For You, Jen: Daisy

Today’s blog is for my daughter, Jen.

It’s amazing how much a pet comes
to mean to us everyday. Someone said yesterday,
“It wasn’t the same as losing a dog.”
Does that make the hurt any less?

As many readers know, I’ve blogged
about Daisy, our lovebird, on numerous occasions.
She died yesterday.

We all had an attachment to her.
Even Daisy’s vet said that she was the most
resilient, sweet bird he’d encountered in a long time.
She always looked like she was smiling.

Jen and Daisy were on the lanai yesterday morning,
probably on ‘Cruiser’ watch. Daisy liked to walk
around the decking by the pool.

She was always honing the edges of her beak
along the textured concrete. Recently we needed
to take the edge off her sharp beak--she could punch
a hole through leather, it was so sharp.

Suddenly, Daisy toppled over into the frigid pool,
wings flapping. Jen quickly grabbed her out,
and spent several minutes trying to revive her,
but the shock was too much for Daisy.
Heartbroken, Jen buried her in the woods.

Daisy was a loving animal. She begged for
and enjoyed her head rubs, and was always nuzzling
our cheeks and necks.

Daisy is missed, but won’t be forgotten…
Turn the sound on high for the spoon clattering!

Sweet Little Bird...

Many of my neighbors walk small, fluffy dogs
tethered at the end of a long leash.
We’ve always had a bird.

For readers who don’t know, we have
a cute lovebird, Daisy, who is allowed
to flit about the screened-in lanai.

She’s adventurous and a little sneaky:
Daisy flew from Jen’s shoulder awhile back,
outside to the woods.

Flying to the highest pine tree branch,
she baked under the Florida sun for at least
3 hours before deciding to fly back to Jen.

Her little escapade injured an area under
the wing at the time, and a trip to the vet
was her next adventure.

Since Daisy’s flight, things actually were
not going well--the little cut in the crease under
her wing got wider and deeper.

The drive to the avian vet yesterday was an
eye-opener: I’d never seen so many flashy and
expensive cars drive by Jen’s ‘capsule’--what
she calls her kayak-hauling Mazda Tribute.

We both noticed how many younger people
were driving those shiny Ferraris and Lambros.
She’s driven her car almost to exhaustion,
some 100,00 miles, zigzagging like a patchwork
quilt across, up and down the entire state.
I think she’s seen every alligator and iguana, too.

Finally arriving, we hoisted Daisy’s condo-style
cage from the backseat, and entered All
Creatures Animal Hospital. After a few minutes
of listening to Daisy’s frantic chirping, we left.
Daisy requires stitches to close the muscle-exposing
gash under her wing.

This morning, we dropped Daisy off at the vet;
she's home now, bandaged and is wearing a
transparent cone, which she hates.
Little 'tipsy' has fallen asleep, cuddled up in my hand..

Did You Know...

*Moths are not attracted to light or flame--
merely disoriented. In order to adapt to the light,
the moth circles numerous times to orient itself
and accept the light or flame as a stationary object.

*The mosquito is the most lethally dangerous
animal due to the array of fatal diseases they carry:
Encephalitis,dengue fever, malaria, and yellow fever,
to name a few. Every twelve seconds, a person
dies due to contracting disease from a mosquito bite.

*Camels store fat in their humps for energy--
not water. Energizer Bunny, move over...

*Waiting to swim 20 minutes after eating allows
the blood to return to the legs after helping the
stomach digest food--thereby avoiding paralyzing
leg cramps.

*Shrimp are the noisiest creatures under the sea,
overriding the blue whale. The shrimp layer
creates noise which whites out a submarine's sonar,
deafening anyone wearing a headset.

*Panama hats come from Ecuador.
A quality hat can take up to 5 months to make,
since the toquilla used to construct the hat
takes five days every month to harvest--during
the moon's final phase. The palm leaf doesn't soak
up as much water during that time, allowing
for easier weaving.

*The color of water is blue. Selective absorption and
scattering of the light spectrum causes this to occur.
If you peek into a deep hole in the snow or
see a frozen waterfall, there's a visible shade of blue.

*The bravest of all animals is the carrier pigeon
since they were heavily used during WWII because
of blackouts. One of the most famous was Winkie
who was on a plane when it crashed.
The bird escaped and valiantly flew back to her
owner in Scotland-- looking bedraggled and tired.
The owner could determine how long Winkie
had been flying. She had flown 120 miles from
the crashed bomber to deliver an SOS;
from that knowledge the owner determined the
plane's coordinates, thereby saving the crew.
She was awarded the The Dickin Medal for Animal Bravery,
the first to be so awarded.

*Work is responsible for more deaths than alcohol,
drugs, or war. It's been noted that approximately
two million people die annually from work-related
accidents and diseases. Agriculture and construction
deaths head the list, with household deaths due to falls
and other accidents, at the bottom of the list.

Ain't She Sweet...

I don't have a dog; my family used
to years ago. I'm more of a bird gal.
Birds are much easier to care for.
Our lovebird , Daisy, is perched on my wrist
while I blog, preening...

Besides, we don't need a dog since there
are now two pugs living next door... barking
at any movement in the backyard.

They go absolutely nuts when Cruiser,
our resident duck, waddles by.
Cruiser snorts hot air at the yappers.

It's strange how the owners never really
hear their barking animals--must be music
to their ears. I also wonder why they'd keep
them outside in this intolerable heat?

Dogs are fine as long as they keep
their yaps quiet,and don't charge at me
with teeth bared. That's happened only twice.
I'm lucky the dog, on each occasion,
was held back by a working electric fence.
Unfortunately, many Florida communities
don't allow fences around the property.
Maybe I should capture the neighborhood
alligator, leash it, and take it on walks with me...

Tom's been bitten once in the past by an
unleashed German Shepherd while jogging,
requiring stitches on his leg.
Paul was nipped on the ankle by a neighbor's
Maltese while taking a walk.
The Dog Whisperer would be very busy
in our neighborhood...

Like I said, I'd rather have a bird...
quit pecking at me, Daisy!

Daisy Who?

My daughter, Jenny, took her adorable peach-faced
lovebird, Daisy, to the avian vet today.
The bird's been bothered with a bad
irritation under her wing.

Daisy loves to fly around the pool enclosure.
Jennifer took her outside the enclosure
one day to sit.
Daisy decided to visit the lofty pine trees,
and found herself a branch to perch upon.

After 2 hours of bird-smoozing, she flew back to Jenny.
Since her excursion that day, she's been pecking away
underneath her wing. Apparently birdy had significantly
scratched herself and has since been making it worse.

The cream prescription was called in by the vet,
and Jenny picked it up, using her own name.
"What name, again? We don't have a prescription
for Jennifer. There's one here for Daisy Fowl..."
Say again ?

On The Radar...

It's getting to be 'pond' season again.
With torrential thunderstorms forecast, the backyard
will be a haven for herons and frogs.
One year we actually had a 'walking' catfish.
The whiskered fish skittered along as if running,
along the side of the house, until it flopped
in the engorged swale, swimming—what a hilarious sight.

Other animals find their way into our community, as well.
Neighbors have spotted the Florida Panther, seen twice.
Coyotes and red foxes roam at night.
Of course, we also have 5 alligators, lounging about the lakes.

Yes, a tropical wave is expected.
Presently, it's flirting with SW Florida, out in the distance.
A light rain is falling.
Occasional rumbles of thunder are heard.
Tonight, the woods out back may be a symphony of cicadas and croaking frogs.
Bring on the storms...nature's night music awaits.

Ashes, Ashes..

The wildfire in the Big Cypress Preserve in the Everglades continues to burn, shutting down Alligator Alley for the second consecutive day,and possibly,through to Monday. Containment is about 30%.
Tuesday morning's thunderstorm over the 'Glades triggered a lightning strike.

My first thought when hearing of this disaster was to think that someone's careless cigarette had been flipped out of a car window.
Unfortunately, that action is a common sight, and wasn't beyond the realm of possibility.

The Everglades span the entire southern half of Florida. Over a million and a half acres, with a maximum elevation of no more than ten feet above sea level, the Everglades is the largest subtropical wetland in North America. This massive watershed provides a subtropical refuge for unique wildlife and endangered species.

I've taken Loop Road 29 which draws you through a corridor of hardwood trees.
On one side, the vast prairies stretch out almost endlessly.
Great White Herons and other bird species share the saw grass marshlands with their neighbor, the alligator. It's also reported that some 30,000 Burmese python now inhabit areas of the Everglades.
On the opposite side of the loop road, Blue Night Herons, Egrets and Ibis roam the deep forest sanctuaries.

The Big Cypress Preserve has always been a favorite photographic junket of mine. There's an amazing solitude that prevails, a wonderful peace, with only the chants of wildlife breaking the silence.

When something as devastating as fire engulfs and threatens people's lives
and homes, or rages through a precious ecosystem such as the Everglades, it saddens me.