March 2021 favourite uploads

[MizBrown]

3 hours ago, Betty LaRue said:

Every cat I ever had or petted would only tolerate a stroke or two on the belly before teeth and claws came out. I learned that lesson when I was 8, but still tried a few more times. After all, they offered the tummy!!!  Suckered me in!
Winston surely was an extraordinary cat.

 

I'm having to spray on and rub in antibiotic gel twice a day to Belle, my first acquired cat.  She can tell when I'm even thinking about picking her up or restraining her to do the treatment, but at least she's not beating me up.  She punched through a seam on a leather glove to get my helper once.  After he came back from a vet trip with her another time, I had to hand him a betadine bottle and gauze. 

[Betty LaRue]

1 hour ago, MizBrown said:

 

I'm having to spray on and rub in antibiotic gel twice a day to Belle, my first acquired cat.  She can tell when I'm even thinking about picking her up or restraining her to do the treatment, but at least she's not beating me up.  She punched through a seam on a leather glove to get my helper once.  After he came back from a vet trip with her another time, I had to hand him a betadine bottle and gauze. 

I have no idea what was in the mind of cats attacking so soon with the belly rub, but I often thought it felt so good they couldn’t handle the emotion of it.  Once my husband was sweet talking my parrot while she sat on her stand. She loved it, bobbed her head. Then her pupils started pinning and I told Bob to back off, she was getting too emotional. He thought I was crazy and kept at it until he got a severe bite on the lip. Echo had an emotional overload she couldn’t handle.

Edited March 30, 2021 by Betty LaRue

[MizBrown]

9 minutes ago, Betty LaRue said:

I have no idea what was in the mind of cats attacking so soon with the belly rub, but I often thought it felt so good they couldn’t handle the emotion of it.

 

Jackson Galaxy (a cat behaviorist, see YouTube) said that we misinterpret what exposing the belly means to cats -- most of them are not really inviting a belly rub, just showing that they're willing to be vulnerable to us.  Belly is a target in cat fights -- Belle's infections came after one of the roof cat bit her in the belly.  An earlier young altered male cat I owned was attacked by an older intact tom who put my cat on his back and began ripping out fur, but who ran when I showed up.  A fox was observing the fight from around 50 feet away, ready to take the loser.  So exposing the belly may be cat for "I trust you not to rip me open" rather than an invitation for a petting by most cats.

 

Parrots are just weird, but one theory with them is that they allow their life partner to do things that more casual acquaintances are not allowed to do. 

[Regis]

For the ones among you who remember the very early 90s:

 

[Betty LaRue]

14 hours ago, MizBrown said:

 

Jackson Galaxy (a cat behaviorist, see YouTube) said that we misinterpret what exposing the belly means to cats -- most of them are not really inviting a belly rub, just showing that they're willing to be vulnerable to us.  Belly is a target in cat fights -- Belle's infections came after one of the roof cat bit her in the belly.  An earlier young altered male cat I owned was attacked by an older intact tom who put my cat on his back and began ripping out fur, but who ran when I showed up.  A fox was observing the fight from around 50 feet away, ready to take the loser.  So exposing the belly may be cat for "I trust you not to rip me open" rather than an invitation for a petting by most cats.

 

Parrots are just weird, but one theory with them is that they allow their life partner to do things that more casual acquaintances are not allowed to do. 

Having had three parrots, I can attest that they bond to one person. That person can stroke them anywhere, at least ours were that way and Echo, my remaining parrot (African Gray) continues that behavior. The other person usually could pick them up on a hand but weren’t allowed to touch them anywhere else. One we had was very jealous. If I got close to my husband when he had the conure on his shoulder, the conure would deliver a bite to my husband’s neck as a warning to have nothing to do with me. It was a rascal.

Echo respond to my daughter talking to her with coos and happy sounds, but still would not tolerate anything more than a stepping up on her hand.

I re-homed the male African Gray, an extremely talented talker (in my voice) who was bonded to my husband, because he was equally fascinated with me (my voice) yet vicious to me. Because that behavior was ingrained, after my husband died, he wouldn’t re-bond to me. So he got a chance with a new person, and started with a clean slate. He needed that bond with someone. Grays can begin feather-plucking if their emotional needs aren’t met and that is a very sad thing.

The Nanday conure? Re-homed years ago because its natural behavior of screaming at a painful decibel was affecting our hearing and causing our family to not want to visit us. I usually carefully research, but the conure was an impulse buy for my husband at a bird fair. It’s cute little orange thighs, green body, black head and playful demeanor captivated us both! 😁

Edited March 30, 2021 by Betty LaRue

[MizBrown]

Trying again with food: 

 

 

Nacatamal with tortillas on a banana leaf and edge of coffee cup -- a typical Sunday breakfast in Nicaagua.

 

 

 

Baked whole grain corn crackers with chia and flax seeds spread with Nicaraguan peanut butter made with honey as the sweetener rather than sugar. 

Edited March 30, 2021 by MizBrown
second photo

[NYCat]

4 hours ago, Betty LaRue said:

Having had three parrots, I can attest that they bond to one person. That person can stroke them anywhere, at least ours were that way and Echo, my remaining parrot (African Gray) continues that behavior. The other person usually could pick them up on a hand but weren’t allowed to touch them anywhere else. One we had was very jealous. If I got close to my husband when he had the conure on his shoulder, the conure would deliver a bite to my husband’s neck as a warning to have nothing to do with me. It was a rascal.

Echo respond to my daughter talking to her with coos and happy sounds, but still would not tolerate anything more than a stepping up on her hand.

I re-homed the male African Gray, an extremely talented talker (in my voice) who was bonded to my husband, because he was equally fascinated with me (my voice) yet vicious to me. Because that behavior was ingrained, after my husband died, he wouldn’t re-bond to me. So he got a chance with a new person, and started with a clean slate. He needed that bond with someone. Grays can begin feather-plucking if their emotional needs aren’t met and that is a very sad thing.

The Nanday conure? Re-homed years ago because its natural behavior of screaming at a painful decibel was affecting our hearing and causing our family to not want to visit us. I usually carefully research, but the conure was an impulse buy for my husband at a bird fair. It’s cute little orange thighs, green body, black head and playful demeanor captivated us both! 😁

 

This is a wonderful film about the wild conures who showed up in San Francisco. A terrific film for bird lovers but very special for everyone, I think.

 

 

Paulette

[Bryan]

This early flowering dwarf rhododendron Snow Lady, needs fair weather to do well. Last year the blooms were ruined before they set, but this year we got lucky. Frosty nights returning however....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Allan Bell]

A few from me as my March uploads have just recently passed QC.

Blackthorn blossom in early spring

 

 

Two retired gentlemen having a breath of fresh air.

 

 

Couple walking country lane

 

 

Weathered road sign advising right hand bend

 

 

GB Railfreight train approaches Croft Lane level crossing Cherry Willingham

 

 

looking south down Church Lane Cherry Willingham

 

 

Allan

 

Edited April 3, 2021 by Allan Bell

[Alla Bama]

Ballet is a classic art! And that's always great :)