack and kind of trick him into removing the staples from the back of my head... maybe he isn't actually ahead of me so far that I need to get even. I was able to get up and feed Gilbert and Java and they calmed right down. It was no comfort at all to them to bring them in my room to visit. I imagine them thinking "Oh gawd, she is sleeping on the bottom of her cage... this is no good" But once they saw me come wash their dishes and feed them they are reassured. I got a weekly FitBit report saying "Friday was your best day, you got 35 steps!" Ha ha, very funny FitBit computers. It takes me two hours to shower and get dressed, but of course I have to leave off my FitBit for that. its really handy for sleep tracking and heart rate. It would be great if it could be programmed to detect seizure activity. Its a little disconcerting to become aware that the falls I have thought were balance or vision issues in the past three years were more likely seizure related. I had gotten so used to dismissing every odd thing as atypical migraine that it didn't even register as a reason to panic when the sky turned green and the grass looked black. Things like that are part of my seizure aura. I still get that but the medication stops the electrical "storm" from spreading and involving the rest of my brain. The medication makes my brain calm and my thoughts slower and more sequential and "normal". Its very relaxing actually.

Your dedication to bring Sukei home and keep him in your family has been heartwarming. No matter how many difficulties he endures his attitude remains upbeat because he has you and knows he is in good company. Thanks for the update, it really lifts my spirits.

All is well. My new red motorcycle barely has a few scuffs. I was so considerate as to be wearing protective gear and hang on tight to take a few scuffs myself. I actually do enjoy solitude when I don't feel frisky so I have a plan with my family to text before I get up. The local fire department is only a half mile away and they have a direct number to call if I am not back in my bed confirming with a text in fifteen minutes. Once a day I will go to the garage and fire up my machine when I have a "live spotter". So far I am tapering off seizures, they are 48 hours apart. I have a second post op appointment Monday morning when my guardian angel surgeon can get a look to see if the lasso technique with the hole she drilled in my collarbone is holding. She is a golden find and so articulate and fun. She said I am more complex than her usual patients, but we work well together. I have no doubt that I will be as good as new by February. Its just a different path than I expected to travel. I like challenges so while this is a bit off my makeover Weight Watcher/yoga and a personal trainer style, I have already lost 60 pounds and am near my personal best physical condition. That's a good starting point for this detour! We are moving parrot perches next to my bed so they can be reassured all is well. I'll tell them I got my wings clipped for an attitude adjustment.

Thank you Howardine, I am feeling fantastic. Gilbert has been so sweet once she realized mama is not going anywhere. She has been so chatty. She makes jokes by mocking David blowing his nose and she laughs and makes a sorts of new whistles, hoots and adorable new songs. Everything is looking up.

Georgia law requires a six month waiting period to drive after a seizure but it seems to be self regulated. I wouldn't risk other people or myself so will adhere strictly to protocol and to my doctor's advice. I had David talk to Gilbert and tell her what's happening. He was patient and kind and promised to look after her. She stayed in my room for a couple of hours and seems like she is happy. I think we just lost track of days when we were at the hospital every day for a week. It's all looking better today!

Believe it or not we are still fixing issues from the lightning strike. It blew the circuits from the garage door openers. The irrigation contractor still has t come to replace the computer panel for that. But... I got distracted from that by trading my ten year old Suzuki for a bright red Ducati superbike. I had the best week of my life. Then... I had a seizure and scratched my new bike. Of course it could have been worse, I was at a stop sign one minute following David and to make a long story short, I am recovering from shoulder surgery. It was an ugly week and still don't have seizures under control. Miss Gilbert sees me lying around in bed, and worse and she has plucked her feathers worse than ever. David brought her floor perch to my room and she has been calm all day. I'm on the mend, getting my brain regulated again. This is a minor setback and I will have a full recovery in about six months. It sounds a lot more shocking than it is in reality. Good thing I learned grey time. I will be patient and will get Miss Gilbert calmed down. She is much better today. Me too!

That's not any ole run of the mill bat right there. I'm pretty sure that looks like a vampire bat, the Count from Sesame Street..

Miss Gilbert has the stink eye down pat and the cuss words to emphasize it. She also has a bat-your-eyelashes sweet coquettish coy look when she wants my food, all warm and gooey like honey sweet "wanna treat?" Then there is the hunched up buzzard death stare when I have the light on STILL after she announces bed time every night at eight. There is the baleful side glance of disdain when the dog barks and she admonishes them to be quiet. And lets not forget the Robert De niro flashing eyes and belligerent swagger like "You want a piece of me?" when you look at her just a little too long.

Yes, Val, how soon I forget, that fence and trees HAVE been problematic for us! In just two years, two trees fell and knocked out both sides. Then, a landscaper got close on a bobcat and the ground collapsed and he took out a few sections as his machine toppled over an embankment into the creek. We only put the fence up to protect our 12 pound dogs from the neighbor's chow dog because they let it out unsupervised to roam the neighborhood. But the electrical surge from this direct lightning strike took out all the internet, phone and cable lines on this whole side of the neighborhood. They still don't have it fixed. Lucky for me, my husband left his mifi jetpack home so I have a connection. I'm hoping the satellite tv powers up once the internet is restored. Gil's plucking hasn't lasted long. She was totally feeling secure today and hasn't plucked any further. She was gently taking popcorn from the hand of our four year old neighbor today, through the cage bars of course, but that was a first. I have to say I was sitting by the window when lightning struck that tree and it was closer than I thought, about 40 feet away. There was a huge pink sphere of pure energy and sizzling snapping sound before the blast explosion. I found tree bark on the roof and over the house in the front yard today. We had more thunderstorms today and Gil was all happy and Zen in her tattered grey fluffy underwear. I am grateful nobody was hurt!

My heart goes out to you. Hoping you get some good news. It's unthinkable that Timber should be so sick. Prayers for your family during such a scary time..

I tested my ability to change the title of your thread to include Kya. It did allow me to edit. Let me know what you would like your title to read, and I will give it another try. I am enjoying the progress you are having with Gracie. It is funny what Kya picked up on, and when he decides to say things. Too funny.

Gil has been doing some really cute stuff since we came back to Georgia from Texas. She has played with every toy in her cage. She is chewing wood blocks and destroying things and making messes! The cutest of all is the way she gets any toy just a swinging, then bows her head so it feels like the toy is "petting" her head. She clutches her throat with a talon and slowly rubs her neck. She has always been afraid of storms and loud noises. On Saturday lightning hit a tree about thirty feet from the house. A huge pink sphere of energy burst and the debris flew. Gil's cage faces the window on the side of the house where it hit. The aluminum fence around the back yard conducted electricity and the force blew the metal caps off all the fenceposts. It blew circuit breakers, knocked out internet and satellite tv equipment. It came through the sprinkler system wiring and blew the computer control panel right off the wall and scorched everything around that box in the garage. Since then Gil has chewed all the feathers off her back and one wing. That's her stress reaction and golly, if I had feathers I would have chewed mine off too. Hopefully tomorrow morning there will not be another pile of feathers around her cage. If it weren't for that you wouldn't know she was stressed. She is gently touching my fingers when I hand food to her. She has been reticent to come out of her cage at all for a few months now. Since she is outgoing with her play and more engaging to allow me to stroke her head through an open door of her cage, I don't pressure her too much to come out. But those times when she does, I make a big deal about it. I take her to the kitchen and feed her grapes which are her favorite treat. All in all, she is thriving.

This is a great topic, thanks Ray! You all have some great ideas, Val you have a whole list. Sterling, I have never heard of this contraption but I need three of them! Our hard wired habit is to insist everyone comes and goes through the garage. The inside house door must be closed and we do a bird check before opening the door to the outside. On the occasion someone leaves the garage door up, I lock the inside door and make them come and go from the basement so the inconvenience is a reminder. Of course Miss Gilbert is not a flyer, but Java is our little escape artist. I drink adult beverages from a Halloween themed locking thermal mug from Starbucks. I has been making me laugh for 8 years.

I second the motion to keep celebrating!!Happy Birthday and Thank You for taking care of our forum. This is the best place on the internet! Thank you Judy for reminding us how great this forum is because of Penny leading us to be a happy family

I have a Pak-O-Bird medium. I think the perch could be modified to turn it on its side for takeoff and landing and hold him on your lap to watch him so he doesn't chew his way out. You might check to see if they would load his usual carrier from the jetway like they do a stroller etc to hand back to you as you depart the plane. The Pak-O-Bird is soft sided like a backpack so it should pass the under seat requirement. Best of luck.

Welcome back! I'm so happy to see you and Peanut again too. I'm sorry for your loss of your conure, hope your heart is healing. Also hoping it was a positive move for your 'tiel with your grandaughter. Sterling, that's just an adorable video of Tinkerbell your newest Sterling Ranch princess.

We are packing for a return to Houston for Grrrandma time. My daughter was asked to give a work presentation in Bogota Colombia and asked yesterday if I can come stay with my grandson for two weeks. He is fifteen months now. We plan to safeguard parrot cages from little fingers and pack up my critters for travel. I had to make a visit to my friends here for an amazing report. Miss Gilbert has been having a very slow, very cautious renewal of spirit. She has been moving toward me for a couple of months. I have been obsessed with learning to write on eggs in the Ukrainian batik style. She sits close to me watching. She has offered me her foot a few times and sat on my knee, very curious with the measuring and drawing. She has taken an interest in playing with several toys that she has evaluated upwards of two years! The only things prior to this she would viciously tear apart was adding machine paper, a few sea mats filled with shredded paper and almonds. Well today was a changing day. She discovered a wooden bead on a parakeet size rattan doll. She was curious. She lifted it. She twirled it. She made soft sounds of awe. She lifted it and dropped it. Miss Gilbert was engaging in play for the sake of playing. This is huge for her. My little girl is untangling her pearls as Inara would say. This toy has been in her cage for five years. Now that's human time counting and has nothing whatsoever in common with grey time. She also has been whistling a new tone. We have never heard it before. It is soft and whimsical. She may be remembering a sweet time from her past. I hope so. She has endured her self imposed isolation long enough. I would love to see her open her heart just a crack so I can put my foot in there to find a way in. As I am pecking away with one finger to update her thread, she softly went to her toy to play with the wooden ball again. This is me feeling bliss. PS... Weight Watchers is working, I have lost forty pounds and starting to see collarbones again. ?

There is nothing quite like a visit from Mom. Those walnuts from home are better than gold. Your mama loves all of you I am packing for another trip from Georgia to Houston to love on my grandson before he gets too big to permit such things. Parrots and dogs are being prepped for travel on Friday!

Ah Miss Gilbert. Twenty five years ago I met my first African Grey in a Tulsa pet store. It was love at first sight. I couldn't afford him and I had two small children so it was for the best. I pined and pined over him and even drove to Rolla Missouri to look at babies being offered. I could not bear the thought of taking chances with a two day old hatchling with no experience. I resigned myself it was not meant to be. Then in 2006 as I started the process of emptying my nest vowing No More Dependents, EVER... my husband and grown daughters found a red bellied female in a pet shop. The sign said "Adoptions today!" Nope, nada, no way, no how, not, I repeat I am not going in that store. No! I mean it. I sat in the car alone, in the cold in December.. for a half hour as they texted and pleaded and cajoled. I stamped in there to say no, get out of here. And there in a bare cage, with no toys, no food, no water, being pooped upon by the birds in the cage stacked above her was the strangest, saddest creature I had ever seen. Her flight feathers has been so brutally cut that she only had little bones of her wings showing. She had buried her head in my husband's hand and was begging to go home. It was Christmas! The manager said "That's the most vicious vicious evil creature, you don't want it!" Of course that's when I desperately wanted her out of there. This was our first parrot, Java. I knew nothing about parrots and found my way to Grey Forums after repeated searches for any information about poicephalus or any keywords. Your experience with greys taught me everything I needed to care for Java. She is an adorable little friend. Through a very long sad story involving the loss of two baby greys a member of this forum was preparing for a terminal illness and offered Gilbert. I really dug deep in my heart for five months not understanding the reason for rehoming but when another post came up saying it was serious and she needed to rehome this "bird with issues", I knew we were meant to be. It has been a long road to rehab but it has been good for both of us. I love Java and Miss Gilbert.

Oh wow, I can't express adequately how impressed and happy I am that Phenix has accepted a new cage! In the past month I also relocated Miss Gilbert to a smaller cage and she is wildly enthusiastic, compared to her usual hunker on the water dish stance. I think I know what you mean about the top grill not feeling sturdy. Ours is the same. We don't use the playtop or tray for the same reasons as you. I used some black zip ties to hold it in place for an extra measure of safety. As for the bottom tray and cleaning, I second the motion of 'Jeesh, what were they thinking?' It might be easier to put the newspaper right on top of the grate to remove it from the front for daily cleaning. It definitely will be inconvenient but for him to be so relaxed about this change at this stage of his life with you, I think this is counted as a major win!

I also want to tell you Val, Miss Gilbert has been the beneficiary of your years of struggle with Phenix. Your advice and discussions of his stonewalling and reclusive behavior led me to accept her where she was but to take advantage of every opportunity to capitalize when she showed the slightest inclination to move forward. She is not on a linear path, so stopping, retreating, changing direction and meeting her at every turn has been my strategy. You and Phenix have been my touchstone. Also others with rehomed, shy greys have been reassuring that we have a lifetime to figure this out. We don't need to be on any time line except grey time.

Gosh, and here I started reading from the beginning expecting Phenix to be happily over his grumpfest after his acclimation to the new cage. He is so similar to Miss Gilbert. She likes a smaller cage. At Christmas time, I moved her cage to my bedroom so she would have a peaceful haven. With the door open she can see all the way to the kitchen so she has a solid sense of calm and control. She started getting very relaxed in there so I didn't move her back. She has been playing with a balsa toy that has been in her cage, untouched for a year. But... she has also refused every overture to venture out of her cage, she retreats to the back corner if I open the door. This week I needed to take the cage out for a good scrub. I put her in what we use for travel and extended stays out of town. Its about 22 x 24 x 30 inside measurements but stands 5 feet high which she loves for the playtop. Believe it or not, she is one of the rare greys where bigger is not better. She has really accepted this move not only with grace but with great approval. As a bonus she has a door that opens next to David's favorite spot and she lets him rub her head with the door open. She comes right out and sits on the cage top and is being much more adventurous and vocal. I do think the opportunity for her to have seclusion was key. It helped her to want more. I also love the idea of using A travel cage to allow Phenix to have a hidey hole until his new cage is more familiar.

That's a good one. I will pass that along. "I didn't hear anything, it must be something outside."

Thank you all for welcoming home the prodigal sister. Tomorrow is the sixth anniversary of bringing Miss Gilbert home. It seems like a lifetime ago... in grey time. One sweet thing she has been letting me do is to hold her talon through the bars now when I give her a head rub. I ask 'want a kiss?' and I kiss the back of her gnarly little toe and she says "Hoo" like its a big surprise. Then she lets go of my finger, grabs the bars and bows her head for scritches. Tonight I noticed she got red faced with blushing and then she pumped her heard to gurge for me. That's not her usual behavior so maybe we are starting a new phase of trust and acceptance.