Stephanie asked me to do my thing in the kitchen again on Friday. Really, the staff don't have time to wash dishes; there are simply too many other priorities. Rob, another volunteer, goes in on Saturdays and Sundays just to wash dishes. And in the meantime they build up and the kitchen becomes a mess. So, I'll probably do my volunteer work in the kitchen and just visit with the girls afterwards from now on. I washed dishes, folded clean towels and bedding from the dryer, washed dishes, transferred wet laundry from the washer to the dryer, washed dishes, cleaned shelves, washed dishes, cleaned all the counters and washed yet more dishes.
Let me tell you a little bit about the routine(s) that I've observed so far. Each staff member has an area, usually quite large, that they are responsible for. And each staff member has his/her own routine for getting all the tasks done. This includes changing cage tray papers of those cages in their area, removing empty or old food dishes, removing, washing and refilling water bowls and sweeping, scraping and mopping the floor. So, yesterday I made lots of friends. Not only did I wash all the food bowls and trays already waiting for me, I washed all the water bowls for the staff as they came into the kitchen to do that themselves. Yesterday, I knew I was helping and making a difference. LOL And...Cynthia, who is responsible for the Medical Rooms and the whole area that Bertie's enclosure is in, was delighted to get a garbage container for her area. We had an extra one at home. Everything extra now goes to the Refuge. All the fresh fruits and veggies are donated (from whom I don't know yet), but usually right at or after the best before date. So, all of it has to be sorted quickly and used quickly or disposed of. For example this past Friday, there was a 10 pound bag of potatoes. The birds won't eat the potatoes raw and the Refuge doesn't have a stove to cook them. So, I brought that bag home, peeled, cooked and mashed them to go back to the Refuge. Otherwise, they'd have been pitched. Also, while I worked in the kitchen, all the talk was about next Saturday being the founder's birthday. We're going to have a small surprise pot luck birthday party in the kitchen.
Well, after three hours of washing dishes etc, I went visiting the girls. I admit though, I was very tired by that time. So, I was very thankful for my little foldup stool. The Medical Room was first, as usual. When I arrive in each area now, all the birds eye my red bird carryall. I guess they know now that the treats appear out of that bag. Chrissy especially, watches me and that bag very carefully. And she recognized the toast and peanut butter. OMG! What a mess...albeit a glorious mess. I really didn't think the toast and peanut butter would be the hit that it was. I had to break the already small pieces into even smaller pieces to make them go around. Some weren't interested but wanted skritches and cuddles. I try to spend a little extra time with Dusty who is a blind Moluccan. He recognizes my voice now and talks to me a little. He doesn't lunge at me any more. Jack the newcomer Macaw loved his toast and peanut butter. He ate his then followed me as best he could around the room for more. LOL Mango was out in the larger area. I saw and talked to him while I was in the kitchen but I couldn't find him later when I was in the larger area.
Then it was over to see Bertie. There's a cage in Bertie's enclosure. And although it's always open, that's where Bertie was when I arrived. I set up my stool at the side of the cage and talked to her through the bars. She was so cute...and coy. I'd ask her if she was going to come out and visit and she'd hop and dance back and forth across the perch, bobbing her head and make her "silly" sounds. After I did this a few times, I got up and went to the door of the cage, put my hand in and asked her if she was going to come. The little monkey put her foot out and touched my hand with it then went dancing and hopping along the perch. I did try not to laugh. She used to do this at home too and that sure had the memories flooding back. Finally though, she came back and stepped up. So, we did our cuddling and skritching for awhile. She wasn't interested in the toast and peanut butter, but several of her cagemates were.
Now, Babe. Babe, as usual was up in her high perch when I arrived. But she didn't make any moves to come to me until she saw the toast and peanut butter. Then she came down her "slide" lickety split, snatched the toast and ran back up.
That's when I noticed that another Umbrella, a male, was taking an interest, in her toast I thought. And I was quick to offer him a piece too to avoid trouble. He wasn't interested in having his own piece (no pun intended); he wanted to have or share Babe's. When he got too close to Babe, she held her toast in her beak and walked quickly toward him. He moved away quite quickly considering that he was going backward. She went back to her spot and resumed eating her toast, oh so daintily. His nibs slowly and gradually moved closer to her until he was about 6" away. Then he just sat facing forward and Babe sat facing him while she ate. I do believe she's being courted. And, Lina, he's very handsome. Of course, my aim to get her to come to me to get the toast didn't work. But I have a plan for next week. In the meantime, I set up my stool and handed out the last of the toast and peanut butter. Before I knew it, Zoey, the singing Amazon, was on my shoulder singing his opera at the top of his voice. That's when I realized I had forgotten to take my hearing aids out. LOL Then a little Goffins flew to my other shoulder and another Umbrella had climbed up my pant leg to my knee. For a little while I was playing parrot piano, trying to give everybody a skritch. What I noticed this time too, is that quite a few of the birds that have been getting spray baths from me, flocked to the front of the enclosure and seemed confused that there were no baths to be had.
Well, Mom, I'm going to close for now. We've been doing our daily walks down along the waterfront the last few days. And the fresh air and exercise are knocking me out. LOL
Until next time,
Love,
Pat
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