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 I saw an ad on the internet offering Jesse for sale at a good price. I inquired and was told he was very aggressive and hard to handle. I went to meet Jesse and decided to take on the challenge of living with a bird that bites aggressively. He has improved 110% since I started teaching by positive re enforcement
VOTE 100--Maxie the Wonder Bird-66311
VOTE 150--Angel Rainbow-215998. |
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I've had 4554 friends visit me.
I'm the 21,711th member on BirdChannel.com.
527 friends have voted for me since I joined Bird eClub!
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no heat
Our furnace broke down and we have been waiting for the part to arrive now for 10 days. Meanwhile, it has been close to freezing at night. Last two nights it went down to 33. So we have been busy trying to keep the birds protected. We have heat lamps on some of the cages and a fire in the fireplace going to take the chill out. During the day, it has gotten into the high 50's and low 60's so it helps for the house a little to heat up during the day. Hopefully we can get the furnace fixed by the week-end. Of course, they are calling for warmer weather!Come visit me, Zeus (ORB) : in Memorium, Dad of All the Birds, Widget, Tessa, Zena (Zena Warrior Princess), Winston & Zachary.
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05/15/2013 02:54.17 PM
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Jesse
Okay, have mom email mine with whatever she wants to talk about. Mom is doing an outdoor event today for the wildlife center, and it's raining. The weather guessers said it would end by 9, but guess what? They are wrong again. Maybe there will be a canopy. At least she's not taking an animal with her to get soaked. Hope you have a great day, see you later for our date. Hugs, FalcoCome visit me, Gizmo, VOTE LUIGI BOTM 225307, Willie,YAY, the Keets have a team!, In Divo's memory & Falco, VOTE LUIGI( 225307) BOTM.
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05/11/2013 06:24.42 AM
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Hey Jesse
We did an interview with Sky already, but if your mom wants to do more, just email mom and she will answer what she can.
Looking forward to our date on Saturday, too! Did you bet on any horses? Willie and I placed our bets on Sunday.
This morning, mom cleaned and fed animals in a very full mammal nursery: 8 possums, 3 flying squirrels, 1 fox squirrel, 4 red squirrels, 3 chipmunks, and umpteen gray squirrels. There was one surprise there, though, a Chinese 3 toed box turtle! After she got back, she and her sister went to their favorite nursery. Mom bought a lot more than she planned, but it's an annual trip, so she figured she may as well splurge. The hanging baskets are spectacular, we'll have to post some pics for everyone. Hope you are having a great day! Hugs, FalcoCome visit me, Gizmo, VOTE LUIGI BOTM 225307, Willie,YAY, the Keets have a team!, In Divo's memory & Falco, VOTE LUIGI( 225307) BOTM.
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05/08/2013 11:45.46 AM
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Hey Jesse
Mom loved the Vietnamese dinner last night, they had pho, which is a hot soup with lots of stuff to put in it, and a great liquid desert, with lots of grapes in it. It was so nice to see everyone before Nghi's parents leave for New Jersey. They are deciding where to live, here in Pittsburgh or in New Jersey when they settle in. They will open a bakery wherever they decide.
Mom is going to a local nursery to buy a few plants today, and get some things in the ground. She's been antsy about getting it done for a few days. We will get time outside, too, since it's so pretty and sunny out. Hope you have some time outside, or at least in a sunny window today. Hugs, FalcoCome visit me, Gizmo, VOTE LUIGI BOTM 225307, Willie,YAY, the Keets have a team!, In Divo's memory & Falco, VOTE LUIGI( 225307) BOTM.
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05/05/2013 07:06.26 AM
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busy week-end with the Corgis at an Agility trial
Leaving at 6 a.m. tomorrow to get to an Agility trial with the Corgis. Babette is competing at the championship level while young Teddie is at Level 1. So it will be too early to take care of the birds and my wife will take over for the week-end. Actually, they could skip the veggies for two days. The week-ends that we both go away my son comes over to take care of the birds, but he just checks the seed cups and water and we don't bother with the elaborate breakfasts. The birdies do just fine, though following that, they sure dive into their special treats when we come back!Come visit me, Zeus (ORB) : in Memorium, Dad of All the Birds, Widget, Tessa, Zena (Zena Warrior Princess), Winston & Zachary.
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05/03/2013 05:46.47 PM
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Hey Jesse
That sounds like a good plan, I'm happy to go to the milonga with you.
Mom had a very busy but fun day yesterday. The Earth day event was a blast, with little Chelsea possum showing everyone how possums live and what they eat. She ate a lot of fruit and veggies at the event. The opera was fantastic, the cast and music were excellent, and mom laughed throughout the whole performance. Today, so far, she attended her granddaughter's graduation from Pitt, with a MAT degree. That's a Master of arts in teaching, which is different than mom's MEd degree somehow. Anyway, mom told her how proud she was to have an intellectual equal in the family, heehee. This afternoon she is working a birthday party at the wildlife center, but she'll have from 4 o'clock on to spend with us, finally! It's cool and raining here today, so we'll be happy to have some company when mom gets back. Hope your day is a wonderful one. Hugs, FalcoCome visit me, Gizmo, VOTE LUIGI BOTM 225307, Willie,YAY, the Keets have a team!, In Divo's memory & Falco, VOTE LUIGI( 225307) BOTM.
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04/28/2013 10:23.08 AM
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Jesse
It's wonderful to know that mom has lots of help. I hope the volunteers love helping mom as much as my mom loves helping at the center.
Mom is reading the Pickles book and laughing out loud at some parts. That means she is hearing Willie and Giz laugh too. I don't laugh with her though, I don't see what's so funny. Mom ended up in Invertebrate zoology and botany on Sunday, but she likes both areas, and all she had to do was collect tickets and direct people to the appropriate places. Those bug guys love to talk, so they had a really long tour. The botany folks were a lot less verbose, with a much shorter tour.
Today was a tour of 3 cultures, followed by animal adaptations with autistic kids. We are hoping mom gets outside today, though, because it's sunny, but cool. She may get out for awhile, even though we won't. Hope you are having a great day. Hugs, FalcoCome visit me, Gizmo, VOTE LUIGI BOTM 225307, Willie,YAY, the Keets have a team!, In Divo's memory & Falco, VOTE LUIGI( 225307) BOTM.
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04/23/2013 11:20.34 AM
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Tessa's water dish
Funny thing this morning. I had cleaned Tessa's water dish and filled it with fresh water as I do every morning and I was putting it back into her cage through the swinging cup holder when she grabbed the edge of the dish and pulled the door shut! Clever girl!Come visit me, Zeus (ORB) : in Memorium, Dad of All the Birds, Widget, Tessa, Zena (Zena Warrior Princess), Winston & Zachary.
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04/23/2013 04:52.39 AM
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Hey Jesse
Your mom is taking in a lot of birds, I hope she has lots of help. Between you in the regular flock, the new babies, and now the new rescues, she must work from morning to night to get everyone fed, cleaned and socialized!
It's gloomy and rainy out, supposed to storm, so we're trying to get the blogs out now, before there's thunder and lightning. Mom got her mani/pedi this morning, bees and flowers on the fingernails! Then she met Tia's mom for lunch, after coming home to feed the baby squirrels. Not much to report on, so we won't bore you with trivia. See you tomorrow, hope you are having a good spring day. Hugs, FalcoCome visit me, Gizmo, VOTE LUIGI BOTM 225307, Willie,YAY, the Keets have a team!, In Divo's memory & Falco, VOTE LUIGI( 225307) BOTM.
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04/19/2013 01:10.45 PM
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Jesse
Aww, all the babies sound so sweet! It's baby season at the wildlife center too but they don't have many birds yet. They think it's because of the late spring this year, it didn't really get nice until about a week ago. We have lots of flowers coming up, but there are lots of weeds, too. Mom needs to get busy, I say. Hugs, FalcoCome visit me, Gizmo, VOTE LUIGI BOTM 225307, Willie,YAY, the Keets have a team!, In Divo's memory & Falco, VOTE LUIGI( 225307) BOTM.
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04/18/2013 12:09.00 PM
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microwave in the morning
When the microwave starts in the morning, thawing out the frozen birdie bread, all the parrotlets start chattering away. They know breakfast is coming. Its pretty amazing that they start in as soon as the microwave is going. They don't do that any other time with the microwave except in the morning when their breakfast is being cooked. Pretty amazing.Come visit me, Zeus (ORB) : in Memorium, Dad of All the Birds, Widget, Tessa, Zena (Zena Warrior Princess), Winston & Zachary.
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04/15/2013 04:47.17 AM
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Jesse
Thanks for a wonderful time. Last night was lots of fun, but again we didn't get to talk to everybirdie. If we missed you, we all apologize. Mom has 2 tours today in Dinosaurs, and needs to pick up more supplies for the baby squirrels, so we have to be brief today. She said don't expect pics of these 3, they came here with bushy tails and eyes open, so she hopes to have them back at the center by Wednesday at the latest, eating and not taking formula from a syringe. She won't photograph them because it may stress them too much, being that they can see and are active little ones, beginning to be wild babies. Hope you have a good day, it looks sunny but cool here. Hugs, FalcoCome visit me, Gizmo, VOTE LUIGI BOTM 225307, Willie,YAY, the Keets have a team!, In Divo's memory & Falco, VOTE LUIGI( 225307) BOTM.
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04/14/2013 07:26.45 AM
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Jesse
Those kits are looking a bit better, as of yesterday, but they still don't have a mom and dad to take care of them. The staff is cautiously optimistic that they will be released in about 16 weeks, though. That's how long they stay at home, too. Mom is giving a tour today in Empowering Women, a temporary exhibit that she loves, then 2 tours in Dinosaur hall, which she also loves. Come to think of it, there aren't any places in the museum that she doesn't love. The EW exhibit deals with women in third world countries who have turned cottage industries into real money makers for their villages: some women in Bolivia even saved an endangered plant! There are women in Laos, India, Nepal, Sudan, Kenya, South Africa, Morocco, and other places who have improved their lives through their art and crafts, too. These are all late tours, so if we get even a little sun today, I know she'll be back in the garden beds, clearing them for new growth and seeing what space we have. Hope you are having a great day! Hugs, FalcoCome visit me, Gizmo, VOTE LUIGI BOTM 225307, Willie,YAY, the Keets have a team!, In Divo's memory & Falco, VOTE LUIGI( 225307) BOTM.
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04/11/2013 07:20.42 AM
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Jesse
I would love to attend the milonga with you, thank you for asking! I don't think being on or off the calendar page has anything to do with it, just that people don't vote for poor Caly. Even if she's pretend, she's Dania's comfort.
The first 6 pics in my gallery today are from the spring flower show at Phipps Conservatory. There are more pics on Willie's and Gizmo's pages, too. Mom got the phone to computer thing figured out, it was easy.
Today mom trained a new guy at the center, and it was kind of funny because he thought today was the only training he would need. They actually do 4 sessions with new folks, then they decide if the new ones can volunteer. Anyway, he scheduled Wed. with mom too, so she must have done okay.
Baby season has officially started! There were baby raccoons today, more bunnies, squirrels, and a kind of sad thing. Some guy brought in a litter of fox kits after he shot the mother! He didn't realize she was defending her babies, and thought she might be dangerous, so he killed her, then found the babies. Some days, mom likes animals a whole lot more than she does people! Hope you are having a warm day, we are! Mom might get to some of the garden beds today, Yay! Hugs, FalcoCome visit me, Gizmo, VOTE LUIGI BOTM 225307, Willie,YAY, the Keets have a team!, In Divo's memory & Falco, VOTE LUIGI( 225307) BOTM.
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04/08/2013 10:05.14 AM
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flyin by to say hi
Hope we can open up the windows tomorrow or at least Tuesday, at least according to the forecast. We take the screens off for the Winter and store them in a contractors bag in the basement. So it was time to get them washed and up. In spite of being in the bag, they still manage to get dusty. Go figure. Anyway, the birdies, the wife and I will be looking forward to some fresh air.
Some of the cacti and succlents went out today for some real sun, though I put them in as much shade as I could as they will get burned if put directly out. They've been under lights all winter so they need to adjust to the brighter conditions. Nice to be doing all this Spring work! Hope everybirdie is well. Here's a vote for you.Come visit me, Zeus (ORB) : in Memorium, Dad of All the Birds, Widget, Tessa, Zena (Zena Warrior Princess), Winston & Zachary.
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04/07/2013 11:49.21 AM
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Hey Jesse
We think you're right about Caly, but the kissing booth, flower shop, etc, routinely win BOTD, so why not a pretend bird? We have no trouble voting for her, her mom seems like a nice teen.
The new pic is another tuktuk, which the 5 travelers piled into when they finished shopping in Bangkok. They had all their packages, too, and giggled all the way back to the hotel. Mom is going to the spring flower show today at Phipps conservatory, so we might have pics to share soon. If there is nothing spectacular there, though, we won't. Mom will be taking pics with her new phone, so she may have to learn how to get them from the phone to the computer. Hope you have a great day! Hugs, Falco♥Come visit me, Gizmo, VOTE LUIGI BOTM 225307, Willie,YAY, the Keets have a team!, In Divo's memory & Falco, VOTE LUIGI( 225307) BOTM.
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04/05/2013 07:01.29 AM
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Jesse
Well, mom saw the first baby bunnies at the center yesterday! There are a couple of litters, so it looks like baby season has officially started. The avian nursery is all torn up right now because they are installing a bathroom for the volunteers. It will be welcome, as they have to walk on ice in the winter to find one. (It's in another building on the property.) Mom is hoping no baby birds get there before they finish the construction. She did some cages from the nursery yesterday, but they were in the small flight aviary. There are a couple of cedar waxwings who have overwintered at the center, a finch, and some pigeons all in separate cages in there. The little house finch got out, but mom was able to net it and replace it in the cage. Today for the first time, it's supposed to get into the 50s, and they're guessing mid 60s by Sunday. We really hope the weather guessers are right this time, we're so ready for spring! Hope you are having a bright, sunshiney day! I stopped by Zeena's page to say hello too. Hugs, FalcoCome visit me, Gizmo, VOTE LUIGI BOTM 225307, Willie,YAY, the Keets have a team!, In Divo's memory & Falco, VOTE LUIGI( 225307) BOTM.
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04/04/2013 07:22.59 AM
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Hey Jesse
It was a real surprise being voted BOTD yesterday! I was sorry that Caly didn't make it again, though. Thank you for the congratulations!
That Buddha was lasered onto the rock face, then filled in with 4700kilos of gold.
My pics today are still from the elephant show, one is showing the tee shirts that the elephants paint, the other is them actually painting the shirts. The third pic is Nghi's husband, Duc, getting picked up by elephants. Mom did that too, but those pics are on her (lost) camera. Willie and Giz have pics on their pages, too. Hope you stop to see them. Hugs, FalcoCome visit me, Gizmo, VOTE LUIGI BOTM 225307, Willie,YAY, the Keets have a team!, In Divo's memory & Falco, VOTE LUIGI( 225307) BOTM.
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04/03/2013 10:58.47 AM
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Jesse
Mom makes a really good Easter bread, but it's labor intensive with lots of eggs in the dough. She uses 18 eggs and nearly 4 lbs of flour for each dough, and usually makes 3 of them. This year, she made one dough, and says that's all she will do from now on. It has anise oil in it, which makes the house smell heavenly! Thank you so much for the lovely rose! I really like it a lot.
We had a lovely Easter Sunday here, with the family all here for dinner. Mom was laughing, it took her 3 days to get it all ready, and it took one hour to demolish it! Still, everyone had enough to eat and enjoyed each other as well as the meal. Hope you had a great day, too. Did you see the surprise??? Chyna has been gearing up for her BOTM run, and she's BOTM THIS month!!! Also, beware April Fool jokes today! Hope you get lots of hugs and attention, though. Hugs, FalcoCome visit me, Gizmo, VOTE LUIGI BOTM 225307, Willie,YAY, the Keets have a team!, In Divo's memory & Falco, VOTE LUIGI( 225307) BOTM.
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04/01/2013 11:01.12 AM
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Jesse
A joyous and blessed Easter to you, your flock, and family! Hugs, Falco, Willie, Gizmo, and mom ArleneCome visit me, Gizmo, VOTE LUIGI BOTM 225307, Willie,YAY, the Keets have a team!, In Divo's memory & Falco, VOTE LUIGI( 225307) BOTM.
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03/31/2013 08:16.52 AM
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Hey Jesse
The ricotta pie is done, the Easter cheese is in the fridge, the Easter bread is baked! Mom did the bird part of the egg hunt today, and they gave out the best eggs of all! There were little fuzzy chicks in different colors in the plastic eggs they handed out, and the kids loved them. Mom has some of them in a bigger size, but these were precious! After our blogging the wedding soup prep and the house cleaning will take place, at least until mom gets tired of it. The soup is the priority at this point. Our house smells so good, like Easter bread! Hope you are all ready for Easter, and can relax and have fun today. Hugs, FalcoCome visit me, Gizmo, VOTE LUIGI BOTM 225307, Willie,YAY, the Keets have a team!, In Divo's memory & Falco, VOTE LUIGI( 225307) BOTM.
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03/30/2013 11:39.42 AM
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Hey Jesse
Good to hear from you, and the great news about Sky and Little Angel made our day! We are so happy for your flock and mom. Mom is making Easter dinner for the family, so she started today. Mom did a tour with second graders yesterday, and it was fun: they went to Charlie and Kiwi's Evolutionary adventure, then to Polar World and part of American Indians. The hour flew by! Then she got the rest of the groceries for Easter dinner. This morning she made the dough for Easter Bread, and later she'll make a hard custard that the family calls Easter cheese. That one is pretty labor intensive, requires standing and stirring over a double boiler for what seems like hours! That's why they only see it at Easter, heehee. Tomorrow, mom will work the egg hunt at the museum, in bird hall, of all places. Wonder why they put her there, eh? Well, I hope you are having a good day, the temp here is around 40, so we're hopeful that spring will arrive someday soon. Hugs, FalcoCome visit me, Gizmo, VOTE LUIGI BOTM 225307, Willie,YAY, the Keets have a team!, In Divo's memory & Falco, VOTE LUIGI( 225307) BOTM.
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03/29/2013 09:19.39 AM
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Oh Jesse
Don't worry about getting here, I'm keeping an eye out on the calendar page to check on Sky and Little Angel. We are praying that all goes well. We heard that Paula from Quebec is giving your mom some advice, she is a great resource! She also asked a few good questions: What will a mother rodent do if her nest is disturbed? (She eats the young!) And Should a person who bites fingernails or tears out their hair be euthanized?? I think those are fine examples of the types of questions your mom can ask, and I believe she has the right to refuse them entry... not sure about that, since we're not Canadian, but in the US, for sure that's true. Hugs, FalcoCome visit me, Gizmo, VOTE LUIGI BOTM 225307, Willie,YAY, the Keets have a team!, In Divo's memory & Falco, VOTE LUIGI( 225307) BOTM.
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03/27/2013 09:26.50 AM
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Hey Jesse
Thank you for the compliment! There were so many pretty birds there.
Mom was using bad words this morning, but she was outside at the time, shoveling some heavy, wet snow off the walk and driveway. That means we won't learn them, she hopes. Really, we couldn't hear her, but we could see the look on her face. Her arms are sore, but at least she got to the center for her shift. Her trainee called off, the wimp! They got their first squirrel! Baby season is late, but it's starting. Usually after the first one shows up, they get deluged with them. It's late this year because of the cold, though. Mom is waiting for her first fosters... The furnace people are coming again after noon today, so another day without swimming, but maybe this time the furnace will be done at last. Hope you are having a better day, snowless at least. Hugs, FalcoCome visit me, Gizmo, VOTE LUIGI BOTM 225307, Willie,YAY, the Keets have a team!, In Divo's memory & Falco, VOTE LUIGI( 225307) BOTM.
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03/25/2013 08:53.01 AM
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Oh Jesse
Thank you for the lovely corsage and for the even lovelier time last night. It was great to be at the milonga with you.
We're supposed to get another 4-7 inches of snow tonight! We were late getting to the milonga last night: mom had a volunteer event (a dinner with speeches, thanking the volunteers) and the furnace was off again yesterday. Mom called the furnace people as soon as she realized the heat was off, but they never got here until after she returned from the dinner for volunteers. She had her daughter and son in law sitting here with us, waiting for the repairman, too. Also, mom got a real cell phone yesterday, so she's figuring her way into the 21st century. Before you ask, she had a trac phone before, which was pay by the minute, and didn't do anything except make/receive calls. The new one does everything, apparently, except cook meals and sew. Hope you are having a great day with lots of attention. Hugs, FalcoCome visit me, Gizmo, VOTE LUIGI BOTM 225307, Willie,YAY, the Keets have a team!, In Divo's memory & Falco, VOTE LUIGI( 225307) BOTM.
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03/24/2013 08:33.59 AM
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Luck of the Irish
Thanks for the invite to the Milonga page! Dad got home pretty late from the Agility Trial with Babette this week-end. Have to get up at 5 a.m. for tomorrow's runs so I won't be long. We're doing pretty well at the trials. We got a first place finish in Level 4 'Jumpers'. We also got a finish in Level 4 'Wildcard' but I didn't stick around to see the final results because I knew I would be able to get the results tomorrow (Sunday).
Anyway, speaking of 'luck of the Irish', my wife, Char noticed that the Cordon bleu cage door had sprung open somehow. I left the house at 6 a.m. and she didn't notice it until 9 a.m. I don't 'wake' up the birds at that hour and leave it to Char so I don't know how long that door had been open. Anyway, the two Cordon bleus were still in there. They had not discovered the open door. Luck of the Irish!
Here's a vote for you.Come visit me, Zeus (ORB) : in Memorium, Dad of All the Birds, Widget, Tessa, Zena (Zena Warrior Princess), Winston & Zachary.
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03/23/2013 05:26.47 PM
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Hi Jesse,
How are you? It's Oz and I want to Thank You for coming to see me today. I was so surprised to see my face as BOTD. What a great time I'm having in the Castle today. Listen if I don't hear from Taz, I'll still go to the dance and maybe, just maybe I'll meet up with your Cousin, Mikey! Hope you'll be there too. I know Casey will cause he's my Girlfriend Tia's Guy. Okay, I have to go. Here's a vote for you. Bye and I hope I see you soon.Come visit me, Parker, Apache, Oz & Cheyenne.
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03/23/2013 04:53.22 PM
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Hey Jesse
The National Weather Service guessers were in Pittsburgh yesterday and said spring would get here the 2nd week of APRIL!!! We are so tired of winter!
Does anyone out there want the Bird Talk Annual? Mom ordered it once with her points, then she ordered Birds USA with her points, but they (finally) sent another Bird Talk. Since she's already read it, she is willing to mail a pristine edition to anyone who wants it, with a bonus of one or 2 Parrots magazines that she has finished reading.
Hope to see you tonight at the milonga. We'll be late, though. You can pick me up if you want to blog for both of us until I get there with my brothers, though. Hugs, FalcoCome visit me, Gizmo, VOTE LUIGI BOTM 225307, Willie,YAY, the Keets have a team!, In Divo's memory & Falco, VOTE LUIGI( 225307) BOTM.
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03/23/2013 07:18.21 AM
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A visit to the Kissing Booth
Thanks for teaching me how to get to the Kissing Booth. Fun!
We did okay at the Agility Trials this week-end. We compete in CPE (Canine Performance Events) and Babette got her Level 2 title with a Level 2 qualifying run ('Q') in a point game called Snooker. And we had a 'Q' at the C level (Championship) Full House. We had trouble with the weave poles this week-end. Sometimes we're on, and sometimes not. Hee, hee.
We got snow too. Rats. Got out to work on Monday to do some Winter pruning, but rest of the week is shot now.
Tomorrow I am teaching a course in pruning for the Master Gardeners at the UConn Agr. Extension Service and Friday I am off to a gardening conference so that's the week. And we have another Agility Trial this coming week-end. I try not to do two week-ends in a row like that but we did not compete from Dec. through this past week-end. And we have no trials scheduled for April. Next one is in May. Tried to get into one in February, but didn't get in (they draw entries by lottery and there were 600 entries for 400 runs).
Well, time to clean half the bird cages. The other half get cleaned tomorrow (this is the take down cleaning, not just the bottom part of the cage).
Happy Spring! Such as it is :-)Come visit me, Zeus (ORB) : in Memorium, Dad of All the Birds, Widget, Tessa, Zena (Zena Warrior Princess), Winston & Zachary.
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03/20/2013 06:50.09 AM
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Hey Jesse
It's really icy out today! Mom called the center and said she'd be there when the driveway looks cleaner. She spread salt, but the way the rain/snow/ice mix is coming down she suspects it's just getting washed down to the drain.
Well, the next day on the beach was a trip to Monkey Island. There were tons of monkeys running around, snatching food from people. There was a short dog race with all kinds of dogs, not greyhounds, and they just ran a short track. There was a drag raceway for people to ride, but mom and Nghi sat and had tea while the guys rode around. When they got back to the mainland, they went to a market which was huge! Nghi shopped some, mom looked a lot, and they tried some cold 'soup' which was really a juice with a lot of fruit and ice floating in it. Later they went swimming and bought fresh lobster, shrimp, and scallops on the beach from a woman who was walking along selling, then grilling the stuff in front of the buyers. Very fresh food! That night, they took the overnight train back to Saigon. The next day was mom's last, sob sob. Hope you're having a great day today.
Don't forget Girls Night out tonight, 8 Eastern at the TPB&G. If you're a girl, we hope to see you there! Hugs, FalcoCome visit me, Gizmo, VOTE LUIGI BOTM 225307, Willie,YAY, the Keets have a team!, In Divo's memory & Falco, VOTE LUIGI( 225307) BOTM.
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03/18/2013 06:38.15 AM
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Hey Jesse
Giz is now inducted into the 10K Hall of Fame, hope you can come to see him at the party/reception today! Mom is going to the opera tonight, and working at the museum tomorrow, so that's our weekend. Of course, we'll have time with her this afternoon and tomorrow evening, so we aren't losing out much.
The second day in My Tho was spent at a zoo there which features reptiles and birds. There were all kinds of cool snakes, peacocks and hens, eagles, hawks, ostriches, etc. The car driver came into the zoo with mom and her friends, too. After the ride back to Saigon, mom got her hair done, then they packed for the beach at Nha Trang (pronounced Nyetcheng). They took an overnight train to the resort, so they all slept in berths on the train. Hope you are having a great day, see you at Giz's party! Hugs, FalcoCome visit me, Gizmo, VOTE LUIGI BOTM 225307, Willie,YAY, the Keets have a team!, In Divo's memory & Falco, VOTE LUIGI( 225307) BOTM.
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03/16/2013 07:34.34 AM
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Hi there Jesse
Dad is taking the Pembroke Welsh Corgi, Babette to an Agility Trial this week-end. We hadn't competed all Winter and now we have two week-ends in a row to compete. This trial starts at 2 pm today with 2 runs, then 4 runs Saturday and 4 runs on Sunday. When Babette runs, she usually competes a course in about a minute, so there is a lot of down time in between runs so I volunteer in the ring if they need ring crew and there are some other spots to keep me busy. Sat. and Sun. I have to get up at 5 a.m. so my wife will take care of the birds' breakfasts. That way, I have some more time in the morning and that hour is too early for them to get up. I usually get back around dinner time, but sometimes it is later. Long day, but we have a lot of fun and Babette loves it. Next week-end we are going to try out our other Pembroke, Teddie. She is much younger and still tends to be a little wild in the ring in the Agility classes. We are just doing one event with Teddie called Jumpers which is just jumps and tunnels so it is a good course for a beginner at Level 1. Babette is in the upper Levels in competition and in one event she is in the Championship class.
Thanks for telling me about the link in the bird aviary. I didn't know you could get links by clicking on the aviary. Haven't found the 'kissing booth' yet, but I'll keep looking.
Here's a vote for you.Come visit me, Zeus (ORB) : in Memorium, Dad of All the Birds, Widget, Tessa, Zena (Zena Warrior Princess), Winston & Zachary.
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03/15/2013 08:17.19 AM
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Hey Jesse
Winter is not over yet here in Pittsburgh. We had snow again yesterday. Mom is tired of seeing and shoveling it.
Well, the last day in Thailand was just a matter of getting to the airport, then back to Saigon. Once in Saigon, the 5 friends (mom and her 4 companions) went to dinner in a really nice restaurant, upstairs where there was air conditioning. They feasted on Vietnamese food, pork, shrimp, spring rolls with lots of greens. Here's where mom misses the camera, she took pics of this food, it looked so good! Then it was back to Nghi's house to visit with her mom and all the aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. who live there, then off to the hotel for mom. It was a good day to rest. More to come, though. Hope you are having a good day today! Hugs, FalcoCome visit me, Gizmo, VOTE LUIGI BOTM 225307, Willie,YAY, the Keets have a team!, In Divo's memory & Falco, VOTE LUIGI( 225307) BOTM.
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03/14/2013 07:22.58 AM
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That is a lot of birds
Two hundred birds to care for, huh? Wow, that IS a lot of birds. We are down to 30 from about 50. But we only have 10 cages to take care of so that is not so bad. All our birds are small. The biggest bird is Tessa, our love bird, followed by the budgies. I don't blame your Mom for downsizing. Whenever I see a bird I might want, I ask myself if I have the time to devote to it, especially if it is a companion bird. Speaking of devoting time to the birds, time to clean some of the cages this morning. Hope everybirdie is well. Here is a vote for you.Come visit me, Zeus (ORB) : in Memorium, Dad of All the Birds, Widget, Tessa, Zena (Zena Warrior Princess), Winston & Zachary.
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03/13/2013 07:04.10 AM
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Hey Jesse
It sounds like your house is getting really full of birds!
What a busy day came next! The focus on this day was Eastern medicine and food. The first stop was called a butterfly garden, but it was really a spot where there were artificial caverns and dioramas explaining how bird's nest soup nests were harvested. Then swallows whose nests are used prefer to be in caverns, often in inaccessible places, so gathering the nests after the young have fledged is a difficult and dangerous process. Of course, the humans all sampled the soup, which was sweet and kind of viscous. This place also featured lots of bee products, honey, pollen, etc. But the group was led into a room where there was a lecture about the medicinal benefits of the bee products as well as some other things like tiger bone, which kind of turned mom's stomach. The Vietnamese guide whispered to her that she couldn't take this stuff into America, and she whispered back that she wouldn't want to! She was trying hard not to be judgmental, but really!
The next stop was a large market that sold lots of snack foods, but not like you're thinking--the snacks were things like candy and cashews, but also included dried, salted shrimp, cuttlefish, sea stars, small whole fish, fish crackers, fish strips that looked like long shoestring potatoes, etc. Mom mostly walked around and looked, while her friends bought a ton of stuff. After the market, the group went to a cobra show, then heard about the benefits of snake medicines. Talk about snake oil salesmen! Then it was off to a leather factory which made crocodile, elephant, and sting ray leathers. By this time it was nearing 1PM, so lunch was in Bangkok's largest hotel, on the 76th floor. Once everyone finished lunch, it was off to a large Buddhist temple, where they climbed to the top floor to see the Buddha, ring a bell (for luck), and then it was off to the hotel to check in. This hotel had a pool, so mom and her friends made use of it before dinner. After dinner the group went to what was called a 'gay' show, but was really a large group of transexuals who performed. Most of these guys were undergoing transformation to women, and had implants and some surgical procedures, not like American drag queens. The show was actually beautiful, classy, and the girls came outside afterwards to get pictures taken. After such a long day, it felt good to go to sleep! More to come, hope you are having a fantastic day! Hugs, FalcoCome visit me, Gizmo, VOTE LUIGI BOTM 225307, Willie,YAY, the Keets have a team!, In Divo's memory & Falco, VOTE LUIGI( 225307) BOTM.
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03/12/2013 10:58.20 AM
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Hey Jesse
That's fine, you can blog for the 2 of us then, until mom gets home.
The next day in Thailand was a beach adventure. The group went to an island in the Gulf of Siam and hung out for the morning. When they got there, it cracked mom up, because the beach was covered wall to wall with umbrellas which overlapped each other so that no sun would come through! Mom has a different attitude, wanted to get a bit of color, but Asians value light skin tones, so even on the beach they cover up and stay protected. Mom tried durian on the beach. It's a very different fruit. It looks ugly on the outside, and has an awful smell, but on the inside, it tastes like custard!
After the beach, the group went for a tour of the World Gems market. After the gems, the people went to the floating market, which was huge! Mom wanted much more time there than they got. She barely saw 1/4 of the shops and boats. After dinner, everyone went to a show which mom will not talk about on a family channel! Hope you are having a great day. Hugs, FalcoCome visit me, Gizmo, VOTE LUIGI BOTM 225307, Willie,YAY, the Keets have a team!, In Divo's memory & Falco, VOTE LUIGI( 225307) BOTM.
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03/11/2013 11:05.14 AM
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Hey Jesse
If you want to blog for both of us, I'll have mom drop me off before she leaves, then when she gets back, she can blog for me and the boys.
On the second day in Thailand, the tour group was up and out early! The first stop was the Sriracha Tiger Zoo, where they saw calculating pigs answer math questions (as long as the answers were between 1 and 6), a pig race, a crocodile show, and a tiger show. The group was rushed from event to event, so mom didn't have much time to see the zoo itself. They had lunch in a city called Pattaya, southeast of Bangkok, and they stayed there for 2 days in the same hotel. After lunch, they headed for NongNooch Tropical Garden where they saw a Thai cultural show, with lots of historic costumes, dances, battle gear, musical instruments, etc. The climax of that show was 2 guys on elephants fighting with swords. Then the group went to see the elephant show. Mom took a ton of pics here, but we won't see them unless the camera gets returned. They are working on elephant conservation, but have trained about 20 to 30 of them for this show. They ranged in size from babies to huge adults, with the babies performing 'Gangnam Style' by dancing and twirling hula hoops on their trunks. Mom had her picture taken with a live tiger and on the trunks of 2 elephants.
Next 2 stops were an orchid garden and a Buddha carved and gilded into the side of a mountain. It was carved by laser and filled in with 4753kg of melted gold.
Hope your day is beautiful, more to come tomorrow. Hugs, FalcoCome visit me, Gizmo, VOTE LUIGI BOTM 225307, Willie,YAY, the Keets have a team!, In Divo's memory & Falco, VOTE LUIGI( 225307) BOTM.
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03/10/2013 07:08.36 AM
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Hey Jesse
I'm so happy to hear that Casper is doing better. As for the milonga, mom has plans for that evening, but hopes to be home by 9 or so. If possible, I could meet you there. I wouldn't want you to wait until I get home to pick me up for a date.
Mom's second day in SE Asia was spent traveling to Thailand by air, then getting on a bus with a large group of Vietnamese tourists. They went into Bangkok, got on a boat and went upriver a little way to feed some special fish. Then they went to a Buddhist shrine with the 4 faced Buddha, some temple dancers, lots of elephant statues, and people putting flowers and incense in front of the statue. It was a beautiful shrine, right on a street corner! After that visit, the group had dinner in a local restaurant. This was a harbinger of dinners on the whole tour. They served everything family style, on a large lazy susan in the middle of the table. You could get a dish of rice or noodles, then put a taste of everything on it! Soup was served every meal, too, including breakfast. After dinner, we went to the hotel and checked in. Some of the group was going out, but mom thought it was time for Nghi to spend time with her husband and a few friends who came on the tour, so she stayed in the room and let the young people go out on the town.
Some folks are asking about pics. If mom's camera turns up, she will post pics to go with the stories. If it doesn't, maybe she can get Nghi to share her pics when she comes back from Vietnam. She stayed there an extra couple of weeks, so will be back late in March.
Hope you are having a great day. Mom is leading tours at the wildlife center today, so I have to go. See you tomorrow! Hugs, FalcoCome visit me, Gizmo, VOTE LUIGI BOTM 225307, Willie,YAY, the Keets have a team!, In Divo's memory & Falco, VOTE LUIGI( 225307) BOTM.
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03/09/2013 06:47.33 AM
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Hi there Jesse
Dad was pretty disappointed we had another 9" of snow. But here it is, 9 a.m. and it is already above freezing so perhaps we'll have some melting today.
Finally hit the 400,000 point total here. Happy about that. And I'm in 12th place with the quizzes. Sure would like to get into the top 5.
All the birdies have had their breakfast. Tessa is back to her usual self and not so aggressive outside of the cage. She sat with me for quite a while last night before volunteering to go back to her cage on her own.
All the clocks get to be set ahead an hour tonight. I've been progressing with lights and food with the birds so there is not too much of a change in their routine. We'll be within 15 minutes of the new time. Been getting them ahead slowly for the past couple of weeks.
Well, lots of errands to run today. Hope everybirdie is well. Here's a vote for you.Come visit me, Zeus (ORB) : in Memorium, Dad of All the Birds, Widget, Tessa, Zena (Zena Warrior Princess), Winston & Zachary.
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03/09/2013 06:04.55 AM
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Oh Jesse
Please do stop by daily, it will be great to get to know you better. I'm so happy to be back online and talking to my friends again. I know mom had fun, but I missed everyone, so thanks for the welcome back! I have forgiven mom, sat with her and preened her hair yesterday.
Mom spent one day on motorbike visiting sites in Saigon, including the Catholic church in town, Independence Palace, a bar where a guy was demonstrating and playing native Vietnamese instruments, and a Buddhist Temple. The Palace was interesting, but mom liked the music better, and was fascinated by instruments made from bamboo, other woods, and even stones! The Buddhist temple was the largest one in the city, and she and her friend stood under a tree waiting for flowers to drop into their hands. Guess what? They both had a flower drop into their hands within 10 minutes. Mom's friend Nghi (pronounced knee) said it was a very lucky thing to catch them before they hit the ground. The motor bike was kind of scary, because there are apparently very few traffic rules in the city, but there are seemingly millions of folks on motor bikes on every street! Very few cars, many bicycles, and tons of motor bikes going every which way made for an exciting ride, but lots of pollution in the air. More to come! Hugs, FalcoCome visit me, Gizmo, VOTE LUIGI BOTM 225307, Willie,YAY, the Keets have a team!, In Divo's memory & Falco, VOTE LUIGI( 225307) BOTM.
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03/08/2013 07:18.23 AM
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