Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Meet the Parents - Heerree's Joey!


Joey is a Lutina Cockatiel with a lovely, almost white, body and strong yellow head and tail. He is friendly and loves to show off by swinging upside down on his perch. He'll flap like mad while holding onto the cage when he feels frisky, as he is too afraid to actually fly. He must have had his wings clipped at one time. He loves his bath and demands his water be fresh at all times. He is a devoted husband and attends to Olivia with tenderness and care. Scroll down to see her.

The Proud Parents - Meet Olivia


Olivia is a white face Pearl Cockatiel. I was told she is about 4 years old. She is a bossy queen bird, full of beauty and grace. She loves to fly back and forth in the aviary and Millett is her special treat.

Waiting for the Stork

The week has been a flurry of doctor visits and trips to Portland. I realize how lucky we are to have a hospital as close as Miles Memorial, where some tests and procedures may be done. More serious concerns may lead you all the way to Portland for health care needs. A 120 mile round trip is a serious endeavor in both time and gas however.

I was astonished to find out that the closest radiation facility is located in Bath! That is a 45 minute drive - on a good day with little traffic - and another 40 miles from here. With a treatment schedule that can be 5 days a week for 6 weeks, that is 30 visits to Bath. I think that is 3,200 miles and 45 hours. I wonder if there is such a thing as frequent driver miles?

Olivia and Joey await the hatchlings arrival with the diligence of new parents. They guard the nest relentlessly and hiss and growl over any percieved threat. I haven't viewed the inside of the box in the last few days, but last week there were 8 eggs. Today is day 21 for the first egg that was laid, but I don't think she was actually nesting for a few days after this.

Lucy even laid her own little egg after 'nesting' in her own little cardboard box. I found the egg punctured and empty, but mostly intact, shoved to the back of the box and partly hidden under the paper towel lining. I took it out when I cleaned the box and she has hardly left her sanctuary since. She may be working on another one.

Sunday, March 21, 2010

The Birth of Spring

Spring has arrived in all it's glory, with peeping frogs, blooming Snow Crocus and a 70 degree reading on the thermometer. This is the earliest showing I can ever remember and, according to my records, the frogs are a month earlier than last year. The Crocus are also 3 weeks early and yesterday I actually saw Blackflies too, which normally appear on the first of May....Unfortunately the Maple sap ran early this year and I don't believe the syrup makers had a chance to gather the needed volume of sap here in the neighborhood. So the year will be a little less sweet. Perhaps the honey flow will make up for the loss.

Forgive me for being so slack in keeping in touch. I could blame the birthday trip to Mayland where I flew to celebrate with my twin, the bathroom being torn apart and repainted or even the extra work and effort required by the 3 new Cockatiels.

I am trying to make a habit of writing in this way but I'm just too wedded to the paper and pen thing. It must be from some past life - I think I was once a scribe, for the feel of pen to paper and a well rounded perfect script thrills me to my bones. And the fact that I can be typing along, miss a key and ... poof... what I have just spent 45 minutes typing is gone in a blink. Don't ask me why or how or who... for I only know that this has happened twice just now while writing this. First the whole thing was lost and now only half was deleted... I will try to finish here without loosing it again.

The last I was allowed to peek into the bird's nesting box, there were six eggs. I know that seems like alot, but they may not all hatch. Please don't tell Jeff. No point in upsetting him as he has his own things to deal with.

So Happy Spring from Windsong Way. May your flowers bloom bright and lovely and the Spring bring you love and peace.