I have been lame on updating the last week but have been busy busy! It happens.
Today is one of my favorite holidays of the year and we are going to have some fun tonight with the kiddos. Maddi will not be here - she is with her dad at the lake so that takes a little of the magic out of it for me, but J's girls and CJ will be with me. Will tell you how it went tomorrow.
This past Sunday we picked up J's bird from a friend that had been watching him since spring. We just had never had time to go get him. J really missed the little guy and he is now my constant companion. In fact he is on my shoulder right now! His name is Sparky and he is a Sun Conure. Conures can be a little aggressive but this little guy is very loving as you will or have seen in the pics below. However, he does not like kids much and prefers to be with J and myself only... for now... During his time away he picked a few choice words that we are ignoring and also bawks like a chicken. The people he was with had a bunch of them.
The first night he was here J was at the farm working on my Jeep...again... and Sparky did not want to come out of his cage. He guarded it viciously and I finally realized I was antagonizing him purely for my own benefit. I wanted to play with him. So I laid on the floor next to his cage with the door open. The cage was also resting on the floor. And I waited. And waited. He would come to the opening and peek out only to scurry back to the safety of a perch if I spoke words of encouragement and squawk at me as if saying "Just shut up! I am working up to it just give me awhile damn it!!!" I am sure the neighbors heard him telling me off too.
So I acted like I was ignoring him from that point on and watched TV. He was in my peripheral vision and I think he knew it but was ok with that much. After about 2 hours he finally poked his head out and swung his body to the outside of the cage, froze, and looked at me to see if I was going to notice. I had - peripherally of course. Slowy he moved down the side of the cage until he was near the carpet. He tested the carpet with his beak, found it stable and climbed onto the floor (he hates the floor by the way - this was a huge surprise to me). Cautiously he waddled my way and I still pretended not to notice, not moving at all.
Victory! Sparky stopped next to me and tasted and tested me and my stability and the climbed up my side, up my chest, and looked me in the eye and communicated loud and clear "It's ok now, I have decided to be your friend again." I put my hand on his back and he moved like a cat under it closing his eyes as the pleasure of a good rub down overcame any fears he may have had left. And there he stayed until I sat up. Still content he scurried up my shirt onto my shoulder and into my hair. This is where he prefers to be and I love it. He runs his beak along my hair and it is so relaxing. Occasionally he will give me kisses on my cheek or mouth and push his tiny head under my chin as if caressing us both. I think I can learn to live with him.
He does like to stick his head in your mouth and peck and clean teeth - just like the dentist only much cheaper. Video on that to follow.



- but a few at the end of the post are available for your viewing pleasure.

































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