2020.07 :: Hard

So Hard, to have the pains of arthritis.

I had a marvellous time cleaning the cages and steaming them to make sure they were really clean. They look so shiny and the glass drinkers are such a bright green under the cage lights.

Sadly it was a days activity… simply doing something I love brings out the pain in my hands. You work and enjoy it all the while knowing the next few days will be frustrating days of little use of my hands and fingers. And this was with Steve helping wash up the vacated cages and accumulated accoutrements. With the arthritis hanging over everything I do I am so thankfully for my loving husband.

I try spending time being thankful for the cages my sweetie built and how easy they are to clean. Feeling happy for the acrylic feeders which hang on the outside of the cage. He even 3D printed supports for the drinkers so they can’t slide out of the bands and shatter on the floor (I jump and scream when that happens!). Setting up the new rack of cages was such a joy. May-be I should tell my sweetie how much I appreciate him. (Be Right Back!)

I used the last of the wood chips made from brush trimming our trails. It worked very well; a relief not to have wing raised debris circling that end of the house. We insured the bedding was free of pathogens by baking in a solar cooker. The bag of bedding purchased from Down Below this fall is fairly light shavings. I can just picture the shavings flying about, into the fish tanks, sewing into my quilt, fishing it out of my ginger beer… worst of a trio of long haired dogs bringing long-haired dog loads up to bed … oh joy. But it is really much better than all the dirt and woodland debris arriving with snow melt.

So, birds have had their nails trimmed (and in Sylphe’s case, an older bird, a little off her upper beak). Some of the hens are feisty! Chit, chitting and biting with their little beaks. Rottweilers of the canary world when it comes to nail trimming. They have been placed beside a male of opposite feather type. In the case of Peeping Tom, after watching him watch the females, I put a little yellow female beside him. Tom just doesn’t seem to see the orange red factors ladies no matter how pretty they flare their wings. Now we wait and see.

I best move on, I am limited to 10 or so minutes of one activity before resting my hands today.

Zuzia,
wishing you a special afternoon of free-flowing, pain free movement.