If you ever run into her, (You will eventually. If you attend any avian related events, ask Janet how she met me. She has a very funny response.) My point is, people are actually making friends and acquaintances using social media to connect. With that, they share and exchange information, swap ideas, photos and also help, encourage and console each other during the rough times. Due to this, many friendships are developing as well as a more “family-like atmosphere.” Consequently, you just might run into your “Online Uncle Max” at a bird event. You’ve never met him before, but you feel like you already know him because you know how many birds he has, their names and the fact that his African Grey can recite Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address.

Me, Robin Shewokis of Leather Elves, Lisa Bono of Platinum Parrot, Jessica Pineda, Editor- BIRD TALK Magazine and Dr. Susan Orosz

Photo supplied by Lisa Bono

But of course, along with this are the feuds that seem to pop up in even the closest of clans. Yes, you end up with blood in the water occasionally as misunderstandings occur, differences of opinion pop up and flat out disrespect for another’s point of view roars through the pixels*.

(*Fun Fact #1: Pixel: ORIGIN 1960s: abbreviation of the phrase, picture element.)

There are the “junior high school Mean Girl” moments as well as the warm and fuzzies. But that even happens in the closest of families, so this is to be expected, I guess.

 Despite this, the information exchange has done wonders for the companion parrots of the world. As people join this ever-growing, “Global Family,” they are learning that it’s better to adopt than buy, that an all-seed diet simply blows, and that foraging and enrichment are important for our feathered buddies. And avian nutrition? Well, let’s just say that I’m working my keester off trying to ensure that Chop is the “New Black” in a parrot’s diet. I want to ensure that Chop is a standard element in feeding a healthy diet to your parrot.

Michelle Elle’s Chop: Photo by Michelle

As I keep my head down and go on typing, more and more people are learning that this is the way to go. I have other ideas and I’m trying to develop new methods and more ways to deliver the nutritional goods. And overall, I’m really focused getting that information out.

But as people become more aware of the needs and requirements of companion birds, interest in more information about how to care for them has grown exponentially across all areas of companion parrot care. Because of this, the demand for website content, more research and answers to the growing questions about caring for the little buggers has increased. The realization and insight people have gained through the internet about the subject of Avian Husbandry has had a positive impact on everyone.

These folks who never really grasped some basic elements of the diet requirements for parrots before, are now beginning to wake up and smell the quinoa. They are beginning to ask questions and search for information as they run into others who seem to have a better grasp on how to care for their flocks. They are starting to understand that while an all-seed diet might be easier, it sure as hell is more expensive, more dangerous and will lead them and their wallet down that ugly road to Avian Vet hell.

Michelle Elle’s got it down! Photo by Michelle.

Pictured:  flax seeds, rolled oats. barley and wheat baby cereals, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, sesame seed, wheat germ, chia seeds

Enter the Chop Concept. Good news: It’s spreading like STDs at a Florida senior citizens social center. If dietary requirements are met, foraging opportunities are presented, training is done, and a clearer understanding of the needs and prerequisites of keeping birds is acknowledged, the birds are going to get a better shot at staying put. The bird is happier and healthier which certainly plays into their behavior. And if their behavior is easier to deal with and their needs are met, we’re less likely to want give up our birds.

This certainly would ease the strain on the shelters and the adoption and rescue organizations which would free them up to present educational seminars and social gatherings; a far more positive pursuit.

But me being me, it seems as though it’s not enough. When I was at lunch with some of the attendees after my presentation at the Phoenix Landing event on January seventh, I called for a toast. I thanked everyone for coming and helping me out. I then stated that I simply couldn’t wait to see Phoenix Landing go out of business. They laughed and held up their glasses. Because I don’t think they can wait for that day either.

Actually, I think that’s what we all want.

It’s my first day of vacation and I spent it happily working on an article for BIRD TALK and rather unhappily, but vigorously washing the floor. I came up with this cool idea for writing an article about Bird People who get tattoos of their birds. As I do not have any tattoos, let alone any of my birds, I had to poke around to see if any of the people I know at Facebook had any. Naturally, I just posted an inquiry on my wall. And in about 10 minutes, WHAM! A downpour of ink.

Photo Courtesy of Julie Kruger

Birds. Parrots. Swallows. Hummingbirds. Owls. Birds of prey. I honestly had absolutely no idea so many people had so many illustrations. It was amazing. As I sat pounding away and doing research on tattoos in general, the incessant “Ding! Ding! Ding!” on my laptop sounded like a doorbell on Halloween night. Jeez!

Photo Courtesy of Robin Beswick

I had no idea how passionate people were not only about their birds, but about making a permanent  record of their existence. I was stunned.  At that point I knew I was on to something. This was a unique breed of “Parrot Person” I had found.

Photo Courtesy of Renee Crnogorac

While I think tattoos are really cool, they are not for me. I’m just not the “Permanent Marker” kind of girl and I kind of like myself the way I am, wrinkles, boney keester and all. But I did manage to find some very cool quotes about tattoos in my research that need to be read:

The world is divided into two kinds of people: those who have tattoos, and those who are afraid of people with tattoos. ~Author Unknown

Women, don’t get a tattoo. That butterfly looks great on your breast when you’re twenty or thirty, but when you get to seventy, it stretches into a condor. ~Billy Elmer

I always look for a woman who has a tattoo.  I see a woman with a tattoo, and I’m thinking, okay, here’s a gal who’s capable of making a decision she’ll regret in the future.  ~Richard Jeni  

These were the funnier quotes, but many of them honor the tattoo as a symbol of one’s soul and one’s life on here on earth. It seems to be a very spiritual thing to most people.

So as you can see, I’ve done my homework. And these are just a fraction of the photographs people have sent me. Good God, you wouldn’t believe the art people have on various parts of their bodies. It’s incredible.

Photo Courtesy of Angela Parrish

I don’t know when the article will be published, and I don’t know if it’s going into BIRD TALK Magazine, or on their website, but either way, I’ll announce it here. And guys? Thanks so much for your input. I’ve got to run now. My Facebook doorbell is ringing again and dripping ink.

See? I have the official “Writer’s Shirt” and everything!

Being a writer is not all skittles and beer. And not all of it involves sitting under an oak tree with a lovely Moleskine Journal and a fountain pen waxing poetic about the meaning of life. At least not for me.

This website has Moleskine Journals: Instructables

No my dear “Bleaders,” it usually involves a lot of phone calls, hacking around the internet looking for information and then double-checking the information. I’m usually slaving over a hot computer smacking down coffee in the morning and leaping up every five minutes getting Parker to lay off the mop, or fishing Pepper out from behind the toilet. And of course with my usual “Calamity Jane” style, I’m sometimes down at the Apple Store getting my stuff fixed.

As you may or may not know, I write for BIRD TALK Magazine. And I just love writing for BT, really I do! They are lovely people and my editor, Jessica Pineda is a wonderful editor. She dots my “I’s,” crosses my “T’s” and tidies up the raggedy bits that I sometimes fail to see after the fifth edit when I’m half-blind and can’t see that I mis-typed a word.

Jessica and Moi

If you aren’t already aware, when you write for a magazine, you receive a contract for your work. And among other contracts for online work or for the features I cook up, I get a contract every year from BT for the “Memo to Parker and Pepper” column that appears every month. (Page 6) Thank you all who have written to me about how much you like them. I really appreciate it! And if you haven’t thought to do it, please let the editors know how much you like them. You can contact the BIRD TALK editors here: BIRD TALK COMMENTS

Now here is the issue at hand: Parker has developed quite a taste for expensive Greek yogurt, the price of bird toys has gone up again, and Pepper needs to eat milk-thistle seed to keep her liver in tip-top shape. This costs money. I budget the cost of the care and feeding of my birds within the income I make writing articles. If I don’t make an income writing, the birds have to make do with rehabbed toys and the Greek yogurt is downgraded to the store brand level. And Parker is not a “generic brand” kind of Guy.

The way I see it, my job is to write and if I write well enough, BIRD TALK sells a lot of subscriptions. So if you think about it, I might as well be that door-to-door high school kid selling magazine subscriptions to win a trip to Europe for the school band. But they usually have crappy magazines I wouldn’t be interested in, like The Miserablist, a magazine for people who hate everything, or Waste Age; a garbage industry trade mag. Yes, these are real magazines. But in order to keep writing for BT, I want to make sure they keep selling magazines. No magazine sales, no writing job.

I’m sorry, but do you really want to see poor Parker playing with a toy that looks like this?

I decided to begin a “Buy a Gift Subscription to BIRD TALK  for Christmas!” Campaign so Parker, Pepper and Nyla can eat in the style in which they have become accustomed. Christmas is right around the corner. What better gift to give your bird friends than a subscription to BIRD TALK? For only $13.00, you can give a gift that arrives in someone’s mailbox every month. What nicer gift can you give for only $13.00? I mean really. Unlike “fruit of the month club,” your loved ones will have those magazines (featuring my column) to re-read and refer to for years to come.  And you will have purchased the subscription with the knowledge that my Greys will remain well-fed and happily ripping up brand new toys.

BIRD TALK has been very, very good to me over the years. And in return for their kindness, I want to give them the Holiday gift of increased subscriptions to them. But don’t tell them, it’s a surprise. They have absolutely no idea I have cooked up this campaign so everybody keep it to a whisper.

I mean that’s just tragic. So you see, by purchasing a gift subscription for your favorite bird person, you will ensure that Parker, Pepper and Nyla will all get new toys, not only for Christmas, but throughout the coming year. Getting a BT gift subscription will alleviate all of the guilt you might be feeling about Parker having to play with ripped up toys and an old mop. So this campaign works so well on many levels: Parker gets some new toys, BIRD TALK gets new subscribers, your loved ones have received a wonderful yet inexpensive gift, I  keep writing for BIRD TALK and you will be guilt-free. And I might even get a raise out of the deal. So if you really love Parker and Pepper (And the Memos!) you’ll all give the gift that keeps on giving throughout the year for your fellow Bird Freaks.

You can buy a gift subscription here: BIRD TALK FOR CHRISTMAS!

I thank you all for your support.

I went to interview Oscar again. It’s always a pleasure to go visit Oscar, but it’s a real pain in the keester having to do what I have to do after I visit her. Oscar is a lovely little cockatoo who is fun, enjoyable, engaging and a great dancer. Oscar also has PBFD. I’m always a little nervous about it before I go.

PBFD is a fatal disease that is just heartbreaking because they just can’t find a treatment for it. Ross Perry in Australia is working on it as well as other Avian Vets and scientists. But we’re still waiting for a cure.

Anyway, BIRD TALK wanted me to do an update on how Oscar is doing and in order to do that, I had to return. In this:

I shot this reflected image of myself down at the pool.

PBFD is an extremely durable virus and in order to keep from picking the damned thing up and transferring it to my Greys, I had to go to extreme measures in order to prevent the virus from spreading to them. Wearing a non-breathable Haz-Mat suit (including attached booties and hood) when it’s ninety degrees out isn’t fun. But when you go visit Oscar and you have birds, I highly recommend it.

Not my most attractive look...

I know it’s a little odd suiting up like this just to visit a cockatoo, but I wasn’t about to take any chances. Just the thought of bringing PBFD home to my guys chills me. But being the bone-headed writer I am, I did what I needed to do in order to get the job done.

After all, I’d done it before and knew the protocol I had to follow, but it’s still a little scary and exhausting trying to make sure you’re not hauling any of the circovirus around your birds.

But in retrospect, I’m glad I did it…both times. I got to meet a delightful bird who has beaten the odds and still is surviving 14 years after her rescue. And I got some really nice shots of Oscar.

You can read about it in the October issue of BIRD TALK magazine.

I’ve been writing a lot. Which is good, I suppose. From everything I’ve read, the more you write, the better you get. And it helps keeps me sharp, keeps me searching for the next big idea, the next adventure, the next project. Normally, when I’m on my computer, I’m at home sitting at the coffee table, hunched over and tapping away like a deranged maniac with one parrot or another on my shoulder. Time gets away from me. I tend to go in streaks, and write all damned day long if I need to get something done. Or I steal 15 or 20 minutes at a time here and there either in the terminal before a flight, or after the service is over, or sitting on the ground in Haiti while the ground crew cleans the airplane.

I don’t know if you are aware, but I write the Quizzes for “Bird Channel.” I tend to get paranoid about deadlines and in one frenzied two-week period, I wrote 52 quizzes. That’s a year’s worth. When I was finished with them, I poured myself a drink, sat down on my front porch and had a nice little sob-fest. I was that relieved. It was hard getting that many quizzes written in such a short period of time. But I got them done and I felt better once I had completed them.

This last year, aside from the Memos for BIRD TALK, I wrote for Bird E University on the Bird Channel, several features, a 2000-word article for Birds U.S.A., and a pant load of those parrot species profiles. That’s not counting the blogging I do here, and good God, let’s not forget about all of those quizzes.

Now they have me writing Parker’s agony column, so that’s another thing on my plate. I’m lucky in that I can get some writing done on my flights. One night, the Flight from Port Au Prince to Fort Lauderdale had 21 people on it in the back. This is highly unusual.  Due to the light load, it only took about 5 minutes for us to get the job done. Because of this, I had an hour to kill and managed to crank out 5 posts for this blog. I’ve also learned that the more you write, the faster you get. Ask my Editor, Jessica about “turnaround time.”

Yakking with my Editor, Jessica Pineda at the Houston Parrot Festival

l have no idea what else is coming up, but I know I have to get ready for the Midwest Bird Expo in April. I’ll be doing a “Chop” demo for the cool people who attend the Expo. If you’re in the area, make it a point to come. I think we’ll have some fun and then there’s all that free “Chop” I get to give away.

Between the flying, the writing and the blogging, I’m lucky to get time to do my laundry. But I can tell you this: I’m having a lot of fun with my writing.

Mimi and Me

My blog is a little loopier than most other bird blogs. I love to read other people’s blogs about parrots because I like to see what they’ve found to write about. Most are solid and well written and almost always contain some cool information and dispense some good methods of care, nutrition or general advice.

I must confess, after writing structured stuff like the quizzes for BIRD CHANNEL, the features and articles for BIRD TALK and Birds U.S.A. it’s kind of a nice break to write about stuff that I wonder about or just feel like posting. I’m a big believer in education, but the one thing I write that most people seem to really like is the “Memos.” I wouldn’t exactly call them “educational” even though I try and stick a little lesson in there somewhere. Trust me, I really enjoy writing them. They’re fun to compose and people seem to get a bang out of them. It’s certainly a departure from the rest of the magazine.

On the other hand, this blog tends to be more personal in nature. If you’ve been reading it for a while, and seen a few of the videos, you know what I look like with no makeup on, what I’ve got in my kitchen, and what’s hanging on my dining room walls. And that’s okay. In order to accomplish what I need to accomplish, I had to allow that to happen. It’s kind of like being in a reality show that plays out in a blog rather than on T.V.  (And don’t call me Snookie.) With that kind of knowledge about my life, I’m assuming you’ve gotten to know that side of me fairly well.

However, please bear in mind, that most of my readers don’t keep blogs like this and so I’m asking you for a favor. Between the 1200 plus friends on Facebook, the frequency of comments here, and the people I meet at Festivals and Expos things tend to get a little nutty. I also have about 2000 Flight Attendants I fly with so it’s a lot of people to keep track of. So if we meet and I don’t immediately snap to whether you’re a Flight Attendant, a blog reader, or one of my FB friends, could you please tell me who you are so I don’t think I have gotten lost in the deepest reaches of Alzheimer’s?

I don’t get out much other than doing errands and flying, so there is probably little chance of me confusing you with somebody down at the grocery store or one of my neighbors. But Cyberspace is a little big.

“All you have to do is live.” That’s a quote by David Sedaris, one of my favorite authors. He was talking about being able to find material to write about. I happen to love his writing style and he inspires me to no end. He and I are a lot alike in that we write about our families, our lives and about things that happen to us or occur to us.

I also write for “Bird Talk” Magazine. When I write straight features for Bird Talk, it’s not so much about my life or my family of birds and my dog, but I do have the luxury of a monthly column I write that is about them. I can write pretty much anything I want in my column: “Memo to Parker and Pepper.” People read it, they like it, and it’s best not to think too hard about it.

The features I write for BT are another plate of potatoes, however. And so are all of the other things I write for them: Their Quizzes and the Bird Species Profiles on their website have contributions to them that I supplied. These are all challenging projects. Why? Because I can’t make anything up and I have to adhere to a certain format. And it actually takes a certain amount of preparation and a ton of research before I get so much as the title written. These things usually require shopping around for information and it also involves getting on the damned phone and talking to people and emailing people, peppering them with questions.  Usually when I’m in the middle of doing a bunch of research, things get a little crazy. I go off the deep end. I require a lot of Sashimi. And sake. And sleep.

I tend to get distracted from the rest of my life when I’m working on a big project. My Condo goes to hell, my laundry doesn’t get done, and I forget to take the dog out. I wake up early and try and get a couple of hours of research in before I get the birds up, because I know that after I get them up it’s interruptions from hell for a lot of the day.  When I’m working on a big project, the T.V. never goes on. Not because I can’t write with it on, but I simply never think to turn it on. I kind of go into this weird state of mind and turn off and tune out everything else. I sit down to write and do research and I look up and all of a sudden six hours of passed. And I never noticed!

I’m a disciplined writer in that when I begin a project, I write like hell until I’m done. For instance, I sat down and ground out a year’s worth of weekly quizzes in about two weeks. That’s fifty-two quizzes. Fifty-two! Of course, I was writing for about nine hours a day to get them done. I look at them now as they pop up weekly on the Bird Channel website and I honestly don’t remember writing some of them.

I don’t like deadlines:

They loom ahead of me like this huge, brick wall. It probably has something to do with the fact that working for an Airline for twenty-three years makes me a little paranoid about being late for anything. Signing in late or missing a trip entirely is like being charged with a huge crime. They just don’t like it. Consequently, it’s been engrained in my head regarding my writing: “If it’s not two weeks early, it’s late.”

I must say my editor sure as hell likes it that way…

So I’ve been doing a hell of a lot of writing lately. And of course I’ve been flying to Ecuador on a regular basis, can’t forget that! I’ve been concerned about trying to keep up with this blog for several reasons. First of all, it’s purely creative and it’s fun to do. I like it. I’d hate to think of what life would be like without it. But with all of the writing, it tends to get difficult to pull it all together and keep up with it. But I’m sure as hell am trying. And I just have to remember what David Sedaris said about coming up with a subject for a writing project: “All you have to do is live.” Now that’s something I already do everyday. And if I simply remember to look around a little bit, I’ll always have something to write about.

I was going to be gone for three weeks and I thought it would be a good idea to post photos and write about my time there. While I couldn’t accurately express the way I smelled, people did get the idea when I posted photos of stuff; like my work boots here:

Little by little, people began to catch on to “PN” and more people began to be aware of my ramblings about life with birds, life on the road, my total adoration of good food, and writing. They started reading about my recipe for “Chop:”

(Baignoire avec de la nourriture pour les perroquets)

They began reading my monthly rant “Memo to Parker and Pepper” in Bird Talk Magazine. In short, things began to pick up around here.  I began this blog not quite two years ago and it has since taken on a life of its own.

I am by no means an expert on blogging. (Is there such a thing? I suppose there is, these days there are experts on everything…) I just try to write about what in God’s name is going on in the world around me in a fun and interesting manner. The best and most interesting blogs I’ve found have been the honest ones, the ones that actually give you a peek into someone else’s world. My world happens to contain a lot of parrot poop on the floor and carrot bits on the walls. But readers understand this because they have their own worlds full of carrot-bit laden walls.  I think they visit because they can relate to my poopy floors and my occasional outbursts of “Parker! Get the flyin’ hell off of that chair!…Good bird!” But they are all very good birds when I make Chop:

The most common comment I’ve gotten on some of my posts have been in the vein of, “How did you know?” People who have birds can relate to my daily dilemmas and challenges. That’s easy to understand because we face the same ones every day. They have become my pep squad and my confidants. I feel better because I have come to realize I’m not the only one who has birds that climb on the furniture, wander around their home like they were taking a walk in the park, toss stuff onto the floor like they were throwing plates in a Greek Restaurant, (Opa!) and methodically chip at the woodwork.

Somehow, when you know you aren’t alone, it makes it better. Naturally, this knowledge doesn’t clean the poop off the floor, and you still have that woodwork that looks like a goat has been at it, but it just seems easier to take, don’t you think? I also sometimes feel as though I’m just sitting around the pool with you guys talking about stuff, even though you are all over the world, actually. This is a photo of my friends, Barbara and Nan. We were sitting down at the pool when it began raining. We stayed there. In the pouring rain. It was fun!

This is what it looked like in the street after this rainstorm:

I’ve been looking at what I’ve posted and some of the avenues I’ve been down.  I’ve branched out from where I began in 2008, and learned from the experience. Along the way, I’ve gotten so many suggestions, comments and emails on the content and I so appreciate your input. I just want to thank you all for helping me find some direction. I’ll try and work on the content to make sure it’s something that we can all find interesting. Or fun. Or really inane but very entertaining.

Recipes for your birds seem to be a hot item, so I will try to include more of them. And pictures. Don’t we all love pictures! Here’s a photo for you. These are some parrot toys I was washing:

Isn’t it an exciting life I lead? Thanks for stopping by…

]]> http://parrotnation.com/2010/03/05/a-little-blog-here-a-little-blog-there/feed/ 4 parrotnation DSCN0063 DSCN0025 DSCN1948 DSCN0007 DSCN0028 DSCN0024 http://parrotnation.com/2010/02/23/the-post-lady-sometimes-brings-gifts/ http://parrotnation.com/2010/02/23/the-post-lady-sometimes-brings-gifts/#comments Tue, 23 Feb 2010 17:25:34 +0000 Patricia Sund http://parrotnation.com/?p=2189 ]]>

Emma is my Postal Person who brings me the occasional letter, card, paycheck, BIRD TALK Magazine, and a plethora of junk mail. She also brings a pile of those local free papers. Because not everyone wants to read them, they place them on a little table next to the mailboxes. I snatch them to use as substrate for my bird “houses.” And sometimes, she brings me a package. One of the things she brings me is the hemp twine I use in making bird toys.

But yesterday was a special mail day for me: Emma brought me a gift from a friend. Melanie Allen is a friend who works for Hagen Foods. A few weeks ago she was setting up a Facebook Page for “HARI,” which is Hagen’s research center located in Rigaud, Quebec. Melanie wanted some help in letting people know about the HARI page. To help out with their message, I put the link up on my FB wall and made some comments about the HARI Institute and what they were all about. I managed to generate some traffic to the page and people began getting some really good information about all kinds of subjects regarding taking care of their birds. Yesterday, Emma brought me a box. And it was from a goat.

Allow me to explain. Melanie has birds of course. But she also has a miniature goat named “Luvie.” Luvie looks kind of like this:

Apparently, Luvie approved of the hand I gave Melanie with launching the HARI Facebook page, so she sent Parker and Pepper some gifts.

This is the toy Luvie sent. It’s great for both the birds and for Mattie the dog. It’s a training toy as well as a foraging toy because the blocks have little slots in them for treats. She also sent some Hagen biscuits for the birds because Luvie knows I can’t get them down here where I live.

But best of all, Luvie sent an autographed photo of herself. I framed it and put it in a place of honor in the guest bathroom. That bathroom gets more traffic than anywhere else in my home other than the kitchen, so it went there. (All my best framed photos are in that guest bathroom. I like the “Captive Audience” concept!) Anyone who drops by will be able to see Luvie:

In case you’re curious about the photo to the left of Luvie, that’s an overhead shot of me lying on the Equator. I always wanted to do that, and couldn’t pass up the opportunity when I was frequently flying to Ecuador.

Well! I was bowled over! I’m charmed by Luvie’s photo and was so thrilled to get the gifts from Melanie. I happen to really like the Hagen line of products, but I can’t get it down here. So I’m happy when I come across it or it finds its way into Emma the Mail Lady’s hands. And during that rainy, blustery day, Parker and I just took a moment to look out the window and remember how lucky we are.