Right now we're in a couple of weeks of beautiful weather, warm and clear with a breeze. We've been eating all our meals out on the patio and gardening furiously. The Director is in one of her creative bursts too, planning to put in a large lavender garden at the front of the Refuge. The plan is that selling the lavender will help raise money for the parrots. Also, on the long weekend this month the Refuge is hosting a huge flea market. Sellers pay to erect a table/booth and hopefully sell lots of stuff. I don't have a table to set up, or the stamina to man it for three days. However, I might pay to do a walk-about with a tray of parrot cookies to sell or something. Or maybe I'll just show up and help in some way. If I had a card table, I'd ask the Director if Bertie could do her "put tooneys in her piggy bank" to raise money.
But I've not been very successful with getting my requests approved lately. So, I'm going to play that one by ear too.
A few weeks ago, my hip became so painful, I was finding it difficult to even walk. The doctor requisitioned x-rays, physiotherapy, and a CT-scan. The x-rays showed what I already knew, that the pain in my hip is actually referred from lumbar discs whose spaces have narrowed. Anyway, the doc gave me a painkiller to take in the morning which keeps me comfortably mobile...once it kicks in and a muscle relaxant to take at night, which helps me get my beauty sleep. In getting to this point though, I stopped all the "bent-over" work at the Refuge and limited myself to visiting the girls, delivering cooked potatoes and so on. If I was feeling good, I tried to do what I could to help. I found though that it was taking most of the morning to get comfortable and by the time I got to the Refuge, the work was done.
Babe and Chris are still in the Extended Care Unit. Babe has difficulty getting around because of the bulky bandaging on her legs. But as soon as she hears my voice she's looking for me. She also has some difficulty balancing, again because of the bandaging. So, when I put my hand down to get her, she takes my finger in her beak, and I lift her into my arms or onto my knee if I'm sitting. And we visit and snuggle. Chris too always comes toward me now when I go to visit with her. She loves her skritches. Her beak got terribly overgrown. So this past Friday, I took my dremel and clippers thinking I'd trim her beak. Of course I know now not to initiate anything without asking for permission first. So when I arrived I asked the manager if she had any objection to me trimming Chris' beak. Bottom line, I'd have to check with the Director. When I checked with the Director, she said, "I'll do it." If Chris hadn't been my own bird or I had never trimmed her beak before, I'd have understood better why the Director wouldn't want me messing around the birds that way...at least until she could be assured that I knew what I was doing. But to not take advantage of my skills and experience to help when everyone is stretched to their limits, I don't understand.
Did I tell you that Bertie had been moved from the Extended Care Unit to one section in the main building, because she had started to fly and was making all the non-flyers nervous? I think I did. And because Bertie had created a wound on her left side as well as barbering all her feathers on the left, the Director took her for x-rays. Often, barbering in a clearly defined area indicates that something is amiss inside that area. Nothing showed on the x-rays. So, as I understand it, the Director started using an anti-fungal cream on Bertie's wound instead of an antibiotic. And when I saw Bertie on Friday that wound appeared to be healing well. Lucy too now seems to be eager for my attentions when I visit. Did I tell you that Lucy and Bertie appear to have become fast friends? Lucy also says "Bye bye" and lifts her shoulders in a wave.
Then there was Yoyo. On Monday, April, 29th, Michele surrendered Yoyo to the Refuge. He was perched on top of a cage just two cages down from Bertie and Lucy. Yoyo and I know each other very well and I love him dearly too. Anyway, when he heard my voice, he started calling to me. And of course, I couldn't resist. He went through his repertoire of phrases and displayed like crazy. I gave him skritches and he stepped up to my hand like a little gentleman. He didn't want to stay there though. Meanwhile, Bertie was doing her "hello" louder and louder trying to get my attention back. Now that I have four feathered kids to look out for, it's difficult to leave. I heard Yoyo calling even after I'd left the building.
Last but not least, the Director has agreed that it might be worthwhile to send out brochures to those people who have surrendered birds to the Refuge and for whom we have addresses. So, I've been given all the surrender forms starting with 2010 to compile a mailing list. My Anytime Organizer software does a great job of mailing lists. I've been trying to do at least 4 forms per day. Even that though is putting me behind in responding to posts. So, please be patient with me; I will get back to you at some point. And I think that's it from the west coast at least for now.
Happy spring Mom.
Love,
Pat.
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