I created a video assembled from photos sent by friends and Parrot Nation Readers from all over the place. It was a small project and I did the editing in about two days, but it was a lot of fun to put together. What I wanted to do was show you that Chop is indeed a “Concept.” As available ingredients vary from place to place and from Continent to Continent, Chop is never going to be the same.

You will also find your own Chop varying from season to season.  It was a quick and dirty editing job. I didn’t have the time to spend day-after-day fine-tuning it and photoshopping it, but I made a copy so I can work on it later should I need to.  You might want to keep it on the small screen as blowing it up to full size will be disappointing. I couldn’t render the images the way I wanted them as I am still learning, but it’s not bad for two days of work.

This is your Chop. Your way. From your kitchens. With your birds. Congratulations! You’re doing a beautiful job making it your own.

Here is the Video of Chop from, well, everywhere and also from many of you. Thank you to all who sent me photos. I hope you like it:

There’s been some interesting stuff going on at FaceBook: Birds who have their own Face Book Pages. I’ve seen quite a few of them and I am FB Friends with many of them. However, there is one little character I’m fascinated with: Bart Henry. Now Bart is an interesting guy: He’s an African Grey, he just recently celebrated his 19th Hatch day with a donut and he regularly throws online parties on FB that are hilarious as long as you have an imagination. Here’s a photo of the real Bart looking at his “Major Award” he won in a contest I had here at “PN.”

I attended one of these “Virtual Parties” and laughed my head off. It was a pool party and here is just some of the online repartee. Bear in mind, these are all “parrots” attending this party with me being the only exception:

Bart Henry: Mom’s got the blow up pool filled up just enough for us to wade in. The floaties and towels are out too. Just make sure you all use the ladders to enter and exit the pool. I don’t want any punctures!

Stanly Scheulin: Woooohoooo, this peanutcolady thingy goes straight to your talons….I’m getting tippsy talons indeed…..follow in my wake, you’ve not that much at stake…

Bart Henry: don’t barrel roll into the pool, Stanly! ; >

King Crayon: Hey! watch out! You splashed into my pitcher of peanucoladas.

Stanly Scheulin: Ah ha..someone sounds like a flight attendant….”woooops” (slips into pool)…”cough, cough”…egad, this waters wet, oops, so’s my veggie burger…on well little moisture never hurt anyburger…*hic*.

King Crayon: Eewww…what’s that floating in the pool? It better be a veggie burger….

Patricia Sund: Parker wants a burger…and not veggie either. Are there any of those?

Bart Henry: OK…no poopies in the pool! : > And take that moisture Stanly. The humidity is under 10% out here right now! I’ll go get another veggie burger on for you. *yells* “HEY DAD!! Another VB over here for Stanly! Thank you!”

Stanly Scheulin: My burger….come to mommy…nom nom…yeppa it’s a burger. Pre-processed.

Patricia Sund: Pepper needs sunscreen; her feathers are “sparse.”

Bart Henry: Sure Patricia…we’ve got veggie burgers, turkey burgers, buffalo burgers, spicy chicken burgers and regular ol’ Bubba Burgers!  Yeah, well so are some of mine that’s why I’m wearing a bandana and a hat! There’s basket by the sliding door with SPF (super parrot factor) 98…help yourself!

Patricia Sund: Parker says ” Buffalo! They’re biggest!”

Bart Henry: Stop it Stanly…I’ve got peanutcolada coming out my nares! *snort*

Patricia Sund :Thanks…And Pepper is going to borrow that baseball cap that says, “Green Parrot Bar-Key West Florida” Is that okay? I’ll make sure she doesn’t make holes.

Bart Henry: *yelling again* DADDDD!!! Buffalo burger for Parker..well done with safflower seeds!

Bart Henry: Hey, Mom and Dad have been to that bar! Wait…let me go inside and see if I can find a piccy…

Patricia Sund: Where’s the Ketchup? And watch it, Parker just took off on your inflatable duck… It’s okay…he has his “swimmies” on. ·

Patricia Sund:  Parker, quit splashing King Crayon. Nyla! GET OFF THE SHED!

King Crayon: Ah jeez, now my MJ is soaked. Someone get me another drink, this time with a lid!

Patricia Sund: King, what is your “MJ?” Oh! Mint Julip!  Stanley, how’s your burger…you done yet?

Chris Hanselman: Yea there are MJ’s over there in the fountain. Here let me get one for you King Crayon. I filled the flask so we can sit here and relax in the hot tub. Hey Bart, I will take a Bubba Burger. Pickles (hehe), ketchup and mustard on it, please. :>

Stanly Scheulin: Hey Mom and Dad stayed at Papa’s Hideaway once in Key West, kewl…(dangles talons in water, sips on peanutcolad)a…Bart these are just the best, can I have another umbrella, I must haved nomed mine…..she’s gotta a passion for cookies a room full of rookies, it’s gonna be a hellofablow….

King Crayon: (joins Pickles in the hot tub) Say…there aren’t any bubbles in the hot tub are there. See…I’m kind of afraid of bubbles. I recently made a confession about it on Beakbook.

Bully Buffett: I’m here at last! gosh- didn’t anyone miss me? I had all kinds of trouble getting my surfboard through customs at DTW this morning. Woaah- Jimmy Buffett! Who wants to DANCE? Is that a Mint Julep FOUNTAIN?

Patricia Sund: Parker says he went to the “Parrot Lounge” down there. (He really did) Was that you with the underwear on your head?

It was incredibly fun and while I don’t personally know the brains behind the birds, they are whip-fast thinkers and have great imaginations. Bart’s Mom and Dad are also very good at Photoshop. Here is Bart at Easter time. He complained for a week about sweating in his bunny suit:

I had a “talk” with Bart about his sudden rise to fame. This was my second “interview” with a bird, actually. The first one was just a “meet-and-greet” with “Oscar,” the naked cockatoo at the Broward County Humane Society for an article for “BIRD TALK.” She didn’t actually answer any questions.  But Bart was far more eloquent. And I must tell you, it’s a little strange interviewing a bird! His answers are in quotations:

1.) Bart, I see you have a lot of friends on Facebook. How long did it take you to talk your Mom and Dad into letting you get a Facebook account?

“It took like, FOREVER to talk Mom and Dad into letting me start my own Facebook account. I’m like, c’mon! You’re both into technology and you have 3 computers for only 2 people. Surely you could spare one of them for the Bartman to have a social life. I mean, you didn’t see fit to provide me with appropriate “real life” friends, at least let me have some cyber fun. Finally after about 20 minutes of convincing (I told you it took forever!) they relented and I haven’t looked back since.”

2.) You play a lot of games with your friends and you’re quite the party guy. What was the first party you ever threw on FB?

“I had to dig back through my archives for the answer to this one. My first party was quite ambitious. It was actually a whirlwind weekend that started in Vegas then moved on to some mountain-top snowman building, then Buckingham Palace (where we scared the poop out of the tourists) before ending up in Disney World. In fact, that initial party weekend was so successful that I was persuaded to run for the office of President of the Tiny Island Principality of Parrotopia, or POTTIPOP as it’s commonly known. My not-quite-yet-but-soon-to-be-girlfriend, Chanel was my V-POTTIPOP and we served our 2 week term with all the dignity the office required. The inauguration was really something to behold and our cabinet meetings were perching room only. Ahh, those crazy, heady days…In any case, it’s been go, go, go ever since!”

3.) Bart, I know that you’re nineteen now. That’s pretty grown up! Any thoughts on writing a book?

“It’s quite a coincidence that you ask about writing a book. You see, while I have no plans to pen my memoirs just yet (after all, there’s more to come!) I will be making my literary debut as a fictional character in the forthcoming “Black Beak’s Revenge” which is the sixth installment in the Cap’n Black Beak saga written by Bully Buffett’s and King Crayon’s moms. In the meantime, anybirdie who is interested will have to make due with the Barty bits I share on Facebook and my BeakBook.net blog. “

4.) You get a lot of letters and cards from your friends. You have friends all over the world, don’t you?

“One of the most surprising things about Facebook is the friendships I’ve developed with folks all over the world. I have friends in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the UK, South Africa, Sweden, the Netherlands, Switzerland and of course the US. I’ve even exchanged cards and small gifts with some of them. It has been such a pleasure to connect with these other “beings” from all walks (and flights) of life!”

5.) I understand Bully Buffett is your best friend. Have you ever really met Bully in person?

“Bully Buffett is indeed my bestest birdie buddy EVER. He’s the coolest parrot dude in cyberspace and his imagination, creativity, wit and intelligence really inspire me. Alas, we have never actually met but it doesn’t matter. We go together like almonds and cashews; sweet potatoes and corn; Nutri and berries; Juicy and Juice; Ben and Jerry…well, you get the idea. As a matter of fact, would it be OK for me to give a shout out? *holds up a talon* High Four, Bully!”

6.) As you probably know from the BIRD TALK Magazine column, “Memo to Parker and Pepper,” Parker can sometimes be a handful. Are you that way too?

“Well, if by “handful” you mean wanting what I want when I want it the way I want it and expecting Mom and Dad to understand this, then yes, I’m a handful. But what else should one expect from a grey? If you want a thimbleful, get a goldfish. If you want to share you life with an equal being, live with a grey.”

7.) Why do you and your friends all like to play “Princess Bride?” Are there rules, or do you just reenact the film?

“Well, “Princess Bride” isn’t the only game we play but it is a favorite. There are no rules to any of our games which is the beauty part – we’re all free to “color outside the lines” if you will and everybirdie brings their own take on things. Beings as intelligent as us feel no need to hem ourselves in with “rules” that would merely limit our creative flow. Having said that, I would like to add, ‘Aaaaaassssss you wwwwiiiiiiiiisssshh’.”

8.) If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?

“Hmmm…that’s like a Barbara Walters question. Couldn’t you have asked “if you were a tree, what kind of tree would you be?” because that would be easy. Almond. Where do lots of almond trees grow? That’s where I’d like to go.  Anywhere in the world where lots and lots of almond trees grow. There and Australia so I could visit my friends in Conuretopia. And Bully’s house. I would definitely like to go to Bully’s house. And visiting Kokonino in the UK would be grand. And then, and then…Well, I guess I’d like to go anywhere and everywhere in the world where my friends are.”

9.) And one final question: What’s the deal with the doughnuts?

“I’m glad you asked about the donuts. It started with my first Entenmann’s softee which I grabbed right out of the box myself. From that day on, I KNEW what was in that box but Mom was not at all sympathetic to my donut desires. Flash forward several years and Dad wins not one but two Krispy Kreme cards entitling him to one free donut a day for a year. Now I’m seeing those bags and boxes every week (He doesn’t actually go EVERY DAY – Mom’s not at all sympathetic to Dad’s donut desires either.) and it’s not like I don’t know what’s in there but I pretty much end up with the empty box which is fun but not particularly tasty. So finally on my 19th hatchday, Mom relented and allowed me to have AN ENTIRE Krispy Kreme sugar donut. Oh was I in heaven. A taste sensation and shred toy all in one! I’ve not been offered another donut since but at least Mom filmed the occasion so when I get nostalgic for that day, I can watch the video.”

Thank you Bart! I appreciate your time.

*shakes tail feathers as the recorder is turned off*

“Whew! Did I do alright? I was so nervous – could you tell? I’ve never been interviewed before and it was you know, fun but sorta nerve wracking at the same time. I hope I didn’t sound stupid. Can’t have my friends mocking me out on “the wall”. Can I have a kiss? Whoo! Thank you!”

I’m a bit tired today. I flew to Columbia and back yesterday, and I’ve been writing a lot. It’s a gray, rainy day; perfect for staying in. It’s also a tad blustery, but nice and cool, so I have the Greys out on the front porch. They seem to be enjoying the air and and watching the cars go by.

I offered my hand to see if they wanted to come in but “no dice.” They wanted to stay out there and watch the world.

I enjoy days like these. I can hole up in the house and not feel guilty about spending time with my birds and get some writing done. My excuse is, “For cripes sake, I just went to South America and back yesterday.” I usually brew some “Red Zinger” tea and  stop to occasionally sweep up after the birds, dust something and vacuum just a bit:

Maybe I can tidy up the living room while I’m at it, and get the laundry ready for tomorrow. I’d do it today, but my neighbor lost her laundry card, borrowed mine and hasn’t returned it yet. And as long as I’m dusting, I should probably get after the bathroom floor and give that a good going over.

I have no idea what I’m making for dinner, but it will probably involve making some sort of soup. I like soup on rainy, lazy days like this. I was reading a book yesterday and there was a passage about “Dan Dan Noodles,”  a Chinese noodle dish served in a bowl with green onions, sesame seed oil and hot chili oil with whatever else you want to throw in there. Maybe I can whip up something like that.

When I was in college, I would run errands in the afternoon. After the lunch rush, I would stop into a small restaurant with my pad of paper and pen, and order a cup of cappuccino. This “fancy coffee thing”was fairly new to me at the time, and to me there was nothing better than to sit in this deserted restaurant and write while I sipped my coffee.

Long before laptops and Starbucks, it seemed that I had found not only my favorite past time, but my lot in life as a writer. It wasn’t so much that I wanted to write, it was because I had to write. It certainly wasn’t anything of any consequence. I don’t even  remember what I was writing about and I don’t think it really matters. All that matters was that I was having fun.

In the fast-paced world we live in today, a rainy day when everything seems to slow down is a pleasant interlude from the breakneck speed we all seem to have adjusted to. And I intend to take advantage of it. Pepper seems to be diving into her water bowl in honor of the rain, so perhaps they should have a shower.

I even baked some “Birdie Bread.”

Yup, There’s nothing like a lazy, rainy day.

Jason has this really great product he loves: it’s tea for your bird. (More on that in another post!)  Anyway, he has this very neat website: http://www.beaksbirdhouse.com/index2.html

Jason wanted me to let you all know about this event. It’s the Midwest Bird Expo! And all of the information is right here:

http://www.midwestbirdexpo.com/

SAVE THE DATE  -  SATURDAY  MAY 22, 2010!

Apparently there’s going to be some very interesting people there. Mark Bittner who wrote the best-seller The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill will be speaking. (I haven’t heard him speak, but I can’t wait!)

And one of my favorite people will be there! Yup! Dr. Irene Pepperberg will be on hand to keep everyone updated on her latest progress with her African Grey research. Here is Irene wearing one of my scarves at a Phoenix Landing  Event:

I know you’ve seen her and her sidekick; but this is terrific! Snowball the dancing Cockatoo and Irena Schulz will be in attendance. Snowball is, of course the world famous dancing cockatoo who took the world by storm on “Youtube” a couple of years ago when he danced to “The Backstreet Boys.” Here is that video:

And many, many, more will be there: Sy Montgomery, George and Bernadette Richter from SOAR, and Mick McAuliffe from Australia. This is going to be one kick-butt event.  This is where it’s going to be. (I find this interesting because it’s only a few miles from where I grew up. I know exactly where this is!):

Kane County Exhibition Hall

525 South Randall Road

St. Charles, IL 60174-1533

Any Questions? Contact them here: TASCChicago@aol.com

Got Parrots? Do a Cruise!

This looks like it’s going to be a blast! And it’s a fund raising event for the World Parrot Trust!

Sailing from Ft. Lauderdale on October 24, 2009 for 8 days  

Returning to Ft Lauderdale on November 1, 2009

 

• First Ever Fund-Raising Cruise To Help Save The Wild Parrots!                                          

  

  Check out World Parrot Trust website. 

  Information on Parrots

  Conservation Efforts 

  Pictures of Parrots

  Sounds Parrots Make

• Itinerary

  
  

  Day     Port of Call                          Arrival            Departure

  1          Ft Lauderdale, FL                                       4:00 PM

  2          Fun Day at Sea

  3          Cozumel, Mexico               8:00 AM           5:00 PM

  4          Fun Day at Sea

  5          Limon, Costa Rica              10:00 AM         6:00 PM

  6          Colon, Panama                    7:00 AM           4:00 PM

  7          Fun Day at Sea

  8          Fun Day at Sea

  9          Ft. Lauderdale, FL                8:00 AM

 Attend Our Speakers’ Presentations.  

Play Some Games.   

Win a Raffle.

 

Meet Other ”Bird” People.

 

We’ll have plenty of time while we are at sea to attend the presentations given by our speakers, and talk about our parrots.

Plus we are planning some fun time together to play some games and win some prizes. Our sponsors have donated some amazing items for lucky raffle winners. 

And, it is all for the parrots in the wild. Remember, if we don’t help, they will disappear forever!

• Pricing

  8B   Balcony               $1032.11*

  8B Balcony Single      $1764.11*

  8B Balcony Triple       $741.41*

  6B   Ocean View          $842.71*

  6B Ocean View Single $1511.11*

  4B   Inside                     $722.11*

   

  All prices quoted are based on per person rate.

   

  *A $50.00 per person charge added for conference expenses and donations to World Parrot Trust. Prices are only guaranteed as long as our block of cabins are available. Price could go up after that so get your $25pp deposit in. 

   

  Insurance is optional but strongly recommended:

  $99.00 per person – Balcony

  $89.00 per person – Ocean View

  $79.00 per person – Inside

• 325.00 due at time of booking. Final payment due August 3rd.

   

  *There is still plenty of time. Just  Go  Click  Dream  Sail  Relax  Enjoy 

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