Birds

Autumn approaches and so does Ike

Baby’s sore spot Regis straining to get up

It’s been a few days since I’ve written. and those days have been hard since my last post. My one and only Baby, DoberDiva and Mother Superior, has had ill health. She and Regis both. Their bodies are wearing out and failing them. Walking has become difficult, and it’s very sad around Fort Doberdale. Baby’s gone to an acupuncture session/laser massage last Saturday, then by Tuesday, her fur began falling out! I’m going back with Baby tomorrow for another session, and to get medicine for this. The girl (17-year-old) who did the laser massage, didn’t wash the head of the machine when she brought it out to use on Baby or when she put it back, so I have to assume it does not get cleaned. I called the vet, and of course, it’s not their fault. Baby’s skin was fine till this appointment. Let’s see how much more revenue this brings in for them. Argh!

Please keep Baby and Regis in your prayers.

My new computer, which was 87 days old, died on Sunday, which is a lucky thing because Costco has a 90-day return policy on computers. I returned it on Tuesday, and ordered a new one. It hasn’t been sent yet, so I haven’t got a computer at home, which sucks!

Hurricane Ike as of Friday, Sept 5, 2008

Ike, a hurricane, is coming. This doesn’t seem like a warm and fuzzy weather system. The NE side of the storm is the worst side, which is what is currently coming towards Fort Doberdale. We are worried!



Raven with the Hibiscus remnant that went down the hatch Raven hunting a hibiscus

Then there’s Raven. She is a comical PITA. She has gone into a new stage in life. That is she sees things on the ground and thinks they are going to attack her, so she barks at them until she can eat them. Here she is after overcoming a threat from a red hibiscus which laid on the ground.

Raven with the grass remnant Bunny eats that grass remnant

Next we have her with a blade a grass dangling from her front teeth. She pranced around the back yard with that thing hanging out of her snout tip for some time. Shaking didn’t remove it. Nothing she did removed it. It took Bunny Butt to remove it, and what did Bunny do with it? She ate it!

Peacock



Today, I took newspapers to the Wildlife Center and met this peacock.



Helen

Visiting Lovebirds

This afternoon, we had a couple of beautiful and romantic visitors in the Fort Doberdale pine tree. They showed affection for each other on the branch then one of them went to play in a notch in the tree. Maybe they’re thinking of moving in! It was a lovely visit.

Bird Visitors at Fort Doberdale What do they see? Kissing Birds

Romance in the trees Smooch!
Helen

Happy Birthday Girl!

Happy Birthday Girl, Birdie!

Today is someone’s birthday. Someone who’s been doing Dobie rescue for decades. Here’s a picture of her with a fuzzy friend from a few years ago. You can e-mail her and wish her a happy birthday!

We usually have pictures of our friends enjoying their birthday hamburger, but I think this “dobegal” will be enjoying a birthday bottle of fine wine instead!

If that’s not enough hint, well, her name will remind you of our feathered friends!

Helen

A Torrential Downpour Sunday at Fort Doberdale

A dove holding steady in the pelting rain and winds. The Dove is joined by a Blue Jay in the pelting rains and winds, but only momentarily.

Today, at Fort Doberdale, the skies opened up and watered my vegetable garden good. It was an amazing thing. But then the winds started to blow and when I opened the back door, got soaked. Usually, we all can stand there and watch the rains. Not today. I had to change clothes twice trying to get pictures of the dove hanging on for dear life in the dead grapefruit tree. She stood her ground for the entire storm, while a blue jay came and went in seconds.

Hungry dove after holding on during the storm.

After the storm, the dove was hungry from using all that energy to hang on. There was some residual bird seed on the ground, but I threw down a couple more scoops for her to fill up on for the next emergency that would come her way.

A bucket full of rain water!

Look at all the water that came down! This bucket was empty before the storm. It’s the ever useful “poop bucket,” which always has a plastic bag inside when a poop is plopped within. I’m glad I tossed the bag out before this storm. I don’t know about you, but having to clean out a water logged bag of poop is not my way of spending free time.

Raven points out the planter near the house, and under an awning, that is full of rain water.

Raven has sniffed out the planter near the house, which has a lake in it now. It’s under an awning, and is usually safe from rains. That shows how strong those winds were. Now if Raven will kindly move her snoot, I can tip that planter to the side to drain the lake. Raven? Raven! RAVEN!

Where did that piece of pine tree come from? The Verawood (aka The Luigi Tree) blown over by winds

I had a lot of free time going into this afternoon, and I was going to put it to better use than cleaning up after an impromptu mini hurricane. This was a brutal, sudden patch of weather that flew by. It knocked over the Verawood tree, aka the Luigi tree, and took a big piece of the pine tree down with it. At least the pine limb fell near the trash receptacles.

The Verawood consciousness.  She closes her leaves during a storm.The Verawood consciousness.  She opens her leaves after the storm.

Here is plant consciousness at work. The Verawood tree closes its “eyes” at night when it goes to sleep, but lookie here! It shut its leaves during the cataclysmic storm. And after I put it upright, cleaned the rest of the yard, showered and came back outside, it had opened up again!
The storm blew a neighboring overgrown vine and tree limb over my fence and onto my corn plant! What happened here?  Baby wonders!

Baby saw this lovely mess first. “What the hey?” It’s a huge vine that had covered a huge weed tree on the other side of the fence.

Wild peppers growing at will.

I had to get up on a ladder to reach the trunk of the overgrown weed tree to clip it down. But look at the wild peppers growing in all that mess!
Getting help from the red boys! Oops, take cover.  More rain!

I was hot, sweaty and soaked from working amongst the saturated foliage. I did get that big viny weed tree cut down, and the red boys, Bouchard and Regis, were there to help.

Skies looking cold.

These kinds of skies always suggest colder weather to me, but not in South Florida. It’s balmy and hot! Eeek!

Cucumbers fell from the sky! Cucumbers fell from the sky!

Among other things, little cucumbers fell from the sky. I have no idea where they came from, but not from my garden. I’d like some, though.

Cucumbers fell from the sky!

Obviously, one of the dogs thought it was worth a taste, but the immature cuke was not tasty enough to finish.

Fly away, woodpecker! Woodpecker’s hungry, too!

I love these woodpeckers. They are beautiful and humorous. This morning there was a pair of them at this very spot chasing a squirrel away. This leads me to believe that they have a nest atop this post.

Ollie in mud with Cuz ball

Before it was all said and done, and we got back to the rest of our usual routine this Sunday afternoon, Ollie had to lie in the mud. He had to. I sometimes think that boy is part oink oink oink.

All done!  Let’s party!



All Taylor could say was she was glad the storm passed. She is not a fan of thunder!

Helen