Gilbert is home

[katana600]

Every day is a new day with her now. Just when I mentioned she quit slamming her door, she is back at it again. She is not doing it loudly and with such persistence, but now I walk past her and she is out and the door is closed, a little while later the door is ajar, she just goes over and moves it because she can. Funny to see it open six inches, then closed a few minutes later. She also is getting really excited about being able to predict that wherever I am in the house if she does the dropping bomb whistle, I will clap my hands. She is totally convinced she is the puppet master and it gives her a heady rush. She will sway excitely when I clap my hands. "Yes! I have her right where I want her now". For so long I curbed my expectations of her and was determined to accept her just as she was and not get my hopes too high. Since discovering she is a girl, I don't chastize he or correct her when she says "Gilbert's a good boy" but I do tell her all the boys in the house and call her and Java pretty girls etc. She will call out in her familiar sing song "Gilbert's a good b.." and trail off and said "night night Gilda" or interchangably "Gilgirl" and now and again "Gilda girl". She doesn't really seem confused about it, just catches herself and stops midstream and you can see her thinking about it and changing it. I am convinced on a daily basis that she knows exactly what she is doing. When she gets mad or frustrated with me she will snatch off a piece of her paper and fling it and look down at it on the floor and say "sh** on the floor" then cock her head and look at me daring me to respond. Nope. I walk away but I know she senses I smiled at her attempt to get one up on me. When she says it for the benefit of my husband, she always laughs, just chuckles and hoots and makes it clear it is for comic relief but with me it is "so there". Another thing that has come up in recent weeks with the realization that hands are still frightening to her, I will dim the lights except for one nightlight and she is far more relaxed and involved with wanting her head and neck rubbed. For every tiny little change when I finally "get it" she rewards me with huge gains in her confidence with interactions. I have so wanted her to regain her fllight ability and it would change my life to see her come to me that way. Lately I have been envisioning zip line inventions throughout my house, and when that happens, I have clearly gone over the edge of the crazy bird lady cliff. I think I will start today. Hahahahahaa

[danmcq]

Greyt update on Gilda. You CraZy bird lady!

[katana600]

Now that Gilda is more active and making lots of messes, I got a new cannister vacuum that is especially quiet. She already has a reason to hate the vacuum and is further stressed by loud noise. I vacuumed around her cage and she asked me several times what I was doing. When anything bothers her she makes a bolt for inside her cage and that was about the only way I could tell it was uncomfortable for her still. When clean her cage, she is up high and I get on the floor and go low to reach in a pull out any almond shells or debris on her grates. Well this time there was a lot of debris from where she has been on the cage top destroying some small cockatiel size toys and tearing up that adding machine paper. I was intent on scraping off the grates and felt a searing pain on the side of my head. Scared, timid, little Gilda went all Ninja on me and jumped right on my head and after trying to bite my head unsuccessfully, she had a hank of my hair which had been in a bun and she ripped out a chunk. In three years, I never saw this one coming and I am just grateful my ear wasn't readily available to her. Suffice to say, the quiet version of the vacuum doesn't send her into petrified fear any more and I am going to have to wait for her to get on her floor stand and move her cage far enough away to safely clean it. She was over it as quickly as it started. Within minutes she was clamoring around on the cage top whistling and saying sweet nothings. My husband and I are just greatly entranced by watching her destroy toys and chew up paper and generally cause mayhem. My husband's reaction was just priceless. He was humorously lecturing me from Gilda's perspective, "Now there, I have told you many times don't touch my stuff. You know I don't like you getting into my cage. Maybe you learned a lesson there. Be a good LuLu and fetch me up some warm beans and don't reach in here again. Don't think you need to clean my stuff, it took me a long time to fix it just the way I like it."

[kittykittykitty]

Progress for Gilda, but at a price for you! Did she rip your scalp? Rereading it sounds as if she got a beak full of hair; still painful!

[katana600]

There was no real harm done, just a really big surprise from a little girl who has been in retreat mode for so long. She is changing so fast, I can't keep up with her. She hangs upside down now by one toe and swings wildly. She has fallen off her floor stand several times in a week. A few months ago, that would have had her frozen, huddling and shaking inside her cage for a week. Now she just climbs back up and plays some more. She is ripping toys to shreds now. It has been the most amazing thing. It just didn't feel so amazing when the top of my head was smarting from a right hard hair snatching. But when I realized what this means to her, she is changing from a scared, retreating little bundle of nerves to she-ra warrior princess. Although I have personally not witnessed a baby grey in the terrible twos, I feel as if this is sort of like what Gilda is experiencing. She is realizing finally she can open and close access to her cage, she can "make" things happen when she says something or whistles a certain way and she can say NO big and loud. She is the queen of her domain and its best I don't forget that. Another thing that seems amazing to me is that her eyes are pinning more and more. Today I was watching as I talked to her on her cage and they were just scintillating with the motion of getting larger and smaller. She still doesn't "pinpoint" the way I have seen other greys when they are real excited or nervous. The fluctuations are just more pronounced and more frequent and man do they move quickly.

[kittykittykitty]

Surely glad about the no real damage. Also tickled pink about this adorable little girl! As I've said before, this is my vicarious parrot pleasure. Thank you.

[danmcq]

I am just loving this constant updates on Gilda. She is becoming such a character as she ventures out and experiences life the way it should be...... freeeeeeedom!

[Timbersmom]

Yes, I do too. I don't often comment, but look forward to my "Gilda" fix

[katana600]

Often, the attempt is made to video a clip of Gilda as she accomplishes some "firsts" in our relationship. In less than two days she has totally destroyed a new toy. While I couldn't risk intruding and changing the dynamics by trying to get a video, I did get a picture of before and after. I put a new one in place of the one she already has accepted and it will be interesting to see if she goes back for seconds, or if its a been there, done that kind of thing. All I know is that looking at the picture doesn't convey the monumental stride this has meant for her development. As we watch her from a short distance, we are mesmerized by her every growing confidence. She has been hanging by one toe, gyrating wildly and boisterously for the first time in at least six years. She is just one step away from climbing on a swing attached to her floor stand and stabilized to keep from being "too much too soon". She also deliberately and with planning and forethought launched herself off her cage twice yesterday. She descended gradually at less than a 30 degree angle, sustained for over twenty feet. She wasn't distressed at all, just calmly turned around, climbed to the top of her cage and did it again. I think we are at the cusp of her gaining independence and courage. This one small toy doesn't look like a big deal, but it represents an amazing recovery of her finding her place in the world.

[Greywings]

It is a big deal, a concrete view of her new found confidence and ability to play. Congrats to Gilda girl and to your patience.

[danmcq]

Nice photo of Gilda's destructive powers. She must have had a Ton O Fun doing that. The flying off her cage and climbing back up for another round is wonderful news. As she continues doing this her muscles are building, flight navigation increasing and the goal of her first neck pinch just a few more flights away. I can only imagine the awe struck looks of you and hubby watching all this progress forward at warp speed now. A photo of that would be solid gold.

[Luvparrots]

Oh yes, would love to see some pictures of Gilda.

[katana600]

She is a lot closer to that neck pinch than I thought. I still have a tender spot on my scalp where she tried the neck pinch at the wrong end, LOL. I think I will stop putting my hair up to make it easy for her. Watching Gilda is my hobby but watching my husband be drawn in and for him to be just as enthralled as I am is a wonder in itself. When she launched off her cage, he was on his feet in an instant to rescue her and I convinced him to just wait and let her find her way back. The big smile on his face and the encouragement he was calling out to her was so endearing. At night and first thing in the morning now he is going to her cage and spending time with her as much as I do. They have a big time between 3:30 and 4:30 when he gets up to go running and she shouts orders at him and goes into hyperdrive. I don't particularly want her sleep interupted, but at this point in her development, it seems less of an issue a couple of days a week since they are improving their relationship. As seems to be her pattern, Gilda is taking a day of rest and has been real quiet. She really seems to be much more active to impress her daddy and he travels a lot, so maybe this week while he is gone, she will be quietly observing the best angle to get to that neck pinch.

[danmcq]

It good news to hear your husband is now interested in Gilda as well. You must tell us what orders or requests are coming from her as you hubby get prepared to go for that run. How can anyone not resist being pulled in by an intelligent being trying to communicate with you?

[katana600]

It goes something along the lines of him getting up about quarter of four in the morning, putting coffee on and she calls out "time to go night night?" and he laughs and tells her yes, its still time for her to go night night. Then he puts on his running shoes and she says "bye bye, see you later", he hushes her and tells her bye bye. When the lock turns on the front door she greets his huffing and puffing with "WHAT are you doing?" He responds, "crazy, I know". He heads past her cage to get a shower and she mocks him blowing his nose and sneezing a couple of times. He calls back, "ha ha, very funny". When she hears the door close to the inside door of the bathroom she will call out asking if he "sh** on the floor" and he ignores that one. He turns off all the lights and gets ready to leave and tells her its time to be quiet and go back to sleep and she tries a little extortion "ya got a cracker?" and he gives her a pistachio or pine nuts and rubs her head. He comes in to give me a kiss goodbye about five am and says "sorry I got Gilda all wound up" and I tell him, no you are not, you love it. He laughs and says I am right. Then I tell him that really I am learning to be a ventriloquist while he is out of town and he laughs again. Who says you can't train a parrot? He tells her "train LuLu not to spend all our money while I'm gone." And off he goes to the rat race with a happy smile.

[danmcq]

He heads past her cage to get a shower and she mocks him blowing his nose and sneezing a couple of times. He calls back, "ha ha, very funny". When she hears the door close to the inside door of the bathroom she will call out asking if he "sh** on the floor" and he ignores that one.

 

I truly enjoyed this morning jog interaction between Gilda and your Husband. I almost spit my coffee out when I got to the "If he Sh*t on the floor". I can only figure that since she hears him come home huffing, puffing, coughing and sneezing she thinks he is in pretty bad shape so fluids are probably coming out of all orifices. Thanks for sharing this.

 

Oh, I shared this with my wife just now. She said to tell you she thinks the progress you have made with Gilda is wonderful. I have been keeping her updated on the life of Gilda as you have been updating us on this forum.

[Timbersmom]

Haaa... does Gilda ever ask visitors if they "sh** on the floor" when they go in the bathroom? I have to admit that would be funny, assuming it wasn't my minister or my mother...

 

It is interesting that they have their routines with different family members. Timber says "goodbye" but usually only to my husband. When hubby was leaving for work at 3:30 AM (prior to his retirement) he said Timber always said "goodbye" when he left. Timber never, ever says goodbye to me. He gives his contact call, which I can hear outside, any time I leave. He also tends to say "hello" to hubby but rarely to me. When I come in he vocalizes, but it is usually clicks and whistles until he settles down.

[katana600]

It's more specific than that Dan. He is very private about certain things. He closes the bedroom door, the master bathroom door and the commode privacy door and that's when she shouts out and heckles him. She seldom says that phrase to me but if he comes home from a trip she draws him right in with the devilish relish of knowing the two of them have an inside joke in which I don't participate. Who knows, when he comes in road weary from travel and when he comes back from a three mile run she may just be commenting on his looks. Hahahaha. I will save that one for the opportune time. Thankfully it's only an inside joke with him and not for company. Until she recognizes that it would get me good. Then it will be a free for all, I'm sure.

[kittykittykitty]

How quickly this little girl has taken over! Isn't she just something else???

[katana600]

On the day my heart won the battle over my brain when I was hesitant to "take on a problem child", I made a choice and got right on the road the next day to go get her. From that time on it has been a total takeover by this little feathered genius with a heart of gold and reflexes of a lightning strike. She seems to reach pinnacle moments, then sit quietly to recover and analyze what is next. Next week we are making a road trip back to Pennsylvania to reunite with family and it is going to be very interesting to see how she reacts to seeing familiar faces. This is the return trip after spending months in my sister's home. It will be interesting to see if she feels settled and confident on the return. It seems that every time she has traveled with me and we return home, within days she will have a huge breakthrough moment. At the same time, I am getting closer and closer to having the braces removed from my teeth and that was the marker of the day she decided I was untrustworthy for a friendly step up. I can only imagine how it is going to be after she makes the decision to come down to sew with me and spend time in other rooms of my house. I think if I had to choose one thing that I am grateful for in our journey so far, it is how she has become relaxed and invites me to rub her head every night and every morning. She chooses the time and the setup of being on a specific perch at a specific time always with the bars between us because you know... I am still not quite trustworthy and might not do it "right". Considering how she is so afraid of hands, it is a gift to me when she requests a step forward from me. This week she has been tucking her head and closing her eyes and I almost feel a little sigh from her as she leans and presses herself further into my fingers and they are laced between the bars. She no longer nervously chews the feathers on her leg during our scritch moment. She no longer tucks.. looks.. tucks... looks as if she is uncertain whether this is going to turn out okay. She looks as if she may fall asleep and it makes me dream of the day I am not relegated to standing just right at the corner of her cage until my legs feel weak. Someday she is going to be curled up on my lap with a quilt and can sit with me for a spell. She calls out to Java while she is having her turn every night and I think Gilda really wants to join us as she is swaying and chatting. I make the offer to step up every night and she scurries instead to her happy place and that has to be good enough for now.

[Greywings]

Her story just gets sweeter every post. Thank you for sharing this journey.

[katana600]

Gilda and I had a "moment" last night. It was just the two of us and I walked over to talk to her and give her a pine nut. As soon as she saw me coming she scuttled across from the floor stand to her cage, across the top, where she would usually grab the top of the door and flip herself to her favored perch to accept her treat through the bars. This time though, she was too excited to get that pine nut in my fingers. She was so cute, taking the first one, the second one, the third one. Suddenly she froze as she realized my hand was RIGHT there with no bars between us. She just turned to a stone statue. Then I noticed her chest was trembling and I took a step back. She hurried right in to her regular spot and ate a couple more. I have to say when she leaned in to take that first bite, I was kind of thinking she might notice there were no bars and take a chomp out of me. But she didn't. I think we just made some progress! Tonight, when my husband came in, she was all happy and playful to see him again. She went to the top of her cage, hung upside down and flapped her wings so hard, I thought she might get lift. She continued with her antics and went topside and wreaked havoc with a hollow ball. She was a wild thing attacking it and screaming out. It was over so fast, I could barely believe I had seen it. She is letting her hair down and getting a feel for her wild side. That's my Gilda girl! I am loving this.

[Ray P]

And so are we.

[katana600]

Early Sunday morning Gilda was having her early wakeup head scratch at her request when she suddenly, instinctively turned and nailed the tip of my pinky finger. She immediately tucked her head gently to continue her little massage. All I can think is that, as we know, they are wild at heart, she may have seen movement from the corner of her eye as my finger was splayed as my hand was relaxed. I usually keep my thumb tucked for this very reason. I guess I was just sleepy and not alert enough. There was a little blood letting and then immediately back to her sweet little self. It was just a reminder to me that she is still fragile and a little nervous with hands. She has come such a long way. I was able to put it behind us. What I think was really awesome is that where she once would have taken a long time to come back to being relaxed, she was immediately relaxed again. Her ability to rebound is what I am focused on, not the reflex that caused the nip. Also, she didn't bite nearly as hard as she once would have, she seemed to have caught herself mid way and that's another good sign. At the same time, she has been taking small pine nuts from me without the need for being inside her cage. I have to say it makes me a little nervous but I continue to offer and give her room to go inside first if she would rather.

[danmcq]

Wonderful progress with Gilda on those scratches and taking pine nuts with cage open. One thought on the "lighter bite" while giving scratches. Dayo will do that as well sometimes if I happen to hit a pin feather the wrong way. So it could be that Gilda was just in a more gentle way letting you know to be a little more careful. I love hearing the constant steps forward in her peeling those fear layers away.