murfchck

I feel like my sanity is returning! Well, back to where i was before anyway. All is good on the farm, which we have named 3F. Forever Feathers Farm. I think i may have 2 more birds since my last post. A breeder who is getting out of the business had a Harlequin who is very disabled and a goffins that we took in for her. Still have the others (minus one Steve took into his farm along with 4 roosters, lol.) Now also have 6 dogs and 4 cats with one pregnant. Long story there. Also have 14 chickens and 3 turkeys. Okay maybe not so sain after all.

Miss you all! I have been away entirely too long. I am so sorry to read about Kittykittykitty and JD.

I need a break so bad, most draining part is acting happy and positive when deep down your just too tired to believe it. All the birds are great, Bongo goes in for a beak trim this morning. Pat will be taking him for me so I can be at the hospital with my sister in law. My niece, who passed away, her father (my husbands brother) went off the deep end and tried to kill himself as well a few days ago. They were able to revive him and he is in ICU. I am just drained physically and emotionally.

Good luck to your friend! Try reaching out to Dee, she knows every rescue there is.

Wonderful job!! Just love it!

The way Frito drags her feet around, a towel scared me with snagging her nails. That being said, this can move around fast when she wants to. Changing her paper sometimes is like the old hot potato game, grab quickly and move with precision! lol

The best thing I ever started using is the memory foam rugs (or drying mat) in the bottom of Frito's cage (WalMart in the kitchen/bath area $3.99). I have two at the bottom for a soft landing. I just cover them with newspaper to make cleaning easy and if the poop hits the mat, it just wipes right off. I don't know why but Frito and Gabby both are my most aggressive of the greys. Little stinkers for sure!

We have the 2 that are handicapped, one was the metabolic bone disease and both of her feet are wacky, Frito, and then Gabby, one of her legs are bent at the "hip" and the foot is turned inwards. Frito is the only one who has a special cage design, Gabby just has lots of shelves where she can rest (and chew said shelves, lol ). Frito has to have her cage papers changed daily though and she won't let Pat in to it! We raised the bottom to about 2" below the food and water bowls so she could crawl around and play. She loves that but what a mess, she will poop and walk through it or put her beak in it. I can't change her cage each time she poops and the thought of greys being so smart fly's right out the window when I see her do that!

22 right now. 21 after Christmas! It is a team effort for sure.

How fun!

This is Ming! Yup, we are officially insane. Lol. Actually, a friend found herself unable to keep Ming due to her health and she is also about to have both hips replaced. Ming is 14 and has been with them her whole life. One of the girls who helps me with my birds asked her mom and dad for one for Christmas. They asked me to help them and 4 days later I picked up Ming. Funny how things meant to be have a way of working out!

I have been watching your addition of the sunroom, it looks incredible! We won't be doing anything about the pigs until after deer season. The deer seem to know our house is their safe zone and bed here at night. I do not want to disrupt them and drive them away so, you and the pigs can have a date next year!! I posted that picture on Facebook, you may have seen it there. Yup, she does have me wrapped around her finger without a doubt! She has been pretty cranky lately, I am chalking it up to hormones.

Okay. I got this picture thing now! This is Frito! Also, Tamale with the last picture I took of my niece! What else have you not seen that ramble on about? Lol the chickens, goats, new dog, new cats?

Steve, come on out here! From a week or two ago!

Thank you all, it has been a rough year but is getting better. I am still unpacking boxes if you can believe it, lol. I found the Christmas box with all the stockings. Wow, do I have to get some more this year. Gilly, Tamale, Frito, Scout (who, by the way, is now Kiwi. Poor bird (quaker) started talking and keeps saying Kiwi so I can only guess that is his real name) Jake and Annie and Jane. I am pretty sure we had Athena last Christmas, I will know when I start putting up the decorations. Holy cow, 7 new ones in less than a year. We are insane! I need for the bird show to come to town soon. I need 21 new boings, lol!

I am hoping things are getting back to normal again. (well as close to normal as our life can be anyway). I am really not sure if I have written what has been really going on. It has been a very tough few months. A week before our friend moved in, our beautiful niece killed herself. It made us understand why, after the long struggle to buy this home and despite all the odds against us we got. It was so we could be here for Pats brother and wife when they needed us. We got a call on Oct 2nd asking for that help. It has been a whirlwind ever since. All the kids on the rodeo team were and still are just incredible. The did a tribute for Olivia at the last rodeo where her boyfriend rode her horse out during the opening and then when barrel racing started, her best friend walked her horse out and walked the barrels in her honor. This is how they retire a horse and show respect to the fallen rider. Most beautiful thing I have ever seen. As for the birdies, they have been less than happy with us gone so much. They may rethink those feelings one day when I do get back to the full swing of being here for them and annoying them with my constant attention. lol Bongo is back in the main rooms with us again so he has gotten a little bit less mad at me. Not much but I will take a little. Frito is still an angel, except the biting. We had a great thing going but then with the mayhem around us, she has gotten nippy with me. This too shall pass

Pat found our friend a great new assisted living facility in Dallas. He is really excited and moves on Monday!

So, it has been a bit since I have been able to write. Things have been blown up here to say the least. Our elderly friend had to move in with us, we hoped it would be through the holidays but there is no way. He led us to believe he was in better condition than he really is, he can not be here alone during the week while we work. Pat has missed a whole week already. Took Frito to the doctor, they did the blood work and xrays her to see about condition. Her bone density is good, all labs were within normal range. She does have several old fractures in her feet and was told it was metabolic bone disease from when she was a baby, poor nutrition. Her legs can not be fixed even though she is only 6 years old but at least I know when I hold her and hug her, I am not hurting her.

Not sure how we could make that happen but would love for him to have a buddy. It is so sad seeing him on the swing using the side as a buddy.

So now I have a Quaker issue, go figure huh? So we took this little guy in thinking he would be quick to find a home for (his mom moved and couldn't take him). Seems he isn't easy to find a home for, lol. Now he is just so adorable but seems really lonely. He has started talking to me, hello, kisses, but when he does this, he has his foot at his neck rubbing himself. I catch him hard up against the side of his swing, like he is leaning on a friend. Not sure what I need to do for the little guy. He is my only small bird so he doesn't get to get out very much and is also very cage aggressive.

Sounded correct to me, lol. The previous care-taker of these guys really did love them and was doing what she knew or what she was told to do. I just know I let the birds lead in what they want, I may be wrong doing that in Frito's case, I guess I will know in a few weeks. Until then, she is free to be a bird!

Our appointment has been made, she goes in on the 6th for testing (calcium) and or x-rays to see if she has brittle bone or not. This girl just wants to be a bird. I had her in my arms so Pat could clean her cage and she took off flying. I was able to hold her under her belly as she flew but Lord, she wanted to fly. I just don't see how, if she has this, she would be able to fly let alone want to fly. She is such a sweet little girl this is breaking my heart. Gilly, who only had 40% usage of his feet is improving. He gets around his cage very well without incident. Using his feet again and stepping up for me like a regular bird. I just don't get it. How can two birds that were so bad off be doing so damn well? :-/

We went back to just Frito, she knows and says it very well so I am not going to confuse her any more than she is :-) She is just such a doll. She has a bell and well, like most greys, this bell must die. I heard it banging around so I went to look and she was giving it a stink eye like nothing I have ever seen before. Okay, well I have seen it before from Gabby when I was her mortal enemy. Bongo now is mad at me big time. He won't even step up for me. If I just open his cage to let him come out on his own, he will run straight to the top where he knows I can not reach him and make raspberry sounds. Arggg!

It is so official, Frito-ta has chosen me! Pat tried to clean her cage yesterday and she wanted nothing to do with it. I walked in and she stepped to her perch so I could change the papers, then puked for me, lol. My birds love me but I have never experienced grey love until she came into my life. How totally different this is! I have managed to cry every night at bedtime when we have our nite-nite bedtime snuggles and she tell me "it is all right, your okay"! The dogs... namely Athena... We finished the fence at 5:22 Sunday evening, they went out and ran until they couldn't anymore. After work on Monday, we let them out there and all was good until little bunny foo foo came hopping through the forest. All bets off, Athena cleared the fence without even a hair touching it. Bunny was safe because half way back, she spotted the goats and changed direction after them... I am beginning to get that "I love you because if have to" feeling. She is on my very last nerve! This has now, yet again, delayed the flights for the birds. Jake, he has managed to make 3 holes in our tempurpetic (ms?) mattress. Which means the mattress protector and the sheets and the bedspreads. Tuesday, he ate the corner off my pillow, also tempurpetic. Funny how the birds can eat every wall and piece of trim including chairs and tables and it is cute, but a dog eats my bed and pillows and I get furious. :-/

With my Too's, we use a Living Air purifier, it is wonderful. Has 4 filters, it is large because it is considered whole house but it is in their room and does wonders for the dust control.