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Wazzup!!

6/8/2014

 
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Finally, a weekend at home with the parronts! May was a crazy month. It seemed they were running all the time and rarely at home, but this weekend we had them all to ourselves. Yay! They had to run out a few times, for groceries or errands and to go to church, but otherwise they spend most of the weekend at home. It's been nice for them and for us. 

I'm glad they had  chance to rest. Daddy goes on his "summer schedule" tomorrow. That's four long workdays, and Friday's off. It's quite an adjustment for him - and naturally, once he gets used to it, it's time to go back on his regular 5 day workweek in August. Isn't that the way?

Mommy is doing fine. She's doing revisions and proofreads on her works in progress now, since things seem to be a bit more settled. She's hoping to get one of them completed and turned in by the end of this week, so that will be good for her. But she's happy when she works on her writing, so that means that she's doing well. 

Grandpa is a yo-yo (that's daddy's daddy, who had the brain surgery last month). He's been moved to a unit that specializes in dementia care and seems to be doing better since then, but we'll see. They say the up and down is normal because of the brain surgery and the dementia, and we try to keep that in mind. 

As for Chloe and me, we're fine. We bop along every day, chattering with each other and on social media, and looking out the window at the feral cats being silly and wondering when it will rain again. Life is good when you're a bird. 

So that's what's up in our world. I hope you're doing well. Take care, and have a great week.

Luv,

Zack

More Celebrations

5/14/2014

 
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Our parronts are celebrating their 16th anniversary this Friday. Hooray! We call it “flock formation day” because it’s the day our flock started (even if I came 2 years later) and they always allow us to celebrate with them. But really, what they usually do is sleep in, eat out, get each other gifts, and come home to hang out with us.

It’s like the “pajama parties” mommy talks about. They make like it’s something special, even though it’s just doing what we always do. I guess it makes the same old, same old, feel special if you call it something different.

Humans are so funny. They amuse us endlessly. But still, we love them. We have good parronts. We learn so much with daddy and his movies, and mommy with her books (the ones she writes and the ones she reads). They take good care of us. We’re strong, clean, and healthy. Our food dishes are always full, and we always have great toys to destroy play with. They love us, they spoil us, and for that we can forgive them for being weird. At least they’re weird in good ways. We love our human parronts. We’re glad they adopted us. What a fabulous flock we are!

In closing, don’t forget that Chloe has a birthday coming up. Her birthday is May 20. It’s actually her adoption anniversary since the aviary didn’t have an exact birth date on her. But we know how old she is. She’ll be 12, and we’d to surprise her with a “hatch day wishes shower.” If you’re on Twitter, would you mind sending a Happy Hatch Day to @ChloeConure on May 20? Thanks, friends!

That’s all today. Take care, and have a great rest of the week.

Luv,

Zack


Madness

5/9/2014

 
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It's madness, I tell you. They finally got Grandpa out of the hospital and in a nursing home for his rehab on Wednesday, and then yesterday Grandma had a head on car accident leaving the nursing home

Good grief, you humans get in some messes!

She and the friend in the car with her are ok, but the car is mashed hash. Looks like she'll be driving Grandpa's truck until the insurance does their little dance of trying not to do anything, and she can get it fixed or get another car.

Poor daddy. First he had that tooth infection. Then Ollie. Now this. He's pretty stressed out. He threatened to go back in the woods and share a bottle of whiskey with mommy's brother, our Uncle Stephen. Mommy said go ahead. She'll be in Westeros. She's reading the A Song of Ice and Fire series (that's the one the Game of Thrones HBO show is based on). The way humans deal with stress is interesting. Most people start drinking. Mommy stops, and retreats to her writing or reading. And since her latest writing project is at the proofreader for 2 weeks, that leaves her to keep house read while she waits for it to come back. The house is spotless now, and there's only so much cleaning you can do, so she reads.

As for daddy was just talking. He's not really going to drink a bottle of whiskey, and probably won't go that far back in the woods since it's hot and the snakes are back out now. (And there's rumors of a coyote nearby - don't know if that's true or crap. Mommy did hear some unidentified creature making a noise back there about a week ago). He needed to vent, and that's alright. It's what we're all here for. We understand life isn't unicorns and rainbows for him right now. And really, when he's stressed, he watches TV or gets online. Unfortunately, most of our favorite TV shows are having their season finale next week, so I guess it will be Netflix movies for the summer.

This too shall pass. Even the birds know this. You humans would do good to remember it too. The nature of the universe is change, so better times will come. And there is hope. Grandma wasn't hurt, she'll probably get a new car out of this (after the insurance does their trying-not-to-do-anything thing), Grandpa's surgery went well and they're getting him settled from it (it is a process to get the medications balanced again), and mommy's keeping the home running pretty good. She's stressed too, but I'll say this for her: she's efficient if nothing else. 

Anyway, pray for daddy and his family. I really think things are heading in a better direction, but it doesn't hurt to have some spiritual help along the way. 

I hope all of our fine friends are doing well. We promise we're trying to get back on Twitter with you - it's just been another crazy week. Take care. Have a Happy Friday and a fabulous weekend. 

Luv,

Chloe

I Want My Mommy!!

3/12/2014

 
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I’ve been keeping a close watch on mommy lately. She’s been quite busy, but that’s normal for mommys. Work, cleaning, shopping, errands, church, plus she finished writing the rough draft of her novel yesterday. I don’t know how she does it all! Daddy is busy too, but Zack keeps a pretty good watch on him. Mommy is my human, and I watch her carefully trying to figure it all out. Then Zack and I compare notes and hope that, between the two of us, we can figure out the method behind the madness of our human parronts.

Humans are awfully complicated. It’s too bad they aren’t simple, like birds. That’s what mommy says, anyway. In fact, I think all the “going” and “doing” are taking a toll on them: both mommy and daddy have either allergy attacks or a cold. They’ve been sniffling and snotty for 3 days. Gross! Mommy left early today to go by the pharmacy before work, so maybe that will help those runny nares of theirs. But at least it isn’t miserably cold anymore. Mommy said she’d take warm weather and a runny nose over freezing her can off anytime.

We do what we can to help. We know losing Ollie was tough on them, so we’ve stepped it up to be great avian companions. I am stuck on mommy, and mommy's stuck on me!

Like I said: humans are awfully complicated. But we love them. We love them so much!

That’s all today. Take care, and have a great rest of the week.

Luv,

Chloe


Finding Good Help

1/23/2014

 
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It's hard to find good help these days, isn't it? Our humans get so busy with things like work, and housekeeping, and cooking and cleaning. They're awfully busy, and not near enough of it is on us!

I suppose I shouldn't complain. Mommy and daddy are pretty good about spending time with us and keeping the place clean. It's just all those pesky hours they have to spend at work. It's awfully quiet around here when they aren't home. They turn on a radio for us, but it isn't he same. They say they'll retire one day, but when the question of when comes up, it's always "not soon enough."

Oh well.

I suppose that wild birds are busy with stuff like hunting food and finding shelter. Human servants provide that well, and it seems easier for them to do it. At least, they don't have to chew holes out of trees for us to live in. Mommy and daddy had a human they refer to as a "contractor" to build the house. Mommy goes someplace called "the supermarket" to forage, and "the pet store" to get our food. They have machines to wash their clothes and dishes. And special places to go potty and bathe too (you'd think they wouldn't smell so funny since they bathe every day. Why are they so stinky?) Maybe they're on to something. It seems they've found ways to make fast work out of the necessities of life.

Truth is, we're pretty lucky to have them. But they're even luckier to have us! For all they give, we return with our love and devotion. It's a good relationship.

That's all today. I hope you have a Happy Friday tomorrow and a great weekend.

Luv,

Zack


Dear Santa 2013

12/12/2013

 
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Dear Santa,

Greetings to you during this merry and festive season! It’s Chloe here with our annual Christmas letter. We hope that you’ve had an outstanding 2013 and that preparation for the “big day” is going well in your workshop.

Zack, Ollie and I have been very good this year. We’ve been very sweet and supportative to our parronts and to each other (with the exception of that one ‘keet flinging incident I had on the playgym last summer – I’m so sorry for that!). We’ve been living in harmony and behaving well. We’re so sweet!

For Christmas this year, Zack would like chew toys. Shreddable ones are especially a favorite. He loves to tear them up. Snacks are also welcome. Zack and I both enjoy Lafabers treats, peanuts, and popcorn. Jiffy Pop is a real winner with all of us. We scream at mommy while she pops it.

I’d also like chew toys. I’ve become especially fond of wood chew toys this past year. I’ve been playing more like a good girl, but I am more conservative than Zack is with the wear and tear on my toys. Plus, my toys are getting some wear and tear on them. I started chewing my perches so yea, I could use more chew toys.

Ollie has been recovering from a kidney infection and nerve inflammation in his leg these past couple of months. He told me to ask you for a new leg, but mommy explained that you aren’t into stem cell therapy (otherwise, she would have asked you for new sinuses years ago). He is healing up, but the vet said he needs to put on some weight. Honey sticks or spray millet would be good for him. I think some parakeet toys would also be good for him, as he is trying to move about a bit more and use that foot on occasion. The toys may motivate him to keep trying to work that foot and get it going again.

Daddy isn’t too hard to please. He’s doesn’t eat a lot of sweets, but he does make an exception for Hershey’s Dark Chocolate. And hint hint: he really likes Breaking Bad.

Mommy isn’t hard to please either. She could use new pajamas because I’ve chewed holes in most of hers (sorry! Her pj’s are so nom nom!). She also needs new house slippers, because she’s already wearing out the ones she bought at Easter. Mommy doesn’t believe in walking around the house barefoot because she’s terribly clumsy and stubs her toes (and other parts) a lot. And hint hint: she likes Breaking Bad too.

That’s all for us. Give Mrs. Santa, the reindeer, and the elves our love. Travel safely this year!

Luv,

Chloe


An Ollie Update

12/8/2013

 
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Hi everybody, thanks for your care and concern here of late. Yes, mommy did have to take me back to the vet on Thursday. I fell several times and was overall just icky. She took me to see a different vet from the one I saw before - you know, the one that blew her off when she called on Veteran's Day and now she's extremely pissed at. (She's shared a number of colorful adjectives to describe him these last few days). I am improving, with rest and medication. The medication is really a "preventative" measure, as the vet suspected that there might still be some bacteria from the kidney infection lurking around. I got a lot of rest this weekend, and perked up a lot. I was awake all day yesterday, and today I'm trying to work that foot and climb around my cage some. I'm eating better and more active now.

The foot still troubles me, and probably will for a long time. Nerve inflammation and damage takes a long time to heal, so I just have to wait it out. We're taking a day at a time. But I am doing better - MUCH better than I was on Thursday.

I would ask you one favor. Please keep mommy and daddy in your prayers. Daddy has to have a root canal redone Tuesday. Remember that infection he had in October? Well, it came back and turned out to be a dental problem rather than a sinus or tissue problem. They're going in Tuesday morning to clean that up and get him fixed up. And mommy is just overwhelmed. She's been super busy between the book release and her job going into it's "peak season" now. She's asked several people for help over the past week, and the answer is always "no." She said we'll probably be Santa's only stop this Christmas, the way people are acting. They aren't at their best. As daddy so eloquently put it, "if you want holiday cheer, get your  head out of your rear."

That's all today. Just wanted to let you  know myself that I'm OK and hanging in there. Thanks so much for your prayers, care, and concern. You're such outstanding friends, and we luv all of you.

Luv,

Ollie

Humans Are Weird

11/10/2013

 
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Sometimes, humans can be so silly. For example: about an hour ago, daddy decided to go outside to test fire his shotgun in the back of the woods (silly decision #1). He fired 5 rounds. It was loud (of course - it woke my butt up). Within a few minutes, mommy's mommy called and said she though the in-laws had been shot (silly #2 and #3 - what a conclusion, and like mommy was going to march over there and check out if a madman with a gun was roaming around!). It was quite humorous sorting all of that out. But it interrupted our nap, so there you have it - life with humans is silly.

And we need our sleep because frankly, this time change from last week is messing with me. Now it's light in the morning and getting dark when the parronts get home from work. What's up with that? Time changes don't just mess with humans - it messes with your avian companions too! Add to that the fact that mommy woke up at 7:30 a.m. yesterday (she was so excited about going to the gun show and to see Thor: The Dark World that she couldn't get back to sleep), and we're sleepy parrots. And they're off for Veteran's Day tomorrow, too! I hope they retire upstairs at a decent hour tonight, at least. Our schedule is all off now. And then the drama from this afternoon has us pooped out. 

Humans. They'll wear you out. But they take great care of us. They love us and we love them. They can just be so weird from time to time. 

That's all today. I need to preen after all of this "adventure." Take care and have a great week. 

Luv,

Ollie 

Big Weekend

11/7/2013

 
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The parronts have a big weekend coming up. Mommy's going to the big Christmas Craftsman's Classic with grandmommy tomorrow. It's a HUGE craft show at our fairgrounds that has lots of neat things. They always have a lot of fun and pick up some neat stuff there - sometimes for themselves, often for others for Christmas gifts.

Then Saturday there's the Gun Show in town again! She and daddy are going to that too, and maybe to see Thor - The Dark World. Mommy and daddy are looking forward to a day out together. It's been a while since they've gone out and had a fun day.

Wait, mommy's going to the craft show one day and the gun show the next? Talk about well rounded. Or weird. She's a writer so hey, maybe it's not so strange.

Then Monday is Veteran's Day, and both of the parronts are off work. Hooray!

I better get my beauty rest! It looks like it's going to be a bit, exciting weekend. Yay!

That's all today. Have a great weekend.

Luv,

Chloe

Update

10/24/2013

 
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Hi everybody, it's Chloe here with an update on life in our nest.

First up is Ollie. He's slowly improving and seems to be getting stronger each day. He's moving about easier, and his energy is increasing. It's hard to tell if he's eating more overall - it didn't look like he ate much while the parronts were at work, but he has eaten more tonight, which pleased mommy. He's also singing a little more too. He still needs plenty of rest, but he isn't sleeping as much. We know he's adjusting to the medication, but it's obviously helping. We do appreciate your care and concern, and will certainly keep you updated on his progress.

So keep Ollie in your prayers. We hope he'll recover as well as Zack has.

Zack, by the way, is magnificent. He's definitely made a full and complete recovery. And the mystery of the missing cozy corner is solved. Mommy found it stuck in the leg of her grey pants this morning. That's odd, because she checked those pants twice last week and no cozy corner turned up, but today - whoop, there it is. Zack was very pleased.

As for me, I'm just trying to keep my eye on everybody. Mommy is recovering from her infection, and daddy is doing good. Both of them are still busy at work, of course - that's normal, but they're okay.

Thanks again to all of you for being such great friends. We'll keep you posted on Ollie's progress, and on all of the adventures here as well.

Have a Happy Friday tomorrow and a great weekend.

Luv,

Chloe

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