I had lots of ambition this morning as I was doing my birdroom duties. My brain is often in overdrive while I’m doing the birdroom chores. The motions are so automatic that they really don’t require thought, which leaves my brain free to wander. And wander it does. I often write the most interesting blogs… in my mind… while doing chores. Most times by the time I am actually able to sit at my computer, I can’t even remember what the subject matter was, let alone details. Today is such a day.
So what is on my mind now? “My mind is a complete blank.” No idea where that quote comes from, but Scott and I heard it together and it’s one of those lines that comes up between us and makes us smile. He probably no longer remembers where it come from either, but it’s a shared thing. Much like “I like beans once in a while.” Now that one I fully recall. That is a famous line my Dad came out with, completely out of the blue, and is now frequently referenced whenever someone seems to say something off the wall that has nothing to do with anything in the moment. You have my blessing to use it. You’ll be amazed at how appropriate it feels.
Alas, my mind truly is a complete blank, at least in so far as anything important goes. And yet I’ve managed to write two paragraphs basically about nothing. Pure talent, that. 🙂 OK, on to the basics.
It is a rainy day. 65 degrees and humidity at 96%. To me, despite the AC, it feels too warm. I am so looking forward to fall! Tomorrow is supposed to feel like 100 degrees. Great. Glad I picked all the blueberries yesterday as tomorrow I suspect I’ll be hiding inside with the AC and a fan. I also note that the weather report is now calling for cloudy nights for each of the next three nights, and of course tomorrow night is the peak of the Perseid meteors! I even had Scott agreeing to go out at 2 or 3 AM to stargaze. I so hope they are wrong and the clouds do not ruin the show.
I pulled the oldest of the three new parrotlet kids from the nest this morning to see if he was big enough to band. I probably could have left the band on, but it didn’t offer enough resistance when I pulled, so I pulled it completely off and will try again tomorrow. Mom was not too impressed with my hand in her nest, and especially with me removing her kid, but she’s an awfully good Mom and merely opened her beak to let me know she wasn’t happy. Still only three kids there, so maybe the other ones are just not going to hatch. OK by me; handfeeding only a few kids is much easier and gives me more time with the babies.
The four parrotlets I’ve been handfeeding are all spoken for now. Three have deposits (one is in the mail, no, really!) and the fourth is one I’m keeping. They are just about ready to graduate to a cage from the brooder. I ordered another Vision cage today, because the baby budgies are already in a Vision cage and I’ll be moving them to the living room in a few days. I don’t normally have this many clutches in a row, but it actually works out great for the babies. I have more time to devote to each baby. The drawback is that it seems I’m always handfeeding. Even with four hours between feedings, you’d be surprised – or maybe not – how quickly that time goes by and then, bam, time to feed again. Anyway, if I need to temporarily move birds to the living room, a Vision cage is a wonderful thing, as it keeps the seeds and mess inside the cage. It’s a bit more of a pain to clean, since there is no tray to pull out and instead you undo a couple clips and the entire base comes off. But that is exactly why it does keep the area clean.
I suspect the greys will be laying soon as well. I’m just hoping the parrotlets have wound down before the greys hatch anybody out. They are sensitive souls and REALLY require a lot of time and care!
If you are a heat-lover, enjoy the rest of the week. If not, you can take some comfort in knowing September is just around the corner.
Nita
nitaguru 