Nesting

Our fledgelings have left the nest, but before the whole family flew the coop, I managed to snag a blurry picture of Mom and Dad hanging out on a nearby branch to catch a breather between feedings. On this particular day I was working from home at the kitchen table and had the chance to notice the comings and goings of these hard-working parents as they made their way back and forth to the nest with worms, caterpillars and miscellaneous flying bugs. After each feeding, they would fly back to this same branch outside the kitchen window and preen, side by side. The next day, the whole family was gone. I'm glad I had a chance to watch the these tireless little wonders!

With all the bird activity, I decided to start one of my back-burner projects and make Clementine her very own indoor tree perch. Not being a very confident bird with her footing, I'm not sure how she'll take to something so jungle-gym like, but we'll see. I thought it would be nice to keep her big old cage in the office and have the tree out in the family room for her to sit on while we are home. It takes less space and it would give her a different place to be so it's not the same old, same old. I used one of the fallen branches in our yard and bought screws and bolts to construct this tree of perches. I had to strip the bark and will give it a douse of bleach water to kill all bacteria, fungi and bugs.

The tree was still not completely debarked because the outdoor temps soared again, so it had to remain outside. But after the neighboring birds got used to it being on the deck, some adventurous ones came by to make sure it was sturdy enough.

It's been turtle-nesting season, I'm thinking, because they are on the move just lately. Sadly, many get run over on the roads because they are trying to get to wherever they are trying to get to on the other side of the road, and they are not quite fast enough. Plus, they just ball up in their shell when a car comes their way. I have had to pull over and hitchhike a few to the other side.

This guy was cruising the perimeter of our veggie garden and was making a hasty retreat when I came by. Luckily, even at his fast pace, I was able to tap on the window to get Paul, he got his shoes on, found the camera and came out to grab a picture before the turtle could make the large 10 foot journey to the underbrush.

Even I am nesting. It kicked in and my gosh the projects that can be accomplished when focused! Curtains for both family room windows are nearly done after a few weekends of hard work (I've had the fabric for about a year), and wow are they orange! I love the color but they are orangier hanging than they were flat, so I'm working on ways to blend the colors in with the rest of the room and I think painting the walls will be key, along with some accessories.

Fairy: A Happy Feathered Friend

Unbelievably, after 8 months, we think we've found out what has been causing our little "Fairy Munchkin" to be so noisy and needy.

On New Year's Eve, I had just finished filling out a questionnaire for Phoenix Landing, a non-profit organization that re-homes birds. Having my stress level on overdrive for 8 months and being reduced to tears over the constant wear on my nerves from the little bird, we finally decided that the only solution was to find her a home with a family that was home more. We figured it was our long work hours that must have gotten to her. As the vet and behaviorist suggested, we tried regular bath time, teaching her new tricks, tried to develop a consistent routine and bedtime, had her with me if I went into a different room to sew, etc. None of that worked. I prayed for patience, prayed for bird's change in perspective and finally prayed to understand what she was trying to communicate.

So on New Year's Eve, after a long 5 days off with her around Christmas time, I began to fill out the questionnaire. Not ready to send, but just so it was ready. Then, getting a bit of inspiration, I asked Paul, "What do you think about trying to move her to a different spot?" We had done this already, but maybe she didn't like being near a window. Paul, eager to try anything to keep his bird from going up for adoption, he jumped up and helped me move her cage to a wall furthest from the window. This was halfway through the day, and by golly we didn't hear a peep out of her for the rest of the day! We continued with the routines of bedtime and playtime, but she was actually content for the first time.

Thinking it was a fluke, we were shocked when we had the most peaceful day at home yesterday that we have had since May when she started her thing. She played with toys, sat on different perches and watched what was going on, but not with the anxious body language, the call to be held, etc. She didn't scream if we left the room. She was a relaxed bird! I think, and I'm hesitant to assume this is the solution, but I think that something must have happened in the window that has scared her (she used to love windows). We have noticed lots of hawks around, and maybe one tried to fly into the window at her in May. I don't know, but she seems so much happier. After all that time, poor bird must have been trying to say she was scared. I am so thankful, so, so thankful that we might be on a path towards peace in our home, a much happier bird, and a much happier me!

Fairy content on her "boing" toy.

Bringing in the Winter

It's been a cold fall so fall seemed to blend seamlessly into winter here... although we did have some T-shirt days this December! I've been in the field for the last two weeks sprinkled with a few days in the office, so the weekends have been jam packed with getting things done and having fun for the Christmas time. A summary of the past 3 weeks.. wow has it been that long?

Our girls have been anxiously awaiting santa, especially Clementine who loves the extra snacks: walnuts and noodles and walnuts and pistacios and walnuts.....

Fairy, the look of an angel but not so this year. We hope Santa will still be gracious, but we will have to see. She has been showing us her alter ego this year by way of behavior problems ranging from screaming, to overly clingy to biting. We took her to a therapist who is baffled.

We had lots of raking to do this fall, and this is the last of it. I dragged Paul out of bed two weekends ago to help, and he's most feeling sorry for himself here. It is a big job, especially since the wind blows the leaves from our neighbors yards into ours!

Same day: Paul helping with Christmas deco. Doesn't he look happy? It was a big day after all, but he got really into the decor after a few minutes and donned the traditional santa hat.


Paul in the Santa hat and the tree finished.

I went to a friend's from work (girls' night) and we did a craft - painted our glass Martinelli's, wine or water bottles, to fill with christmas lights.

Of course what girl party would be complete without the goodies? - everyone brought a dessert and a $5 ornament for the secret santa exchange.

Bottles finished!

Then we helped Tracy decorate her baby Christmas tree.

Today, Paul and I are baking to carry on the tradition. Paul "the Mincer" Pie from last year will be making a reappearance to bake his famous mince pies, and Kare "the bear" will be making cinnamon rolls again. We'll see how much gets done but we are keeping the goal loose so we will stop when we are tired.

Thinking of family all the time- we miss them so much. This is an especially joyous time of year and wanting to be near family and relive memories of days past seems to just come with the season. Not like those thoughts are not there the rest of the year, but especially at Christmas.

Exciting news on the family front: my brother and his wife are expecting their first child! And Paul's mum is making a wonderful recovery and is enjoying some pampering at Alison's, my dear sister-in-law.

I hope you are all able to enjoy your Christmas with loved ones and have much to be thankful for! Merry Christmas and lots of love!

Fairy's New Home (amongst other things)

Saturday was one of those days that you wake up with a list of to-dos by the side of the bed. I marched Paul out of bed at an early hour and we got ready to do a number of errands, some of which I would have done during the week if I wasn't riding my bike. Paul, being the organized one that he is, organized our list into two circuits. Trip one: cleaners to pick up ties, Target to return an item (Star Wars), Trader Joe's for groceries, come home to drop off groceries. Trip two: K-mart to return an item (Star Wars, of course), Parrot University to get seeds and treats, and Costco to get more groceries.

We conquered the list, and in the order outlined by Paul, with one slight deviation: we came home with a new home for Fairy from Parrot University. All cages are on sale 20% and we found one perfect for her with wheels (big plus). We had been planning this for about a year because although she's a small bird, she's got a big personality and needs lots of toys to keep her from being bored stiff. She's been looking a little stiff lately, when we leave for work, clinging to the side of the bars and staring at us as we leave. She doesn't play with her toys, and so we figured maybe there wasn't enough room to hang the number of toys she needs to stay occupied. A nice thing is that this cage doesn't take up any more floor space than her last one - it's just taller.

Do you see her in the back near the top? Notice how the doors are all open and she's happy inside.

Coming out to say hi....

With a chow mein noodle in hand, she is the happiest of birds!

She practically leaped onto her new home when it was assembled and she has been so happy playing. Today when I left for work she didn't cling to the bars, but was sitting on a toy ringing the bell and swinging. Tonight, when I let her out as usual, she didn't come running out like she usually does, but sat in on one of her perches quite content. What a relief she seems happier!

On Sunday, we were going to intersperse the day with trips into the spare bedroom to pull out boxes and search for Christmas decorations. But in the end, the day was busy enough without that upheaval so we have to save it for next weekend. Instead, after church I cut Paul's hair because he was complaining he looked shabby and we just putzed around. I did get some spinning in for Trish and some spinning in for The Sweater, but Trish will be pleased that I did two of her skeins to 1/2 of The Sweater skein (my "recreational spinning," as she calls it).

Oh, and I thought I'd say that we are still plowing through that Butternut Squash Soup that we made before Thanksgiving. Did I mention that it was enough to feed an army? Poor Paul gets more for his lunch tomorrow, because today afterwards he made the mistake of saying that it was "tasty with some cheese and bread to go with it." Wait till he sees that he's got it packed in his lunch bag for day 2!

More Spinning

The spin-as-I-knit theory has led me to finish another ball of yarn for the sweater project. I was knitting away and came to the end of the line and so took up spinning for the last day or so of lounging.

One bobbin of single, unplied yarn.

The same bobbin of yarn has now been plied and rolled into a ball for easy knitting. The sweater as shown doesn't really demonstrate well because the circular needles are short and so the whole thing is bunched up and I can't lay it flat for a good picture. In hindsight, I should have used 36" needles if they make such a thing, rather than 24" needles because it would be easier to see what I'm doing and I could try it on Paul to see if it is fitting right across the shoulders. I've been knitting from the neck down and am at the area where the sleeves will later be knitted.

Lounging is an understatement of our weekend. On Friday we did go have a look at our house to check on progress (dry wall is up!), and then started our Christmas shopping and errands.

I love the hardwood floors! They will be stained a walnut color.

View from "the gathering room" of the kitchen and front entry way.

Yesterday morning began our 10-11 hours of sleep each night because brrrrr... it's been cold and bed is so comfy. We've been drinking hot chocolate or tea,

slouching around in our PJ's, knitting, Star Warsing, spinning and movie watching. Yesterday we did not step a foot outside and today other than a walk to the dumpster and a trip to church, we did not go anywhere. It's been really relaxing and refreshing.

Odds and Ends

Yesterday finally felt like Fall in Charlotte. Paul and I had some errands to run and in general just drove around and went shopping-- with the roof down on the car to enjoy the crisp air.

We first took the birds for their grooming (nails and beaks) to Parrot U which is a great little store in Pineville that is actually filing to be non-profit. They take in birds that people don't want or can't handle anymore due to change in circumstances, etc. and they adopt them out to new homes. It's like the pound for birds except it's in a small little store. Birds are everywhere in the shop looking for new homes and since we've been going there several have been adopted. The folks that work there are wonderful and they are very experienced in bird handling, working hard with each bird to try to correct bad social habits (maybe we can take Clementine for some training) and make them more comfortable with new people. In addition, they offer about 6 or 7 free classes to the public on topics such as bird handling, behaviour and nutrition. We love what they are doing and so try to purchase most of our supplies and services from them.

We also went to the mall to cruise around Barnes and Noble and bought a few magazines -- Spin-Off for me, which has all kinds of new patterns on spinning and knitting socks and hats and it has all kinds of helpful tips and new tricks for the handspinners out there.

We also got a fitness magazine with some good workout routines and a book to read together before bed. We read the last few books of the Harry Potter series together and really enjoyed it so got another action/adventure/magical book called "The Onion Girl."

One other thing we did was stop by CVS to scan two of the patterns I used to sew my wedding dress. Friday night I was busy rounding up all my pictures and drawings and bits and pieces to work on my scrapbook today. I am sadly still working on 2004, a big year of events, and currently have invitation and wedding dress making on my next list to do for pages. We scanned in the pattern envelopes and had them printed as pictures to include in the album.

We finished off our errands by going to Trader Joe's -- a must for the grocery essentials. And then finished the day by having spaghetti while watching an old movie, "Around the World in 80 Days."

Treadmills, Dumbells and Dingbats

We decided that we both needed to get started on taking our fitness more seriously awhile back. The key phrase is "get started" but a year into this new frame of mind and we were no more fit than we were when we started. Our fitness routine was once around the block once a month or so, give or take.

Since we've been in Charlotte, though, we've done much better. We've been to the plush fitness center at our apartment complex about 2 to 3 times a week for the past two weeks. It's a great start for us!

Even Fairy has some new exercise equipment on her jungle gym!

Tonight, I was talking on the phone with one of my friends from back home and decided to be slick and try to maintain the conversation while on the treadmill. Folks, don't try that at home. Not only could my poor friend not understand a word I was saying because of my breathing issues, but I found it really more difficult to coordinate than I thought (no wonder they say don't talk on your cell phone while driving). I apologetically ended the conversation and then left my phone in the water bottle holder. Paul now has to wait on me hand and foot (exaggerating slightly) because I over exerted my legs sprinting back to the gym to get my phone. Was it worth it? Lesson re-learned: there is a time and place for cell phones!

Third Bird Clarification

Oh dear! I've been leading everyone into the impression that we have adopted a third bird named Marvin Dexter. To clarify, we have merely been visiting a bird named Marvin Dexter. I admit that we were seriously contemplating bringing Marvin into the family and so tentatively gave him the last name of Teague. But after much discussion (and disappointment), adopting Marvin is not the most practical thing to do because of the amount of time I spend on the road. Also, with Paul hopefully soon to be working, our attention would be thinly spread.

Marvin has many admirers when we are there, and he is already talking at just 4 months old, so he is bound to find a loving home where he'll get loads of attention.

A New Friend

Today Paul and I went back to The Bird Zone to buy Fairlight a new tent for her cage because her old one is getting a bit worn and chewed. She only goes in her tent to sleep at night, but without it we think she'd be lost. If I had to be totally truthful, though, I had alterior motives. Other stores carry tents but the Bird Zone has a very special person... I mean bird...that I kinda got attached to a few weeks ago.

Paul and I have already named him Marvin Dexter Teague. Both our parrots are named after places, so this new friend would have to be the same. Marvin would be named after the town of Marvin nearby, and Dexter would be his middle name because african greys are known for their intelligence, and well, Dexter just seems to sound intelligent. So there you have it. Isn't he just so cute(Paul, too, of course)?

Permanent Residents and House Guests

I did end up going away for work on Thursday after all. I came into the office Thursday morning at 10 till 8:00 with my overnight bag and stuff for the field just in case and they said, "We're leaving in a few minutes so get your stuff together." And off we went. I got home last night at 10:30 after two full days in the field, a long drive back and unpacking at the office.

Meanwhile, our girls have been adjusting just fine to their home. Clementine, our pionus, loves to stare out the window and watch all the critters outside. She gets really excited when we open the sliding glass door so she can listen to the bugs, the birds and the neighbors.



Fairlight (Green-cheeked conure) doesn't have a real appreciation for the great outdoors. As long as she has her toys to play with and Paul within her sight, she's a happy bird. She's been extra clingy since our move though.



Clementine has made a new friend.

A little green lizard comes by every afternoon lately and clings to our sliding glass door staring in while she stares out. He's a cute little guy about an inch and a half long. Paul says that he's very tame and likes to have his picture taken. Do geckos live on the east coast? I just have never seen a lizard be able to scale glass.