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:
February 23, 2010 at 2:15 am
I loved this blog entry.
I tool love rainy lazy days but since I do not work, I guess I do not appreciate them as much as if I was working.
Well, that is called ‘not working’ but I bet I am more busy than many working women. That is just the way I am, constantly on the go.
No wonder your Greys prefered to stay on their gym and watch the world outside the window. What a nice view they have.
I really enjoy reading your posts because you include many pics.
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February 23, 2010 at 7:59 am
Thank you Anneka,
When I was a kid and lived up north, I remember the “snow days;” when it would snow so much they closed the schools. We would listen to the radio in the morning, hoping to God our school would be announced as officially “closed” for the day. When it was, I would yell a big “Hurray!” and run to get out of my school uniform.
Because I now live in Florida, I have resorted to “Rainy Days” as my day to yell, “Hurray!” (But of course I do it more calmly now!)
I then know I can get things done and to have to worry about “having” to get things done. It seems I get more done when I don’t have to! And isn’t it amazing how much there is to be done even if you don’t work? To me, living is a full-time job.
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February 23, 2010 at 8:10 am
Hi Patricia,
Love your article in Bird Talk.
Was wondering if you could share your birdie bread recipe with me? I’ve made your chop and my CAG loves it! It is so convenient and versatile. Thanks for your help!
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February 23, 2010 at 9:16 am
Sure Karen!
And thank you!
First of all, the purists will tell you to make birdie bread out of real corn meal and all natural ingredients. And if you do, that’s fabulous.
I however am not a purist. I’m really busy, so I’ll tell you how I do it: I cheat. I use a mix. Birdie bread made with a mix is better than no birdie bread.
I am not one of these people who wrap their birds in bubble wrap and are afraid to let their bird do anything for fear they will be harmed. Our birds are tougher and more resilient than we are. By the same token, I’m a HUGE believer in a good diet for birds and dislike the all-seed diet to the point where my lip curls when I see the seed mixes in the store. That said, here is the cheater’s version of birdie bread:
1. Get a mix.
2. Make the batter.
3. Throw in anything that’s good for them, especially stuff they wouldn’t normally eat. The batch I made yesterday had flax seed, ground-up egg shell and some pellets in it. You can throw in chop if you want. I’ve done that. Ground up veggies, egg shells, a powdered vitamin supplement that normally tastes like powdered sewer sludge to them will do fine in birdie bread. Anything that’s good for them can get shoved in a birdie bread.
4. Throw the batter in a greased pan .
5. Bake, cool, cut and serve.
Make sure you keep the stuff refrigerated or it’ll start to look like you pulled it out from UNDER your fridge with all of that fresh stuff in it.
I don’t believe in “hard.” I believe in “If it’s easy for us AND good for them, we will more likely do it for them.” That’s how I came up with the “chop” concept. It’s a pain in the keester to make on the day you make it, but you will be thanking yourself every time you pull the packages out of the freezer for the next day.
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February 24, 2010 at 12:21 pm
the birds (and you!) have an incredible view, I am so jealous……nothing but white here!
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February 24, 2010 at 12:54 pm
Actually, it’s starting to get a little warm here. I’m switching from a long-sleeved t-shirt to one of the short sleeved variety. Or, it could be the Szechuan “Dan-Dan Noodles” I made for my breakfast tomorrow. The view is nice. My semi-lovely home even has views of the sewage treatment plant down the road. I’ve been grateful they’ve straightened that odor problem every Sunday morning…
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March 5, 2010 at 11:38 am
Hello, Patricia
I just wanted to say that your parrots are fantastic 😀 It seems like they have amazing characters 😀
I also love the photo of then showering 🙂
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March 5, 2010 at 11:49 am
Thanks so much! They are real characters all right! Showering is a whomping important part of their life. It’s also a whomping important part of MY life. They stay clean and I don’t have to dust as much!
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