Loose Ends

Today I'm trying to tie up some loose ends. Several of my recent posts have had open endings or unanswered questions, so here's my chance to set things straight, or maybe create more questions.

First, the contest.
 I've updated the info but here's what I hadn't made clear. You can enter as often as you like. If you have a six pack, go for it, enter each of them.  Also send your entries to this address:
4stringc@gmail.com  
Get those entries in before October 31st.
Here are the photos that I'm entering.

Next: About those eggs.
We now have either four or five eggs on the floor of the cage. So far all four birds seem to be ignoring them, but if they start showing any interest, I'll replace them with marbles. You may be wondering how I made this mistake of putting three male birds in with a female. I wondered the same thing. I was sure El was a male and now I'll show you what happened.

A little lesson in the birds and the bees without the bees. Here is how you tell the sex of Budgies. See that colored strip above the beak where the nostrils are? That's called the ceres. Boys have blue ceres and girls have pink or brownish ceres.

As you can see in this photo taken the day after we brought the blues brothers home, Elwood had a blue ceres. He was a boy, right?

Wrong! What I didn't realize was how young Elwood was when we got him. It seems that both sexes can have blue ceres when they're very young. Take a look at El now. You can plainly see that her ceres is brown, not blue. I guess I didn't pay attention as my little bird entered adolescence and her true colors came out. Oh well, we'll cope.

One other note for anyone who I might have confused. The photo of the newly hatched baby birds was a Google download. I'm not expecting any baby birds. I have my hands full enough with furred and feathered creatures.

Next: My ankle.
I'm doing pretty well. I no longer use crutches, though I walk rather slowly. The muscle is stiff and sore so I don't push it. I'm still keeping my leg elevated a lot of the time and I'm taking my second course of antibiotics. The infection seems to be under control now though the wounds haven't closed up and still bleed a little each day. The doctor says the draining is good, so I'll take his word for it. I'd like it to heal and get back to normal. No pictures, it's a gross mess and you don't want to see it.

Next: The Sydney dilemma.
Sydney hasn't settled into the pack as well as we had hoped. Mac is a happy little dog that gets along with all the other dogs and accepts whatever the day brings. Sydney is much more high strung and gets snappy with the other dogs if she feels they're invading her space. She resists any change in her routine and has proven herself untrustworthy.

So what to do about Syd. I can't help but feel that Syd would do best in a quiet home with no other pets and definitely no children. However, I've never given up on a dog and I'm not ready to give up on her. She's only ten months old and I really think that she can become a good companion as she matures.

I've had to make some adjustments in my own thinking in dealing with Syd. My other dogs all want to be with me every minute of the day, "helping" me with whatever I'm doing. When we all go outside together, they keep a eye on me and when I move toward the house, they surround me to go inside. If they're all sleeping and I stand up, they're on their feet ready for the next adventure. Syd and Mac are different. They're basically Hounds and they're more interested in being outside running and  hunting for bugs and lizards. They don't care if I walk inside.

Last week we started leaving Syd and Mac outside in the fenced in yard by themselves for several hours a day. The first couple times Rob worked in the garage to stay close by and I watched them from the livingroom window. They were fine and seemed to stay very busy.

When they did come back inside they were calmer and slept on the couch all evening. Syd seems happier. I just have to adjust to the fact that they don't need to be beside me every minute as my other dogs do. It's been a long time since I've had an outdoor dog, but these two seem to be just that. This may be the answer to helping Sydney adjust and become a better family member.

Next: Sebastian.
His wound is completely healed and he's concentrating on growing hair to cover it. The area feels smoother than is ever has and I'm hoping that the foreign matter is gone. As for his diet... I haven't had him back for a weigh in lately but he doesn't look like he's lost much if any weight. The new food may or may not be working, but he's had no vomiting issues with it so his pancreas seems to be doing well with it. I guess we should run him over to the clinic and put him on the scales soon.

Finally: Our family connections.
I told you that I'd check out Sunny Obama's pedigree and see if we were related. Well, we are.  It seems that Sunny's great great grandfather is a dog named Benjamin. Benjamin is also Fudge's great grandfather. So Fudge is related to both Sunny and Bo. Fudge is still waiting for his invitation to the Whitehouse.

I think that ties up most of my loose ends for now.

Oh Boy - A Contest !!!!

Ok everybody, here's a chance to win a likeness of your pet to hang in a place of honor in your home.

I was contacted recently by someone who creates block prints using linoleum blocks and a printing press. I had to see these for myself and I'm posting a few for you to see, too.

This is the Sterling Hill Print Company based in Seattle and from now thru October 31st, they're accepting submissions for their Cutest Pet Contest. Three winners will get a print of their pet. This contest is open to everyone no matter where you live.

So here's what you need to do. Send in a high resolution photo of your pet. How easy is that? Phone photos may not have high enough resolution to capture details, but you guys are all great with a camera. It can be any pet, dog, cat, horse, fish bird, bug, whatever you want to see hanging on your wall. Catch them in at their absolutely cutest and email it to http://www.sterlingprintcompany.com

Do it soon so you don't forget. I'm entering and you know how adorable my guys can be when they want to be. Also, the holidays are approaching much too fast. This would make a great gift. Send in a shot of a friend's pet and present the print to them as a holiday gift.

If you have any questions that I haven't answered for you, you can send them to William Cook at 4stringc@gmail.com

UPDATE: Enter as often as you like and send your entries to 4stringc@gmail.com

My Little Buddy

Back in the early 1990s Rob and I lived in Maryland with our three dogs Pylon, Bentley and Lucy. We also had two budgies, Schroeder and Vandal. On the Friday before the long Memorial Day weekend Bentley had a vet appointment. When we arrived at the vet's office I took him into the exam room and Rob sat in the waiting room chatting with the receptionist. When Bentley and I came out Rob was still sitting there, but he was chatting with a new friend. There was a little gray Cockatiel on his shoulder munching on a treat that Rob was holding for him. We asked the vet about him and she told us a sad tale.

Buddy had belonged to an old man who also had three cats. The man had owned Buddy for many years, either eight or ten, but Buddy had learned how to call the cats and the man didn't feel it was safe to keep him any more. He told our vet that he was going to just release the bird outside, but she talked him out of it. She offered him free rabies vaccinations for his cats if he'd give Buddy to her. She didn't really want him, but knew releasing him would be certain death for the little guy.

Now with the long weekend approaching, she asked us if we'd take him home for the weekend. If he got along with our other birds, we could keep him, if not we'd take him back to her on Tuesday. Rob was quite taken with the little fellow, so we loaded his cage into the car beside Bentley and went home.

Everyone got along well. All the birds were curious about each other, but didn't get nasty, so Buddy stayed. I'd put the dogs on the deck and let him walk around the house. His favorite activity was picking up dog biscuit crumbs that the dogs left behind on the carpet.

The vet told us that Buddy could talk, but a couple weeks went by and we didn't hear a peep out of him except that promptly at four every afternoon, he'd screech until I covered his cage. He did this his entire life and even seemed to know about daylight savings time. I didn't need a clock around with Buddy. I always knew when it was 4:00.

After Buddy had been with us about three weeks I was working in the office one day when I heard a man's voice downstairs. I wasn't expecting Rob home for several hours so I sneaked halfway down the stairs and peeked around the corner. The three dogs were all sitting in a row in front of the bird cage and Buddy was talking to them. " Hello Baby", "Pretty Baby", and my favorite "Here kitty, kitty". He sounded like a little old man, the voice he remembered from his earlier life.

Buddy had accepted his new home and started talking to us every day. He'd also sing. He had a terrible singing voice, but when we covered him at 4, he'd climb off his perch, sit on the bottom of his cage and sing for about an hour.

We both grew very fond of Buddy and we felt a little sorry for him. He was so sweet but we thought he must be lonely, so one night just before Christmas, Rob came home with a female Cockatiel. Because of the season and because of Buddy Holly, we named her Holly.

Buddy did not like this stranger in his cage and would snap at her, but he was also curious about her. Holly was very good natured and accepted his rudeness. Soon they were a pair. He would talk to her and preen her and she taught him to try new foods that he had previously ignored. He learned to like apples and broccoli and corn on the cob.

One morning a few months later we found an egg on the bottom of the cage. We weren't too pleased, but Buddy was thrilled. He sat on the egg around the clock. Soon there were six eggs and Buddy was totally involved with them. He never left them, even to eat. We worried that he'd starve, but Holly started feeding him as he attended his nest. Unfortunately, his eggs didn't hatch. You see, Buddy had been a bachelor for a very long time and he didn't know just what to do with his lady friend. She tried to teach him, but Buddy never learned. Eventually when the eggs didn't hatch, he'd give up and I'd remove the eggs. Then they'd start over. Holly would lay another six eggs and Buddy would try to hatch them.

Buddy and Holly made the move to Missouri with us, but Holly died not too long after moving here. Buddy was lost without her so we got another young female and called her Holly II. She and Buddy tolerated each other, but it wasn't the same. Buddy died not long after our big ice storm in 2007. We think he was between 20 and 26 years old. He was a real character, loved by everyone who met him.

September 11

                                                 Thank You

Among Friends

You may have noticed I haven't been around much lately. I have been reading your blog posts, but often not commenting. There's a reason but I was embarrassed to tell you about it. This morning I decided that I'm among friends and you won't judge or if you do you'll at least not reprimand me to my face.

On Labor Day I had an accident and injured my ankle. I've been getting around on crutches or hobbling in slow motion and since my computer is in the basement I didn't want to do the stairs. I can read blogs on my Kindle but commenting isn't easy.

So why am I embarrassed about hurting my ankle? Because it's a dog bite. No one wants to think that their sweet little fur pup that cuddles on their lap might actually bite them, but if you've lived with dogs for over sixty years, it becomes an occupational hazard. I've had bites before but they amounted to scratches or bruises, not deep punctures.

Let me tell you what happened. All morning Sydney and Noah had been snappy with each other. I don't know exactly what set them off, but they both have shorter fuses than the rest of the pack. After their dinner Rob and I had them all outside to play. When we got inside the garage the whole pack was close together and I was in the middle of the group. Noah was just behind me and Syd was at my side. I turned to see what Mac was doing and just then I felt a sharp pain in my ankle. I don't think I was the target and I don't know which one actually bit, though I suspect Syd. I don't think Noah would have used so much force.

Rob got the bleeding stopped and wrapped it up. The next morning I saw the doctor for a tetanus shot and some antibiotics. There was a lot of swelling, a lot of bruising and a lot of pain. All week I've been keeping it elevated.

This morning I saw the doctor again. He says it's looking better, but has a little infection. I'll be taking antibiotics for another ten days and keeping it bandaged. I can use hot compresses on it now to help it drain and heal. Most of the pain, strangely, isn't from the punctures themselves but from the bruising to the Achilles tendon. It will probably be a slow healing process, but it is healing.

So there you are, my dogs aren't perfect. That's a hard statement to put in print, but as much as we love them and consider them family members, they're still dogs who sometimes respond with their teeth. Sydney is on a tether again at all times. House training is progressing well and manners are also being addressed. She has to learn to respect the other dogs and that I am not her sole possession. Noah is also a jealous boy, so this is a learning opportunity for both of them.

I have some better news to report today, too. Sebastian is out of his cone and is doing really well. Here is the before  picture taken the day of his surgery.

And here is the after picture. Isn't that new pink skin pretty? It's smooth, too.

We're hoping the foreign matter came out and it's smooth sailing from here on.

He's much happier now.

Ooops!

I don't like to have to admit mistakes any more than the next guy, but today I'll let you in on one I made.

Let me take you back about a year and a half when we brought the 'Blues Brothers' home with us. I asked for help with names and you convinced me to go with the original, Jake and Elwood.

Jake must have been sick when we brought him home and only lived a short time. After his death Elwood became very quiet. He had been an active noisy bird, but when he was alone he stopped playing and stopped singing.

Despite telling Rob that I didn't want any more birds, we both took pity on the little fellow and made a trip to the pet shop. We brought home these three characters, Stanley, Calder and Norris.

After a few days of sitting in opposite corners of the cage staring at each other, they all made friends and the house is filled with their chatter all day. They're an active bunch working at destroying all the toys in the cage.

A couple weeks ago I reported that we had experienced a bird fight. Rob and I heard screams and a scuffle and found Stanley, Calder and Norris on the bottom of the cage rolling around pecking at each other. Elwood was watching the action from the top perch. We broke it up and I wondered what had started it after all this time together. Now we know.

Yesterday morning when I removed their cover and went to feed them I found these.

Yes, I messed up. Elwood should be called Ellen.

A few years ago Cloud laid an egg, then ignored it. She never laid  another, so yesterday I removed these two eggs and hoped that would be the end of it. Nope. Last night when I went to cover the cage, there were two more eggs.  I'll be buying some white marbles to replace the eggs to fool Elwood/ Ellen into thinking she has enough. I don't plan to start raising baby Budgies.

Life is never dull when you have pets.

Splash

One morning about six years ago a lady knocked on our door. I was fixing breakfast and Rob had the dogs in the yard. She introduced herself and explained that she had a Portuguese Water Dog and had heard that I also had one. I told her that we had nine of them and invited her to meet them. That was the beginning of a remarkable friendship.

Eventually J adopted our Gracie and we all got together often to take the dogs swimming. J's dog Splash welcomed Gracie into his home and the two became competitive friends. Rob and I also got together with J for non-dog events and they became part of our family. J married T and Runtley joined their dog pack.

Over the weekend we received very sad news. Splash left us for the bridge on Saturday. He had been feeling poorly lately but last week he had a chance to go swimming and made the most of it.

Splash had two passions, swimming and eating. He swam like a fish and never tired.

He liked to show off for the other dogs.

It's easy to see how he earned his name of Splash.

Every time we met them, Splash would check out our pockets to see if we had any treats hidden. Rob usually had one for him so he never stopped checking.

I considered Splash one of our dogs. He fit into our group easily and everyone got along beautifully.  Now Splash has gone to Utah to take part in the Georgie Project to help other dogs and possibly people as research goes on looking for cures to various diseases and health conditions. We will miss him.

Rest well Splash.

                                          Alto Mare Salpicando de Chuva RAE CGC
                                                           1/15/2000  8/31/2013