"Ah, as we prayed for human help; angels soundlessly, with single strides, climbed over our prostrate hearts." ~ Ranier Maria Rilke
These past two weeks since my last entry have proven to be quite challenging. I usually enjoy challenges, but the ones that hold the most lessons, the important life stuff, aren't necessarily the most fun to experience and walk through. And that's just what I've been doing, stumbling a bit, perhaps, but walking through - one day at a time or, as Anne Lamott might say, I've been taking life "Bird by Bird".
I am a bit short on time, but I wanted to get this brief post out and I plan on "filling in the blanks" later this evening when I have had more coffee and more time to collect all of those swirling thoughts flitting about my head.
Here are a few highlights since last I blogged:
I'm happy to report that Julianna Banana and Nicholas Picklus Waxbill are doing fine and seem to be fitting in quite well in the aviary. Their initiation hasn't been too tumultuous and I have caught them in various empty nests, resting, perhaps trying them on for size and seeing if one of them feels like home. No, we don't have any eggs from our new feathered pair, but I remain very hopeful that in time we will have little "banana and picklus" waxbills enrolled in flight lessons and trying our their new wings. I am quite certain that our pair of Canadian Inspired Waxbills are, in fact, male and female, which is a good step in the right direction. They sit together, preen each other, hang together in the plants and share their meals at the same millet stand. So far, so good. Feathers haven't been flying and that's always a good sign. They are still beautiful and seem to interact as if on "fast-forward" or rather, birds who've had too much coffee! Since I don't give my birds coffee, I would say they are simply a bit hyperactive. They're great fun to watch. I'll post a couple of new photos of them later today.
In other aviary news, we have one pair of Zebra Finches who are sitting on a clutch of four eggs, probably less than a week away from hatching and we have another pair of Zebras who are sitting tight on five eggs that were laid in the past week. In other words, should things go according to plan, within the next 3 weeks, we should have at least 8 Zebra Finch hatchlings. Mind you, we still have 6 week old babies from the last clutch who are now accomplished flyers and who's beaks are in transition from black to orange. In a few days we will be able to tell if they are male or female.
They grow up so fast!
Speaking of growing up, my house is rampant with growing pains. The column I wrote that was published in today's newspaper was probably meant more as a reminder for me than for my readers. I am working assiduously to bite my tongue, my cheek, my whatever, in order not to explode and that's not a very comfortable state to find oneself in. Not at all. I repeat "The Serenity Prayer" about a thousand times a day, in order to keep me in a prayerful state which will hopefully remind me of what I can and, just as importantly, what I can NOT change and, oh yes, Please God, the wisdom to know the difference! Wisdom is such a precious commodity but it is usually a by-product of mistakes made and lessons learned. If that IS the case, I must be stock-piling all kinds of wisdom (in it's raw, as yet unrefined state). One of these days I just might break out in a huge case of wisdom, given the landscape I am traversing just now, and I welcome the time when I will feel a little more wise and less confused than I do at this moment.
I have to close right now, but I did want to get this out, rather than keep putting off a post. I'll elaborate later. One thing about it, it's NEVER dull in this house. Right about now, dull looks pretty enticing.
Wish me well, and I'll wish the same right back to you.
Peace out!
I am a bit short on time, but I wanted to get this brief post out and I plan on "filling in the blanks" later this evening when I have had more coffee and more time to collect all of those swirling thoughts flitting about my head.
Here are a few highlights since last I blogged:
I'm happy to report that Julianna Banana and Nicholas Picklus Waxbill are doing fine and seem to be fitting in quite well in the aviary. Their initiation hasn't been too tumultuous and I have caught them in various empty nests, resting, perhaps trying them on for size and seeing if one of them feels like home. No, we don't have any eggs from our new feathered pair, but I remain very hopeful that in time we will have little "banana and picklus" waxbills enrolled in flight lessons and trying our their new wings. I am quite certain that our pair of Canadian Inspired Waxbills are, in fact, male and female, which is a good step in the right direction. They sit together, preen each other, hang together in the plants and share their meals at the same millet stand. So far, so good. Feathers haven't been flying and that's always a good sign. They are still beautiful and seem to interact as if on "fast-forward" or rather, birds who've had too much coffee! Since I don't give my birds coffee, I would say they are simply a bit hyperactive. They're great fun to watch. I'll post a couple of new photos of them later today.
In other aviary news, we have one pair of Zebra Finches who are sitting on a clutch of four eggs, probably less than a week away from hatching and we have another pair of Zebras who are sitting tight on five eggs that were laid in the past week. In other words, should things go according to plan, within the next 3 weeks, we should have at least 8 Zebra Finch hatchlings. Mind you, we still have 6 week old babies from the last clutch who are now accomplished flyers and who's beaks are in transition from black to orange. In a few days we will be able to tell if they are male or female.
They grow up so fast!
Speaking of growing up, my house is rampant with growing pains. The column I wrote that was published in today's newspaper was probably meant more as a reminder for me than for my readers. I am working assiduously to bite my tongue, my cheek, my whatever, in order not to explode and that's not a very comfortable state to find oneself in. Not at all. I repeat "The Serenity Prayer" about a thousand times a day, in order to keep me in a prayerful state which will hopefully remind me of what I can and, just as importantly, what I can NOT change and, oh yes, Please God, the wisdom to know the difference! Wisdom is such a precious commodity but it is usually a by-product of mistakes made and lessons learned. If that IS the case, I must be stock-piling all kinds of wisdom (in it's raw, as yet unrefined state). One of these days I just might break out in a huge case of wisdom, given the landscape I am traversing just now, and I welcome the time when I will feel a little more wise and less confused than I do at this moment.
I have to close right now, but I did want to get this out, rather than keep putting off a post. I'll elaborate later. One thing about it, it's NEVER dull in this house. Right about now, dull looks pretty enticing.
Wish me well, and I'll wish the same right back to you.
Peace out!
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