100 Happy Days
GC and I were walking to the bus stop the other morning and he asked if I wanted to do the 100-Day Happiness Challenge with him. “Absolutely,” I said. “What…
lovebirds
Happy Second Bird-Day Oboe
I’ve known Oboe since he was a freshly laid egg. He was the third of four eggs in Billie and Lester’s first clutch. We had a webcam on the nest,…
The politically (and otherwise) incorrect former mayor
I see Larry O’Brien has apologized. At the official unveiling of his portrait at City Hall last night, he told a reporter he was sorry about the racial slur. Instead…
He’s got altitude
Guess who flew??? Yup. All the way from me to his house, which was about five feet. It was a wobbly and fluttery flight, but a glorious one. I’m SO…
The high cost of loving an animal
Oboe at the Vet's I know there are people out there wondering why anyone would spend twelve hundred bucks to save the life of a bird that could be replaced…
What the parrot told me
Just a quick update. 1. Oboe’s still making progress. Little baby steps. Today was the first day he didn’t weigh less than the day before. 44 grams, same as yesterday.…
Duncan’s business trip
I think Oboe has turned the corner! He seems a little brighter and livelier today, and he ate a little breakfast on his own. He’s still spending all his time…
The art of worrying in the middle of the night
It is 1:53 in the morning and I am up worrying. I got tired of lying in bed worrying, so I got up. Some people are prone to worrying in…
Welcome home, Oboe
We brought Oboe home from the hospital last night. There hadn’t been any improvement since Friday, but no deterioration either. Poor little guy. Life’s tough right now. But so is…
Good news!
We went to visit Oboe in the hospital again this evening, and he seems to be improving. His breathing still isn’t great, and the vet says it might be a…
Oboe update
He’s still in the hospital. He’s not out of the woods yet. The vet wants him to get a little better on his own before she treats him, because she…
Oboe’s in the hospital
Oboe’s luck ran out tonight. Duncan finally caught him. We took him to the vet and they admitted him. He needs pain meds, antibiotics, tube feeding, x-rays, and I forget…
Everybody wants a piece of Oboe
Duncan tested negative for hyperthyroidism, so now we’re treating him for irritable bowel syndrome. If he responds well to the treatment, then that’s probably what he’s got. If not, we’ll…
Oboe and the ceiling fan
Ceiling fans are one of the leading causes of death among pet birds. It’s so common, there’s even a term for it: shredded tweet. I only have two ceiling fans…
Oboe flew away
It was 4:30 on Saturday afternoon. The birds were all out of their houses and I was sweeping the floors. As I stepped outside to empty the dustpan into the…
Duncan and the Diabolical Genius
Sometimes Duncan seems like his perfectly normal old self, hopping in the car to go for a ride to the donut shop, catching a mouse or having a 17-hour nap…
Parrots: Winged toddlers who never grow up
A lot of people get rid of their parrots once they realize what they’ve gotten themselves into. Even if they’ve done their research, it’s one thing to read about it…