I'm So Smart

I went to see Papa Howard and Mama Kass this weekend with Mom and Dad.  They were having a movie night.  I was so excited until i learned that the only reason I was there was so that Papa Howard could do my nails.

Well I was not in their house 2 minutes when Rusty came spitting at me.  Fear struck my heart I don’t mind telling you.   Told you I was smart, and knowing when to leave a cat alone is one of the smartest things a dog can do.  I remember the nightmares I had because of their 3 HUGE, GIANT  cats. (Mama Cat, Patches and Rusty 40 pounds each I swear.)

Anyway, from that moment on I stayed on my toes, literally.  If I wanted to see Papa Howard I would go behind mom’s chair to get to him, and if I wanted to see Mama Kass, it was a bit more duckin’ and dodging, but I made it work.  There did finally come a time when I was sitting next to Mama Kass and patches and I sat staring at one another and I refused to look away.  Patches looked away first.  I showed him.  Even Mama Kass saw that and was proud of me.

While watching the movie, Mama Kass was baking dessert for everyone, yes even me, you know between mom and dad one of them were going to give me a taste.  It was absolutely delicious mom said and asked for the recipe.  I’m glad because it was good and if she can make it just 1/2  as good, dad and I are in for a treat.  It was sweet and it had apples in it.

Well it got late and everyone was tired after the movie was over and I never did get my nails done.  That’s ok I like driving everyone crazy with the tic tic tic tic across the floor.  Doesn’t bother me.  Well maybe a little.

Until next time, Woof Woof

Princess Penny

I'm So Smart

Here I am lounging,  spread out on the landing of the front steps watching my dad do some gardening, when he decides to take a break and join me on the landing.  I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks, cause as I am cooling my heals in the shade when dad puts his hand on the step and realizes I have a knack for knowing when and where to stretch my lovely body out.  Don’t he get it into his mind to stretch out on the landing with me telling me that I am a start doggie.

Of Course I am!  I’m Princess Penny for heaven sakes.  But now he’s taking up most of the shade and now I have to curl up on the landing.  If Im so smart, how come he’s got most of the shade?

Well here come mom to the rescue, or so i thought.  She sits there laughing about, “What if the neighbors see you stretched out on the ground.  They will think you had a heart attack and I’m just watching you croak.”  or “Poor Ryan will come out and think you fell on his property” (we kind of share a landing).

Mom took me inside because my secret weapon was stolen by dad, and it would be awhile when the sun will bake him as it moves towards the house.  Maybe if I go out back and stretch out in the grass, he’ll come out and do the same and the buggies will get him.

Well until next time Woof Woof
Princess Penny

Hi this is Princess Penny’s human mom, Teresa.  This morning I had to have an MRI, no I’m not crazy, it was just to check things out.   As I walked to the room where the test was going to take place, I started to hear the chatter of birds.  Now I think maybe I am crazy because there are no birds in a hospital.  When I mentioned it to the technician, she smiled and said, “Yes, it does sound a little like birds.  It’s just the machine on standby.”

Ok now I feel better.   So there I was putting in ear plugs to help with the noise that is sure to come,  (boy could I use them in the morning at my house) and asking could I get an extra pair for my husband.   As I lay there trying not to freak out being enclosed in the machine, I begin to think about how everyone at my house is still asleep, everyone but me and its too early.  I’m working myself up and the test has not even started.

The test begins and the first sound I hear is sort of like a crow, which it brings to mind Sebastian, my African Grey, who also makes sounds like a crow.  Then I hear what sounds like my other Grey,  JJ banging his nose on the floor when he is angry or upset about something I probably won’t let him do.

We are now about 10 minutes into the test when I hear a tapping, like someone at the door.  Well every morning Sebastian takes his stroll to the bathroom door and taps on it because he wants in. The noise then sound belts out the beat of what I  say in response to Sebastian’s tapping on the door, “Whose is that behind my door”.

As I begin to chuckle I hear quite  clear,  “Please do not move or we will have to repeat the test”.  That only makes me want to laugh harder, but I don’t, because I don’t want to have to listen to all this noise.  So I lay there thinking, “You know you are owned by a parrot when….”, a title from one of the magazines I read.

Being owned by a parrot or a few parrots means your life is not your own.  Your life seems dictated by those feathered characters and their antics can cause you hear things that aren’t there.  But being owned by a parrot or a few parrots also means that you would not change it for the world as each of them have their own personality and require very little to show it off.

Like the smell of my Blue-Headed Pionus, which smells like a sweet musk, or the conures who feel slighted that they can only scream their response to the happenings of the day.  Or the two greys who want all the attention and can act out when they don’t get it.  Sharing is not one of their best features.  The best fun is when they get down on the floor and Penny thinks she can play with them and they decide to back her up and chase her.  Oh the laughter that rings in our house when Penny come running through the rooms and the greys are right behind her.

I guess I can forgive the receptionist for giving me such an early morning appointment for this test to be done.  It actually gave me a chance to look at my life with our companions, both four legged and feathered.  Take a minute to think about your companions whether they be dog, cat, or parrots, and think of something funny they have done and how they bring about joy in your life and your household.

Thank you Penny for allowing me the time to write my own little story for a change.  Until next time and Penny gets back, Woof Woof

Teresa

My African Grey brothers were not happy with Mom    last night.  She took them to get groomed.  You know primping the nails and wings.  Oh and don’t forget rounding off the beaks.  Mom’s a big believer of rounding off the beaks.  Considering she has been on the receiving end of those beaks big and small. lol

Sebastian I believe really likes going only he doesn’t want JJ to know.  Sebastian struts his stuff, puffs up, does big eagle is pretty happy.  He knows that Mom got some new food and treats for him and everyone else.

Sometimes I think it is unfair, they have their own store with only their food, and toys only for them. (though mom did bring me a ball, but I don’t play with balls.)

I get the same food until my bag runs out.  Dad goes and gets me another one only  Mom did have him get a different type this time.  Eating Dog Food  can be so boring sometimes.

JJ has been playing up to mom, we have not figured out what he is up to, but ever since he got back from the groomers, he has been real quiet and watching.  For what I don’t know.

OK the only grooming I get is when Papa Howard comes to do my nails.  Dad brushes me and gives me my bath.  The birds get showers in the morning and sometimes if it is really warm maybe a spritz at night.

Well until next time, Woof Woof

Summer is a fine time for everyone, except maybe dogs, ok, cats too.    It’s hot and unless the humans are hot, they don’t turn the air-conditioning on.

There are many animals out on the streets trying to cope with life in general, but when summer comes all they think about is getting out of sun.

Fortunately, there are people who are willing to pick up what they call the “Strays”.  They are then taken to shelters where they get a bath, (I’m sure that will make them feel better).   So while they wait to see if they will be adopted, they languish under the air-conditioning living their Dog Days Of Summer.

Me, I got the ‘Life of Riley’ , I have a fan in the living room that is helping to push the air-conditioning upstairs.   When I am upstairs, I have another fan, including the ceiling fan, as I lay on their king size bed.    The dog Days of Summer are not affecting me much.  Cause my dad does not like me out in the sun.    He says that my tongue hangs out and it make me look, well,  silly.

Even my feathered brothers and sisters have it good, they have the air-conditioning along with their ceiling fan.   I guess they are having ‘Bird Days Of Summer’.

Well keep cool, and hope that your humans are letting you live the ‘Dog Days Of Summer!’

Until next time, Woof Woof

My husband Roger and I (Teresa) have opened our home to 5 parrots and a female beagle because they all need to be cared for and more importantly, love.

We run a small rescue for parrots.  We were to only be a foster home, but within 2 weeks of the bird being brought in, Roger would want to keep the bird because of the bond that he had with each and every bird.

There were 6 parrots until Sushi our Hahn’s macaw took a stroke and had seizures.  We were ill-equipped to care for her.  She required hand feeding and we were more afraid that we would be the ones to cause more problems due to our inexperience with hand-feeding.  She was adopted by our Vet’s Tech Sue Delia.  Sushi has thrived and now, though considered a special needs birds is doing great.  We thank Sue for her love of animals and her willingness to take in Sushi though she herself has a big flock of her own.

Out of our other 5, Kiwi our peach-front conure is the only one that was not a rescue.  We did rescue his sister Robin from a different flock, but because of nerve damage in her right foot was unsuitable for sale.  They are not very big on talking, though they have animated conversations in their squaky voice.

Sebastian (African Grey) came from a great home only because of a new baby and was unable to stay.  We gladly took him home with us.  He is an entertainer.  He loves to sing and dances his way into the hearts of everyone he meets.  He laughs with and at you.  His “love you” can be heard all though the house.  When he decides to take what we call his “Australian walk”, he will come down his house, on to the floor and go visit the other birds, or takes walks into the bathroom so he can talk to himself in the tile.

Kazoo is a 5 year old Blue-Headed Pi onus who talks up a storm.  They are not noted to be big talker, but she surely puts that myth to bed.   Though she has a gravel voice, she loves talking in her bowl as she eats because her voice booms out.  She is sweet natured and though she can give a good nip when she wants, she is not really an aggressive bird.

JJ is our problem child.  He was abused the first 7 yrs of his life before being rescued by a family who eventually adopted two little children and was afraid that JJ would manage to bite one of them and then possibly the children would be removed.  Roger and I decided to take JJ (African Grey) home with us, even though we learned that his abuse was by the hand of a female with grandchildren that aggravated and agitated him.

He loves Roger and will do anything he wants.  Unfortunately, after trying to befriend him these past 6 years, all i can do is give him little rubs on his beak and the top of his head.  Anything more, could result in a good bite.  But I love him anyway, and told him when he came to us, ‘that he has a home for life’.  I would be afraid that without  understanding all of his nuances, he could become an abused bird again.

I can’t stand the thought of that.  I am just as happy feeding him, standing by his house and talking to him, and on occasion, when he ALLOWS,  giving him little rubs.  That makes my day.  It may take many more years before he will trust that I would never hurt him.  That i love him.  But that is ok.

Last but not least is ‘Prince Penny’ as my husband calls her.  She was found wandering and Roger was asked if he would be interested in keeping her.  Who Mr. Softy, of course he would keep her.  That was a silly question.  Though the person knew to go to Roger instead of me.  i really was not interested in getting a dog as we have birds and her particular species like birds.  Anyway, she is pretty good around the birds, though she can get pretty worked up and it’s just a matter of understanding her ways.  We are always professing that we can not change the nature of a bird and that has to hold true for her as well.  I have said all along that she would make a great ‘Rehab Dog’ the way that she looks out after me.

Roger and I love all of our babies.  Princess Penny has her own bog talking about her and her feathered brothers and sisters.  Though it sometimes can be difficult when they all want your attention all at the same time.  We just remember to put lots of love in all interactions that we have for our feathered crew, and Penny our trusted Beagle.

Well we thank you for taking the time to read our story.

Sometimes I think there are too many pets.

My dad does not have enough hands or time to pet all of us when we want him to.   Don’t get me wrong, we all get his attention,  but there are times when he wants to be with my feathered brothers and sisters, and I can’t be there with him because the birds are going to be out.

OK, so I get a little over excited, but that is in my nature.   I’m a Beagle.   Beagles get excited when there are little critters around.  True, I have traumatized Robin a couple of times by scooping her up, but that was because she got on the floor.  But what about the time JJ was on the floor and he chased me around.  Huh what about that!  Or the time Sebastian decided to come out of his house and come down on the floor and ask me ‘what was I doing’.  When I tried to show him, he growled at me.  Yes, that bird growled at me.

Ok so maybe I just proved dad’s point about me being with him when he spends time with the birds in their room.  Mom just reminded me that the birds no longer really spend anytime downstairs anymore since I arrived.  She says that they use to come downstairs and watch TV with them.  Now if they want to spend “quality time” with them, I have to go to my house, and they get to watch TV with them upstairs.  (They can’t do it downstairs, even with me in my house because all I do is bark).  I want to be free like them.  OK I get the picture.

Do you think if I could grow wings I could then be like them.  Given the chance, they could be me.  JJ can bark as good as me, and truth be told,  sometimes he barks better than me and Sebastian both.  Sebastian barks like a regular dog, but JJ barks like a Beagle.  That’s rather scary, sometimes I wonder if its me or not.

So what if I sometimes feel jealous or left out all I can do is pray that one day my dad will grow more arms and be able to hold us all at the same time.

Until next time, Woof Woof

June 19th, 2010 by Human Secretary - Mom, throthove | 1 Comment »

Hi Princess Penny here, and I have a Wild Tail to tell you.

I have been messing with one of my African Grey brothers called Sebastian.  He was not raised with dogs, only cats, so he is not really feeling me.  Actually he has wanted to feel me for some time, but mom has always managed to stop him before he had a chance.

Well, like I was saying, I was messing with him and then decided to go messing with the little birdies.  Like Robin and Kiwi, Kazoo is no fun, she just sits and says Yikes when she sees me anywhere near her house.  So there I am sitting very quiet, biding my time, when here comes Sebastian out of his house and climbing down.  Before I know what is happening he grabs my tail and I swing around to get him when he starts flapping his wings like he is about to take off, only he is not letting go of my tail, and we keep going around in circle until I start feeling my back legs leave the ground.

In the meantime JJ is hollering, ‘Exercise Exercise’  ‘Big Eagle’.  Over in the corner Kazoo is mumbling in her bowl, ‘Here We Go’.  Finally I give a really really big swing of my tail and Sebastian goes flying off and JJ is laughing his head off, Robin and Kiwi are screaming, Mom is hysterical, only I can’t tell if she is laughing or crying.  WHERE IS MY DAD IN ALL THIS. HUH  He’s downstairs wondering what’s going on upstairs.

Well mom checks my tail and oddly enough there is no blood, but I have a dent in my tail.  Is that going to go away I wonder?  Mom is it?  Come on tell me, am I scarred for life from that flea bitten bird.  Sebastian if I am damaged and Dad no longer finds me his Princess I’m going to get you.

Well that is the tail, whoops there I go again, tale of my tail and Sebastian.

Until next time, Woof Woof

www.beaksbarksmeow.net is the perfect place to check out our traffic exchange when in need of traffic.

Don't touch my Snausage, Please

Hi this is Princess Penny.  I’m here to show you how you can learn how to dog walk just like my dad.

You see in the winter dad said it was to cold to walk so I got to run around in my back yard.  It was ok, but dad did not understand that I  liked walking on the neighbors steps and get those great belly rubs or scratches behind my ear.

Then dad had to go and get his heart fixed and still could not walk me.  Until one day he said that me and him were porkers from laying around all winter.  I was not sure what that meant till mom told me we were getting fat.  So dad said that he was going to exercise by walking and that I was going to be his walking buddy.

That was fine I don’t mind.  So we have slowly started so that dad can build himself up.  We were a fine pair when we would get back to the house though.  We were dog tired (no pun intended).  Dad and I were not going to move anytime soon.

Well time has gone pass, at least two or three weeks and we are walking further, we are feeling better, have not lost much weight yet, but we are going to keep on walking until we do, at least that is what dad says.

We still come back a bit tired, sometime me more than dad, but that’s only cause I have been up all nite – thats another story.

Hi Princess Penny here to tell you that JoJo The Grey Needs Your Help.  JoJo The Grey is a Rescue and Adoption place.  That is where Sushi and Kazoo once was until Mom and Dad came and gave them a good home.

Mom told me that the lady Margaret over at JoJo The Grey has sent an email and we want to post it here.

JoJo The Grey is a safe haven for birdies in need of help.  Some are abused and then there are those that are not.  Margaret does not treat them any differently.  Though she does not like getting bit she has taken her fair share of them.

Mom just told me that they are not bad birdies, they are just birdies who were abused and so they don’t know how to be nice or good.  But they will soon.

Anyway here is the email.  I hope that you will help JoJo The Grey.  I wish there were more JoJo The Grey’s out there for all the birdies to go until they find what we have found.  Mom and Dad

Well until next time; Woof Woof

Dear Sir or Madam,

Jojo The Grey Adoption and Rescue for the Birds needs your help. Our funds are down to a all time low this time of the year. So we need your help to keep the Rescue going. Since the program has been established we have received several birds that were adopted by loving homes. Unfortunately there are more birds than homes. It takes more than just money to rehabilitate some of the birds. It takes time, patience and love, which are provided by my wonderful volunteers. Most of the birds that come into the program arrive without anything; others arrive with toys, food and a cage.
Some are sweet and can be adopted quickly, but then there are the sad cases, abused by a previous owner or suffering from  malnutrition due to a bad diet.

As you may already know the Jojo The Grey, is a non-profit organization and relies completely on donations and volunteers for all of its funding.  We are asking at this time if you would be so kind as to donate an item or items for the birds that come in to the Adoption and Rescue program. Or if you can donate something that we can do a raffle to raise funds. Please feel free to call me for more information on our Adoption and Rescue Program or
visit our web site at http://www.jojothegrey.org .

Thank you in advance,
Margaret Ouali
President & Director for Jojo The Grey Adoption & Rescue for Birds Inc.  

margaret@jojothegrey.org

Jojo the Grey Adoption and Rescue for Birds Inc.   501(c)(3)
Margaret Ouali
Avian Specialists

(610)713-0304