Prince Henry's test results came back yesterday, and he got a clean bill of health. He got to fly with everyone else for the first time. Sir Dubbins freaked out and had to go back to his cage, but the budgies didn't seem mind him much. None of the budgies approached him too closely, but it was evident Skye wanted to. We're not going to have Prince Henry and Sir Dubbins out at the same time until they get a little more used to the idea of each other.

I went to a equinox dinner yesterday at lady_babalon's and sophiaserpentia's. I must say that sophiaserpentia makes the most excellent apple crisps. I was happy to see that x_bluerose_x was there to. We sat around the table and discussed what we viewed as our "harvests" this year, however I'm more planning for the spring then harvesting now. Of course, there were other topics, but that was the planned topic. I wish I could have stayed longer, but I had fun while I was there.

After leaving the equinox dinner, I went over to merryperseis's place, where I ate again. I knew that we would be having roasted cauliflower, so I intentionally ate sparingly at the early dinner. I brought her my serpent staff. I've known that my bird staff is what I'm meant to use at this point, and merryperseis told me she needed something that symbolized a serpent: so the transfer seemed right. I wanted to do it on the equinox for balance. There wasn't really any ceremony about the transfer, it was just done.

Tonight, Sir Dubbins meets the budgies!

I made a new budgie mix today and I think this might be the best mix yet: Apple Carrot Harvest Beak Appétit, budgie seed mix, egg food, flax, oat groats, peas, corn, papaya, honeydew, clementines, and blackberries. The reviews are in: they love love love it!

I was just about to take a shower in purpleglitter's apartment, and noticed there had been a minor back-up issue. Mostly dried, and not to bad. Nevertheless, a crust had formed over the drain, essentially sealing it. Not wanting to use anything that might pose a danger to the birds, I decided to use the remainder of the pseudomoonshine I purchased over the summer to clean the tub and unplug the drain. It worked like a charm, however now the house smells like I've just thrown a heavily alcohol-laden party. Ah, well - it will dissipate.

While I was sitting on a bench on the shore Spy Pond last week, I found myself looking down from above at Spy Pond and the autumnal trees of Elizabeth Island. Whether this was some sort of spontaneous out of body experience or a product of dissociation combined with vertigo and a high aptitude for spacial transitioning, I do not know.

Regardless of how I got there, it brought my thoughts to the budgies. The budgies get a lot of out-of-cage time. They fly around a lot in Lake's apartment. But it's not the same. The room has a ceiling and walls. The room has limits and I wish I could give them the sky. They are birds, that freedom is their hatchright. It seems unfair to keep them contained, but there is no realistic other option. To set them free in New England, especially on the dawn of winter, would be to give them death sentences.

We do our best to give them the closest to what they deserve as possible. We try to give them what we hope is a better life than they would have in the wild: providing a constant food supply, healthcare, and freedom from predators. It might not be enough, but it is all that we have to offer.

I was supposed to see dicotomygrrl tonight. Just before she was due to arrive, I received a panicked phonecall from purpleglitter. Dandelion's food was hurt and there was lots of blood. I ran over to purpleglitter's house with my shoes in my hand, not even taking time to put them on until we had already loaded Dandelion in the car and were heading off to Angell Memorial Hospital.

Prior to calling me, purpleglitter had put styptic powder on Dandelion, so the bleeding had stopped. He appeared to be doing well and half way there we questioned if he needed to go, but we decided it was best that he see a vet anyway just in case.

Even in the strange situation, rushed out in the night, Dandelion still did step ups for the attending vet. When the vet asked if he was flighted he took off from his finger as if to say "Of course I can fly".

He got right onto my finger and I scooped him up and handed him to the vet. He is a brave bird. The vet took him in back to the "exotics" ward. Dandelion was a bit shaken when he returned, but I gave him good scritches while the vet looked for Dandelion's records and he calmed down.

He apparently got his toenail caught in something and it broke off. It looks like he'll be alright.

Yesterday, purpleglitter and I made the budgies fun coconut bowls filled with a blend of apples, peas, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, and millet.


( how it went over (+9) )

Cloude and Galileo were fighting over Dandelion, so moved Cloude and Skye into the small flight cage. No problem with the finches. Food was well devoured by all.

No problem with mazzycat. Her food dispenser is filled again. While this means she won't be getting so much wet food, she'll have round the clock access to her dry stuff.

My room cleaning looks as if it went backwards. My room is far messier after this afternoon's cleaning session than it was before. This is principally because I've begun my journey into the Left Closet of Doom and much of the contents yielded by my expedition are scattered about. Some I might try to sell or give away, some I will use, some I'll keep in storage, and much is going to the curb Sunday evening.

I only went in about 7 feet today, tomorrow I'll attempt to reach the back. The Left Closet of Doom will be a large project, and I anticipate the Right Closet of Doom will be more work than the Left even though the Left is slightly deeper.

I'm going to pay some bills, then head over to purpleglitter's to do some laundry.

Still going strong.

I made the birds a new mix this morning: beak appétit, mashed organic peas, organic spring salad mix, crumbed Ezekiel 4:9 bread, seed mix, and fruit and veggie mix. Not as fancy as some of my other bird mixes, but they still love it.

mazzycat is always a joy to spend time with, and she seems to prefer the regular scheduled playtimes over the more haphazard playtimes of the past.

I did much cleaning. I did a load of dishes downstairs, took out my air conditioner which hasn't been used for over a month, worked my altar, organized my desk, did some other decorating, and did quite a bit of cleaning and organizing. The octagonal table is now the only one non-floor surface in my room containing anything that shouldn't go there. It has been years since it has been in this state. In fact, my room is rapidly and finally approaching that magic word: CLEAN. If I continue this for the rest of the week, it may just reach that point.

I also hung a sign above the door to my room which reads: "If you find yourself in a hole... STOP DIGGING!". Perhaps some might think it cheesy, but I think it a good message for me to keep mindful of.

I've spent most of today and a good deal of yesterday helping purpleglitter with her pre-move. Making boxes, packing, bringing stuff downstairs. The birds in the new apartment, each got to spend a little bit of time just enjoying the outdoors and listening to the outdoor birdie sounds. I keep hearing a finch up here still, perhaps it's Isobel's ghost.

I made sure to catch the sunset this evening, as I won't have the spectacular vantage point after purpleglitter moves. I took a number of pictures, and will likely be posting them from the house_of_clocks tomorrow. I've got 30-60 minutes of work to do, then I'm off to bed.

Tomorrow morning at 9:00 the movers arrive. I'm about to disconnect this computer and bring it down.

I made my most funnest birdy food mix yet! I started with apple carrot harvest Beak Appétit, then added three kinds of seed mixes, a vitamin mix, two kinds of millet, organic smashed peas, fresh organic carrot tops, fresh organic carrot bottoms, organic flax tortilla chips, Ezekiel 4:9 bread, and organic spring salad mix. I hope they like it.

I woke up purpleglitter with coffee and egg and pepperjack cheese bagels. A little before 10:00, I went over to the house_of_clocks where I fed mazzycat and did my hour of reading. Then back to purpleglitter's to feed the birds. This is too easy. Next week will hopefully be more challenging.

Started my reading hour 10 minutes early and went through to 11:00 then went back over to purpleglitter's house to wake up and feed the birds. I guess Project Schedule will get more challenging when I add something else to it next week.

I woke up later than normal this morning, around 8:30. I went over to the house_of_clocks where I fed the mazzycat.

I started my hour of reading a half hour early, and went all the way through to 11:00.

After reading, I went immediately back over to