I’m a hippie

Date: 2011.04.29 | Category: Video | Response: 0

I’m loving Jerry Garcia and the dead!  Watch me dance like a hippie.

Pixel and Mancsy go for coffee

Date: 2011.01.10 | Category: Friends, Outdoors, Video | Response: 0

Pixel’s brother Manchester (Mancsy for short) is an English bulldog as you can tell from the massive underbite and vapid expression. However, they are also the best of friends.

Every night after Pixel’s had his fill of vegetables he tosses his dish down to the Manc to finish off. Mansy loves peas, corn and yams almost as much as Pixel does.

Pixel hits the slopes!

Date: 2011.01.08 | Category: Outdoors | Response: 0

Visiting some friends up at SugarBowl, can Pixel come? Sure! Here’s a shot of him in the gondola. What you don’t see is us pulling the sled full of gear and his cage over to the cabin through a blizzard with him in my coat.

We neglected to stick two coffee stirrers on his feet for a cute skiing picture. Come now, use your mind’s eye.

bok BOK (that’s Hi in parrot talk)

Date: 2010.10.10 | Category: Uncategorized | Response: 0

Let’s learn Pixel’s language. So far we know at least one word for sure: Bok BOK (emphasis on the second bok). Pixel shouts Bok BOK each time we come home, and even sometimes when we come into the room where he is.

Pixel also has a proclivity for 5 or 7 clicks. Is this some mysterious code? What is he trying to communicate with us?

Weighing in at 150

Date: 2010.04.17 | Category: Uncategorized | Response: 0

Pixel has been putting on some weight and now tips the scale at a whopping 150…grams that is. It’s funny because now we weigh the same just different units. Since there are 453 grams to a pound, that means I’m 453 times his weight. It’s strange being friends with a bird.

Hey from Circuitdog

Date: 2010.02.21 | Category: Friends | Response: 0

Yo Pixel, What’s up bird? -Circuit

Out for a Stroll

Date: 2010.02.17 | Category: Outdoors, Video | Response: 0

Bird on a Wire

Date: 2010.02.13 | Category: Flight, Outdoors, Video | Response: 0

So obviously this plants me firmly in the camp of “one of those bird people”.  I’m so torn between all the information about whether to clip wings, if it’s cruel, how much Pixel even cares.

What’s funny is that in America people thing it’s dangerous and in a way mean not to clip a bird’s wings.  “What if he escapes?”  “He’ll surely die.”  Etc. Etc.

In Europe apparently it’s the opposite, you can’t clip your bird’s wings because it’s considered cruel.  Furthermore the argument goes, if a bird is never taught to fly and to return, then when he (inevitably) does escape, you’ll have no way to get him back.  Whereas if he is trained to fly around and return your chances are much better.

Finally, the whole wing-clip conversation gets even more confusing when you consider that it’s not a permanent change.  You can clip feathers for part of the year, say winter, and let them grow out in the summer.  You can clip some feathers but not others, or clip them to give the bird only partial flight.

I’m not sure what I’ll do in the end, but for now I’m growing out Pixel’s flight feathers and training him to use a bird leash.  It’s the Aviator Flight Harness, and it is damn small. After a few training sessions getting Pixel used to seeing it, it was finally a nice day here in “sunny” California so I just went for it.

Here’s Pixel walking around outside with his new leash on.

In This Corner Pixel the Bird

Date: 2010.02.05 | Category: Video | Response: 0

Pixel is quite the little wrestler.  He gets especially rambunctious in the evenings while I’m sitting around watching some TV or reading.

Custom Hairstyles by Pixel

Date: 2010.02.05 | Category: Fashion, Video | Response: 0

Pixel turns out to be quite the hair stylist.  Here he demonstrates his fashionable new dos on Laurel.