The dusty perch

February 2, 2008
Tonite, after we got back from my parent's house for a vist, WITH CLEO, I did the nitely ritual; take a grape to the room, sit the grape down, flap CLEO for some exercise before bed, a lil head scratch then she nicely rides my hand into the cage and get's the grape I've taken in there. She maneuvers to her favorite perch, eats the grape, I cover her cage and tell her "nite" and leave the room. Actually tonite, she had two new perches so I wanted to se which one she had settled on and I raised the cover for a peek. She bent down, met my eyes thru the crack and said "HIII!"
Anyway, as I was walking from her room I noticed something I had forgotten about: The hand perch was sitting in the corner...all alone..collecting dust....happily looking dejected.
I stood there and it sort of reminded me of looking at my kid's old toys, like the bike with the training wheels, the Barbie sets and the gagillion Hotwheels cars. Only difference is I was sad to see them and I'm dadblamed,durned and outright happy to see that stoooopid hand perch get some dust on it! I haven't used the perch in weeks now.
Cleo now steps up on my hand to get out of the cage, to get in the cage, to get in the carrier, to get out of the carrier, to get in the shower. I'd say she is about 90% stepping up now. Everynow and then, she'll have a cantankerous spell and want to be obnoxious bout stepping up from somewhere she is happy, but we eventually get it worked out. Usually, I just walk away and that is enough to make her want to go and she'll stepup after I go back.
Tonite was pretty amazing really. I took her, in the carrier, to my parent's house. They have a poodle and another lil dog and I had expected to leave her in the carrier if needed. But no, she sat on the portable perch I took, let my 80 year old father feed her snacks and laughed when the room got loud with laughter. Once, when Phoebe the black poodle wandered up close to inspect the Amazon, Cleo cocked her head, pinned her eyeballs and nature sweetly spoke between dog and bird. Phoebe turned and ran. Cleo didn't say a thing...that we could hear.
And then, we got ready to go and she hopped on my hand and into the carrier like she'd done it a million times and turned around and got a peanut thru the door. It still amazes me that she has come this far.
I know that someday, I may have to resurrect the hand perch if needed. But currently, the hand perch is turning to mulch in the corner and that's fine with me.
Mark