I've Been Sent To A Secure and Undisclosed Location!

I had a little excitement at the nest last week!  Last Monday Marcia walked into the family room to do a little dusting.  Little did she know that she would have to fetch my birdie boots and a rowboat!  The faucet connection under the wet bar had sprung a leak and water was everywhere!  I just couldn't resist saying this!

She quickly grabbed a bucket and put it under the sink.  She immediately put me in the cage. Called Jeff for back up and fetched the wet vac.  It was quite a night of activity!  Our neighbor came over with his wet vac and helped too!  Carpets started to get ripped up!  OH! NO! You all know how I hate that!

The damage...  The major concern is about 200 square feet of wood flooring and the saturated base of an 18 foot built in cabinet that houses the wet bar.  A team of water mitigation experts were on the scene the next morning! Joe and Aaron were great and explained to Marcia and Jeff what was going to happen in the next 3 days.  Basically, they were going to have to live inside their home with the noise that only a 747 can make!  Seven huge fans and three very large dehumidifiers were set in place to dry everything out.

I had to leave!!!

I was packed up and whisked away to a friends house as the mitigation experts unrolled yards and yards of plastic sheeting.  A drying chamber had to be set up to dry the place up.  Then the dust was going to fly! All of the wet wood flooring had to be removed!  Here is what the nest looked like on day 3.

I liked being on vacation with my friends in their home. I am very lucky to have good friend's who are very nice and let me stay with them. I thank them SO very much!!!  I hope all your birdies have a safe place to go if an emergency ever happens in your nest!  Please discuss this with your humans, it's very important.  There was no way I could have stayed during these days of upheaval.  It was just too scary!  The off gassing from the plastic, the deafening noise, the very low humidity in the house, and all the dust was very dangerous for me!

I was able to return back to the nest on Saturday afternoon when every thing was all dried out.  I did miss Jeff and Marcia! It was so fun to see them again! I think they were happy to see me too!  When they came to get me I was on my perch watching TV.  Marcia stuck her head around the corner of the room and with a big smile on her face, said "Hi! Sweetie!" I made a loud whistle, made a poop, and lifted my foot up for her to pick me up! Then a few moments later Jeff came in the room and we all sat on a sofa and I perched on Jeff's knee! Flock was together once again! YAY!!!

The repairs will be made soon. There are lots of people to talk to and decisions to be made. I will probably get to go on vacation again when workmen come to fix everything.  Marcia tells me not to start reading the travel section of the newspaper.  I shouldn't get any ideas; it will not be any place exotic!

Bon Voyage!

My 14th Hatchday Celebration!

Humans are "Birthed" or "Born" so they have "Birthdays".  Not so for the birds!  We are "Hatched" and therefore, we have "Hatchdays!"  I was hatched on June 15, 1997.  I've been to some human Birthday Parties and they have been a lot of fun! Lots of fun things to eat and lots of people celebrating!  I've never had a big Hatchday celebration.  Until this year!!!

Every party needs a theme.  You all know how much I LOVE Corn!  So Corn was the theme and we had LOTS of it!!!

What’s the deal with all this Corn Talk?

Actually "Corn" is a word that I use instead of  "Food".  It was the first “food” word I learned, all food was called "corn" when I first started talking.  It wasn't till later that I learned other food words, like "sweet potato".  However, I continue to use "Corn" as my word of choice when I am being served my meals.  When I first learned "corn", I said it so much that a two young neighbor girls took a pottery class in 1999 and made me a plate!!!  

To this day I still cherish this plate from my friends "Katie" and "Kelly". ♥

The party was posted on Facebook and quite a few people stuck their faces in to see what was going on!  Marcia made 6 videos and you can see the whole party in its entirety on the Event Page.

If you are more included to watch shorter, more condensed versions, then YouTube is probably what you will want to watch.  I call it My Hatchday Trilogy!

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

For the record, nothing went to waist.  Marcia ate most of the popcorn that day!  The 14 ears of corn were cooked and put in the freezer for later, and the cornbread cut up into smaller servings and frozen too!  

It must of been the best Hatchday ever!!! I had so much fun!!! Thanks to all of my Facebook Fans who participated and came to watch! 

To Catch A Thief!

Humans might call me a Pack Rat! I beg your pardon!!! A hoarder? I don’t think so! Me? Stealing? A Thief! Never!!!! But officer, it was a misunderstanding, I was just BORROWING IT!!!

Marcia uses a dish drainer in addition to the dishwasher. Items we use everyday get put in the dish drainer. Other things go into the dishwasher. One item that Jeff uses everyday is his coffee mug. He fills it up every morning as he gets ready to leave the house for work. He puts on the special lid so that it doesn’t slop and spill everywhere. (I understand this is an act performed by many people in their need to satisfy their caffeine addition.) In the evening, he or Marcia washes the mug and lid and places it in the dish drainer to be used the next morning. I’m quite smitten with the lid too! I like to take it out of the dish drainer and throw it on the floor, just like the rest of my toys.

This particular day, I had other plans. I never intended to enter a life of crime, but the coffee lid treasure was just too hard to resist! There it was in all of its radiant black plastic loveliness!!!!

Watch the video and pay attention to my quick thinking and stealth action!

Fast forward, the next morning. Jeff gets ready for work, time to fill his mug… no lid? Where’s the lid? “Marcia, have you seen my lid?” he asks. “No, it should be in the drainer” she replies. Just so happens there is another similar type container in the cupboard (not his favorite) and he reluctantly fills it up and off to work he goes. I secretly hoped that loosing the lid would keep him home with me, alas that idea did not work. Several days go by, searching for the lid continues. Jeff concludes it was the best coffee mug lid he had ever had and will just have to go and buy a replacement.

Then, one day Marcia decides it was time to clean my toy drawer. (A chore she does about every other week.) This is the drawer in the kitchen, next to my cabinet where I go to shred my toys. A nice dark place and perfect for hiding things. Guess what she found!!! OH! MY! The coffee mug lid!!! HOW DID IT GET IN THERE??? She gave me three guesses and the first two didn’t count!

Mystery solved! I had enjoyed quite a few chews in seclusion and the rubber gasket necessary to keep the liquid contents from spilling had been totally shredded. Those humans! They really should take better care of their prized possessions, otherwise they become MINE!!! Lesson Learned AGAIN!

To Buy a Baby Parrot or Adopt an Older Parrot? – That is the Question!

I’ve been asked this question so many times! The answer is not easy, even for me, “Einstein”! Before I give you my opinion, let me tell you my story.

I was hatched in a closed aviary (A closed aviary restricts the introduction of new birds to prevent infectious diseases.) located in Garland, Texas in June of 1997. The breeder raised the chicks in her home, so my first months of life were in a home environment. The home was clean and well kept. I was held by humans and fed by the breeder’s grandchildren. I learned about the sounds of a vacuum cleaner, a dog barking, children playing, and all the other sounds and activities of a home life! By the time I was old enough to go to my new home with Jeff and Marcia, I was ready! The breeder was responsible! She made sure that Jeff and Marcia knew what getting a parrot was about! Before she accepted their down payment she told us about books to read and she told them it was like having a 2 year old child for the rest of their life!!! She did not paint a rosy picture and told Jeff and Marcia to go home and think about it! They started to read everything they could find! Remember this was 1997, and the internet was still in its early days! There was not a lot of information to be found on the internet! The rest is history; I came to live with Jeff and Marcia. To this day, they continued to read and learn about parrots and how they should be trained and raised.

It was a couple of years later that Marcia and Jeff learned about parrot rescues. These are places that are filled with birds that were not as lucky as I was! The parrots were purchased as babies and then for some reason or another, the owner did not have time for them or they developed behavior problems. It was heartbreaking to hear stories about people who could not spend time or make a commitment to their feathered friend! It was then that Marcia began my website in 2001 to educate people. To let people know that parrots need interaction and companionship to thrive in captivity! Given that, we make pretty entertaining and wonderful companions!

My opinion…
80% For the adoption of older (re-homed) parrots
20% For the purchase of baby parrots from RESPONSIBLE Breeders
100% Against the capture and importation of wild caught parrots.

It’s a fact, everyone loves baby kittens, puppies, and parrots. We live in a free society and we cannot stop people from going into business and breeding parrots. However, we can decide who to purchase those parrots from, and we should only do business with those breeders who are responsible and who look out for the welfare of the parrot. Breeders should screen prospective owners, educate the buyer, and refuse to sell to someone who is not suitable. Prospective owners should do their homework and be prepared for parrot ownership. If you are making your baby parrot purchase in an informed and responsible manner, I congratulate you!!!

Unfortunately, parrots will continue to be placed into rescues due to the irresponsible decision to purchase a baby parrot. These birds need your help! Here is a list of Rescue Organizations. If you own parrots, like parrots, or thinking about getting a parrot you have a responsibility to support a rescue organization. Go visit a rescue, ask questions! You may find that the parrot of YOUR DREAMS will be right there waiting for you!!!

Sponsor a parrot! This is a terrific idea if you don’t have time in your life for a parrot right now! Did you know many parrot rescues have programs where you can donate toward a particular parrot while it is being kept at the shelter until it is adopted? People don’t think twice about donating to a dog or cat shelter, parrot shelters need donations too! (I donate to several organizations, and whenever I’m in a contest, all my winnings will always go to a parrot rescue!)

More importantly, my opinion doesn’t really matter! People need to make their own decision. It must be an educated and researched decision. Be a responsible pet owner! There are Pros and Cons to owning both a new baby and an older parrot. (There are plenty of websites that address these Pros and Cons*.) Let it be said, a parrot is not the right pet for ALL people! We live in a busy society and people should realize that owning a parrot is a commitment for the rest of your life!

Lastly, I’d like to share a quote by Antoine de Saint-Exupery, “Many have forgotten this truth but you must not forget it. We remain responsible forever for what we have tamed."


*Pros and Cons: Baby vs. Older Parrots
http://www.petparrots101.com/buy-adobt-parrot.asp

Still wondering if you should own a parrot? Read This

My Play Perches

Ever Since I was in the DVD and CD ROM combination set entitled, “Train Your Parrot To Talk”, a lot of you have been asking me about my play perches.  I really like them and if you're crafty you can probably build them yourself.

The pictures are in thumbnail,

so click on them to see the "BIGGER" Picture!

My Kitchen Perch

My human, Jeff made this perch for me when I was a little chick.

It is made from an unfinished bar stool (24" tall) and a plastic plant saucer (22" diameter).  Marcia bought the toy hook from a company that is now out of business and she can't find anyone who makes one like it these days.  It mainly stays in the kitchen but can be rolled into other parts of the house.  The saucer is bolted to the stool, so it can be taken apart.  This is the perch we take to the bird sitter and when we go for a road trip in the car.  

My PVC Perch

This perch purchased at a Bird Mart in May of 1998.  It was built by the man who was selling them.  He had a whole bunch.  Marcia has never seen him at the show again, so I guess he went out of business too. 
 
I hope these pictures and measurements help you build one.  1" PVC pipe and fittings were used.  The measurements indicated are the cut lengths of the PVC pipe before you glue the fittings on.  I don't know what kind of glue was used.  Just be safe and be sure it doesn't "off-gas" and hurt your birdies. The measurements are close, but not exact. For example, I measured the poop tray as 17" x 25" and it's really 18" x 26".  The poop tray is a baking sheet and can be purchased from any restaurant supply. They can also be found on Amazon.com Click Here I suggest starting with the tray and build everything out from there.

 

   

Underside of Bowl

Tray and Tray Frame

Tray frame rests on intersecting supports



 

To make the PVC pipe less slippery, it looks like it has grooves gouged into it.  Most likely done with a Dremel tool.  All of the perches that I use are textured like this and I have no trouble getting around on them.



There are 10 stainless steel screw-eyes for hanging toys.  They are indicated with a red dot in this picture.



Have fun with this project and send me a picture of the perch you build!







A Day With Einstein

My Human, Jeff usually wakes up first. He takes me to the shower with him. Sometimes I will get wet. Sometimes, I just like to sit on the edge of the shower and I enjoy the steam and sometimes I take a little nap.

As he gets dressed, I'm talking. This is when I talk the most. I practice practically my whole vocabulary. Then Marcia wakes up (could it be because I'm so noisy? You think?) and we go to the kitchen. She feeds me breakfast. It is a grain mixture of Cooked Kashi (Whole: Hard Red Winter Wheat, Oats, Rye, Barley, Triticale, Long Grain Brown Rice, Buckwheat, Sesame Seeds), brown rice and mixed veggies. It's yummy! She cooks all my food in large batches and freezes them in small batches. That way it's easy. All she does is warm it in the microwave. (Recipe and tips are noted at the end of this article) I imitate the microwave beep sound, so I'm usually beeping way before she even gets up in the morning! I eat and I make a mess. Then, I take a nap for a little while because I'm pretty worn out from all my morning talkin' and breakfast was so good!
Marcia cleans up my mess after I eat.

Then about Noon it's time for lunch. If Marcia is busy and not at home, I get a muffin that she bakes for me. They are easy to make and so yummy! If she is home, I get a warm meal on my perch. It is a cooked concoction of beans, pasta, grains, veggies, and sweet potatoes. Again, very yummy! I also have pellets available and I eat those too, but Marcia's cookin' is so good! I prefer it. I eat and I make a mess.

Marcia cleans up my mess after I eat.

Then I usually want to play on the towel drawer. This is a new activity! Marcia and Jeff let me go over there one day and I had the BEST TIME! Now I beg to go over there almost every day!
As you can see Marcia has removed everything from the counter, otherwise I would throw it on the floor. (I like to see things fall.) She also put bird safe paper and some toys in the drawer for me. I had the best time tearing all that up! Good Job!

Sometimes Marcia has to go out, so I go to my cage. I just hang out and play with my toys, or I nap.
When she comes home, I usually start talking a lot around dinner time. Marcia cooks the human dinner and I help by making the microwave beep. Sometimes she goes over to the microwave and nothing is in there! That's because I made the beep and tricked her!!! I LOVE Doing That To Marcia! One time she was preparing a new and complicated recipe. I was taking so much that I really got on her nerves! She said, "Einstein, please! Can you just be quite for 10 minutes!" So I started to count to 10! "One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten!" After all, isn't that what she wanted? She was laughing hysterically and seemed to be in a better mood after that!!!

When Jeff comes home from work, we all eat dinner. I usually get the same thing that I had for lunch and also I get a little of the human dinner too. (Providing, that it is safe for me. You see there are some things I can't eat. But it is OK to feed me some people food.) I love chicken! (I prefer dark meat.) Salmon is good too! All veggies that don't have salt or butter on them. I love pasta with tomato sauce. And anything spicy! LOVE Mexican! (But please no avocado. It is VERY TOXIC for birds!)

After dinner, Jeff and Marcia clean. Marcia cleans my perch. She gives it a good scrubbing and Jeff disposes of all the dirty paper under my perch and vacuums the kitchen floor.

Then after dinner we all hang out. I watch Jeff work on the computer, or we all watch TV.

Right before bed I get a treat. "Wanna Nut?" is what I always say around 10PM. I get a pecan and a couple of almonds, and a few pistachios. I'm such a lucky BIRD!

"NIGHT - NIGHT!"

Recipe and Tips

Breakfast Grain Pilaf

Lightly oil an 8" by 8" Pyrex glass pan with olive oil. In the prepared pan, combine
1/2 cup brown rice and 1 package (1 cup) Kashi Grains
Add 1 Tablespoon olive oil.
Pour in 2 1/2 cups boiling water.
Cover tight with foil and bake in a 375 degree oven for 1 hour.

When grains are cooked, lightly steam or boil about 8 ozs. of any frozen vegetable. I usually use organic mixed veggies (corn, carrot, peas, green beans) Then add them to the cooked grain mixture. Mix well.

I Love to eat all the products from Avian Organics The cooked mixes, the sprouts, and the birdie bread. I also enjoy the birdie bread from Momma Bird's Cafe.
Other cooked mixes that I like are: Cream of Tweet and Caribbean Crunch by Beak Appetit. As well as, Original Corn Bean Mix, Noodles-N-Nuts, Kung Fu Yum and Polly Pasta by Crazy Corn.

When feeding fresh or cooked foods, remove the food item from the cage/bowl after 2-3 hours. Bacteria may grow that will be harmful. Use common sense. If you wouldn't you eat it, then your bird shouldn't eat it and it should be removed!

Marcia likes to cook, so it's not a bother for her to do it. However, I would rather eat Marcia's cooking than my pellets and I'm totally spoiled in that regard! Another thing Marcia has found useful are those little 2 oz. single serve containers.

They are great to portion the food and freeze. When it's time to eat, 30 seconds in the microwave usually does the trick! You can usually buy these at any liquor store, because people use them to make jello shots. (Personally, I'd much prefer food in them!)

For more information on my diet and more recipes, go to my website!