YONAH•Mourning Dove•Journal

NOVEMBER 2025

Saturday 01 November:
8.23 and I'm going to try to get as much in about this morning as possible because, after a night of WIND, and the "banging" of the roofing on the cellar shed, and me being awake until about 3.00 this morning, I was TIRED...
I was still very much asleep on the futon when I was awakened by the "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo" of the morning "call to order"... I opened my eyes, checked the clock... 7.30... on the mark! OH! But what I wouldn't have given for an extra hour... or so. But, my Little Guy was up, awake and it was time for me to get up and set house.
Last night's tuck-in went ever-so smoothly. He was on his night roost when I got into the room to settle all, and he was quite comfortable there too. I sang the lullabies, quite smoothly and softly too. And made it all the way through... quietly. The last light off? 20.55. Later than I'd prefer, but we managed to get to that point before 21.00.
It did little good though. All the WIND last night! The house had been quiet and the rains had stopped and I'd JUST managed to drift off to sleep when...
FIRST OF ALL, THAT ODOUR OF "DRYER SHEETS" AGAIN... AT 23.00! Just before dozing off, I'd looked at the air monitor and the "TVOCs" were reading at "0,035". I was comforted. BUT, at 23.00, I looked again and the numbers were RISING... regularly! At last read as I recall, they'd gone UP to "0,153"! OK. So that's still "green", which is better than "normal". No "yellow" indicators. But it set me "off", worrying. I got up, checked the rest of the house. There was no way I was going to open windows at that hour and with temperatures being chilled, certainly not the front door. Beside that, the winds out there were BEATING against the house and it truly did sound like they were working on removing the roofing from the cellar shed! ALL of the "air cleaners" were running. I walked round the house, checking. The odour was, primarily, at the "adjoining walls" and opening the back window to check, I could hear the dryer, next door, running, but the wind was pushing the strongest fumes away. So I went back to the futon to try to get back to sleep.
I didn't work. My sinuses blocked so I had to change my position on the futon, head at the other end so that I could lay on my right side. I barely worked, but I did manage to almost drift off again when...
More banging from the wind out-side! Mid-night on the clock. The "TVOCs" were decreasing so that was a comfort of a sort, but the banging out-side Yonah's window worried me. He was silent. I know that if he's upset, he'd coo, especially knowing that I'm awake, but... silence. I wondered what he was making of all the strange noises in the dark and I laid there, listening, wondering what I should do. Considered turning one of the moon lights on, as dim as possible, so that he could see around him. But I worried that he wouldn't sleep properly in the light. I couldn't go out to re-fasten any loose roofing at that hour. I got up again, walked round the house, checking to make sure the place was still secure and as I did, we had a break in the wind. I laid back down on the futon, still listening for any sounds from Yonah's house... and in the quiet, again, started to doze off until...
The winds returned... 1.30 this morning! The banging of roofing re-commenced. So I laid there, listening for sounds from Yonah, contemplating just getting up for the night until the winds stopped. As I plotted where I'd be in the house, keeping the door to his room open, some other room where I could put a light on and, perhaps, work on his Journal or the likes... I decided to get up, make another round in the house to check on windows and such... All was well, I couldn't decide where to stay up and so, I went back to the futon and... the last time I looked at the clock, that I recall... it was 2.35... the NEXT time I looked at the clock... 7.30.
From the sound of this morning's coo, and the hour, it seems the Little Guy DID manage to get rest during the night. And I got right up to open the door to his house and when I popped my head in... KISSES! WE MADE IT THROUGH THE NIGHT... TOGETHER! AND I GOT KISSES... AND SO MANY COO'S! IT WAS AS IF WE WERE BOTH SO RELIEVED TO SEE ONE-ANOTHER THIS MORNING! WHAT a GLORIOUS start to a new day AND a new month!
And the WING-STRETCHES! If there's anything that tells me he's OK... It's the wing-stretches in the morning!
I got right to our morning routine, set the kitchen up for coffee and was right back to open house and windows. Windows were "slow" again this morning... gradual. And all the while, another little conversation. We had a LOT to talk about this morning. And out-side? The skies were clear, but the sun wasn't quite up over the Eastern hills yet so it was a bit of a "dark" start. A quick check: 5°! I was SO thankful that it wasn't bitter cold! And the house and room were comfortable. I have to add that, when I get "Good morning" kisses, I can feel the warmth of the "Sweeter Heater" on my face at the night roost, so I know the Little Guy is being kept warm enough through the night. Though, last night, thankfully, the electric didn't go out, the furnace was running, so things stayed "healthy".
Water change this morning went very well, indeed. That little "filter" on the in-take is working very well! No more taking things apart in the middle of all the running back and forth. And when the fountain got plugged back in, the water is still flowing wonderfully strong, making all sorts of ripples in the pool. There's obvious "motion" in the room, as I'd always hoped for.
AND... it didn't take any time at all before the Little Guy was UP AND OUT of his house and over to the desk!
When I'd done with the water, he was on the futon. I hadn't brought the "Futon Flock" out yet and when I took a moment to sit, he came right over to me. Something wasn't "quite right" yet. The "flock" was missing! He came up onto my shoulder for a moment, as if asking "Where is every-birdie?" so I got up, brought the "flock" out to the futon and he BOLTED for Burdie! "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo!" My Little LOVE was happy... his "birds" were up, awake and where they were supposed to be of a morning.
Sunday was up and running.. November arrived.
Poops: 12 total and to my RELIEF... they were ON the "rug", under the night roost! After all the banging and the rushing wind through the night, it appears the Little LOVE had a "regular" night of rest. Amazing, really, because at about mid-night, I was up and had to draw the curtains back to check on the condition of the roof to the cellar shed. (That too, managed to survive.) In the dark, I got up, squeezed between his house and the window, but in the softest whisper I could make, I kept assuring him that I was there, with and for him and that all was well. He didn't make a sound, so I wondered then, and still wonder, if he even noticed that I was up and about. The one thing that strikes me is that I was there, moving about, in the dark and if he DID notice, he SO TRUSTS ME! No matter what "the world" may think, as long as I have HIS trust, I don't care about anything else. Really.
Oh... In the midst of all the running about the house, I grabbed a peek out the front door...
*** SNOW *** quite down the entire Southern face of one of the peaks to the West! I can't say I'm surprised. Oddly, some weeks ago, one of the neighbours had said there was a rumour that we'd be getting an "early snow" (well, "early" considering recent years) and that there was a chance of snow for Halloween. WE GOT IT! It didn't make it down to the lower peaks, and didn't make it to the house. But there it was... obvious! Time to keep regular checks on the fuel for the house furnace! (And last night, as I laid awake, I was plotting the placement of our little radiators... just in case. We just might have to make use of them... soon.)
Meanwhile? The Little Pilot is making all sorts of flights about the place. He's up, he's movin'! We on with the day!
14.50 and I'm just up from a "solo snooze" of... an HOUR! Making up for last night, I suppose. But I was, as I say, "solo"... Yonah must have known.
It's been a day of BRILLIANT SUN-SHINE, I have to say. And as I sit a the desk here, the Little Guy is on his door perch, "adjusting" his feathers.
He's been AMAZINGLY ACTIVE again today too! In fact, for a while there, earlier, he was up and about and toddling off to the living-room and then back into his room and then out to the kitchen... just "out for a stroll" around the house!
But WOW! It's still windy out there again today, and I just looked out the front door, across to the mountains and there are "SNOW CLOUDS" drifting up and over from the West again too! (I checked our heating fuel this morning and we're still doing fine for the colder nights ahead. AND, we actually had one window ope n for about 2 hours because Yonah's room has "South-facing"windows and the sun was actually warm enough to keep the room at 23°! Even with the window open as wide as it could be! One of the "blessings" of this room: the Winter sun shines in almost all day!)
Before I had my "snooze" this morning (because, even though I'd had lunch... at "Daylight Savings noon", "Standard Time" was still only 11.00) I had to "clean" the futon... Pea-sprouts! There's still quite a lot of them in the little pot, which I've put up on the upper-most wall shelf, but he's having quite the fun with them and there were little snippettes of them all over the place. I'm SO glad he's enjoying them! I have to find more places to plant more around the room. Not only are they fun for Yonah, they're good for the room too! And I wonder if he actually "ingests" any of the little plants. "Veggies"! I doubt it but...
Anyway, we're back to "routine" here and I'm trying to decide on when to have our dinner this evening: "old time" or "tomorrow's time". We shall see... when "time" arrives.
AND, Deborah came by this morning at some point, as she does, and left a bag with MORE PINE CONES! We still have the others, all dry and clean in the kitchen. There are traces of sap on them and I've been meaning to re-clean them. I don't want to leave any (or much) sap on any of them so that my Little LOVE doesn't get any on his beak. So we have "crafts" to do with the coming colder days!
19.30 on "today's clock"... OCTOBER IS ON THE SERVER WITH EMBELLISHMENTS AND MY MOST PRECIOUS LOVE IS BESIDE ME ON HIS LAP-TOP! He's been on his roof-top from since I sat to dinner. I've been HORRID as a "companion". I just SO wanted October 2025 on the server! And now it's done. I've got September 2025 to "clean up" and we're off to the WAY back pages! We're (I'm) FINALLY getting into being where this Journal is supposed to be! And with Winter coming? Days together... no "agendas", no "errands"... Just US, together... and me being BORING!
But... it's obvious that we're "behind" where we're supposed to be tonight. The clocks in the house are set back to "natural" time ("Standard") but the computers and phones are still telling me that we're supposed to be doing waters and getting ready to tuck-in. And THAT is what I'm heading for right now. The general timing will be the same tonight... Tomorrow? We'll follow the clock again. OH! This is terrible!
But the Little Guy is, as he always is, handling me and my insanity with such patience.
It's been a day of sun-shine too, thankfully. And we actually didn't turn the house furnace back on until dinner! The room is at 23° right now, and out-side, the sky is... of course... BLACK! And the temperature? Meteo says 4° so it's "cool" and just warm enough to be damp. Hopefully, all will be well through the night.
Right now... Water time!
OK... so it's currently 20.26 and we're on schedule (later than I'd like, of course), but the water in the pool is changed. (That little "filter system" is working quite well... so many seeds in the catch bucket, but the fountain runs beautifully.) And as I went about closing the windows, my Little Su-bird-visor watched form the floor of his house. No "games" or "playing" this evening. And now, I'm done with the rest of the house for the night, our night music is playing and he's already to his night roost. On our clocks (silly nonsense, "clocks") are already set back to "natural time" (if there really is any such thing as "natural time"... actual "natural time" is the sun and moon and OH! to be able to simply follow those, as was intended) so, they're reading "19.26"! But by tomorrow, we should simply fall into what-ever is to follow with "schedule". We'll wake up and hopefully just pick right up. But for now, for tonight, as with every night here, I'm just hoping for a peaceful night, un-interrupted sleep, rest. We had quite the night last night, there's rest to catch-up with! (Oh, and last I checked, the TVOCs on the monitor are at "0,030" and the other readings are all very much in "green". May they stay that way!) Good night, and more tomorrow...

Sunday 02 November:
Not sure "why" or "what" but at 4.00, this morning, something in Yonah's room must have "settled", or the house took a snap chill (it's 2° out there this morning), but there was a "something that went thump in the dark" and it woke me. I looked at the clock, saw the time, thought "It was 5.00 yesterday, I guess I'll get up and start the day and so, at 4.37, here I am, coffee at hand. Hopefully, I won't be a "drag" all through the day.
But here we are and last night's tuck-in was quite and rather straight forward. It was strange, to me, to see the clock when the last light was turned off at 20.00 (which meant, the usual 21.00).
My Little Love ... When I went back into his room, after closing the house, he'd gone to his door perch and I went over to give him some kisses, "Good night". He took off, out and up to his roof-top to make more nest coo's, all with the fluttering, so I turned the "night music" off and started our evening lullabies as I put the linens onto the futon. When he heard "Autumn Leaves" and saw I was preparing the futon, he got up and went over to his little platform and patiently awaited my arrival there for the ride home for the night. I can't say, of course, but I remember having read, some-where in all my reading and searching, when I'd enquired as to how birds perceive "time", that they note it by many different references, one of them being "sounds". Apparently, there are different sounds in their lives that correspond to certain events, one of them being "seepie-nigh-night" for them all. So it would seem that yes, the "sound" of our night music and then, above all else, "Autumn Leaves" signals "time to tuck-in" and THIS Little Genius now recognises that those notes, lyrics, sounds mean "It's time to tuck-in for the night and if I stand here, I'll get a ride home to the night roost." Honestly, my "AWE" never ceases, never skips a moment. There really has been something, small or great, in ever day of these 5 years together. And he's taught me SO MUCH. How I wish I could bring his messages to the entire world in some way other than all of these Journal pages. He truly IS an "Educator", in ever sense of the word. Shame, really, that humans, for the most part, just can't seem to be bothered to learn. But then again, that's why, in English language, we have the word "uneducable". I could try, but I doubt many would listen. Still, as I convey our little "affairs" with Deborah, Amy and, as during this Summer, Ed, surely the "seed of knowledge" is planted and at some point, some way, it grows and is passed along.
Well then? I finished with the futon and went over to the roof-top and the Little Guy continued with his nest coos for a moment longer and I lifted him up and brought him, sailing softly, to his night roost. (I manage to get a little kiss in on the way too.) And when we arrived, as he does, he casually stepped from platform to roost and appeared to be quite settled. I leaned in and got quite a few kisses again too! And by "Let's Face the Music", I was already on the futon, the moon lights were on and we were both "in for the night".
I could see that he was a tiny bit fidgety, but that was only for a moment... By the time I'd gotten to "Guten Abend", the little silhouette was tucked-in. Lullabies continued, softly, calmly and, as I say, by "20.00/21.00", the last light was off.
And now, 5.00, the house out in the kitchen is warm. I hope Yonah's room is comfy for him. His windows are open, from the top, about 2cm so there's a bit of "coolness" to his room. But he's under his Sweeter Heater and I hope that gives him comfortable warmth. I'd open the door to his room, but I don't want to disturb him if he's sleeping. We'll see when he wakes this morning. If it's "as usual", 8.00? We'll see...
9.04 and finally getting to the desk for me and this Little Guy has been ALL OVER THE ROOM this morning, and at the peas again. FULL of energy!
5.29 on the clock when, from the kitchen, I heard another one of those "soft" "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo"s coming through the door. Unsure of whether or not I actually heard what I thought I'd heard (because, to be honest, when the house is completely silent, there are moments when I actually THINK I've heard coo'ing but haven't... it's one of those sounds that my mind believes I SHOULD hear and will throw it in at the strangest moments), I turned the lights off and opened the door to his room, completely and waited. A moment later, another "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo" followed by a "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo". Indeed, the Little LOVE was up, awake! "Yesterday's time: 6.29". MUCH earlier than recent mornings, but there we were. So I headed over to his house. There was enough early morning day-light coming in through the closed windows to be able to see him, clearly, on the night roost, waiting... so I opened the door to his house, coo'ed a little "Good morning my LOVE!" and leaned in for a "Good morning" kiss and...
WOW! OH WOW! OH WOW! SO, SO MANY KISSES THIS MORNING! IT SEEMED LIKE WE WERE GOING TO PASS THE ENTIRE DAY GIVING KISSES THIS MORNING! ALL OVER! A little "break" for another exchange of coo's... "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo" and more "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo" too, and THEN back to KISSES!
We even carried on with our conversation as I opened the curtains and blinds and rolled his house into position for the day. AND WING-STRETCHES! GORGEOUS WING-STRETCHES! He was preparing for what was to follow, and what was to follow was and immediate WOOSH, over to the futon to wait for the Futon Flock to come out of their nook! And THEN, no sooner had Burdie-Birdie come along, the morning went into full swing! The house was open, the flock(s) had gathered and it was time for a flight to the living-room, with more "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo" whilst I got me together for the morning water run!
No sooner had I gotten the containers to the kitchen basin when... WOOSH again. My Su-bird-visor had returned to make sure that I was engaged in the task at hand and cleaning the water in the pool. (And again, I'm SO relieved to say that the new "filtration" is working delightfully. No more need for taking the pump apart and such. What a difference that "sink drain strainer" has made! Oh! The time I could have saved all along... as if I actually would have done. And I've decided to check it by the end of the week to see if there are any indications of rust any-where. Sure, the package claims "stainless steel" but, these days, we can't depend on "truth and honesty" and I will NOT have "rust" in the water! No matter the source.)
And so, back and forth, in and out of the room, and all the while, the Little Guy was on the desk shelf, the wall shelves, his roof-top, the futon. It was one ACTIVE morning! And so much for that "extra hour" on the clocks. Neither one of us actually "benefited" from it. Although, honestly, "clocks" and "time"... nonsense. We wake when we wake and that's obviously what we've done this morning... both of us.
So I got the waters settled, finished the usual morning chores and tasks and now... the house furnace is running, the room is at 23°, the sun has managed to make its way above the tree-line and is pouring in through the windows. Today's "high"... 7° but sun-shine in the forecast and I've no errands.
OH! POOPS! Well... poops: 13 total... 13! ALL of them on the little "rug" beneath the night roost and ALL of them ever-so "healthy"! Fantastic colour, no "halos", properly "formed" and that they were all on the rug... THANKFULLY, last night was "restful"! (Now, if I could only figure out what that "thump" was at 4.00 this morning that woke me. But at least everything in the room was and is still where it ought to be so the floor is where the floor should be, the wall is where the wall should be AND MY LITTLE LOVE, HERZ-UND-SEELE, is all over the place... flying about and obviously in grand health too!)
Now... on with Sunday and hopes for a peaceful and calm day ahead...
18.34 And the evening waters have been changed and out-side, the sky is "night black" already! My PRECIOUS LITTLE LOVE has had a little snack, as I changed the water in the pool. And WHAT A DAY IT'S BEEN!
Sun-shine all through the day. And me, unbelievably, I never took our daily snooze! I've gotten so involved with up-dating pages on the web-site, and coding it all so the day just slipped away from both of us!
Yonah spent much time in his loft during the day. I was a horrible "companion". I can only HOPE that that "ambient companionship" has credibility. He didn't come over to me at all during the rest of the day and really didn't fly around the house very much.
And then, this after-noon, I've come to learn that our neighbour has left the premises! I happened to notice two pick-ups leaving after hearing much "moving about" over there. But when I saw "Mrs." drive by, there was a shelving unit in the back. So, I went out to the yard, primarily to pull the sun-flower stalks from round the feeder in the gardenette and whilst out there, happened to take a glance in through the back door, since there were no curtains. Through to the living-room, not a bit of furniture. Oh, there's the relief of not having the exhaust from the dryer any more, but with the history of this place, and the recent "mood" of the landlord, my heart is now so heavy with pain: he's notorious for renting to just about "anything" and his "usual" isn't of a "high calibre". Now, my worst dread is... noise and such disturbing YONAH! Things banging against walls in the night. He's likely as sensitive to such things as I am... if not MORE. Restless nights to come? So, our house-hunting hits with pressure. And I can tell that he senses my trepidation and worry. And that only serves to make it all the worse. He's come to his door perch and coo'ed as I contemplate the moving. And not knowing where we'll go to from here. Housing is so scarce locally, and finding a place where he'll be comfortable. Consolation? Well, the current month's rent is paid since I paid "Last Month" when I moved in. And there's another cheque due to be presented to cover this month so it gives us to the end of December. But the sooner we're out of and away from here, the sooner we can both settled down in a new place. And "new place"... THIS is the ONLY house he's ever known. A "new place" will be different lighting, different space, different windows, different lay-out. He knows he can leave his room and go to the living-room here... We have a front door to open to the out-side air. He'll have to adjust to new flight paths to new rooms. And doves, like me, aren't too thrilled with drastic change. I'm TERRIFIED thinking of him "adjusting".
But for now, I have to work on calming my demeanour, and settle my general "nerves". I will NOT have MY HEART-AND-SOUL worrying about me worrying about us!
There's so much more I could journal on this matter but I'll refrain.
"There may be troubles ahead, but while there's moon-light and music and LOVE and romance...
We'll face the music and dance.
There may be tear-drops to shed, but while there moon-light and music and LOVE and romance...
TOGETHER, we'll face the music and dance."
WE WILL! And I HAVE to believe that what's coming is BETTER than what we've been going through. Not for me... for YONAH!
Meanwhile, he's already on his night roost. I haven't closed the windows yet. And the temperature in the room is at 26°! I don't know how, but there it is. The rest of the house is settled for the night. So, in a short while, I'll get to the evening "ablutions" and, if "Mrs." is actually no longer there, it will be a "silent night" ahead. I pray... OH! I pray!
And I've got the web-pages to work on, there's more to this Journal for 2025 to get cleaned-up and posted. We have time, and I have tasks to fill it.
I've wanted to leave here for so long now. Sometimes we just need a little "kick" to get moving... and moving we will be.
20.30 Windows are closed against the night. Night music playing. My ablutions are done and we're off for the night! Tomorrow? We'll handle that when it becomes today. But for tonight, there's nothing we can do to handle anything... Best to get some rest and wake ready for BATTLE (if that's necessary) tomorrow. May be have the restful night we're owed. (He's on his roof-top waiting... MY LOVE! MY LIFE! MY HEART-AND-SOUL! MY ONLY REASON FOR EVEN BEING!)

Monday 03 November:
18.56! WHAT A DAY it's been! Busy all through, non-stop with all sorts of "house-hold matters"... "people matters". The sun is down. The rains are falling and so too, the temperatures. The house has the "chill" from the cloudy after-noon, but my Little Heart-and-Soul has been SALVATION ALL THROUGH! Even now, when I just ran the evening water changes, he was on his door and giving me KISSES! KISSES! And we've played! And with-out him, I'd've been under some blankets, on the futon... "waiting for God" today.
But last night was peaceful. The day was peaceful, other-wise. Bills got paid. Budgets are balanced. I made one really "snap errand" this after-noon after lunch and we've been together. And with "thought", my mood has lifted, stress has decreased and I KNOW Yonah senses the change and "calm" and is obviously happier for it. We WILL make it through what-ever is to come... Even with the chill coming (-3° on Thursday!).
I've gotten some more work done on the new "Diet, Toys and Perches" pages for his web-site too.
Mean-while...
Last night... it was a ride home from his roof-top. He was up there when I finally got back to his room to settle the futon for me. He was nest-coo'ing all the while and when I started "Autumn Leaves" it was almost as though he was singing along again! WHAT a way to close a day where my nerves were tingling! And singing the lullabies helped... both of us, I dare say.
When he realised I was settling the room at the futon he went to his platform and waited for me to get to him and when I went over, he almost "nestled" instead of standing up to preen. He was ready to tuck-in! (So too, was I!)
A charming little "float to the roost" and as soon as he got there and I thought he was settled, I reached in for kisses "Good night" and he headed over to his food perch! I had to laugh. But I brought the platform in and made a little "bridge" from him to the night roost and he casually toddled across, back to the night roost! And I DID sneak in another quick kiss and... closed the door to his house and I got me to the futon, still singing lullabies... softly.
Unfortunately, the last light went off again, at 21.00. We've fallen back to the old clock! But...
This morning, I woke at 6.15 and though I considered laying there and waiting for the "morning call", I decided to get up and get on with the day. AS I got up and headed for the door to go to the kitchen...
"woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo"... not loud, but not as "soft" as recent days. It was as though the Little LOVE was saying: "And where do you think you're going? I'm awake. Time to open the door here."
I bolted to the kitchen, put the kettle on and as I did, more "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo"s from the room.
I put the kettle on and went right back into the room and there was the little silhouette, on the night roost, stretching his wings even before I got to open his door! Oh, he was awake, alright, and ready to ROLL!
So I opened the door, leaned in for what I expected to be a few quick pecks on the nose BUT...
I GOT A FACE FULL OF KISSES! KISSES, KISSES, AND MORE KISSES! YONAH WAS IN A GRAND MOOD THIS MORNING AND I COULDN'T HELP BUT THINK THAT IT WAS HIS WAY OF SAYING:
"This is a new day, another day, a different day and together, we're going to handle what-ever the world has to throw at us. We've both been through worse than this little skip in the calm. We'll get through this. And we're together and together our hearts will prevail!"
Well, that's what I was thinking as I almost cried with all the kisses.
So... door open, I lifted the roof-board, then removed the back board before opening curtains and slowly, I opened the curtains and blinds and as I did, we had a little "chat" again! We both had something to say to one another.
Out-side, the temperature was 4° and the skies were a touch on the "lightly cloudy" side, but there was just enough clarity that the coming morning was bright enough.
Coming back, I checked the poops:
FIFTEEN (15) OF THEM... EACH AND EVERY ONE, ON THE "RUG" AND UNDER THE NIGHT ROOST! (I'd had a "congested" night last night and had a bit of a "coughing spell" at one point so I wondered but from the looks of the poops... it was a CALM NIGHT!) HAPPY, HEALTHY TUMMY! KISSES AND COO'S THIS MORNING! SOME-BIRDY HAD A GOOD NIGHT'S REST! IT WAS ALL I NEEDED SO MUCH, TO SEE!
And as the time passed, the sky cleared and the SUN came shining through!
Morning waters, morning coffee and I settled at the desk as my Little LOVE settled on his roof-top to greet the morning. I got all through the monthly house-hold affairs and Yonah took a quick flight to the living-room and came rushing back (as if to check and make sure I was OK).
But 10.00.... the SUN POURED IN THROUGH THE WINDOWS, he went from his loft to his beach to grab what light and warmth he could get and I went on with the business of the day.
At noon, I'd done enough and it was "lunch break" time so we brought his lap-top into the room, set the "news" on and we both had our lunches together.
I grabbed a 30-minute snooze today (didn't get one yesterday) AND...
AS SOON AS MY HEAD WAS ON THE PILLOW, MY LITTLE HEART-AND-SOUL CAME OVER TO THE PILLOW AND GAVE ME TWO OF THE SOFTEST PECKS ON MY EYE! A LITTLE "Sleep well kiss"! And then he went to my chest, where Burdie-Birdie was, and gave Burdie a "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo" and the next thing I knew, he was settling on my leg! We were snoozing TOGETHER today!
28 minutes later he was on my chest again with a "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo" and 2 minutes later, the alarm sounded and I was up again!
I didn't WANT to make today's errand but as we snoozed, the clouds rolled in and covered the sun-shine and a check of the forecast was... rain. So I got up, got me together and in one swoop, headed out the door. The Little Guy was back in his loft so I BOLTED to get out and back!
I wasn't gone but about 20 minutes and when I got back, the "drizzle" had started and the house was so "dark"! Even with the desk lights on, it just seemed so dark! "Winter"... it's almost here!
So I put the desk lights on, brought in this morning's left-over coffee (I didn't even get to finish the first cup! That's how "busy" it was this morning.) and settled back at the desk to get some stuff completed.
During the rest of the day, the clouds thickened, the drizzle turned to rain and...
THIS LITTLE LOVE WAS FULL OF ENERGY... FLYING ABOUT THE ROOM, COMING TO THE DESK FOR KISSES, CUDDLES AND SNUGGLES... AND WE PLAYED ON THE FUTON, WE PLAYED ON THE DESK... KISSES AND CUDDLES AND LUVIN'S!
Before I had a chance to realise that it was "a day"... WOW! The sky REALLY went dark and the Little Guy was on the desk shelf, making with wing-snaps... 16.00 and it was time for me to get my supper on the hob and get us ready for "news and dinner"! He reminded me! Even with the change in the clock... he seems to know when it's time to do some certain things!
So, at 17.00 we were at the desk... he'd had his "dinner snack" and was on the lap-top as I ate. he "hunkered", I ate... we were together and the day was closing!
At 18.00... I was already done with dinner and washing-up and... Evening water run! Under Su-bird-vision from the door of his house. And as I say, KISSES as I ran in and out and back and forth!
Now? 19.38, he's had another little "night snack" and a drink of fresh, clean water and is back on his lap-top, little eyes closed. The house furnace is running. The temperature in the room is 23°. There's a bit of a "chill" though. I've calculate our "budget" for the remainder of the month to include running our little "radiator" to keep the room warm... we're well with-in budget even if we have to run it for the rest. No matter WHAT, I understand that Yonah can "keep warm" by fluffing his feathers. And he does have that Sweeter Heater in his house on his night roost so he can be there and be warm, but he's never had to fend against "chills" and cold and I see NO reason why he should have to IN THIS HOUSE! We have the means to keep him warm... and that's what we're going to do! Tonight might be a little on the "cool" side with the rain. And considering the "-3" expected for Thursday... Nope. Yonah will be warm! No matter what. No matter how.
Last night, as I was trying for sleep, I reviewed the current situation now that our "neighbour" is gone. The colder it gets, the less likely there will be anybody out there "looking to move". With the current situation, politically, budgets will be tight for a while so "relocating" will likely be slow. We just might manage to make it through November, possibly December with-out "disturbances". Rent here is covered even through November because of the "First and Last" that was paid in the beginning. The November cheque is likely in the grubby fists of our "lease leech". I'll be notified when he presents that which will push us forward into December. Then, by law, there has to be a "90-day Notice" issued if the "leech" decides to go that route... March! Better weather. Easier moving and hopefully, by then, the country will return to some "normalcy" and moving will be easier. These are the things I think about... ONLY because YONAH WILL HAVE A HOUSE, HOME, SHELTER, COMFORT, SAFETY! ONE WAY OR ANOTHER... I WILL SEE TO THAT. HE'S MY HEART-AND-SOUL, MY DIVINE RESPONSIBILITY! I'M HERE TO PROTECT AND DEFEND HIM! (Other-wise, I'd simply crawl under the linens on the futon and just let time pass... and do what it will.)
Now, 19.49... the sky out-side is nightly-black. The rains still falling. Time to close the blinds and curtains and start to get us tucked-in!
20.22 Da y is done. Ablutions done. The Little Character was on his roof-top, making all his nest-coo's, especially the one that sounds SO much like "HEY! WHERE ARE YOU?" so I had to go into the room to show him that I was brushing my teeth. The Little Genius, he recognises THAT along with all the other "people things" he's come to understand. So all was well... or so I thought. When I went back out to the kitchen, HE CAME RUSHING IN AND THEN BACK TO HIS HOUSE! CHECKING ON ME! But when he went back "home", he went right to his night roost. I suppose he was comforted, knowing that I'm still here with him. How it RIPS at my core to think of ANY TIME, EVER, that I wouldn't be with him at the end of a day! Well, I just have to mind me and my health to make sure that doesn't happen. Anyway and so, his night music is on and the house is settled at long last. A little late (again) but we're closing house. Now to HOPE for a restful night ahead.

Tuesday 04 November:
6.32 already. I've been up from since 4.15 this morning. WIND again, pulling at the metal roofing on the cellar shed. I laid on the futon, annoyed, thinking of addressing that today. It's got to be secured and today is the day. The forecast has nights of -1 to -3 coming and it looks like Winter is rushing in, especially with these winds! I just HOPE it didn't disturb Yonah! But I'll see when he wakes and I check poops, in particular.
Last night was another one of those evenings... He'd gone to his night roost until I went in to set the futon for me... and he was up and over to his food shelf, all "nestled" and "nest coo'ing" as I started lullabies. Oh, the nest-coo's of a night! They do my heart so much good, especially these days of "stress" with this house. So, when I'd done with the futon, I took his platform from the desk, I'd already put the roof-board on, and made the little "bridge" to the night roost and, once again, the Little Genius toddled right across... "home for the night".
Lullabies were soft, slow, gentle, in silence... 20.50... last light off...
And now... 6.37, I HEAR HIM! "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo"... ever-so softly! Looks like today is "open"!
7.15 and indeed... I opened his door and listened and a little "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo" from across the room! Another day commenced! AND... when I got to his door, another "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo" in response to my "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo"! AND... AND... when I popped in for "Good morning" kisses...
A FACE FULL OF KISSES, KISSES, AND EVEN MORE KISSES! OH THE KISSES THIS MORNING! With wing-stretches and "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo"s and "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo"s too! WHAT A GLORIOUS START TO THE DAY! And as soon as I got the windows open to the WINDY, 6° morning out there (though, it feels cooler, with the winds and the clouds... there are some, and the darkest are over the Western mountains this morning), HE WAS UP, OUT AND TO THE FUTON! The very moment the "Futon Flock" came out, he was ANIMATED! WOW!
Quick check of poops: they were quite scattered this morning. Disturbingly-so. But, after looking, I have to say that most were under the night roost and I suspect the others bounced about through the night because they were all just so very PERFECT, even to the "moisture". None of them was particularly "moist", so yes, bouncing is likely the cause for the "scatter". And there were a LOT of them too! Gathering them all, from under twigs and such, 18 in total! Not sure how many I'd missed when "cleaning" for the night. Some were, no doubt, from last evening before tuck-in. But, they were all so perfect that the little "poppie-rug" is perfectly spotless. So... With the hour of waking, the chatting, THE KISSES! we're calling this a "health morning" after a restful night!
AND, as I was putting the room together, FINALLY got to see what needs "securing" on the cell shed roof so that will be attended today! No more "banging in the night" (I hope).
7.25, I'm losing "steam" here and the Little Guy is in his loft. I'm going to try for a 20-minute lie-down... we'll see how that goes... a strange twist to the "routine".
18.10 Well? The sky out-side is gone night-black. The Little LOVE is on his roof-top, preening. I've just finished up-dating his "Nourishment" pages and added the "foods and poops" and "toys and perches" pages with new "illustrations" to reflect the diet the Little Guy has been eating for the longest while. What a change from the earliest days when the "best" I could offer was "sifted" wild bird mix! Oh sure, it kept him well, and indeed, no doubt, he healed from his injuries so there was good nutrition there. But looking at the "mix", comparing to the original... we've come a LONG way, and I'm STILL wondering what else I can add to make it more interesting. But, as long as poops are good... and he's eating and flying (and OH! was he FLYING today!)... we're OK.
(I'm up and off to change water in the pool now... Maybe we'll get a good night's rest tonight... on time!)
Oh.. checked the weather forecast: WIND coming! SO glad I secured that roofing on the cellar shed roof this morning! No more "thumping" in the night (I hope).
19.18 Out of the shower, and out-side, there's "quite the breeze" but, thankfully, not a "cold" breeze. Tonight we get to see how well (or not) I repaired the cellar shed roof... AND the Little Guy had his snack whilst I closed the windows for the night. He was on the night roost when, moments ago, I came back into the roon from the shower and now, he's back on the night roost. I wonder...
THE DAY? I COULD CRY WHEN I RECOUNT THIS DAY:
MY PRECIOUS LITTLE HEART-AND-SOUL WAS SO BUSY ALL MORNING! FLYING ALL OVER THE ROOM, GATHERING PEA-SPROUTS AND TWIGS TO ADD TO HIS NEST IN HIS LOFT. AND THE "VISITS" WHEN HE'D ADD SOMETHING! TRULY, IT FELT AS THOUGH HE WANTED ME TO SEE WHAT HE'D "DONE WITH THE PLACE"! And me? I was at the desk, working my best to get the new pages for his web-site together. BUT... THERE WAS ALWAYS TIME TO SNUGGLE, CUDDLE, KISS AND GO SEE THE "NEW" NEST! AND WHEN I MADE A FUSS OVER IT, HE WAS DOWN AND UP MY ARM, SO PROUD! THERE REALLY ARE NO WORDS TO EXPRESS MY LOVE FOR THIS LITTLE LIFE HERE! HE TRULY, HONESTLY AND LITERALLY IS MY NEXT BREATH, MY NEXT HEART-BEAT, MY SOLE REASON AND CAUSE TO EVEN EXIST!
Of course, with getting up and about so early this morning, and then, getting "on the move" right away, with checking our electric, oil, repairing the roof, re-sealing the bed-room window (just in time - it's as if "Divine Intervention" took control... the things I did this morning are about to become necessary... especially since Thursday's "threat" is a minimum of -4°, colder than the -3 I saw only yesterday, and the "wind advisory" I saw this evening), the "fatigue" hit and I took 2 brief "snoozes" on the futon this morning. And it was SO noticed! I was on the futon and we hadn't had lunch! And the sun was POURING in through the windows!
Both times, I no sooner laid my head on the pillow and Yonah stopped his "decorating" and came RUSHING down to the pillow beside my head! Both times! And for most of the 20 minutes (each "snooze", he stayed with me, on my chest, my leg. In fact, he was SO comfy with me on the second snooze that I had to get up slowly. He was on my leg and it was obvious he had no intention of leaving. But... he did and I was back in the "roll" of the day.
At noon, we put his lap-top on, the news, and we had lunch together. I'll swear he waited for me to sit to eat before he had his lunch! So we got that done and, to keep the routine, I hit the futon, hoping for a full 30-minute "doze". I got a "half-doze" for most of it and this time, I was solo! BUT... AGAIN... 2 minutes before the alarm... there he was, pecking at my head, from the pillow and down to my legs and "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo"!
I was up... HE WAS UP AND BACK TO "DECORATING" THE LOFT!
THIS TIME, HE EVEN FOUND ONE OF HIS STRAY FEATHERS AND ADDED THAT TO THE NEST! USUALLY HE WANTS NOTHING TO DO WITH ANY FEATHERS BUT TODAY... THIS ONE GOT ADDED TO THE PEA-CLIPPING AND A FEW NEW TWIGS! And as with this morning, each addition required a "visit" to me and I HAD to get up and look and "OO! LOOK! THAT'S BEAUTIFUL! YOU'RE SO BUSY! AND IT'S LOOKING SO GOOD!" And with each comment, I could see him standing a bit taller. He was SO PROUD! And I was SO on the verge of crying with JOY, DELIGHT... AWE!
Well, by 16.00, his decorating was done and it was time for me to put my dinner on the hob and for us to wind-down the day, together. I'd been working, steadily, on his web-site (and thankfully, the new pages are up, running, on the server now). Probably not the "best" Companion but WOW! DID WE EVER HAVE "TOGETHER TIME" TODAY!
I'd considered an errand today but I'm SO happy that I never made it. WE HAD A BEAUTIFUL DAY TOGETHER... AND ALL THROUGH... THE SUN SHINING IN THROUGH THE WINDOWS!
And now, as I sit here, typing along, catching-up with our day, he's back on his night roost. The house furnace is running and the temperature in the room is at 24°. Looking at the air monitor, it could be better, but considering I took a shower... the "TVOCs" are at 0,065 and dropping (a "usual normal" night goes down to about 0,027 so I'm hoping this is the scents from the shower), the "particulates" are at 017 and 019. Hopefully they'll drop to their usual sing-digit on the top and low double on the bottom. But all the indicators are "green". With the windows and doors closed now, with the colder weather, this will be the first Winter I'll be monitoring. I expect the numbers to be a bit on the "higher" side but as I've noted before, the "green" is "good" and the "yellow" is "normal"... it's the "red" that I worry about and hopefully we won't have any of that. (As I type, I can smell the wood burning in somebody's fire-place... "Winter", and I'm pretty sure that will have some affect on the readings... we shall see... more "live and learn".)
19.45 and I'm wrapping things up for the night. Let's see if we can't get to tucking-in WAY before 21.00 tonight. I've nothing in particular on tomorrow's agenda. Journal work, primarily. Hopefully that's really ALL we'll have... and more time together!
20.18 Night music is on. My evening ablutions are done. The Little Guy is on his night roost. I'm off to set the futon and get to lullabies and close the day! More... tomorrow...

Wednesday 04 November:
9.18 and my Little Angel, my Heart-and-Soul is on my shoulder... AGAIN. He's been all over the room this morning, and "attached" to me this morning. I DO wonder why. I SO WISH I could talk with him, know what's on his mind. I brought his lap-top to the desk this morning, to check the current news and weather. That's a little "change" to our "normal". But other-wise, it's been a regular dreary sort of morning. The UV light is on too, and that, sometimes, tends to give more "energy" to the room (and to the Little Guy). But this is really "note-worthy" this morning! It's been a few "high energy" days lately. What does he know that I don't? (And what I never will "know"... As I say, I SO WISH I could talk with him.)
Meanwhile... since I've been up from since 5.45 and am only just getting to the "day" here...
Last night was a "direct to tuck-in". No fuss, no bother. I got back into the room, turned our "night music" off and started the lullabies as I put the futon together and the Little Guy stayed on his night roost. When I got the room settled, I went over to close his house, leaned in for "Good night" kisses and he was all too ready to simply tuck-in and close the day. I had to think of the "time change" on the clock: for the clock, it was only 20.20... but with our previous schedule, it was already 21.20. Looks like I have to make changes to MY routine here and start getting closer to the "old time". It's "night" already, at 17.00 now... time to get to the "sun-cycle" for me. The "Natural clock".
So, it was a brief "peck on the nose", close his door and get me to the futon, singing lullabies softly, calmly, and watching the little silhouette on the night roost over-head. And as I sung, I could see him, looking around for a few moments and then, by the time I'd done, he was settled. It was time to turn the last light off at... 20.45.
This morning? I woke at 5.45 and had to get up to make sure breakfast was served for the Yardies, so I got up, silently, stepped out of the room and closed the door behind me. Put the kettle on, served breakfast in the yard and sat, with coffee, at the kitchen table, getting into the morning and waiting.
At 6.47 I heard the softest, almost "distant" "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo" through the door. It was barely audible. The "morning calls" have been that way for days now, and I wonder why. They used to be quite audible. It makes me wonder about our ages, Yonah's and mine. With general "life expectancies", we're not all that different now, these days. I know I wake (as this morning) with "new aches" in different places. "Old age"... I don't doubt that this Little LOVE is experiencing some sorts of "discomforts" or "pains". But he's my incentive, inspiration. I can't help but believe he came into my "existence" to keep me going, to keep me focused on what I CAN do and not what I'd other-wise simply resign my-self to. All the studying of "medical care", and reinforcing the fact that birds, generally, can be one heart-beat from death and never let it be known. Often, I think of a statement I've read, several times, in several resources that "animals", in general, perceive pain as an "inconvenience". It simply prohibits them from doing something as they would do other-wise, but they simply move on, move along, adjust and adapt. They don't run to "doctors". And when I remember Yonah's condition on that horrid October morning... injured and damaged wing and yet, as I brought him into the house, held, gently, in my cupped hands, he tried to fly! One leg, dangling to where I thought it useless, broken, irreparable, he hopped on the other leg, moving along the floor, then, across the "floor" of that horrific "box" I constructed to give him protection and a place to rest and heal in.
He managed to make his way to the corner where he had a little "nest", then over to his food and water. He ate, drank, moved about, and then, MIRACULOUSLY, stood on that limp leg and was walking again, as if nothing had ever been wrong! THEN, the wings stretched... BOTH of them! I can't take any credit for having done much in the way of intervention. I didn't know what I was doing or what I was dealing with in the body of this little bundle of feathered resilience. But there he was!
And THEN, to come to TRUST me! As if he understood that my only goal and purpose was to see him well again.
And today, these days, YEARS after others having given-up on him, here he is, here we are... aging... together. His little voice is growing softer, mine too. But, we're plugging along, together. I surely wouldn't be... were it not for him.
As I sat at the table, listening with more focus, not really sure that I'd heard the little coo, right away, two more followed. So I got up and opened his door... and stood there, listening for any more sounds. Softly, i whispered "Did I hear a woo-hoo? Are you awake?" and then, made my way over to the futon to sit and look into his house.
There he was, the little "silhouette", on the night roost, as still as he could be, and it didn't appear that he was awake. So I waited, silently, watching for any motion, listening for any sound... and, after a minute came another, REALLY SOFT "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo"! So I answered with an equally soft "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo"... and that was the beginning of our day! CONVERSATION! The coo's were exchanged, back and forth, repeatedly, and as they did, his grew a little stronger.
I got up from the futon, opened the door to his house and leaned in, softly saying "Good morning to you my Little LOVE. Kisses?"
A FACE FULL OF REPEATED KISSES! SO MANY KISSES AGAIN THIS MORNING! SOFT! MOSTLY IN THE EYE (as he does and why I keep my eyes closed for kisses). BUT THE FORE-HEAD AND CHEEK AND NOSE TOO! KISSES, KISSES AND MORE KISSES! IT WAS A LITTLE VISIT TO HEAVEN!
And as I put his house in order, headed to the windows to open the curtains and blinds, we had more "conversation"! His voice cleared. My voice cleared. We CHATTED!
AND... it didn't take but a second and he was up, over to his food perch, as he does of a morning, then back over to his night roost as I put things together to get to the morning water run!
POOPS: 12 PERFECT LITTLE POOPS, ALL ON THE RUG, UNDER THE NIGHT ROOST! Encouraging, I have to say. The colour, size, shape, content, consistency... not a single indication that anything is "wrong" along his little digestive system.
One tiny "draw-back"? He's got another one of "those feathers" on his left wing: NOT the "black, dangling" feather... this is that one feather that seems to grow in and then "twist round" so it sticks out from the rest. He gets that, has gotten that, and it always looks like the exact same feather each time. It disappears as suddenly as it appears and it doesn't really affect his flight, and he doesn't tend to pick at it so I wonder. What causes it? Does he even notice it? Well, so long as he eats, drinks, poops, and... as this morning... HAS ENERGY!
I'd LIKE to know about his respiratory and circulatory. I'd LIKE to have "blood-work". But I DON'T want to subject him to the trauma, and, to be quite honest, after all the years of "We don't handle birds." and "He's wild. We don't handle wild birds." and all the rest, with the experience of our one actual veterinary visit and being told "His beak was fractured..." (it wasn't when we got there). Looks like I'll be taking care of my health so that I'm here to make sure his time is comfortable and safe.
OTHER-WISE... WOW! WHAT A MORNING!
10.49 and IT REALLY HAS BEEN A MORNING! SO MUCH ENERGY! SO MANY VISITS TO ME FOR CUDDLES, EAR-TUGS, KISSES! A LITTLE PLAY-TIME ON THE FUTON! AND THE FLYING AROUND THE ROOM! AND 2 FLIGHTS TO THE LIVING-ROOM AND TODDLES BACK! IT'S THE TODDLING BACK THAT GETS TO ME! WOOSH! And he's out. And moments later, there he is, strolling, casually back to "his" room and "his" house. (AND AS I TYPE THIS, HE'S COME FROM HIS LOFT TO MY SHOULDER... AGAIN! KISSES! CUDDLES! POKES! TUGS!)
And the skies are grey, the UV light is on. The room is at 23°. It's a that temperature out-side where it's cool, chilly, but damp. The air monitor is "in the green". And the house furnace is running a bit. "November"... and I'm off to see what we can accomplish with this day... WE are awake. WE are together. "WE"...
15.55 OK SO WELL! I manged to grab a 40-minute lie-down though the first 10 minutes (at least) were PLAY-TIME! I'd done with lunch after working on another web-page this morning and had washed a new batch of pine cones (the batch that Deborah left for us a couple of days ago). These are SO FULL of sap! Amazing! So much so that when I soaked them in dish liquid, the sap rose in the bowl and literally covered my hands! So I rinsed them until the water ran clear, but then, soaked them for about 40 minutes in white vinegar. Had to re-wash with MORE dish liquid and there was still sap on them! But... I put them into the oven set at 200°F (as seen across the internet on "how to") and since the recommendations are to leave them in there for 30 minutes... perfect for a snooze!
Yeah? Well, Yonah had OTHER ideas when my head touched the pillow on the futon! He came RUSHING OVER to the pillow and started pecking at my head and face. I ACTUALLY GOT A LITTLE VIDEO OF IT TODAY! So... instead of dozing off, WE PLAYED until he decided it was enough and headed off across the room.
Just before the alarm sounded (of course), he was back to "remind" me that it was time to get up so... we had a bit more time to "play" before I actually DID get up. And when I DID? HE WAS RIGHT THERE, ON MY SHOULDER AGAIN! IT'S BEEN ONE OF THE MOST *** TOGETHER *** DAYS WE'VE EVER HAD! HE EVEN CAME WITH ME TO THE KITCHEN TO CHECK ON THE PINE CONES IN THE OVEN AND WHEN I WENT TO THE BACK DOOR TO CHECK ON THE FOOD FOR THE YARDIES (who were here briefly at about noon and have gone again). And how WONDERFUL, especially considering it's been another of the dreary days, with clouds, darkness and rain all through! Thankfully, the house isn't cold, nor damp so we're comfy together too.
There was, I want to note, a period, this morning, where there was an odour that resembled the polishing paste used on metals that filled the house. I can't figure where THAT came from, but in this house with all the "toxins" we deal with in the air, the "consolation" was that the "TVOCs" rose to 0,110 and the "HCOC" rose to 14 but the monitor stayed in the "green". I DID open the doors for about 30 minutes and that helped a lot, but the house got a little too cool so... the doors got closed, the furnace turned on and with the furnace running, the air was cleaner. So, even now, with the pine cones having been in the oven for 45 minutes, we're stills safe.
And as I type, the Little LOVE is in his loft by the window where, out-side, the sky is darkening all the more as the day passes. Time to relax until the next time he gets the notion to come over... if that comes... and I'm pretty sure it will. And I'm looking forward to it! 18.59 Waters are changed! The kitchen is settled. The house is settled. The Little LOVE has had a REALLY GOOD SNACK as I changed the water in his pool! AND I got kisses too! And now he's having a bit of grit in his house. The UV light is off. Out-side the rains are falling. And I received one of those "We're prepared for..." messages from the electric company ahead of the threatened high winds (and possibly wet snow) to come through the night. This will be the test for the roof repairs on the cellar shed and the new plastic cover for the window in the bed-room. I'm hoping. The room is at 24° right now and the monitor is "blipping" at me, but it's to be expected and the numbers are mostly green. Thankfully, no "dryer sheets fumes" in the house again tonight! May THIS last!
BUT... THIS HAS BEEN ONE OF THOSE DAYS WHERE CALLING "seepie-nigh-night" IS DIFFICULT! IT'S BEEN SO FULL OF LUVIN'S THAT I JUST SO WANT IT TO KEEP GOING! AND IF I COULD FIGURE A SAFE WAY, I'D SO LOVE IT IF YONAH AND I COULD SNUGGLE TOGETHER THROUGH THE NIGHT. IT'S ONE OF THOSE NIGHTS WHERE CLOSING THE DOOR TO HIS HOUSE IS ACTUALLY QUITE "PAINFUL" TO ME. I'D RATHER HE BE ON THE FUTON. BUT I KNOW HE'S SAFER IN HIS HOUSE THROUGH THE NIGHT. I DO KNOW THAT. BUT IT DOESN'T MAKE IT LESS HURTFUL.
Oh, I checked with an "AI" this evening about him "knowing" 2 minutes before alarms sound when I snooze. The only thing that made any kind of sense, realistically, was the suggestion that Yonah's become sensitive to the slightest changes in my body when I snooze. He might sense the change in breathing, body temperature. How? Even AI couldn't explain that and it (AI) was intrigued. It DID, how-ever, agree with me when I said that I've come to learn that humans certainly are NOT the "superior" beings and that animals are, especially where "understanding" language and so much more is concerned. (I may have started a little something here. AI allegedly "learns" from "interaction" so now, there's the argument against "humans are the more evolved". It (AI) admitted that humans tend to believe that, because the intellect of animals is different from humans, that animals aren't as intelligent. So, POINTS for my Little LOVE! There we have it.
Meanwhile, the Little LOVE is on his door perch, arranging his feathers for the night ahead and I'm about to throw me together to get my feathers together for the night ahead. If at all possible, I'll need to make a quick errand at some point tomorrow and put other things in order for tomorrow night. -5° for the low! We'll be arranging the house for some extra warmth. (Though, come February, -5 will seem warm. This is our "trial run".) And then, come back to be with my only reason for being and making sure he's safe.
20.21 Windows closed... under Su-bird-vision from in the house. No rushing to the roof-top tonight. Night music is on. The house is settled. I'm done with the day and my Little Heart-and-Soul is on his night roost. "Ride home"? Doesn't appear to be so but I take NOTHING for granted... Today... is... closed!

Thursday 06 November:
16.12 as the sun starts to set, and the temperature follows it down behind the mountains, and we wait for the next "flurry" (we had a brief one during the day today and BOTH mountains were quite covered with snow this morning)... my LOVE, my LIFE is in his loft, where he's been most of the day today. Quite the difference from the past few days, to be sure and when he suddenly turns "loungey", I wonder. But there were so few Yardies out back all day too. And this morning, all I saw were 2 blue jays and a few of the smaller Little Ones. I wonder what they know that we "people" don't. The air is "chilled", quite "brisk" and tonight we're supposed to plummet to -4 or -5° so I wonder... "Winter"? We'll see. Thankfully there's more than enough oil in the house furnace to keep us comfy through the night and beyond.
Now? For "Notes on the Day" whilst supper is on the hob...
Last night's "tuck-in" was another "no ride home". The Little LOVE was quite settled on the night roost when I got back into the room to put the futon together for me and I started lullabies right away.
Sadly (for me), no kisses "Good night" either. Just a few pecks on the nose. But considering all the activity of the day, it was no wonder that he was tired and wanted to get some rest.
Lullabies were "relatively calm", though I tried to get through the entire repertoire so that the "pattern and routine" were as they should be. And as I sang, from the futon, I could see the little silhouette "arranging feathers" for the night and then, settling calmly.
BUT... when I put in the little "Seepie-nigh-night I LOVEYOU" after "Stille Nacht"...
"woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo"!
I stopped the lullabies and answered with a "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo" and...
he replied with another "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo"!
So I repeated the "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo" and he answered with
"woo-HOOooo"! (and I answered with the same).
IT WAS LIKE THE "OLD DAYS" WHEN OUR NIGHTS CLOSED WITH "Seepie-nigh-night I LOVE YOU" AND HE WOULD COO! IT SO STRIKES ME AS HIM TELLING ME "Seepie-nigh-night I LOVE YOU TOO"! ESPECIALLY WHEN WE COO TO ONE ANOTHER! I ALMOST CRIED! THE "OLD NIGHTS"... I LOVE YOU!
When there were no more coo's I finished the lullabies, dimmed the lights and then, the last light turned off at 20.40... with "Mein Klein Yonahlein" and "What'll I Do"... By 20.50... we were tucked and the day was closed.
This morning, I woke at 4.30, decided to stay on the futon. Dozed until 5.30 and laid there, contemplating getting up. But the house was comfortable, the room was still rather dark... I got up at 6.15, stepped silently out of the room, closing the door behind me and got to morning kettle and such.
I was at the kitchen table when the kids came round for their school bus and I heard them and shortly after... through the door...
7.05... "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo" EVER-SO SOFTLY AGAIN! THAT is concerning me now. Especially since, when I opened the door to his room, I hesitated for a brief moment, to listen for more coo's and the next one came... equally as soft. OK. So it's going into "Winter", but I'm wondering: "age". I'm SO worried now. I can only HOPE that this Little LIFE isn't in any sort of "distress", discomfort. I have to make every effort to make sure that we get tucked-in closer to sun-set, that he gets proper rest. His appetite is still really good. He's eating.
ALL of his poops, (from this morning's 13 which were ALL, with the exception of 3, PERFECT in size, colour and content... the other 3 were a touch on the "green" side, but not "concerningly" green, but all were under the night roost so he had a calm night last night) are "normal" and regular.
This morning's energy was his usual...
When I got over to his house and opened his door, I popped in as I do, for a "Good morning" kiss and got QUITE ANOTHER FACE FULL OF LITTLE KISSES, and some BEAUTIFUL wing-stretches. And we had a little chat as I opened the windows to what was a typical "November" morn: grey.
We didn't have all the winds last night. Though, I can't really say that since I secured the roof on the cellar shed so there was no "banging". But it didn't appear that we got the "gusts" that were in the forecast. (I was, until this evening, hopeful that we won't get the forecast cold temperatures tonight but it appears that we will... thankfully, morning check of heating fuel is comforting.)
No sooner had I started the morning water run and HE WAS UP AND OUT AND OVER TO THE FUTON TO SUPERVISE as I ran back and forth and he "chatted" with the Futon Flock.
I was in the kitchen, settling things there for the day at 8.57 when... WOOSH... HE WAS OUT TO THE LIVING-ROOM AND THEN... CAME TODDLING THROUGH THE KITCHEN ON HIS WAY BACK TO HIS ROOM! THAT ALWAYS puts a JOY in my heart! I LOVE that he's so comfortable in his own house. I can only hope he'll adjust to a new home... and that we find one soon.
(To that end, I managed, this after-noon, when I made my "mad dash errand" to drive by one of the places locally, that was recommended. It's a "cute" little place, though much older than I expected. And it's "multi-units". Small, no doubt. But common front doors and common halls. IF we have no choice, and there's a vacancy, we might have to settle... if it's healthier. But time in the yard? Not really likely. And it's off a main road, though separated by trees. I'll have to go back and have a serious look and give it more thought.)
Anyway... the UV light was on today again. It wasn't "miserably dark" but dark enough to use the UV light.
The morning went by entirely TOO quickly. I had "house-hold people nonsense" to attend and TWICE the Little LOVE took time from his own "house-hold time" to come to my shoulder as I sat at the desk, for ear tugs and cheek pecks, snuggles and kisses and LUVIN'S. But, as of now, those were the only 2 visits.
The "nonsense" rolled us into lunch... as I say, "time" is "hateful"... slipping by so too quickly. So I grabbed a quick break, threw my lunch together, sat at the desk and... the Little Guy took to his loft.
After lunch, Ii headed for a lie-down with alarm set for 30 minutes and...
today, he didn't come to the futon at all! He stayed in his loft! Even when the alarm sounded, he stayed in his loft! It pained me terribly, but I really had to make today's run. The flurries and drizzles had passed and the forecast for tomorrow is for more "drizzle and wet snow" after a night of "crisp cold" so... I BOLTED out the door. The "news" was on the lap-top and the house was comfortably warm, there was a bit of sun-shine coming in the windows so... I RUSHED.
When I came back he was STILL in his loft! AND, he didn't get up to greet me! So, now, at 16.54, he's STILL in his loft and I'm starting to be "very concerned".
It's rather "odd": I've been having some "new pains" these 2 days, moving about is a little "trying". I wonder if Yonah's not having some "pains"... I can't help but remember the earliest nights, when I was in the bed-room, on the other side of the adjoining wall, hand pressed to the wall and PRAYING "IF THERE'S ANY WAY IN CREATION, GIVE ME HIS PAINS!" IF this IS that, I'm taking them ALL... happily, most-welcome. Just as long as this Little LIFE isn't suffering... even in the least.
I'm going for my supper... and will watch to see... He usually eats when I do... I HOPE he'll get something to eat...
18.44 AND WHAT A DIFFERENCE THE PAST HOUR HAS BEEN! ACTIVITY! WHOA! I finished my dinner and the Little LOVE stayed in his loft all the while. I finished early, even with the washing-up and decided to get to the evening water run right away in another attempt to get us settled early when...
I TOOK THE CONTAINERS FOR THE WATERS AND HE GOT RIGHT UP! AND AS I RAN THE WATERS...
HE GOT UP AND ATE! AND HE ATE ALL THE WHILE I CHANGED THE WATER IN HIS POOL! AND THEN... THEN... I POPPED MY HEAD IN FOR KISSES AND HE ALMOST CHEWED MY CHEEK OFF WITH KISSES! I FINISHED THE WATERS AND HE WAS ON THE FUTON! SO WE PLAYED WITH BURDIE-BIRDIE AND WOW! DID HE EVER PLAY! AND PREENED BURDIE AND PLAYED MORE! SO I RAN THE SECOND CHANGED OF WATER (because I always run it twice to make sure the water is clean) AND HE WANTED TO PLAY SOME MORE! SO... WE PLAYED. When he'd done, I went to the kitchen to settle things out there for the night AND DECIDED TO CLOSE THE WINDOWS RIGHT AWAY BECAUSE OF THE COLD COMING TONIGHT, "INSULATION", AS IT WERE.... AND WE PLAYED WITH THE "CURTAIN CRITTER"... THROUGH HIS HOUSE! HE WAS ON THE FOOD SHELF AND I POKED THROUGH AND HE PLAYED! AND THEN, HE ATE SOME MORE! AND JUST AS I SAT HERE, AT THE DESK, EVERYTHING DONE, HIS HOUSE IN POSITION, BACK-BOARD ON, HE CAME OUT TO THE FUTON, CHECKED ON BURDIE AND... WELL... HE'S BACK AT HIS FOOD! HE'D GONE TO HIS LOFT AND THEN... BACK TO EAT! HE'S EATING! AND EATING WELL! IT'S GIVEN ME SUCH A BOOST IN MY MOOD AND GENERAL BEING! HE'S EATING!
Now, we'll see how tuck-in goes in a little while. I'm heading for a "finale" of the day by 19.30 at the rate we're going. No telling how it will go but we shall see. And NOW he's on his door perch! He's UP, ACTIVE! I'M HOPEFUL!
And if tonight goes well and we DO get tucked-in by 19.30... and (HE'S ON HIS LAP-TOP!!!!) if this goes well... I'm going to keep trying for a 19.30 settle from now on. We shall see. I still have SO MUCH OT LEARN... THERE'S NEVER BEEN A TIME IN THESE 5-PLUS YEARS WHERE I DIDN'T HAVE SOMETHING TO LEARN AND HE'S STILL TEACHING ME!
(He's "snuggled" at the lap-top screen! "Normal" late evening! AT LONG LAST!)
MAY THIS LAST!
19.36 and he's been all snuggled beside me, on his lap-top. And now, I'm going for ablutions and get this house settled... let's see how it rolls... (he's up and preening...)
19.57 The house is settled. I'm done with ablutions. And when I came back into the room, the Little LOVE was gone from the lap-top... HE'S EATING AGAIN !!! I'm about to start putting the room in order, set the futon for me and see how this goes tonight. The house furnace is running. Room at 23°. Air monitor is reading a bit on the "high" side: HCHO 0,028 (high), TVOC 0,111 (high but not unusual before tucking-in for some reason), CO2 0570 (not unusual for tuck-in), PM2,5 027(some-what high), PM10 029 (some-what high). But these aren't all that odd before we tuck in for the night. As always, I'll keep watch. I leave the monitor on over-night and it usually drops to low double and single digits. So we watch.
And now... 20.00 he's back on the lap-top so we might be in for a "ride home"... with a little reluctance?
OK... He's taken him-self to the night roost...
20.08 I'm finished with all round the house... Off we go. Let's see how this runs. We're actually early!

Friday 07 November:
7.00 and I've been up from since 5.30 and am at the kitchen table waiting....
Last night was an "odd" sort of tucking-in. When I got back into the room, my Little LOVE was still on the perch, but not under his heater (the night roost). Almost in the centre of it. Not under the heater and not close to his loft. AND he was facing in the opposite direction, facing the wall instead of into his house. I popped my head in for a little kiss but he didn't want kisses. In fact, he didn't move, even the slightest. So I started to sing lullabies, to see if that would set the night for tucking-in. It didn't. So I went about setting the futon for me for the night, continuing the lullabies and... still, no reaction or response or movement. I left the door of his house open as I went along and went over, leaned in and sang, softly, to him. Still no moving. It was strange. He didn't look uncomfortable or distressed. In fact, he was quite calm. He DID look at me when I got closer to him and sang a little but I'd already made it through the first 3 songs and he was still there, and didn't appear to have any intentions of moving. I kept the door open, put up the roof-board and sat down on the futon, signing and watching. I just had NO idea what was happening, what to do. As I say, he didn't appear, at all, to be under stress and the house was comfortable, temperature-wise. The air monitor was all "normal". Nothing was out of normal order. I was at a loss. But I wasn't about to force him to move so I sat, sang, watched. Lights were dimmed. Only the moon lights were on. And then...
Just before I started singing "Stille Nacht", the last lullaby before the lights get turned off, he turned round, moved under his heater and settled, snuggled, tucked-in! It was quite the longest while, really. All the lullabies are about 20 minutes, at the least. And last night, I didn't rush through them so it was about that time or a little longer. But seeing him under the heater and appearing to be nestled for the night, I got up and closed the door to his house. I didn't "go in" for a kiss. I didn't want to disturb him
The last light was turned off at 20.40... or "regular" time, even though I was thinking we could get to sleep earlier. Oh well. It's as I do say: there's never any telling WHAT sort of tuck-in we'll have on any given night but last night was truly strange.
While waiting, I decided to try cooking a little of the quinoa I'd actually gotten a while ago. I keep reading how good it is for birds (and people). So many vitamins and such. I'd cooked some before but it didn't turn out quite right and I'm leery of giving something "odd" to Yonah. I don't know how his little digestive system will take to it. But I'm giving it another try. (I've looked at 5 videos about cooking it properly and read 3 article and they ALL say to make sure to rinse it thoroughly because of some sort of "coating" that tastes bitter and could cause digestion troubles. There was one video that recommended soaking it over-night and rinsing, another claims that a quick rinse under running water is enough. I've rinsed it until the water was clear. No clue. But we'll see how it turns out. It gives me something to do as I wait for the "morning call" In fact, I'm a little wondering why....
THERE IT IS! "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo"! Soft again but I DO believe I've just heard... Off we go! My reason for being is awake!
17.30 and I can't believe this: dinner is done, washing-up, house is almost settled. BUT...
MY LITTLE HEART-AND-SOUL IS STILL IN HIS LOFT! HE'S BEEN THERE ALL DAY AGAIN! I have to go back to our social media account.
17.58 and I'll be damned! WOOSH! UP! TO THE WALL SHELF AS I SIT QUIETLY AT THE DESK! AND THEN... BACK TO HIS DOOR ROOST! AND PLAY-TIME ON THE FUTON WITH BURDIE-BIRDIE! AND TWO MASSIVE POOPS! HE HASN'T POOPED ALL DAY TODAY... BEING IN HIS "NEST" IN HIS LOFT. HE'S MADE-UP FOR LOST TIME! If these were the "norm of the day", I'd be in a panic but...
But I checked back with a message from "Della" Teillady and sure enough... that "nesting instinct".
AND AS I'M THINKING: MALES ARE THE ONES WHO STAY AT HOME WITH THE NEST ALL DAY AND THEN, AT NIGHT, IT'S THE FEMALE WHO TAKES OVER FOR THE NIGHT. SURE ENOUGH... THE DAY IS CLOSED, THE UV LIGHT IS OFF AND THERE HE IS... ON THE MOVE! IT'S TIME TO "HEAD OUT" TO WHERE-EVER THE GUYS GO WHEN THEY LEAVE THE "Mrs." TO THE NEST OVER-NIGHT. (Funny, but I can't find ANY information on where male Mourning Doves go in the dark of night. "Humans"... so brilliant... NOT!)
18.41 AND THE WATERS ARE DONE AND THE HOUSE IS SETTLED AND I'M HOPING FOR A SHOWER AFTER A SO VERY MUCH NEEDED REPRIEVE FROM THE RELATIVE LETHARGY OF THIS DAY! NO SOONER DID I GET UP AND START WITH THE WATER RUN, THE ROOM WAS FULL OF ACTIVITY! AND THE LITTLE GUY HAS EATEN! TWICE NOW. NOT AS MUCH AS I WOULD HAVE EXPECTED HIM TO EAT AFTER A DAY OF NO LUNCH OR SNACKS BUT HE'S EATEN AND FLOWN AROUND THE ROOM, AND TO MY SHOULDER AND I'VE GOTTEN KISSES AND... HE'S BEEN BACK TO HIS LOFT AND OVER TO THE FOOD PERCH AND NOW HE'S ON HIS "NIGHT ROOST" PERCH. BUT WOW! WHAT A BURST OF ENERGY! I SO NEEDED THIS! MY HEART HAS BEEN A SOLID WEIGHT IN MY BODY ALL DAY. AND I DID MANAGE TO GET THAT "MESSAGE" FROM DELLA... THIS IS WHAT HE'D GONE THROUGH BEFORE WHEN SHE HELPED ME THROUGH THAT. IT'S THAT "NESTING"... "BROODY MOOD" AGAIN. (18.48 HE'S EATING MORE! AND THAT "ROCK" IN MY CHEST, THAT "WEIGHT" IN MY GUT FROM THE DAY... IT'S GONE... AS HE TAKES TO THE DESK SHELF ABOVE ME HERE...)
Let me get some more of today in here before it gets too late again... and we head back to 21.00 lights-off:
This morning, it was, indeed, the "morning call" to say "Hello? I'm awake. Where are you?" I got right up from the kitchen table, opened the door to his room and stood there, silently, for a moment until I heard the "confirmation" "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo". And when, after the briefest moment, that came, I headed directly to his house, looked in, saw the little silhouette there, nice and comfy. I leaned in for what I expected to be another "courtesy peck" on the nose but WOW...
MASSIVE KISSES ALL OVER THE FACE! EYES, NOSE, FORE-HEAD... KISSES, AND MORE KISSES! MORNING IN HEAVEN! AND... WE HAD ANOTHER GREATEST LITTLE CONVERSATION!
EVERY TIME I COOE'D HE COO'ED BACK AT ME! IT WENT ON AND ON AND ON AND... IF IT HAD BEEN RECORDED, IT WOULD HAVE ACTUALLY SOUNDED AS THOUGH WE UNDERSTOOD ONE ANOTHER!
I waited for him to stop and scuttle over and when he did, I removed the roof board, then the back board and with the little bit of dreary morning light coming into the room...
OUT AND TO THE FUTON! So I opened the windows, set the Futon Flock on the futon and grabbed the water containers and headed to the kitchen for the morning water run!
Got the waters changed, the room settled, I got the morning "utilities check" done (electric meter reading) and when I came back in...
At 8.20 HE WAS OUT TO THE LIVING-ROOM WITH A HEARTY "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo"!
Poops? Well... 11 in total and all of them looking quite "normal" and "healthy" and under the night roost! Happy healthy tummy, BURST of energy, conversation, and all this in spite of the cold dampness and cloudy skies out-side this morning.
I HAD to change the kitchen roll on the "tray" in front of his pool this morning. Things were getting a little "too much" there so the poor Little Guy had to tolerate me tearing his house apart so soon in the morning and I could tell that it was just "annoying" to him... He flew about in his house, looking at ever move I made, and it really DID appear that he was watching when I took stones and such out, as though "taking inventory" and to make sure I put things back where they belong when I'd done. And on top of that, the pool had to be flushed THRICE this morning so "things were out of order". BUT, we got it all done and on with the day.
I've put in 3 of our "new pine cones" to see what sort of reaction/response they'll get before I try putting seeds into them for "foraging". He paid them NO attention... but I'll see what else we can do with them... maybe hanging a couple around the room some-where where he can play with them. If he doesn't like them? Oh well... "decorations", I suppose.
OK... got the house together for the day and tried to sit down to get to the "general business" of the day and since it's Friday, as much "business" done as possible so we have none tomorrow and that's when...
As quickly as all the energy came this morning, my PREVIOUS LITTLE REASON FOR BEING took to his loft, very much as he does of a day but... today, he stayed there... ALL through the day.
I had my morning coffee, took care of book-keeping, e-mails and the likes, as with any other day and all the while, the house was still... the bird-songs recordings were the only "songs" in the house.
At mid-day... lunch break, I took a lunch... Yonah didn't. He stayed in his loft, facing out the window. I noticed he had had very little breakfast too, and that's when my heart started to "sink". Of course it did. When THIS Little LIFE goes so lethargic, my world grows really dark and heavy, suffocating.
After I'd eaten, I thought maybe a little "snooze" would bring him over. I made it obvious that I was going to the futon, asked him, several times, if he wanted to come over for a snooze... Nope. He barely acknowledged that I was speaking! So I laid down, put Burdie on my chest as I do, set an alarm for 30-minutes and... alone, I managed to half-doze until the alarm sounded. I couldn't "sleep". I was waiting for the little toddles... they never came. The alarm sounded, I turned it off and, still hoping for a "visit", laid on the futon for a while longer. When about another 30-minutes passed and still no Companion, I got up and headed for the kitchen for another coffee and the lap-top to get on with "things".
The Little Guy got up, scuttled to his perch, down to his door perch and with-in a moment, he was back up to his loft.
Needless to say, the day, with the clouds and cold and rain was a horror... and as I always tend to do, thoughts of what to do to make things better, hoping my Heart-and-Soul wasn't in any discomfort, worrying about the air quality, questioning his water, his food... It was one of those days.
At 16.30 I threw together something to call "dinner" and by 17.00, I was sitting there, at the desk, alone, eating and waiting. I ate alone... and Yonah stayed in his loft. By 17.30, as I've jotted... everything was done and...
Well... that was then. And now? At 19.17... HE'S UP ON THE DESK SHELF, BY THE RADIO AND BIRD-SONGS SPEAKER... PREENING! I'd turned the bird-songs off when I started the water run, so it's silent up there. The UV lamp was turned off when I'd started the water run too so it's just the desk lamps. And the news on his lap-top... THIS INSANITY! IT'S LIKE ANY OTHER REGULAR EVENING! There truly IS NO WAY TO KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT WITH HIM! BUT I'M RELIEVED NOW. "BROODY MOOD"! And me, the incessant worrier! On with the evening!
19.57 Out of the shower and when I got back into the room, the Little Character was on his door perch. When I sat at the desk, he came down to the lap-top and then... over to Burdie on the futon where he had quite the "session" (as it were) "luvin'" Burdie. Me? I'm prepping for ablutions and tucking-in. Him? I wonder... after a day of lounging. But what-ever happens... HE'S UP AND ABOUT AND HE'S EATEN WELL. FRESH WATER IN HIS POOL. The room is at 23°, all of the readings on the monitor are as they SHOULD be. I closed the one window by his house completely this after-noon so the room should hold some more warmth but the radiator is in place in case we need it. Tonight's "low" is today's "high"... at a mere 6° but at least it's not "minus"! (And now... 20.00 on the mark, he's back on the door perch, preening... we're about to settle down for the night! I think... Night music going on, lap-top news going off...)
20.17 ALL is done for the day save tuck-in. The night music has been on since I stepped out to "attend to my ablutions" AND I HAPPENED TO LOOK IN TO SEE... HE ATE AGAIN! and now, he's on his night roost. It's miserable, for me, when he spends the entire day in his loft, especially after days of so much energy and LOVING and flying all over the place. I can only hope it's another "moody mating" sort of thing. I don't like it when he doesn't eat. And though it's a comfort and consolation when he does, finally eat, then I worry about all that food, all at once, in his little crop... through the night. BUT... he doesn't settled-down for the night being hungry AND he doesn't have to go out into the darkness to find food and water... AND, he can eat, drink and be safe in his own house for the night. There's that much. But for now, I THINK we're closing house before it gets all too late... I "think" we're closing house... we'll know when we do.

Saturday 08 November:
6.23 Up and around on another "November morn", grey skies, and only just warm enough to make the morning chilled and damp. And, of course, waiting for the day to be called to order... I woke at 1.30 this morning, for the usual "no particular reason", but as always, glad I did. It's a little "check on the night" to make sure the house is warm and safe, and drifted back to sleep until 4.30. All OK and back to sleep. But at 6.00, decided to get up and get "things" out of the way so to be ready when my Little LOVE wakes. I'm here for him, ready to roll.
Last night, he stayed on the night roost so there was no "ride home" again. But the strangest was that, as I put the futon together, lullabies soft and calm, it seemed he was ready to tuck-in. When all was done and the room was settled and I got me to the futon, he started to "pace" a bit, from one perch to the other, as if looking for a "comfortable place". There are 2 perches on the one side of his house, to hold his loft. One is rather close to the "wall" of his house and when he stands on that one, it pushes his tail up. I often wonder how he can be comfortable there, but he usually doesn't spend much time on that one. Last night, he went from one to the other, several times as I sang and settled me and it wasn't until "Stille Nacht", when the room light dim, that he actually snuggled-down for the night. I was hesitant to turn all the lights off but it was getting "late" again so I went through the repertoire and, at 20.50, the last light was turned off. Not "particularly late", but I'm trying to get us to an early hour and last night wasn't it. Still, I consoled me: I was ready to tuck-in but, for some reason, he wasn't and, as I say, I don't force him into anything. He wasn't quite ready so... we went to sleep when he was ready.
Before settling though, there were those 2 LARGE poops on the futon and, of course, I got them up before putting me down for the night. I checked them, under the light because they appeared rather "dark". Sure enough, almost a "black-green". Urea on one but not the other, and that was as white as could be. No discolouration at all. BUT... IN BOTH, THERE WERE, WHAT APPEARED TO BE, THE TINIEST WHITE "THREADS". I THOUGHT MAYBE SOME SORT OF "LINT" FROM THE FLANNEL ON THE FUTON, BUT WITH INSPECTION WITH AN EXACTO, THEY WERE PART OF THE FAECES. SCATTERED THROUGH THE DARK MATERIAL. WHEN I "MOVED" A COUPLE, THEY SEEMED TO DISSOLVE INTO THE REST. THEY WEREN'T "LINT" OR "THREADS". AND THANKFULLY, THEY DIDN'T "MOVE", SO THEY WEREN'T "PARASITES"... WELL, NOT "ALIVE". I TOOK SOME PHOTOS TO LOOK AT AGAIN, THIS MORNING AND PUT THEM ON A PIECE OF KITCHEN ROLL TO DRY OVER-NIGHT. IN THE PHOTOS, IT'S OBVIOUS THAT WHAT SHOULD BE "BROWNISH" TRULY IS REALLY ON THE "BLACK-GREEN" SIDE OF COLOUR. BUT I STILL CAN'T QUITE FIGURE WHAT THE WHITE IS. I CAN ALMOST UNDERSTAND THAT, AFTER "HOLDING" FOR ALMOST AN ENTIRE DAY, THESE WOULD BE "SURPRISING" IN COLOUR AND CONTENT AND QUANTITY. I REMEMBER, ALL TO WELL, BEING TOLD AND HAVING READ POSTS FROM PEOPLE WITH YEARS OF EXPERIENCE THAT THIS IS TO BE EXPECTED, SO, I'M WAITING TO SEE WHAT COLOUR THEY ARE WHEN DRIED... which will be when my Little Guy wakes up and we're on with the day.
For now... 6.42 and we'll see when he wakes up...
7.23 HERE'S THE "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo"! And ANOTHER! Saturday comes to order!
13.00 and "lunch" is done and after a bit of a "busy" sort of morning, my Little LOVE is back in his loft, silently again. Me? I've been working on all the "up-dates" on the "Schalflieder" songs, bringing the lyrics pages up to date. There have been so many "modifications" in the lyrics because I "tune them" to singing to Yonah, specifically - of course. AND, I even added the little "Gute Nacht" between "Stille Nacht" and when we turn the last light off. If anybody should EVER (MAY THE GODS AND FATES FORBID!) have to take care of him for some reason, and tuck him in at night, I doubt anybody else will sing to him, but it's all on his web-site now. Every night I worry about such a thing. The thought of nobody familiar here with him, no singing, no tucking-in. He's become SO accustomed to our routines, and my readings tell that doves, in particular, thrive on "familiar"... oh... "There may be troubles ahead, but while there's moon-lights and music and love and romance... we'll face the music and dance!"
Stepping back to this morning as the sun shines in through the windows and the room is at 24° and the house furnace is off too...
WHAT A START TO THE DAY! I heard the "call" and got right up, opened the door, waited the moment for another "confirmation" and when it came, I went right over to his house, opened the door, stuck my head in and with a wing-spread... got a FACE FULL OF KISSES! SO MANY KISSES AGAIN THIS MORNING! AND MORE CONVERSATION! KISSES AND CONVERSATION! AND WING-STRETCHES AND WHAT A BEAUTIFUL START TO A NEW DAY! I was FULL of re-newed energy and got right to the windows to open them up!
Quick POOPS-CHECK: 12 on the rug AND ALL OF THEM ABSOLUTELY PERFECT! There were 4 more, off the rug, but I'm not sure that they're from over-night. But to see the PERFECT POOPS this morning was EXACTLY what I SO NEEDED to see! He DID eat VERY well before tucking-in last night and so, his tummy is working as it should, and there's no indication of anything "strange" in any of the poops. I'm still wondering what was in those from last night.
And of course, right away, after getting the room open for the day, I went to look at last night's poops under sun-light (which came into the room as it rose into a clear sky) and now that they were dry, I cut into them. Still can't figure what those little "threads" are/were, but they were still where they were last night so they didn't "move". And the colour of the rest was on the "green" side but a "natural" sort of green, as might be expected according to the "AI" suggestions of causes for "green". Over-all, they were healthy, just that they were large from "holding" all through the day. A little relief. And with this morning's clear coo's and the KISSES, and the energy, it was a grand start to the day!
I wanted to check on the oil in the furnace (since the "cold weather" has arrived, though today's forecast was for sun-shine through and this morning's 6° is supposed to be as cold as it will get... we hope) so, before we got to morning water, I got dressed and went to the living-room to put my shoes on to head out and as I was on the futon out there, WOOSH! My Little Su-bird-visor came RUSHING out to his tree and made "Good morning" coo's to the decoys. We had a little "chat" with "woo-hoo's" and me talking and he coo'ed at me and at the decoys and just as I got up to head out the door, he headed back to his room. I went in to let him know that I was just "stepping out" and would be right back to do the waters and rushed out. (We have plenty of fuel for heat... and we're quite under "forecast" for the electric for the month so if needed, we can surely safely use the radiators too. My concern is making sure the house stays warm through the nights so that this Little LOVE will NOT HAVE to fluff to keep him-self warm. Sure, he likely wouldn't have any trouble with that, but I keep in mind that it's more than likely that he's never had to, and keeping him comfortable is my responsibility so, I'll do what we must to make sure... "I'll give you shelter from the storm, a cosy fire to keep you warm..." One way or another.
When I came back into the house, moments later, he was, already, again, back to his loft, snuggled in. Not really unusual for a morning but I wondered if he'd be out again AND if he'd eaten!
Water run time and when I reached for the containers, he came over on his perch to check what I was taking. I showed him the containers, explained I was about to change the water in his pool and that seemed to have his approval. He headed back to his loft. When I started the "back-and-forth" with the water, he hopped over to his food perch, over the pool, to watch the fresh water being poured into his pool and by the time I'd finished... he was back in his loft... and again, nestled. It already appeared to be another "broody-moody" day ahead. I wanted to get to the "Schlaflieder" this morning, on-line and in our "book" so I set me down at the desk and got to it... No music or such so I turned the radio on, just to see if that would make any difference in his mood... it didn't. So I made sure to talk to him as I worked along, even singing parts of the songs as I printed them. He stayed in the loft.
Well then... by the time I'd done with all of that, it was "lunch time"! (Time just goes by so too quickly!) So I set his lap-top up on the desk, threw together some-thing to call "lunch" and, as I ate, we "watched" the news... Well, I ate. Yonah didn't. he stayed in his loft. The blessing, the sun shone brilliantly in through the windows so the room wasn't dreary or dark. It's "heavy enough" when there's sun-shine and he's in one of these "moods", but with grey skies and dark house... that's when my heart feels like a weight in my chest.
14.32 already! AND... he's still in his loft again. BUT...
After lunch, I put files on the server. The "Schlaflieder" are current and in OUR lyrics. And I got the desk together to get to this Journal.
This morning, I'd taken some of the raspberries I'd gotten on the last run to market out and left them on the kitchen table to bring them to "room temperature". I've been making a bit of a mistake by taking them out of the fridge and thinking Yonah would enjoy them, but at room temperature, they taste better, of course. I was determined, this morning, that he'd get some "berry" at some point today and after lunch, it was time to give it a try. He was in his loft but I made sure to take the time to hand him some berries thinking by handing them to him and holding them for him, it would be more like a "mate" offering something to eat.
I brought a "half berry" to him in his loft and let him see that I was eating the other half and YES! HE DID have quite a bit of the first one! He didn't leave his loft, but he was EATING BERRIES! IN FACT, WE WENT THROUGH SIX BERRIES! He didn't eat much of each one but I held the halves for him and when he stopped eating one, I changed to another. I ate half to make sure they didn't have a "bitterness" to them and they were all really good, sweet! HE EVEN HOPPED OUT OF HIS LOFT AND OVER TO HIS FOOD PERCH TO HAVE MORE. AND THEN, OVER TO HIS "NIGHT ROOST" FOR MORE! AND THEN...
KISSES! MORE KISSES! AND HE WAS OFF AND OUT OF HIS HOUSE AND OVER TO THE FUTON! WE PLAYED WITH BURDIE FOR ABOUT 15 MINUTES and then... he was up and back to his loft. BUT HE WAS OUT! AND HE HAD SOME-THING TO EAT!
AND THREE POOPS (on the futon)! AND ALL OF THEM, "HEALTHY"! It's been warm in the room all day too... even with-out the house furnace on! 24° in the room! The one really good thing about this house: in the Winter months, when the sun shines, it beats against the Southern wall out-side and keeps the whole side of the house warm... and Yonah's room in on the Southern side so we get LIGHT and WARMTH!
And so... here we are at 16.15. The day's sun is setting and the house is cooling. Still 24° in Yonah's room but the light is going and the rest of the house is cooling. And the worst of the day... my Little LOVE is still in his loft, still and silent. It's time for me to throw something together for my dinner (which I wouldn't bother with if not for Yonah). I'm hoping he'll get up for SOMETHING to eat at some point... soon.
I'd sent a little video of Yonah and I at "nap-time" to our Della-Teillady. She replied today. She'd "bed-bound" these days but she says she's never alone during the day. She too, sleeps with-out her Little Ones at night. It's amazing, but she's likely the ONLY person that I can say that I know of who understands my devotion to Yonah. She TOO said, in her message, that the only reason she "fights" her health troubles is because of her "flock". In a way, it's a comfort to me to know I'm not alone in this. But it draws her closer to my own heart. She's fortunate to have somebody close who takes as much care of her flock as she does. I keep trying to think of ANYBODY I know whom I'd trust with such responsibility. Amy has more on her plate these days with packing and moving to a house. Deborah is in constant pain and she's off, back to The City tomorrow until about the 20th. My consolation: she and Julio have opened their house here to Yonah and I in case of need. I have the key and she's said, often, to go when-ever, turn on the heat. I HOPE we never have to, but it's a comfort to know it's there.
Now, I wait for Yonah to get through this "brood mood". No matter what the day, the time may be or bring, there's still that weight in my heart seeing him so docile. The bursts of energy and "happiness" are a welcomed break, but when they pass... I return to my "darkness"... worrying and hoping that he's not pining. There's only so much I can do for him... I wish there was more... But, hopefully, this too shall pass... as it's done in the past... and soon.
OK. 17.47 dinners are done AND... BEFORE I SAT TO EAT MINE, I PUT FRESH FOOD IN YONAH'S DISH AND HE CAME OUT OF HIS LOFT, OVER TO HIS FOOD, GAVE ME SOME KISSES AND ATE! NOT MUCH, BUT SOME. NOT ENOUGH TO MAKE UP FOR ALL HE HASN'T EATEN ALL DAY, BUT SOME. I just don't know HOW he does it! HOW he isn't hungry. Then too, as I type this, I remember back to when I made the horrible mistake of putting "fake eggs" in his house for him, thinking it would help his "brooding instinct" and he spent entire days of not eating. He took to sitting on the eggs and wouldn't budge. Now, he's doing similar. I just wish this would pass. But last night, when I started to set the room for the night, he had a burst of flight, off to the futon and then to the desk shelf so... I'm going to get to that by about 18.30 so we shall see. I'm going to have to review my own 5 years of Journal here and make "reference notes", times when he gets into these "moods", times he wakes and in what seasons. I need my own "AI" to search and sort here!
18.38 AND... HE'S UP! HE'S ON THE UPPER-MOST WALL SHELF! I HEARD HIM MOVE FROM THE LOFT TO HIS PERCH, WENT IN, GOT A LITTLE KISS AND AS I SET ME BACK AT THE DESK... HE WAS ON THE WING! Round about the same time as last night. And I have to get to the waters so we're about to see just what's in store for the night to come! BUT WHAT A RELIEF TO SEE HIM UP AND ABOUT AT LAST! Now to watch and hope he EATS!
18.54 and he's on his lap-top beside me and I'm off to the waters! Yep... 18.30 and just like last night... he's all "Nope. Nothing odd here." WHAT A CHARACTER!
19.23 The waters are changed, the house is settled and the Little Clowner (and he IS) is on his door perch after watching from the futon as I ran the waters. AND HE'S HAD A SNACK! AND NOW A DRINK OF WATER. AND I STOPPED IN MY RUNNING FOR KISSES ON THE FUTON! - OK... we're up on the night roost. Time to seriously close business for the day. I'm tired. - Back to the loft. Tuck-in will be interesting.
20.12 OK. Everything's done save the futon and roof board and he's on the floor of his house, inside the door, at the front by the little yellow mirror. He's been there for about 30 minutes now and I'm wondering... we had that "burst", he hasn't eaten since I last noted. Now... I'm wondering... so we'll see. I'm closing house. The night music is on... lullabies to come and...

Sunday 09 November:
10.14 Before I get into the morning here, last night's report on "tucking-in" was quite the little "event", especially after a day of such silence and such. I managed to jot some notes before closing house for the night...
At 20.22 the house was done and I got back into the room to put me to the futon (my "night roost") and my little Heart-and-Soul was on his door perch, as if waiting for me. So I went over to him before anything else, leaned over, as I do, cupped him in my hands, as a cuddle and we exchanged kisses! AND, we exchanged "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo"s too! Twice! BUT, as soon as cuddles, kisses and "woo-hoo's" were done... he was UP AND OFF and over to the desk shelf with another "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo". OK. I turned our "night music" off and started our lullabies, thinking that MAYBE (silly me) "Autumn Leaves" would signal "seepie-nigh-night". Apparently, it DID because as soon as I started singing, he headed right for his roof-top with a little "prance", "arranging feathers" and a toddle toward the platform there. I put the futon together for me for the night and went over to him. He was at the front of his house, on the roof-top, and "crunched" as he does when he does his little "nest-coo" at night.
Sure enough... that little "woo-HOOooo" with all the fluttering and blinking! And as I asked him if he was ready for "seepie-nigh-night", OH, the little coo'ing! Again and again. But when I "tweeted" ("falsetto") "Are you ready for 'teepie-nigh-night'?" he got up and went directly to the platform! So, I picked it up, with my Little LOVE there, ready, braced for the ride home and... away we went. He almost didn't wait for the platform to touch the perch when he made quite the HOP from one to the other! Off to the night roost!
I managed to sneak a couple of kisses in and closed the door to his house, dimmed the room lights and got me to the futon, continuing the lullabies, softly and slowly.
For quite the while, I could see him, rather at "un-rest". Arranging feathers, looking about, scuttling side-to-side on the perch. But I kept singing and watching. I'd gotten through the repertoire and it wasn't until I dimmed the last moon light when I could see that he was "tucked-in" for the night. So I went through the "Guten Nacht" and such and just before I turned the last light off... at 20.50, he appeared to be settled for the night. Needless to say, I was hesitant about turning all the lights off. After his day of being in the loft for the most part, I wondered if he was actually ready for a night's rest. But I chose to risk it.
I laid on the futon, awake, listening for the slightest movement, but the last time I looked at the clock, it was 22.35... and I dozed off.
So this morning, I woke at my usual 5.30, decided to just "snooze" a while longer and woke again at 6.33... and decided to get up. Breakfast to serve to the Yardies and from the looks of things, it was another one of those "grey" days on the other side of the curtains. So... as quietly as possible, I got up from the futon, stepped out of the room and before I could make my way to the kitchen...
"woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo"... nice and clear this morning! Well WOW! And "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo too!"
Put the kettle on, coffee prepared and I went right back to the Little Guy's house to find him there, indeed, awake, on his night roost. So I asked, as I opened the door to his house, "Are you REALLY awake already? Ready for the day out there?"
"woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo"... and again, nice, clear and not the recent "whisper" this morning! So I got right to the affairs of the morning, removed the roof-board to let in some more light, placed the door perch, grabbed the water containers and headed back out to the kitchen. All the while, the coo's continued from the room.
When I got back to open the curtains and blinds, wing stretches and more coo's. I popped my head in for "Good morning" kisses and this morning... 2 pecks on the nose and that was that. Not a "kissie morning", this, but, I took a look at the poops, to see what last night was like and...
14! MOST of them directly under the night roost! AND ALL OF THEM ABSOLUTELY PERFECT! ALMOST UNBELIEVABLY PERFECT! From colour to size, content and composition! Such a welcome these days. And added to the clarity of voice... WOW!
I bolted to the kitchen, set up my coffee and the water containers and we were off and running, "movin' an' groovin'" as it were.
Ah then, the look out the kitchen window: a dusting of... SNOW this morning. -1° out there so it was wet and damp. "November"... here we go. The skies, over-cast. The forecast: more snow, wet snow for the day ahead. But the house was "comfortably cool". Not "warm", really, but not "cold". And my little Heart-and-Soul appeared to have quite the energy this morning. In mere moments, he was up, out of his house and onto the wall shelves! "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo" and all!
Ah... well, I managed to get through all of our "first thing in the morning" routine and as I sat at the desk to get to Journalling... he headed back to his house... and... back to his loft. And there he is.
He was playful this morning, but then came the "mood". So it looks like we're in for another day of "lofting". My consolation: this morning's clear voice, the energy he had, the perfect poops. Now I'm waiting for him to have something to EAT!
And, I managed to find some "streaming" of Bavarian TV on his lap-top which is set-up beside me here. German language this morning. Since it's the language of lullabies, I'm curious to see how Yonah responds to hearing it, and not in my voice. He's AMAZING, really. He's "adapted" to hearing English, French, Hebrew and German. And I keep thinking of how "humans" can't grasp the sounds animals make. I was gleaning our little "social media" this morning and there are so many posts of birds, dogs, cats, responding to all sorts of languages. And the recent "murder" of about 400 ostriches in Canada. The allegation is that SOME of the ostriches, on a farm there, were found to have this recent "avian flu". (Always something, as Deborah often says.) Originally, those birds were "euthanised". (That's the term people use to justify "murder"... "people".) But then, the "government" decided that ALL of the survivors had to be eliminated as well. The owners of the farm tried to fight the "culling" - another one of those "human terms", but the "high courts" of Canada disallowed and sent in "government". A "killing zone" was set-up, using bales of hey to create a "corral" and the ostriches were stuffed into that confinement. Under cover of night, the "squad" was sent in and all of the ostriches were shot! There have been video reports of them having been beheaded as well! BUT, it's also documented that no "haz-mat" was worn. Gun-shots were heard through the night, MANY gun-shots. And follow-ups are reported where the government is still at the farm. The corpses have been removed and now they're collecting eggs that were laid in the "zone" to be destroyed as well. It's being compared to "P'nut and Fred", murdered by the NY "Dee. E. Sea" (I still don't dare to put the acronym here, on-line... "Trust"? None. And now, for obviously legitimate reasons.) This morning, again, as I do, I posted: "And God gave man dominion over all..." it's repulsive. How I'd so enjoy being able to post Yonah's life over these 5 years, how resilient, stoic, delightful... what a BLESSING and HONOUR and PRIVILEGE he is. But, seeing all of this... I keep this Journal, as a "Memoir", a "reference", and evidence that he too, is being cared for and about, he's thriving, in spite of being "abandoned" by those who claim to care, those with "dominion". One day... one day. Anyway, I digress here, as I tend to do.
My Heart-and-Soul is in wonderful health and most of my concern is because I simply can't KNOW what he's thinking, feeling, and I never will. HE can "sense" my moods and health. I can only "surmise", "speculate" and HOPE that the experiences of others will help me to be the best-possible Companion to him... for as long as we are...
He's still in his loft. The skies are still over-cast, the house furnace is running, and there's a definite "snap" to the chill in the air out there. But we're together, here. "I'll give you shelter from the storm. A cosy fire to keep you warm"... and out-side, the Yardies were here, briefly, for a quick breakfast and now, hopefully, they're roosting, together, keeping warm and dry some-where. I wish I could bring them all in, at least for a while, to have some sort of "opening" where they could come and go, get warm, be safe. But... "I'm only human" and that's really got its restrictions.
14.51 and it feels SO MUCH LATER! The sky is still "heavy" with clouds and there's been such a steady drizzle all day. The house has been "cool" but not "cold', thankfully. The house furnace has run now-and-then. And I've been at the desk, working on this Journal, for the most part. I'd taken a snooze before lunch... 30-minutes... solo again. My LOVE is in his loft again today. BUT
HE JUST HAD BERRIES! I'D TAKEN ANOTHER 6 OUT OF THE FRIDGE EARLIER TO BRING THEM TO ROOM TEMPERATURE AND SINCE HE HASN'T EATEN (again), I BROUGHT THEM INTO THE ROOM AND AS WE DID THE LAST TIME, I SPLIT THEM, 50/50 SO THAT I COULD TASTE BEFORE OFFERING THEM TO HIM. HE HAD THE EQUIVALENT OF AN ENTIRE RASPBERRY TODAY! TRULY NOT ENOUGH TO FILL HIS LITTLE BELLY, BUT BETTER SOMETHING THAN ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. AND HE ENJOYED IT SO MUCH! AND I OFFERED UNTIL HE CAME OUT OF HIS LOFT, ONTO HIS PERCH, HAD A LITTLE MORE AND THEN, MADE IT OBVIOUS HE'D HAD ENOUGH AND... HE HEADED BACK TO HIS LOFT.
It's been so dark and dreary all day. The UV light has been on all day, but it really doesn't do much to illuminate the room and with the clouds... it's all too much like "almost twi-light"... it's been that way all day.
18.00 AND... HE'S FINALLY EATING! I MADE MORE OF HIS MIXTURE. PUT WHAT WAS LEFT IN HIS DISH AND IN THE JAR INTO THE YARDIES' MIX (as I do always) AND PUT FRESH INTO HIS DISH. When I did, he didn't budge, had no interest. BUT AT ABOUT 17.30, HE'D MADE A DASH FOR THE WALL SHELVES, "VISITED" BURDIE ON THE FUTON FOR THE BRIEFEST MOMENT, THEN HEADED TO THE DESK SHELF AND... BACK TO HIS LOFT! I MOVED BUSTELO-BIRDIE TO HIS NIGHT ROOST AND HE LOOKED, BUT DIDN'T GET UP. WHEN I STEPPED OUT TO WASH MY DINNER DISH, HE FINALLY CAME OUT AND ATE AND... NOW... 18.07... HE'S BACK IN HIS LOFT! I'm only slightly relieved that he's eaten something... not much, but something. Hopefully, he'll be back for more in the coming hours before we tuck-in for the night! I keep reminding my-self that we've been through this before but it doesn't make it any easier at the time. Oh, and I've turned the UV light off, hoping that it will "adjust" the time of day for him. No UV... the day is over. I think...
19.52 I'm out of the shower and Yonah is BACK IN THE LOFT! He'd come out when I started changing the water in his pool and closing the windows and all the while, HE ATE! I took him out of his house and put him on the futon with Burdie and Bustelo and he hopped about a while and then went back up to his door perch which is where he was until about a minute ago. (OH LOOK! 19.54 as I type and HE'S EATING!). I don't know, I just don't know. Tuck-in tonight should be interesting and right now, the only thing left to do is turn his lap-top off, my ablutions and that's it. Nope... back to the loft. And now, at his night roost. Nope. I have to stop trying to understand. I just HOPE he has a proper night's sleep.
It's raining out there tonight and tomorrow's forecast is for snow. I have an errand to run and am hoping it goes quickly so I can get back to the house and MAYBE get this Little Character out of his house, active, eating and well again. Though, I'm doubting that will happen. This "mood" is something... "heavy". And I have to wonder: he senses my anxieties generally; does he sense them now? Though, if he does, I doubt he'd understand "why". Still... I can only go along with it and hope it just passes. The morning will come when the "call" will come and we'll have our chats, he'll head out through the house, making-up for all the "lost time" and all will return to "normal". I HAVE to keep that in mind. But for now... I'm going to ablutions and see what happens when the night music comes on. OH... the suspense. He's too much! But he's my LOVE, LIFE and HEART-AND-SOUL!
OH... ONE MAJOR POOP ON THE FUTON after a day of not eating! Dark, again, not much urea in this one but what's in there is "mixed-in" with the rest. I can't say that it's "concerning", considering he's been in the loft all day. I'm just waiting to see tomorrow's "poopie rug"...
20.17 and all the nonsense of the house is done. From the kitchen I can see that he's on his food perch, just "there", so I'm going to try lullabies and see where that gets us. He doesn't appear to want to tuck-in but...

Monday 10 November:
6.51 I've been up and about from since 6.20 and now, I'm sitting at the kitchen table, waiting for the "morning call". It's rather dreary and drizzling out there, heavy, low clouds, chilly but no ice or snow. I;ve closed the door to Yonah's room, but I'm wondering how much rest he got last night and was rather surprised when he didn't "HOO!" when I got up.
He actually took himself to his night roost last night but seemed "not quite ready" for tucking in. Another one of those "fidgety" spells of arranging feathers, looking about a bit. But lullabies were slow, calm, soft and at 20.50 the last light was turned off. Even then, I was hesitant because I could see that he wasn't actually "tucked-in". Hoping that he'd settle in the dark, and thinking of his night's rest, I left the lights off, spoke softly for a few moments longer and then drifted off to sleep.
I was a little surprised when I got off the futon this morning at 6.20 and there was no "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo". So I'm waiting... and hoping. It's supposed to be another dreary day ahead... hopefully only out-side and not in...
7.29! I DO believe I've heard a little "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo"! And I'm up and off to verify!
11.22 and it's been quite "the morning", this.
When I opened the door to his room, I softly whispered "Did I hear a woo-hoo?" and right away, as softly as has been lately, came a little "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo". So I went over to his house, opened the door and popped in for a "Good morning" kiss. There were a few, actual "kisses", not just pecks on the nose, but not very many. We had a little exchange of coo's as I put the door perch on and threw the rest of the room together and brought out the Futon Flock. And as I got to the windows to open curtains and blinds, my Little LOVE waited on his night perch. But as soon as he saw me reach for the containers for the morning water run, he hopped to his "food perch" and stayed there all through. No particular "rush" to get up and on with the day, this morning. Although, when I'd done, by 8.10, he headed for the door perch, yet, again, he just stayed there. I wondered...
Poops:13 truly PERFECT little poops, ALL of them, on the "rug", under the night roost. After a day of not eating, I wonder where they all came from! He DID eat, very well, late in the day and early in the evening. And I do recall having read that birds' digestion is almost "straight forward"; they eat, food goes to the crop where it gets broken-down and passes through rather quickly. But 13 poops for relatively so little to eat for a day? There's still SO VERY MUCH that I need to learn and WANT, so much, to learn about this Little Life here. He's such a mystery in SO, SO MANY ways. But, I have to say that seeing these poops this morning is something I needed to see. Even with his "mood", and almost "lethargy" through the day, it appears that his little digestive system is working and he's getting the nourishment he needs. I just hope that this "brook mood" passes before much longer. I'm aware of my own "stress" and "anxiety" about wondering how he's feeling, what he's thinking. And again, as always, I have to accept the obvious fact:
This Little LOVE is SO SUPERIOR to ALL "humans" in just about every way possibly imaginable. From language to the awareness of everything around him, including my moods and such. Yonah is HUMBLING! I'm BLESSED and HONOURED. Now, I can only hope that what I do for him is, at the very least, "sufficient". I want to be able to do more for him, I just wish I knew what "more" I can, could and should do. But he keeps me wondering, going... "living" - when I used to simply be "existing".
I managed to rush through the usual morning "house-hold checks" on our heating fuel (still "safe" for the coming colder nights ahead in the forecast), and since I had to run at least one errand at some point today, decided to keep moving and just get one done, so I almost literally THREW me together and headed out the door. By 8.53 this morning's errand was done and I'd returned to find the Little LOVE on the futon! Two poops on the futon, and though slightly on the "some-what larger" size and one was a bit "wet", both were "with-in normal". So we took some moments to play with Burdie. He wasn't really interested in playing, more "preening". But at least he didn't just fly away, as he'll do when he's really not in the mood.
Sad to report now... all of that didn't last very long and he's been back in his loft since. Looks like we're in for yet, another "moody" day. The UV light is on for the day. Thankfully, the room is at 24° though the rest of the house feels a little cooler. For a change, Yonah's room is noticeably warmer than the rest of the house, but I'm grateful for that. I just SO wish I could understand what he's going through. This morning I had to remind me that he's entitled to have "days when". I've been "out of sorts" for some time now, my-self, with pains in the shoulders and now, in the hip and legs. And this morning, just generally feeling "off", "light-headed" and such. We're both "aging" and Yonah is SO MUCH MORE entitled to feeling "ick", especially on these dark, chilled and damp days. But as always, how I "pray" that, if there's any way, give ME his "discomforts". I know what I can do to "treat" and "handle" them. What I can't handle is thinking he's in the least bit "out of sorts" or even slightly "uncomfortable" in ANY way. I'd like to bring him out to the futon, at least, for a bit of "play-time", but I don't want to "force" it on him. I've come to learn this much:
When he wants to play or snuggle, he'll come to me. He knows I'm here for and with him. it's not for me to "dictate" how his day goes. He knows better than I (in OH! SO MANY WAYS). So, I'll wait and see how the day progresses. To be honest, I too, wouldn't mind going to my "loft" (futon), getting under the covers for the day. But I want to be up and here for my Little Guy when HE decides that the world will go on. So...
16.11 and SNOW out-side our windows! Large flakes but they're sticking to the grass. AND "WE" JUST HAD SOME BERRIES! Another 6 berries, by the half. "We" didn't get up from the loft and they had to be held and offered. And it's NO-WHERE NEAR what he should have eaten all day but I'm HOPING that he'll be up and eating in a short while. We'll see as the evening passes. THIS is the HARDEST time for me. Birds, generally, are supposed to eat 20% of their body-weight in a day, but at the rate Yonah is NOT eating these days... I'm planning on a "weigh-in" tomorrow and HOPING HE doesn't lose weight like I do (and I lose by skipping one little "meal" during a day of late). TWO of us losing weight... I can handle mine, but I can't cope with HIM losing weight. So, I'm just hoping he'll be up and at his food by 18.00. (I left some berries, crushed, in a little dish, in his loft but he's showing NO interest in them at all. They have to be "offered". I'll be watching.
18.28 AND AS I'VE BEEN TYPING AND THE SNOW'S BEEN FALLING STEADILY OUT-SIDE... I HEARD A LITTLE "WING TWEEDLE". LOOKED UP, THE LITTLE CHARACTER WAS ON HIS FOOD PERCH AND THEN... THEN... MORE WING WHISTLES, A BREEZE AS HE FLEW OVER MY HEAD AND NOW... HE'S ON HIS ROOF-TOP! HOPEFULLY HE'LL BE EATING... SOON! I was about to get to the evening water run too so... he ate whilst I ran that last night... we'll see what's to come tonight!
Here we go... I'm up to water run and he's on his roof-top! 18.35... to be continued.
19.00 and the Little Guy is back in his loft after having just a little "snack" to eat... as I ran the water for the pool.
The mobile phone has been flashing "Extreme Weather Warnings" through the water change. It appears that we got a good 6-7cm of snow out there and there's a truck parked in front of the house with flashers on. I saw it coming toward us, so slowly. It's not exactly "bitter cold" out there but I'm wondering if the roads aren't "slick". Oh what a night! So much for "Stille Nacht"? I hope we DO manage to get that. But at least the house is settled, water run is done. I'm going to close the windows for the night and see what the Little Character has in mind... I'm not "comforted" by how little he's eaten. I'm glad he's had something but it wasn't nearly what he eats in a "normal" day. I wish I knew that this is about. I got kisses when I popped in between water runs, I suppose that's a "good" sign of something. But still, I worry about his nutrition! Well, as long as he's eating SOMETHING! "As long as he's eating he'll be OK." said the veterinarian about Mimou. I hold that advice dear.
19.23 I GOT KISSES AND HE HEADED TO THE FLOOR OF HIS HOUSE TO PECK AT SOME GRIT! AND I LOOKED... OH... HE ACTUALLY DID EAT SOMETHING! His food shelf was "clean" but now, it looks like it OUGHT to... Food all over the place! And now... he's preening, at the front corner of his house. I'm slightly relieved.
20.06 THANKFULLY, we're closing house and he's up from his loft and EATING!
21.20 HE'S ON THE DOOR PERCH PREENING AFTER A BRIEF VISIT TO FUTON... NIGHT MUSIC ON, CLOSING HOUSE.
Meanwhile... it's 24° in the room, comfy. There's a LOT OF SNOW out there too! Amazing! SO MUCH in so little time! But...
"I'll give you shelter from the storm, a cosy fire to keep you warm. But most of all, when snow-flakes fall I'll give you LOVE."

Tuesday 11 November:
11.50 already and I've just been moving along here. Out-side, last night's snow managed to stick, accumulate and now, in spite of the "chill" in the air, it's gone wet and starting to melt, slowly. The skies are grey. The clouds are low. No "mountains" in the distance. AND... my Little Heart-ache is, again, in his loft, staring out the window. It's "heavy"... for me, my heart, my soul. I just don't know whether to "play" and distract him or not. I don't know if I'm more "annoyance" or "companion".
This is Day 4 of this.
But I've just run this through "AI" (since that can reference multiple sources in seconds... and for almost 5 years, I've been searching and hitting multiple sites individually) and here we have it:
When a bird, such as a hen, goes "broody" and prefers to stay in one place—typically sitting on a nest—this behaviour usually lasts about three weeks, or approximately 21 days, which is the standard incubation period for chicken eggs. Some birds, particularly certain breeds or individuals, may remain broody for slightly longer, with some sources noting broodiness can extend up to about 29–30 days in some cases.
male doves will become "broody" and participate fully in incubation and brooding behaviours. In doves (such as ringneck and mourning doves), both the male and female share the duties of incubating eggs and brooding the young. Typically, the male incubates during the day, while the female takes over at night. This shared parenting means that male doves will sit on the nest for long periods, keep the eggs warm, and help protect the young—demonstrating typical "broody" behaviour during the breeding cycle.
In summary, sitting for hours in the nest and only leaving briefly is consistent with nesting or mate-attraction behaviours, rather than true brooding or incubation. The behaviour you observed is normal for an un-mated male during the breeding season, but it is not the same as brooding eggs or chicks.
Yes, the behaviour of the male mourning dove coming out to eat every evening while otherwise staying at the nest is best understood as part of his mating instincts rather than true brooding. When a male mourning dove is without a mate, he often gathers nesting material, builds a nest, and spends time at the site to demonstrate his readiness to breed and attract a female. This includes "staying home" much of the day and waiting for a potential mate to arrive and approve of the nesting site.
Evening feeding is typical for doves because they fill their crop with seeds quickly—either in the morning or evening—and then spend extended periods at safe locations, such as a favourite perch or their nest, digesting the food. Un-mated males will maintain this pattern, pairing nest site advertisement with minimal foraging trips to maximize visibility to females and minimize predator exposure.
So, the nesting and waiting behaviour you observe reflects his instinctual courtship and territory-holding drive, hoping to attract a mate, rather than brooding eggs or caring for young.
SO, this could go on for WEEKS ahead! Oh, just as Winter sets in. And I'll err on the side of not interfering (much). I can only imagine that time away from the little nest he was so busy working on, with the pea-sprouts, feathers and twigs would only cause him "concern". If his "instincts" are to stay and wait at the nest, surely he'll think that he might miss an opportunity. OH... I KNOW we've been through all this before over the years, but it NEVER gets "better". It just brings me back to the notions of getting a "mate" which brings me back to all of the "complications" and potential "hazards". We might be "the flock", Yonah and I, but when it comes to "mates"? Well, that's truly a different situation. I need patience. I need to keep reminding me of that. And I have to HOPE, with my ALL, that the words of our "Ask the Vet", Dr. Tom are correct:
AMBIENT COMPANIONSHIP", BEING TOGETHER IN THE SAME PLACE, IS VALID.
Meanwhile...
The PRECIOUS Little Bundle of Feathers was on his door perch as I settled the futon and started the lullabies, so when the room was all done for the night, I went over, cupped him in my hands, gave him neck rubs and kisses and lifted him up to his night roost. He hopped right on but was obviously not really ready to tuck in for the night. I wondered if he wasn't at all tired, after such a sedentary day. But it was time for "regular sleep" and growing late. So I continued with the lullabies and closing his house for the night.
I got me to the futon and as I sang, I watched the little silhouette. He was fidgety for a moment or two and then, at last, came to settle. I sang, intentionally softer and calmer to make for a quieter night and as I sang, I could see him tuck his little head down. I made it through the repertoire and at 20.55, the last light was turned off.
This morning, I woke, as I do, at about 4.30, looked at the clock and decided to stay. Dozed back off until 5.30 and when I woke then, remembering last night's late tuck-in, thought I'd just wait... and again, dozed. But at 6.25, I decided to get up and get on with the morning and to be awake when "morning call" came and so, stepped out of the room in silence, closed the door behind me and went about putting the kettle on and getting the house ready. The house was comfortably warm but the world out-side was still heavy-laden with last night's snow. A "chill" in the air. I put breakfast out for the Yardies. SO important that they have enough to eat on morning's like this and went back to the house.
At 7.14, through the door, another one of those really soft "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo"s came, and right away, another. I opened the door and listened. Silence in the morning darkness. I made my way to the futon and folded the linens and as I did, another soft "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo". Looking into his house, I could see Yonah there, on the night roost, still. I opened the door to his house, put my head in for "Good morning" kisses and I GOT A FORE-HEAD FULL OF KISSES! SO MANY LITTLE KISSES! AND... ANOTHER "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo"!
We had a brief "chat"... exchanging "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo" and "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo"s. Not "loud" and not as "clear" as many others, but they didn't sound "tired" so that was "promising".
I checked poops too because the last two from last night were "dark" and I'd noticed that he'd had a drink of water before getting to the night roost...
To my relief (and concern, since he eats only in the evening now), 11 on the rug, a little "scattered" but they were all dry. 4 were slightly darker than the others but only "slightly". The others were "light brown" which is a LOT better than "green". Yesterday, I made another jar of his food mix and was considering adding the "Parakeet" mix in there since he does like that. Where I put "200ml" of each, I was going to put 100ml of the "Parakeet" mix in but decided not to, since I wasn't at all sure of what's "ailing" him and now isn't the time to "experiment" with changes in his diet. Besides, he's had berries too so... I'm glad I decided against it because this morning's poops let me know that he's healthy. And ALL of them were the same size and composition, only just the tiniest bit larger than "most common" size. A bit of "comfort" this morning.
And so, I got right to opening the curtains and blinds to let in the bit of light from out-side. The skies were completely covered in clouds but the white of the snow gave a nice light to the world and when the blinds were lifted, the Little Guy hopped up and over to his food perch and I got the water containers together for the morning water run.
No sooner had I started, he was out of his house and over to the wall shelves and I was SO hopeful that it was the beginning of a return to "normal" but... nope. No sooner had I done with the water, he was back to his house and into his loft. Another day...
I spoke to him, asked him if he was going to stay there again today and I could tell; no motion, not even a blink of the eyes. He stared at me. Yes, he was going to stay there. A cold, grey day and more silence ahead.
In an effort to keep the house-hold "as usual", I got the place settled, came into the room, set the desk ready for this morning's "necessities". Temperature at 23°, thankfully. And yes, the snow gave us nice light...
And now, the morning "work" is done and it's already time to see about our lunch. "Our". I'm HOPING that when I sit to eat something, my Little LOVE will "take the hint" and have some of his own. I'm HOPING, but not really expecting. It's a "late lunch day" and I'm not sure if I'll have a snooze after, but I'm thinking I'll give it a "try". MAYBE I'll have company? More "hoping".... 14.46 already and yes, I did grab an hour for a snooze... alone. And yes, the skies are still grey, the ground is still white, the air is still cold and... my Little LOVE is still in his loft, staring out the window. And upper-most on my mind: this could go on for another 2 weeks and the best I can do is make sure to notice that he's still eating.,. and to make time in the evenings so that he can eat enough to stay healthy. That, and to keep his routine as close to "normal and regular" as is possible. Monday-week, I have to be out of the house at about the same time he wakes. (Medical that was postponed already and, as I say always, were it not for Yonah, I wouldn't bother with any of it but I HAVE to make sure that I'm in best-possible health so that I'm here for and with him!) Granted, should it go as I expect, I'll be back at about the same time when our day gets fully rolling. But being away from him... being out of the house... "Scheiden tut so weh"! (It took me all these years to be able to sing that song with-out breaking into tears... and now it takes a new meaning... still as sincere.)
18.42 going for waters... the house is other-wise settled. There was a one-second "burst" at about 18.30 when Yonah came from the loft, to the night roost, fluffed feathers. I was SO HOPEFUL... and he went right back to the loft... I'm hoping (again) that water activity will inspire appetite!
19.03 OK! SO... at 18.50 I was running the waters and he FINALLY CAME OUT OF HIS LOFT TO EAT! And then headed back to the loft. BUT NOW HE'S EATING AGAIN! THANKFULLY! So I'll wait and see how much and how long this lasts. I'm HOPING (SO MUCH "HOPE" and so little "KNOW") he'll take a bit of a flight some-where after and I'm going to cut this Journalling here because I want to spend time with him, if allowed. To think that this could last a MONTH! It's a "test"... for me. BUT SEEING HIM EATING IS A COMFORT. "Patience"... and not knowing what else to do.
19.14 and WOOSH TO THE DESK SHELF AND NOW TO THAT LITTLE "EXTENDED" PERCH AT THE CORNER OF HIS HOUSE! GOT A VIDEO TOO!
19.24 STILL ON THAT PERCH, PREENING! YAY!
20.03 HE WAS ON THAT LITTLE PERCH ALL THIS WHILE! I played with the new phone camera, took photos, he "allowed" it! And NOW... I just closed the windows and he was pecking at grit on the floor of his house and HE'S EATING AGAIN! I've been "allowed" KISSES TOO! I'm ready to tuck in but tonight, I'm going to wait. If he goes back to his loft, we tuck-in. If he goes to the night roost, we tuck-in... quicker! I'm now curious as to how long he'll stay up. Hopefully not too late, but there's only one way to learn... and yes, I'm still learning. (The "news" is still on... but by 20.30... I'm going for our "night music". No sense carrying this to 22.00...)
20.14 Night roost it was. And OH I can SEE how well he's eaten. His little breast is so full it's actually "BIG"! And I JUST GOT A FACE FULL OF SO MANY KISSES! I'm in the kitchen and he's just gone to the futon. The windows are closed... let's see what happens from here. Play? I'm not going to make any sort of attempt to get him "home" for the night. I'm curious to see how long he'll stay up.
20.38 hes' on my pillow, the one I sleep on, on the futon, preening. Our night music on and I'm closing the house... I think. The windows are close, I just have to lay the linens on the futon. But no rushing. Lets see when Herr Taube decides we need to get to "seepie-nigh-night" tonight. With all the time in the loft (ALL DAY), I have to wonder if he's tired at all. Hopefully it won't be too terrible late tonight. But for now...more tomorrow.

Wednesday 12 November:
It's 16.52, the room is at the usual 23°, the skies are dark already after another day of clouds and damp-chill. And... Day 5 of "mood"... It's been "oppressively silent" in the house. I focus on keeping my mind away from it. There were these days in the past when my heart was SO UNBEARABLY HEAVY, wondering what's wrong, not knowing what to do, what was causing it, what I could do to make it "better", terrified that my Little LOVE was suffering, not feeling well, and all the while, I was so useless, helpless... drowning in despair. I DO keep looking-in on him during the day, and it's always the same:
He "hunkered" in his little "nest" in his loft. He doesn't really acknowledge my presence. It's still "oppressive". It's still a weight on my own mood and general well-being. I still "worry" and feel SO incompetent. But at least now, I have a little better understanding... and I HOPE it passes... and I wait.
We'll see what happens at 18.00 or 18.30 and...?
He woke me this morning at 7.00. I was asleep! I suspect the sounds of traffic and the local kids heading for the school bus woke him, AND I remembered last night:
There was no "ride home" and "tuck-in" was just that. We had a little "chat and snuggle" whilst he was on the pillows on the futon and just as suddenly as he'd gone to the pillows... he was on his night roost, I reached in for little next rubs, he pecked at my hand, made it known that he wasn't "receptive" and so, I closed the door and sang lullabies. (Last night, I tried to record the whole repertoire. It was terrible! I sang slowly and recording on the phone isn't the best. AND, some-how, all of the German lullabies didn't record. Oh well. I really have to get some proper recordings... more to do on these Winter days ahead.)
Any way... yes, I did sing slowly because I was watching to make sure the Little Guy was really tucking-in for the night and that he was settled. He seemed a bit "hesitant" about going "seepie-nigh-night" even though he was on the night roost. But, he was calm... and the last light? 21.33! But hey, I didn't rush him. (I'm curious to see what tonight's "last light" will be...)
This morning, when I saw the hour, I got right up, opened the door to his house, popped my face in for "Good morning" kisses.... KISSES ALL OVER THE FACE! AND CUDDLES TOO! HE WAS RECEPTIVE TO CUDDLES THIS MORNING! I was SO hoping that today would run "normal" again! His voice was clear. He had "things" to say. We chatted as I went about opening the windows AND... as I stepped out of the room to put the kettle on and set-up for morning water run, he was OUT of his house and up to the wall shelves! It appeared to be a great start to a "normal" morning! I took Burdie out of his nook in the book-case and put Burdie up on Yonah's roof-top to see what sort of response I'd get. Thinking, if he's been waiting in his nest for a "mate", maybe Burdie on the roof-top would encourage him to stay up and out about the room. Yeah, well, he went over to Burdie, gave a little "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo" and that was that for that. He was back to his loft... and I was on the water run.
POOPS, THIS MORNING: AN EYE-POPPING 17 IN TOTAL! Considering how much he'd eaten all day yesterday, THAT WAS AMAZING to see this morning! Seems like everything he ate before tucking-in made its way through during the night! BUT THEY WERE ALL "NORMAL"... TRULY "NORMAL". SIZE, COLOUR, MOISTURE... THEY'D BOUNCED A BIT SO THEY WEREN'T WET. AND, IMPORTANTLY, THEY WERE ALL UNDER THE NIGHT ROOST, SO THERE WAS MY EVIDENCE OF A CALM, RESTFUL NIGHT! (So, that, and considering him waking at 7.00, it wasn't the "12-14 hours", but it was his "average" 9 hours of "seepie-nigh-night" and HE went to sleep when HE wanted and woke (I hope) when HE was ready. So, we're "good".
I got the morning water done and had to get out into the cloudy, damp-chill morning to check on house-hold "stuff" (oil in the furnace, electric on the meter and to start the truck after the cold snap) and so, I simply kept moving along and when, at 8.20, I was back in, he was on the FOOD PERCH! I THOUGHT (silly of me) that he was going to be UP today! I didn't put the "bird-songs" on this morning because I wondered if there wasn't something in there that might "encourage" or "promote" Yonah's "broody mood" - and didn't put them on all through the day either... to see. (I can say that they had NO effect on his mood so tomorrow, we'll go back to playing them and see what happens. I can only "live and learn". And I've come to realise that referring to information on-line isn't exactly the best I can do so, "trial and error". It's more I'm being taught and more that I'm learning.)
When I got back into the room, I got a little "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo", but that was the last I heard... ALL DAY AGAIN TODAY!
And so it's now time for dinner. I'm not really hungry, but I know I have to eat to keep my health so that I'm here for my little Heart-and-Soul. It's just all the more difficult to eat when he's not eating. And I'm hoping that he'll see me eating and he'll follow. He hasn't, thus far. But every moment of every day, I just never know until.
18.22 I've had my dinner. The washing-up is done. AND... I decided to do the evening water run early this evening (since the sky is now officially "night") AND...
OH MY! ACTIVITY IN THE HOUSE! MY SILLY LITTLE LOVE GOT UP FROM HIS LOFT, CAME OVER TO HIS FOOD TO WATCH THE GOINGS-ON! AND... I PUT FRESH FOOD IN HIS DISH AND HE ATE ALL THE WHILE I RAN BACK AND FORTH! HOW-ever... he's now back in the loft... "Carry on", as it were. BUT HE'S EATEN... AND HE'S EATEN WELL (well, "well enough" I have to suppose... he ate until HE decided it was "enough"). Now to wait and see when the next "snack" comes along AND whether or not there will be "evening flights". At least I know he's OK. It's been a "heavy", silent day all day.)
20.29 OK... so I took my shower, came back into the room... he was still in his loft. At 20.10 he was UP AND EATING! THEN, TO THE FUTON. THEN TO THE DOOR PERCH AND NOW? BACK TO THE LOFT. I'm closing house.
He's let me stroke his neck and chest and he's preened my hand as I did. Not "pecking", gentle preening. But he won't come out of the loft to the night roost. The night music is on, it's 20.40. I'm off to my ablutions and... 20.50 SO LATE but he's still in the loft. The whole house is settled for the night. I just have to lay the linens on the futon for me for the night. I'm off to close the room... but I'm feeling HORRIFIC! I don't know what to do... I just don't know. I wish this would pass, but i don't know what to do about it... So it's off to lullabies and...

Thursday 13 November: 5 YEARS 1 MONTH - AND A NEW LESSON FOR ME!
13.20 and my Little Heart-and-Soul is still in his loft, on his little nest where he's been from since his return from the living-room this morning.
5 years. 1 month. Today. We're officially into YEAR 6... but what a way to start a year... with him being so silent. I can't help but think of Della's words on that correspondence:
"He's growing up."
I look at him now and can't help but think, yes, he is. And now, his heart goes to a "mate". I think of him feeling "alone" and "lonely". I think of all the other birds out there, the ones that are brought into this miserable world, to be "alone" all through their lives, with "humans" who can't provide them with the basic need to have the company and companionship of another bird. And it drives deep, my insufficiencies, inabilities. This morning, had a little chat with Amy who said "I can't help but think if it isn't possible to get him a little mate, a sterile female, so there wouldn't be any trouble." And I said "I worry about him rejecting a mate or resenting some other bird that he'd have to 'share his home and territory with'." There's just so much I CAN do. I do all I can think of. But it doesn't make it any easier to see him in that little corner of his house, facing out the window. And that the skies are grey, dark, and it's cold out there doesn't make it any easier. It's the "price" we pay, I just suppose, for "gathering our yesterdays". Neither of us is any younger, nor shall we ever be. We're "growing old together" and it's not "happy". For me, the aches and such. For my Little LOVE... I just don't know and THAT makes it all the more difficult. But, we're here today and if he's taught me anything it's "Live for now, here, the moment." He's come through so very much worse than I EVER have done and still, here he is. And, I take only some comfort in seeing that he's comfortable enough to be in his little nest, in this room in this house with this "human" present. As always, it's HUMBLING... and APPRECIATED... and a LESSON I need to learn to take to heart.
But last night was something REALLY AMAZING for me!
At 20.50, I did close the house and made my way into the room and he was still in his "loft", in that little "nest" he has there, staring toward the window as he does. I decided to simply go along with the way things were and set the futon for me for the night and wait and see if he'd noticed that I was getting ready to go "seepie-nigh-night" and "take the hint". Well?
First and foremost, above all else, I caught sight of a "poop" on the futon from his little "visit" earlier... HUGE! TWO OF THEM, ONE WAS TWICE THE SIZE OF THE OTHER! 2cm LONG BY 0,5cm WIDE! THE OTHER WAS 0,5cm LONG AND ONLY SLIGHTLY SMALLER WIDTH! BOTH OF THEM WERE DARK, A "BLACKISH-GREEN"! Not wet, thankfully, and the urea was white but there wasn't much of it. Made me wonder where it all came from since he hadn't eaten all day and only at just a matter of moments before! But he didn't make any indication of trouble expelling them and he was back in his house so... a little "concerned", I went about putting down the linens for me and started the evening lullabies, again, hoping that would indicate "end of day". Yeah, well, neither worked.
So I went over to his house and reached in to give him some neck rubs and "cuddles" as I sang through "Autumn Leaves"... then "Face The Music" and even through "I Wish You Love"! He let me stroke his neck, his chest, and his back, and he "preened" my fingers and hand whilst I did. He didn't mind last night, and all the while, I tried to think of a way to keep going until he fell asleep, even if it was in his loft. But not knowing how he'd manage sleeping there over-night, I stopped the "petting", as it were, in the hopes that he'd get up and head to the comfort of his night roost. After all, it's having read that birds' feet naturally "curve" round branches and that's the way their feet are comfortable. Sleeping in the loft all night, after being there all day couldn't possibly be in his best interest. So...
Since the first 3 songs on the evening repertoire were sung, I had to move along to the next... "Guten Abend Gute Nacht" AND THAT'S WHERE THINGS REALLY TOOK A TWIST !!!
THE VERY MOMENT I STARTED SINGING "Guten Abend, gut' nacht, mit rosen..." HE STOOD UP IN HIS LOFT, STARED AT ME FOR A BRIEF MOMENT AND THEN... STEPPED OUT OF THE LOFT, ONTO THE PERCH AND MADE HIS WAY ACROSS TO HIS *NIGHT ROOST* !!!
I remembered: I'd looked for information on how birds perceive "time" and in the information, it was said that birds recognise certain sounds that they associate with "time". I always refer to Yonah's coo'ing at twi-light as his "Evening Song" but never actually made such an association. It's been more of a "romantic reference" but, now I believe that it IS his "Evening Song", that, out in the "world", it's his "announcement" that it's time to "tuck-in" to go "seepie-nigh-night" and that other birds hearing it would understand it as such and head to their own night roost(s)! So...
"Autumn Leaves" IS his first cue that we're going to settle-down for the night BUT NOW "Guten Abend" is when we're going "seepie-nigh-night"! HE RECOGNISES THE MELODY AS THE "CLOSE OF DAY", lights will soon be turned off, silence, dark and sleep!
I'd started singing it when he was in his loft, but when he came to his night roost, my head was still in his house, there, close to him when he reached the night roost and when he got to where he usually settles, he leaned forward and GAVE ME SO MANY KISSES ON THE FACE AND FORE-HEAD! IT WAS AS THOUGH HE WAS GIVING ME "GOOD NIGHT KISSES" AND LETTING ME KNOW THAT HE'S OK. I KNOW he senses my sorrows of these days. I can't contain them, really. It's so "heavy" with him being so still, so silent all day. And I worry about him not eating. And I worry about me not knowing what to do to make this time easier for him. (This morning, Amy asked if he was moulting and I said that he hasn't had a "full moult" in years now and that too, concerns me. But I've also read that doves tend to "moult through the year" so they don't always go through a "full moult" all at once. She was thinking that he was going through a moult and I explained it's more a matter of "I've built a new house here, so where are the ladies to come join me in it?") No matter how much I read and learn about these "events", it doesn't make it any easier on my mood and anxiety levels so I know he does know that there's "something weighing on me". What makes it worse for me is that I can't explain it to him. BUT THOSE KISSES MEANT THE ENTIRE WORLD TO ME!
As I settled him in for the night and closed the door to his house, he "snuggled-down" on his night roost, under his heater, and I put me on the futon and it occurred to me:
MY LITTLE HEART-AND-SOUL IS NOW ACCUSTOMED TO A CERTAIN "ROUTINE", HE ASSOCIATES CERTAIN SOUNDS WITH GOING TO SLEEP AT THE END OF THE DAY... HE ASSOCIATES LULLABIES WITH CLOSE OF DAY... I'VE ALWAYS DREADED THE VERY THOUGHT OF NOT BEING HERE FOR AND WITH HIM AT NIGHT FOR ANY REASON. I have "medical issues" that will need attending and the thought of being held in a hospital over-night has been one of my deepest dreads. NOW, well, I've resolved to telling anybody who suggests "surgeries" for anything that it will HAVE to be "same-day" because I will NOT be away from Yonah at night! AND NOW, I REALLY HAVE TO GET THAT RECORDING OF OUR NIGHTLY LULLABIES AND SUCH DONE... If, for any reason, I have no choice but to spend and over-night away, at least there will be a "recording" of my voice "singing" OUR "Evening Songs". His routine, the pattern will be there for him. - Now to find somebody who'll come to the house for such an event and play them for him...
But WHAT A LESSON ! I'm STILL LEARNING SO MUCH ABOUT AND FROM THIS BRILLIANT LITTLE GENIUS, THIS TEACHER, PROFESSOR... LITTLE "RABBI"! Well then, the very last of lullabies and "Good nights"... last light turned off at, again, 21.33! Late, but I didn't rush anything, didn't force a time for anything. The best I could do is hope that the Little Guy would get a restful night's sleep and enough time for it.
Then came this morning...
I'd woken at 4.30 as I do, then again at 5.30 but both times, there was nothing that require me to be up and about at that hour so I stayed on the futon and dozed back to sleep. At 6.38 though, I woke again and it was time to get up, put the kettle on, serve breakfast in the yard so up I got, silently. The Little Guy hadn't made a sound so I figured he was still asleep until I stepped out of his room and IMMEDIATELY came the:
"woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo"
It really did almost sound like "And where do you think you're going?" in a "tone".
So I rushed to put the kettle on and back to his house. There he was, the Little Silhouette, on his night roost, all cosy. I WAS RELIEVED, DELIGHTED AND JUST IN HEAVEN! And when I checked the poops to see what kind of night he had...
WOW! FIFTEEN (15) !!! AND ALL OF THEM ABSOLUTELY PERFECT IN EVERY WAY! ALL BUT 3 WERE ON THE "POOPIE RUG"! AMAZING! And I STILL wonder where they all come from since the ONLY time he ate all day yesterday was just before he went to sleep last night! Still, it's a GREAT INDICATION that his digestion is fine, that he's digesting well and eating "well-enough". (I still want to doe a "weigh-in" but I don't want to disturb him during the day. I don't know what affect that would have him and his mood. But it's coming... soon. I NEED to know that he's not losing weight. Bad enough I am. No need for BOTH of us.
It didn't take but a short while after I'd opened the windows to the chilly, damp, over-cast again morning when...
HOPE !!!
THE LITTLE LOVE TOOK OFF! ON THE WING! UP TO HIS ROOF-TOP! KISSES! AND PLAY! I WAS FULL OF ENERGY SEEING HIM "NORMAL" AGAIN! I HIT THE CONTAINERS FOR THE MORNING WATER RUN, MADE MORNING COFFEE AS I WENT ALONG AND ALL THE WHILE, HE COO'ED ON HIS ROOF-TOP! WE HAD A "CHAT" THIS MORNING! AND THEN... AS I WAS FINISHING... HE HEADED OUT TO THE LIVING-ROOM WOO-HOO'S IN THE LIVING-ROOM! AND I HAD TO RUN OUT FOR THE MORNING "METER CHECK" AND AS I PUT MY BOOTS ON, SITTING ON THE FUTON, WE HAD ANOTHER CHAT! I WAS ECSTATIC! I RUSHED OUT, RUSHED BACK AND WHEN I GOT BACK INTO THE HOUSE, HE WAS STILL THERE! A REGULAR MORNING AT LAST! BUT....
HE WAS OUT THERE FOR ABOUT 45 MINUTES AND...
BACK HE WENT, TO HIS HOUSE... AND BACK TO HIS LOFT. He's been there all day again. Oh well...
It's 15.54 and time to put dinner on the hob. My Heart-and-Soul is still in his loft. He's been there all day again. The UV light has been on all day. I was hoping it would give him a little encouragement to come out and play, at least, but, I even took a 45-minute snooze after lunch today... alone. The "best" I can say about the day... For a few moments, he turned round. Instead of staring out the window, he was facing toward the room, his little tail straight up against his house. He as looking at me as I spoke to him from the desk (I didn't dare to get up... I don't know that he wants me close to him). But, he's back in his usual spot, staring out the window again. It's been another one of those "heavy-souled" days. Now, I suppose the only thing I can do is wait for tonight, to see if/when he comes out of the loft and whether or not he'll come out into the room... eat... and how much. It's just been SO... "dour"...
18.05... Me at the desk wrapping the day and I hear a "tweedle" of wings! MY LOVE IS UP, HAVING WHAT APPEARS TO BE A HEFTY SNACK! About 15 minutes ago, I actually DARED to reach in for a little neck rub and got a few gentle pecks on the fingers! He didn't try to "escape"! So... Now? he's on his "night roost" perch and.. flying a bit in his house. Further reports after waters... nope... back to the loft.
18.35 OH MY OH MY OH MY! The water is changed BUT...
Before I started, I popped my head into the house, the Little LOVE was on the perch by his loft and WING-SNAPS! AND KISSES! CUDDLES! SNUGGLES! LUVIN's! WOW! OH WOW! AND PLAY! WE PLAYED! WE SNUGGLED! WE KISSED! HE PREENED MY HANDS! KISSES ALL OVER THE FACE! AND A FLIGHT TO THE FUTON! AND AGAIN... *MAJOR POOPS*! QUITE WET BUT NOT "SOAKED". AND THE "DARK GREEN-BLACK" AGAIN. BUT THE UREA WHITE, SOME-WHAT MIXED WITH THE REST. BUT NOTHING "SHOCKING"! AND AS I RAN THE WATERS, HE WATCHED, CAME DOWN TO THE FLOOR OF HIS HOUSE, GOT SOME GRIT AND HAD JUST PICKED-UP A TWIG WHICH HE DROPPED AS I POURED THE FRESH WATER. I PUT IT INTO HIS LOFT. IT'S STILL IN THERE (but then... after another snack... so too, is he). BUT IT WAS ACTIVE FOR A GOOD 10 MINUTES OR MORE! SO... we'll have to give it another try before tucking-in. The house and kitchen are settled pre-ablutions. Let's see what happens with the rest of the night. I'll try for the windows in about 20 minutes and see how we "roll" from there. BUT WHAT A RELIEF! ACTIVITY! AND LUVIN's!
CONCERN: HIS FEATHERS ARE LOOKING "DULL". I'M NOT SURE IF HE'S ACTUALLY MOULTING LITTLE BY LITTLE. TIME TO SEE ABOUT GETTING SOME EXTRA FAT AND PROTEIN IN HIS DIET. EGG TOMORROW FOR LUNCH? SINCE HE'S EATING IN THE EVENING, MAYBE FOR DINNER TOMORROW EVENING. AND I'M THINKING A LITTLE "PARAKEET" MIX. JUST FOR SOME EXTRA, DIFFERENT, FAT, PROTEIN. AND THEN, CHECK POOPS. As it is now, the colour is about the same as it was when I put that into his mix. Another "trial and error" and then "watch with care and see". I'm so stupid where these things are concerned. And there's no "resource" that I trust enough to check with. The best I can do is try, hope. I was contemplating "ACV" but if he's not feeling "well", I don't want to start "adjusting" his digestion and such now. End of month... if all goes well. BUT WHAT A RELIEF!
20.40 WELL THEN... at 20.00 I rant the water change and the Little Character got up to watch (su-bird-vise). I closed the windows and he was in his loft. He stood up to watch, then to play with the "curtain critter: for a bit and when I headed out to settle the kitchen I came back to find him... ON THE WALL SHELF! OH... MY! But now he's back in his house, having another snack. He's had a GRAND drink of water AND we had quite a little moment of playing and KISSES at his door perch. But his lap-top is still on and as I type, he's back in his loft... I'm going to go in now and "close the room for the night" and see how it all goes. I suppose the best I can do is keep the "routine" and...
More in the morning. At least he's eaten, had a good drink of water and was playful with "window-closing"...

Friday 14 November:
8.07 I don't know where or how to start this, this morning. Truly strange, a "never before" (that I can recall) start to the day.
I got up at 6.30 and headed, silently, out to the kitchen, put the kettle on, rinsed and drained the "sprouting seeds" I'd left to soak last night, made coffee, did the usual morning checks round the house, and the time passed. I didn't close the door to Yonah's room because everything I did was quiet.
At 7.50, I went into his room, in the darkness, folded the bed linens and set the Futon Flock out... not a sound. He was still in his loft, but in the past, I'd hear a little "HOO" or something as I moved about in his room. This morning... silence.
I ventured to open the door to his house, set the door perch. Still no sound. I hesitated to open much more than that, in case he was still asleep but then, I couldn't cope with the silence, so I removed the roof board, silently... still no sound and I couldn't see him. The back-board kept it so dark in that little corner, I couldn't tell whether he'd moved at all or not so... I silently and carefully removed the back-board and saw his little head pop up. Not sure whether or not I actually woke him, but when the board was removed, I could see that he was looking at me. So I quietly asked:
"Are you awake?" and coo'ed a soft "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo"... Not a reply... just a little turn of the head and back to his normal "resting" position.
So I asked: "Did I wake you up?" No response.
Since he stayed the night in his loft, there are not poops on the little bit of kitchen roll under the night roost, so I've no idea what sort of night he had, and since he didn't get up... I just have NO idea what sort of night it was, nor how his tummy is. But now I wonder about poops. I'm hoping he'll get up soon. He must be quite "full" at this point and I expect all sorts of bizarre poops when he finally does pass them.
I wasn't so "anxious" last night, going to sleep with him in his loft. He's done that before. It was "odd", knowing that he wasn't on the night roost, but with all the energy and activity before tucking-in, I didn't make much of it. But to my recollection, the days following were some-what "normal" and he had something to say when I opened his house. THIS morning is unusual and I'm not sure what I ought to do.
I've left the blinds and curtains closed, in case I actually did wake him. Yonah's "slept-in" until almost 8.00 before, but this, at 8.21, is quite "not at all common". So... I'll wait a while longer. It's over-cast out-side. But the Yardies have been here for their breakfast and I tend to reference them as their "natural clock". Still, with this "nesting mood" for Yonah, I have to wonder. The thought that comes to mind is "depression".
I got to see his little "nest" last night. Instead of a "collection of twigs", he has them all laid so "round" and "neatly". It's a "nest", to be sure. It's as though he actually put in a lot of work on this one, and if he's waiting for a "mate" to come to see it... I wonder if he's not feeling quite "alone" now. It breaks my heart! And not being able to KNOW, for certain makes it all the worse. The only think I can do is "wait"... but i don't even know what I'm "waiting" for.
Last night was another "late" one though. The last light was turned off at 21.20. Still, by 7.30 this morning, he would have had his 10 hours. I wonder now, if he "slept"... in his nest, not on his roost. Was he comfortable? Is he tired this morning? I just don't know... and I can't ask... and that's the worst.
Was going to run early errands this morning. They'll wait. I'll see what happens as the day lightens. It's not supposed to be a clear day so it won't be "bright" any time soon. But I'll wait and see. It's all I can do.
9.00 Waters changed in the pool. One window, the farthest from him, is "open". I've opened the blind but not drawn it up. It's not "bright" in the room but it's a little lighter. And he's still silent, in his loft. He did "take notice" as I rant the water, but still, no coo's and he's not showing any signs of wanting to leave the loft. I'm postponing "errands" for the morning. We'll see what happens... "as time goes by". Just being together in the room. This is all so very strange... "Nature"... and stupid humans. The longer I'm with Yonah, the more I come to realise the utter stupidity of humans... compared to the Little Ones.
If "God gave man dominion", he should have, at least, given the ability to "comprehend".
16.00 AND... another really "off" sort of day all day.
At 10.45, after a morning of silence... all through the house, and me sitting at the desk, attending to this Journal and just general "stuff" around the place, I resigned to running today's errand after lunch but had to try to open the windows to see what sort of response it would get. I didn't expect what followed.
Being careful to move his house as little as possible, I got to the windows and opened them as we usually do... curtains and blinds, open and up fully. Out-side wasn't exactly "bright" but it DID give better lighting in the room and as soon as the day-light came in, the Little LOVE got up in his loft, to watch what I was doing and then... suddenly... HE WAS UP AND OUT AND ON THE WING! OFF TO THE FUTON! BUT THEN... AFTER A LITTLE TODDLE ABOUT, UP TO THE PILLOWS, OVER TO BURDIE, BACK TO THE PILLOWS (AND DROPPING ANOTHER 2 "MASSIVE POOPS") HE WAS OUT TO THE LIVING-ROOM! I went out to see him... on his tree, and when I got there, he headed for the roof of his yard house for a toddle but when I tried to give a kiss, he wasn't having it! So I didn't push the issue and returned to his room (after getting some photos and videos of the events - which is how I know now, what time this all happened). A little bit of "playing" on the futon, with Burdie and the White Dove... and again, NO KISSES! He was up to his door perch and... by 10.52... he was back in his loft. THAT WAS ALL FOR THE DAY! HE DIDN'T STOP TO EAT OR DRINK. I'd put fresh water in the "pool" though. But he was back in the loft, looking out the window and that's where he's been all through the day.
Poops: as I say, another TWO MASSIVELY LARGE POOPS! BUT this morning, they weren't as "dark" as yesterday, and there was a good combination of white urea this time. It wasn't "mixed-in", it was distinct and quite the quantity too! I'd have to say, the total "quantity" was equal to 10 "regular" poops. There were little "circles" in each one and each one looked like 5 poops together. So, "quantity" and, actually, "quality" was "with-in normal". Considering he "held" it all through the night, it was to be expected. My relief: NOT DARK!
Other-wise? I honestly can't say anything more. I had lunch at noon, grabbed 15 minutes of shut-eye and by 13.00, I was up and out to the errand and by 14.00 I was back in, at the desk and the rest of the day was my Little Heart-and-Soul in his loft which is where he is now, as I sit at the desk, typing this. Difference? He's facing into his house and hot out the window.
I've spoke to him during the day and he "acknowledges" me. He looks at me when I speak, but he doesn't move.
I AM NOTICING THE FEATHERS ON HIS HEAD AND IT DOES APPEAR THAT HE'S MOULTING SOMME-WHAT. The feathers there are very "soft", and there's little bits of "white", as if "new" feathers are coming in and the old are dropping off. It's not "radical", but it might have something to do with this whole ordeal. If he's going through the "hormonal" changes of the "nesting" AND moulting... it's no wonder he has no energy. Poor SWEET LITTLE PRINCE! He's likely just feeling miserable! And, well, as with ALL in Creation, nothing is exempt from "bad days". I just SO WISH I could do something to help him feel better! But I don't even know what's "wrong" and searching through the information that I have access to (on the internet, as usual) is only but a little help. I understand it's "speculation" based on "data" from "experts" who have taken time to document anything. Blood-work? These days I have little (if any) trust in what that shows and what I'd be told anyway. (I still remember that veterinarian doing the "poop smear" and telling me "He's got too many 'negative' bacteria." and when I asked "How could he have that? (because he'd been eating a healthy diet for many months before) she simply snapped "He's wild. He probably had them." Yeah? Well... thanks for caring... not. And even with me; I go for all sorts of "test" and I get the most cryptic and some-what evasive information. So? So... all I can do is "surmise" and, as we've been doing for 5 years now, trust my "gut", my own instincts. It makes NOTHING "better" or "easier". This house is SO SILENT, so STILL, and I worry about Yonah's circulation and general well-being in his loft. But over all else, he obviously doesn't want to "play" or get "cuddles" so... we do what we can and I HOPE it passes... soon.
Now, my dinner on the hob. The Little LOVE in his loft. Out-side the sky is growing so dark. The house has been hoovered and... it's Friday... and now, I hope for a peaceful night ahead and... what happens will happen... all I can do is HOPE.
18.00 FOOD ! OK, he's back in his loft but at 17.45 I looked up to NOT see him in the loft... HE WAS EATING! And he ate rather quite well, thankfully. But, 10 minutes later... back to the loft. But at least he's eaten and I'm hoping he'll eat again. I'm going to close his windows earlier tonight and see what that does for "tuck-in". Tomorrow is our "do nothing day" and I'm looking forward to being with him and... so there'll be no jumping up early. (Monday is still my "stress" because I'm going to have to be leaving the house when he's usually waking and I don't want to leave him in the dark room while I'm away. This morning was "telling" in that I didn't "open the windows" until almost 11.00. But I was here and up. Monday, I won't be here with him so... I'll have to think of something. This is as bad as when I had to go to work... in 2022 or 2023... which I STILL have to work on for this Journal. THAT seems to be the beginning of when "things" with me started falling apart... and mostly because of the constant stress of not being with him for hours... and not being in the house for him.) But for tonight, right now, time to get to the evening waters and then, the windows and then... we'll see where it goes from there.
19.43 OK. I'm out of the shower. The windows are closed (with no "interest" this evening). Back-board is up (with very little "interest"). The house is settled. Next up, turn off the "news", ablutions, the futon for me for the night. AND? Nope. Fresh food in the dish and no "interest" in that either. I tried putting the little dove from Deborah in Yonah's house. He just "chewed" it! Grabbed the little wing with a vengeance! Tried the new "Brown Beanie" and about the same. They were "intruders". I even left them in there when I showered and when I came back from the shower, I removed them. Yonah just "watched"... from his loft. So now my "hope" (I'm getting tired of using that word but it's all that I have now) is that, before we actually start closing the room for the night, he gets up and EATS! He's eaten ONCE ALL DAY TODAY! He hasn't minded the little neck rubs. But that's the only time he shows any sort of "energy". I'm starting to truly worry. I don't dare cancel this medical on Monday, but.... leaving him alone is going to be BRUTAL!
To think: Monday, I'll pass the one veterinarian who "dismissed" us because we were late. AND, I'll pass the offices of our "Dee. E. Sea"... so the trip will be FULL of thoughts. But again, I dare not skip this. I need to know what my situation is so I KNOW "time"... or at least a "reference point" for it. So? So...
As for tonight? A light snow is falling out there. We'll see what tomorrow brings...
Morgen früh, wenn Gott will,
wird er wieder geweckt.
20.15 HE'S EATING! BUT... I HAD TO BRING THE PLATFORM INTO HIS HOUSE TO HIS LOFT, THEN, WITH HIM ON IT, BRING IT OVER TO THE FOOD AND COAX HIM OVER TO THE FOOD. ONCE THERE... WELL... HE'S BEEN STEADILY EATING FOR ABOUT 2 SOLID MINUTES NOW AND COUNTING! AND I'M NOT RUSHING HIM. Tomorrow, I'm going to make a separate mix and add some of the "Parakeet" mix. I see from the package that the "nutritional value" compared to the "Canary/Finch" mix is less, but, he seemed to enjoy something in that, and even though it made his poops darker, I'm going to add some. (20.18 and... he's on the night roost... but.. we shall see.) Anyway... he's EATEN and I'm feeling a little better for that. Now to see where we "roost" for the night. I'm not expecting him to stay on his night roost, to be honest.
20.29 HE ATE AGAIN! AND SO MUCH! I'm not "thrilled", really, because he's eating so much before tucking-in, so late at night. I can only hope that his little digestive system doesn't suffer from having so much in his little crop to work on through the night when he should be resting. But we'll see tomorrow... I suppose. "Poops"... They tell so much. AND HE WAS OUT ON THE FUTON AGAIN (of course... in the loft all day but when it's time to go "seepie-nigh-night") AND HE POOPED THERE TOO. The usual: about 2cm long, half cm wide, dark in colour. THEY'RE ALMOST THE SIZE OF EGGS! Now I wonder if it isn't difficult for him to pass. BUT... we're going for closing the room and the day. He's back in his house, on the floor, pecking about at grit and having a drink. We'll see how this winds-down... I just SO WISH we could get back to "normal". It tears me apart to see him not his usual "mischievous" self! For now... more tomorrow.

Saturday 15 November:
It's already 16.00 and it's been "a day".... A DAY!
Let's just get right into it here... with the "closing" last night:
Rather interesting. My Little Character STILL wasn't quite ready to tuck-in for the night even at such a late hour. He headed over to the futon to his Burdie-Bird and we took about 10 minutes to play a little while with Burdie. Kisses from Burdie and a little "chase" until HE hopped up onto the pillows and then up to his house again.
In his house, a little nibble of grit, which made me feel better and then, there were seeds to find on the floor and he "foraged". So I tried something "new": I put seeds into one of the pine cones and he actually noticed them and started pecking at them in the pine cone! These "white pine" cones aren't exactly the best for the purpose, but some actually caught in the little spaces and he DID go after some of them so I'm going to have to figure a way to incorporate them in his house and see if he doesn't come to associate them with food. "Foraging". I still have to get a little "foraging box" too. I've read that a "tissue box" is good, so maybe I'll have to buy a box of tissues next shopping.
But over-all, he just got so full of energy, as he does at the end of a day, and really didn't appear to want to settle-down. He did look up to the night roost a couple of times, and I "half" expected him to head up there but... nope.
What DID work was, I brought his platform to the door and laid in into his house for him. Yes, he DID see it and some-what hesitantly, he got onto it and as he did, he looked up to his night roost! It was almost as if he expected to be "brought home" for the night so....?
I brought him up to the night roost perch and he hopped right off the platform and onto the perch, as he always does! I was "almost" hopeful that he WOULD get there and snuggle-in and, right away, he DID...
When he was settled, I put the platform on the desk as I do, placed the roof board, as I do and got me to the futon, as I do, and all through, lullabies. HE MADE ONE LITTLE "VISIT" TO HIS LOFT THOUGH. IT WAS FASCINATING TO SEE AS HE SCUTTLED OVER, LOOKED AT HIS LITTLE NEST THERE, STEPPED IN AND THEN STEPPED BACK OUT AND HEADED TO THE NIGHT ROOST. IT WAS AS THOUGH HE WAS TAKING SOME SORT OF INVENTORY OR CHECKING TO MAKE SURE IT WAS OK TO LEAVE IT FOR THE NIGHT AND WHEN HE SAW EVERYTHING THE WAY HE'D LEFT IT, HE WAS OK WITH SLEEPING ON THE NIGHT ROOST FOR THE NIGHT.
As I sang the lullabies, I kept watching, expecting him to head back to the loft but... when I got to "Stille Nacht" and dimmed the moon light to its lowest, which is our "protocol" for a night, he was truly "tucked-in" and, the last light was turned off at 21.10 with the Little LOVE all snug on his night roost. A "normal" night.
This morning? I woke at about 5.00, looked at the clock, looked up to the night roost and there was the little silhouette, still there. HE'D SLEPT ON HIS NIGHT ROOST LAST NIGHT! I was SO delighted and comforted, I dozed right back to sleep.
At 6.38 I woke again and got up from the futon, figuring it a good time to start the new day ahead and headed out to the kitchen to put the kettle on AND... NO SOONER HAD I STEPPED OUT OF THE ROOM../
"woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo" !!!
And it was on the now-recently-regular morning "soft" side but CLEAR! AND, when I replied: "You're awake too?" ANOTHER "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo"! WOOHOO! HE WAS AWAKE! AND HE HAD MORE TO SAY THIS MORNING TOO! THE "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo"s KEPT COMING as I put the kettle on and went right back into the room to open his door!
IT WAS A "NORMAL MORNING"! I spoke, he coo'ed. He coo'ed, I spoke and coo'ed. AND WHEN I POPPED IN FOR "Good morning" KISSES? At first, I didn't get any, he scuttled to the side but THEN... KISSES! Not the "whole face" kisses but KISSES! COO'S AND KISSES AND WING STRETCHES! I WAS SO DELIGHTED, SO HAPPY, SO ANXIOUS TO SEE THE REST OF THE DAY! IT ALL SEEMED SO "BACK TO NORMAL"!
I removed the night boards, set the door perch, headed out to the kitchen to prepare my morning coffee and when done, came back into the room to open curtains and blinds and as I did, slowly again this morning so as not to suddenly flood the room with light (although it was another over-cast start to the day out-side), the Little LOVE OF MY LIFE hopped over to his "food perch", and gave a "fluff of feathers" and MORE COO'S!
THEN... AS I GOT THINGS SET FOR THE MORNING CHANGE OF WATER... HE WAS UP, ON THE WING, OFF AND OUT AND TO THE WALL SHELVES AND THEN TO THE FUTON! I STOPPED EVERYTHING AND WE PLAYED WITH BURDIE! MORNING KISSIE-KISSES WITH BURDIE, A LITTLE "CHASE" ACROSS THE FUTON AND HE WAS BACK UP TO HIS HOUSE, TODDLING ABOUT THE FLOOR THERE SO i WENT RIGHT TO THE WATER RUN. AND AS I GOT THE WATER TOGETHER IN THE KITCHEN... MORE COO'S AND MORE FLYING ABOUT THE ROOM! IT WAS AMAZING!
Ah... I got the water changed, he was up on his night roost and I got to settling the rest of the room for the morning.
THEN, I decided to check the "filter" for the fountain because, oddly, no matter how many times I flush, there always seemed to be more seeds coming through. And I wanted to check to make sure there weren't any seeds "going bad" in there. OH! As I took the fountain apart I was SO "su-bird-vised"! I was destroying his house AGAIN AND I WILL TELL ALL, HE MAKES IT QUITE MORE THAN ABUNDANTLY CLEAR THAT HE DOES NOT APPROVE. I WAS WATCHED, I WAS SCRUTINISED, but I continued. (And yes, there WERE seeds stuck in the screen under the fountain. More than I expected, but not as bad as I thought. And TWO of them had actually sprouted! - Now I wonder why the seeds I'm intentionally trying to sprout aren't showing any signs of even starting. But it's only been a couple of days, and they get rinsed twice, in cold, running tap water so the cold likely slows germination; I'll just keep watching those.) Anyway, after the 2 "runs" of 5 trips each as usual, I had to repeat the running back and forth and I could sense a little "look" of wonder in that little face as it watched me. "What? Again? You just did that." BUT... it got done, I put his house together again, the pool and fountain and pump all clean. Poor Little One... first thing in the morning and I know he's not back to "normal" yet, so after days of being sedentary, I had the audacity to turn the place up-side down again! But he took it in stride and finally, the house settled... But then, it was already 10.30! (Yes, I took that much time with the pool and fountain but at least I know his water is safe. Yes, I would drink from his pool. As I've said from the beginning:
If I wouldn't drink it, it doesn't belong in his house!
And with the "siphoning" water out of this pool and into the catch bucket, there have been sips and gulps and here I am...and here we are... and his water is safe.)
18.43 AND I WAS JUST SETTING-UP FOR WATER CHANGE AND HE'S UP AND EATING! HE'S BEEN IN THE LOFT AGAIN ALL DAY AND I'D STEPPED OUT TO THE KITCHEN TO SETTLE FOR THE WATER RUN AND WHEN I CAME BACK IN, I LOOKED FIRST TO THE LOFT AND HE WASN'T THERE! HE'S EATING! I can't see him because he has a tree in front of the food, so when I saw him there... I'M POSTPONING WATER RUN! HE'S EATING! AND IT'S NOT 20.00! I'M THRILLED! SO HAPPY! SO COMFORTED! NOW TO SEE WHAT FOLLOWS.... HE'S ON THE NIGHT ROOST. TIME FOR WATER!
19.05 Water is done and... he's back in the loft. But the windows are closed, back-board up too. His house is where it will be for the night so it will be calm now. And me? Only ablutions tonight to be done and those, early... I hope. And we'll see what happens... in an hour. 20.00 isn't unusual for "TAKE-OFF"!
MEAN-while... the rest of the morning went along quietly for both of us. The sun DID manage to make a difference in the light in the room, though not very much. Enough so that we didn't need lights on in the house, but again... no more coo'ing and no flying about.
At mid-day, I grabbed lunch and a 30-minute "solo" snooze. The morning's "elation" passed. We were back to "loft and...".
I got to record the "German lullabies" for the web-site and "worked" the audio to the best of what I have available. I had to play the file/music in the room as I worked on them and I was a little "taken" when there was no response from the Little Guy. It's my voice, but it didn't appear to make any difference to him. I expected SOME kind of reaction, especially since it was lullabies when the sky was still light. But I'm just rather relieved to have the recording. Now, we'll have to work it into the site. If ever, I can't be around at night, at least there will be a recording to play our "normal end of day" for my Heart-and-Soul. How I DREAD to even think of such a thing and I'm sure he'll hear the difference between the actual voice and a recording, but this way, even a "phone" can be connected to the site and his music can be heard.
So it all ran into dinner... and at 17.00, the news, me at the desk, my Little LOVE in his loft. It's really almost depressing. To be honest, I wouldn't eat until he did, but I keep thinking that I HAVE to take best-possible care of me so that I will be here for him, and able to keep his "normal routine", his "familiar routine". Were it not for Yonah, honestly, I wouldn't bother other than to ward off "hunger". But...as long as he's my LIFE... he's my LIFE!
And the rest? As I say, the "end of day" water change and closing of windows is done. There's a "threat" of "freezing rain" through the night tonight and the "rain" part has begun. "Clouds in the sky" and it appears they WILL be here through the night. -3° for tonight's low. I'm relieved to know we have fuel for the house furnace, but the latest electric bill has been settled and we have MORE than enough on the account to use the radiators too so, a "warm and toasty cosy" room in OUR forecast. No "fluffing" against chills. And since I'm not really certain about how my little Heart-and-Soul is feeling these days. No need to have to fight chills too. "I'll give you shelter from the storm, a cosy fire to keep you warm..."
20.00 report: I'm getting ready to start closing the room... turning the news off, night music on... let's see... Yonah's eaten only once all day (that I know of and I have no reason to believe he'd eaten when I wasn't in the room... I can tell by how much is on the food shelf and there isn't much at all - and I put a little "Parakeet" mix in this time because he enjoyed it so much). I'm not going to "rush" us to tuck-in but...
WELL! I TURNED THE "NEWS" OFF, TURNED ON OUR "NIGHT MUSIC" AND NO SOONER HAD THAT STARTED, HE SAT UP IN HIS LOFT. I popped my head in and said "You gonna eat something my Little LOVE? You have to eat something. Yes. You have to eat a little more." AND... HE'S EATING! SO... NOW I SEE: YES, HE RECOGNISES SOUNDS FOR TIMES OF DAY... AND THIS "NIGHT MUSIC" HAS TO BE ADDED TO THE "SCHLAFLEIDER" PAGE! THIS IS HIS "WE'RE GOING SEEPIE-NIGH-NIGHT NOW" MUSIC! OH, to think of a time when I might not be here for him, for all of this. It makes me physically ill... even to think about it. BUT it gives me all the more incentive to make sure that I AM here for him... ALWAYS! HE is the ONLY reason I bother.
And, 20.10 he's on the night roost. I wonder... Where will he sleep tonight? I have ablutions... we're about to see. I'm still waiting for the quick trip out to the futon - and some large poops. I'm not rushing...
(He's on the wall shelf...)
20.22 He ate, went to the wall shelf and with a "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo" is now on his roof-top... "Ride Home"? I hope...
AMAZINGLY THOUGH... MY LITTLE "Woo-HOO" IS UP ON THE PLATFORM ON HIS ROOF-TOP AND HE'S "IN POSITION"... MAKING WITH HIS "NEST-COO'S"! I HAVEN'T SEEN AND HEARD THIS IN WHAT SEEMS TO BE "FOREVER"! I SO WONDER WHAT INSPIRED THIS TONIGHT! SO... I'M RUSHING... CLOSING THE REST OF THE HOUSE AND... I HAVE A LITTLE HOPE THAT TONIGHT MIGHT BE THE BEGINNING OF A "RETURN"! OH PLEASE!

Sunday 16 November:
Well? It's 8.00 and I've been up from since 6.30. I didn't close the door when I left the room this morning, and about 5 minutes ago, I went back in, opened the door to Yonah's house, removed the roof-board, set the futon for the day... I've been out to check oil and electric, as I do of a morning. The day has arrived, there's some sun-light out there. but his windows are still closed and the back-board is still on.
He's in his loft... Hasn't made a sound, even when I "opened" what I've opened. All I can say is: "I just don't know what to expect this morning. All I can do is hope he's alright. I just don't know... I just don't know... and I just can't."
Heading in to "see"...
Here we are, at 8.20... I'm at the desk. I opened the far window completely, looked into the house... That Little Face... just looked at me, with a little blink of the eyes. So I asked "Are you awake?" No further response. So I coo'ed, thrice. He turned his head to look directly at me but no reply. The room is, for the most part, set for the day. I removed the back board and he looked at it, watched as it "moved away" and then got back into the same position he keeps for most of the day these days. Still, not a sound. The only window still closed is the one directly in front of him, blinds and curtains still closed. But there's light in the room so he can see where he's going... if he "goes" any-where. And I can see him, from the desk where I'm sitting. As I say, the room is "almost settled", as it would be for the day. His eyes are open but he's just "snuggled", in his loft.
At this time tomorrow, I'll be out of the house and already at my appointment. I'm still not sure how I'll work this, opening the room so there's enough light for him to see about. No "bird-songs" or any other sound for that matter this morning. Tomorrow will be the same, no doubt, and I won't be here. So I'll get a little "preview" of what will be whilst I'm gone. I don't know... and I just can't know.
This morning is "heavy" and it's only been about a week now. We might be looking at another 3 weeks of this... I wonder how others handle it. But then, from what I've read, they all just "go through it" until...
Last night...
By 20.33 the room was settled, my Little LOVE was on his night roost, but not "settled". Fidgety. i went about the evening lullabies, softly, as I put his house "in order" for the night, closing the door to his room. Moon lights on. I was thinking that maybe, if I dimmed the room, he'd stay on the roost but... of course, I "know" nothing so I shouldn't "think". In a moment's time, he was down on the floor of his house and over to the pool... for a drink of water. I was relieved to see him have a drink before sleep. He'd eaten so much and the water would help digest over-night. And when he'd done with his drink, he headed toward the front of his house to the front corner by the little mirror and almost seemed to settle there.. So I opened his door and brought the little platform to the door for him. Well, as he does, he hopped right on! "Ride home". I brought him up to the night roost and, as he does, he hopped right onto it and for the briefest while, I appeared he was getting settled there for the night so I closed his house again, I headed to the futon to get me settled and... as I did... he headed right back to the loft... and at 20.40 there he was, snuggled back down for another night there, in the loft. Oh well. Lullabies continued and, well, at 20.55... last light off. Another night of looking up from the pillow to an empty "night roost".
So, this morning, there are no "poops on the rug". He's been "holding" again so I'm waiting. It's 8.37, I haven't done the morning water run yet. I'll give it a while. I just looked... he appears to be sleeping! Me? I can't help but think of how "depressed people" will tend to sleep a lot so this is "oppressive", thinking he's depressed and there's nothing I can do. I can only hope it's "hormonal" and not that he's actually in any physical discomfort (I dare not think of the word "pain" because THAT thought makes ME physically ill). "Time"... that's all I have. But if this is "worse" come tomorrow morning, there's a serious decision to be made. I truly shouldn't skip tomorrow's medical appointment. I need to know what's going on with me of late. And I HAVE to make sure that I'm here and able to provide what-ever will be needed for Yonah. The thought of being away from him for those hours though... him, alone, in a silent house... for hours. Again, all I can do is wait and hope. For now, on with the day. No errands. Just us together...
So it's 13.20 and my Little Lounger is in his loft. And I'm up from a 30-minute snooze... alone.
We DID have a moment of "activity" this morning... at 11.00 when I finally got around to opening windows and changing the water in his pool! A "moment"... When he saw me up and about and adding stones to his house (OH MY! SOMETHING CHANGING!), he got up in his loft to watch. Of course. I put stones beside his pool at the "handle" side. Last night, he hopped up there to get his drink and I added the stones to make it easier to get to and give a little extra something to stand on. Anyway, when he'd ascertained that all was well, he headed up to his FOOD and ATE (at 11.27), rather well. Not, I have to say, anything much, considering he'd eaten only last night, but he ate.
What was endearing and some-what comforting: when he got to the food shelf, I looked in on him and he gave me a WING-SNAP! I THOUGHT it might mean he wanted a neck rub or a kiss but... nope. I don't know what the wing-snap was for but it wasn't "HEY! WANNA PLAY?"
And THEN... he was off to the wall shelves whilst I put the room back together. I wasn't "allowed" any kisses and he made it obvious that he didn't want any "cuddles" nor to "play". I tried. He dodged. So I let him be.
But I could see, on the upper-most shelf, that he'd pooped and so, I got up there to get it/them... MASSIVELY HUGE! TWO OF THEM AGAIN! BOTH OF THEM, THE USUAL "DARK GREEN", RATHER WET, BUT THE UREA, "COPIOUS", AS WHITE AS COULD POSSIBLY BE. STILL... THESE WERE THREE (3) cm. EACH! AND EACH ONE, 1cm WIDE! THESE WERE ALMOST INCREDIBLE! BUT HE PASSED THEM, APPARENTLY, WITH EASE. HE DOESN'T SHOW ANY SIGNS OF DIFFICULTY PASSING, BUT I CAN'T IMAGINE HOW HE DOES IT!
Again... no sooner had he pooped, he headed right back to his house, stayed a few seconds at his door on the perch, and... he was back up to the "night roost" where, again, I tried for a kiss. He scuttled to the side and then.... right back to the loft and his nest.
By 11.40... we were right back to where we'd started.
Mean-while, out-side, there's been the slightest flurries, it's another dreary, damp sort of day. But thankfully, the room is "dry" and warm. I didn't put the UV light on today. I don't know that it does much to change things anyway. And the bird-songs? Well, at 11.00 I put those on... for what-ever reason. They don't seem to make the situation any better either. So...
I have to leave for about 20 minutes, soon. Just down to Deborah's to get the Jeep. I'm SO hoping the tyres are good enough to simply hop in and bring it back. I'm getting it today so that tomorrow morning, I can simply run my appointment and get right back. I'm NOT looking forward to that. But this morning was something of a "trial". I might not be back tomorrow, until 10.00 or 10.30 and this morning, with the room being relatively dark and silent until 11.00... it went OK so my Little Guy should be OK tomorrow for the while. Still, "scheiden tut so weh"...
Let's see how the rest of the day goes... especially tuck-in tonight. I don't want to be up too late because i don't want to have to set an alarm for the morning but I likely will do anyway. I'm usually up at 4.00 or 4.30, but, since I have a time constraint... I'll have to disturb the Little Guy in the morning and then RUN about before leaving. I can only hope...
17.52 Well? Dinner (alone) is done, the washing-up is done, the kitchen is almost settled for the night and...
My Heart-and-Soul is still in his loft... No eating, drinking, pooping. And me? Well... I feel as though there's a surrounding weight on my entire being. Oh sure, I'm mulling all the readings about "hormones" and "instinct". But it's just HORRIFICALLY SILENT, and he's "moving" a little but... I'm hoping that when I change the water in his pool he'll get up, at least to eat and poop. I just had to jot a line or two here. Just to get these thoughts out.
19.53 I was ALLOWED a little neck rubs and such! He didn't come out of his loft BUT HE PREENED MY HAND FOR A WHILE! I was SO hoping he'd go for something more to eat but... he's still there. I'm going to put our "night music" on and see what comes of that. I'm trying for a "tuck-in" by close to 20.00 tonight (hoping I'll wake before the alarms sound in the morning AND that he gets proper rest... AND I'm hoping he rests in the morning and that he'll be OK when I leave at 7.00. This is ALL BUT KILLING ME! It's not only the "medical" and driving the Jeep - standard and not mine - but WORRYING about this old house, safety, healthy air, noise, and Yonah's safety - we NEED to get out of and away from here). But for now, my ablutions and tucking in are all that's left for the night... and turning the news off so... here we go...
19.57 HE'S EATING! I got up to put the night music on, looked in his loft and he wasn't there... HE'S EATING! OH YAY!
20.20 This Little Character is in his house, pecking at seeds on the floor there, inside his door. I'd put some there for him, this morning, because he was pecking at the few that he'd tossed. So it's something and some place different.
And his "night music" is playing on the lap-top here as I type (to make sure I have the correct one on the server).
At 20.10, he was in his loft when I stepped out for my ablutions and when I got back to the room HE WAS ON THE FUTON !!! He'd eaten, had a drink and was OFF! THREE POOPS on the futon and each one was ALMOST "normal". Still dark. Still quite large, but NOT like the others of late! (He's on his door perch as I type, preening... Oh my, I wonder... "ride home"? or not?)
We played for the shortest while, but he really had no interest and didn't want "cuddles" and when I tried, he headed back to his house to peck at some grit and another quick drink.
Now? I'm going to close this here for the night and see what he has in store... I'm hoping a night on the roost and no "holding poops" over-night. But it's HIS call and where he chooses...
(Side not here for the sake of explaining this house and my worries: at this hour, I can smell cooking in his room and the readings on the monitor are, on the "PMs" that are usually single smaller double larger... both are double, though both are well with-in the "green". But there... that cooking next door should affect OUR air? We really need to get away from this.)
We need to get to tucking-in but THIS Little Character obviously has other plans for the immediate future. Oh... and it's snowing out-side again. "I'll give you shelter from the storm, a cosy fire to keep you warm. But most of all, when snow-flakes fall.... I give you LOVE!" (And I PRAY that it's OK.)

Monday 17 November:
4.57 and I'm still waiting to go to sleep. I was up just about every hour through the night with this appointment and thinking of how to "orchestrate this morning so as to make it easiest for Yonah and wondering if he's going to be OK through the few hours I'll be away...
Tucking-in last night was, well, I'm not so sure he was ready, even at 20.20 or so. I DID get a bit of cuddles, on the door perch though. He was "almost" agreeable to them, though a bit on the fidgety side of it. Still, he didn't make his recently-usual efforts to "escape". It was almost re-assuring and, for me, comforting. And when I stopped, instead of making a dash to get away, he hopped into his house and did a little more foraging. I started lullabies, watching to see what would come next...
Next was... I brought his little platform down from his roof-top and placed it in front of him and sure enough, he hopped on and I brought him up to the night roost where he hopped off and onto the perch and, for a moment, it appeared that he was going to settle there for the night but... I'd already had the room ready and the futon too, so I got right to the futon to settle me down and as I did... he headed back to his loft... for the night. So, I got me under the covers and continued the lullabies, softly.
As it turned out, the last light was turned off at 20.55 again so all the efforts at an "early tuck-in" were for naught. Oh well... can't say we didn't try. it probably wasn't on "Yonah's time" but it was "normal time"... for us, anyway.
And so... since I was up anyway, this morning, and the alarms were set for 5.00, I looked at the clock, say 4.40 and here I am...
Cold out there this morning, and there was a "dusting" of snow over-night. The roads are, of course, "wet" from all the de-icing chemicals that were dumped through the night. I never heart a plough, even once. So, I'm hopeful that the roads up the mountains will be clear and ice-free. Quick there, quick back and done. "Hope".
Oh, and the air monitor last night? By the time we settled, all the readings were back to where they normally are. That was a relief.
Next up this morning, getting me out of here, on the road, to appointment and back... and seeing what sort of day it will be. No doubt, me on the futon... snoozing. But at least I'll be back with my Heart-and-Soul.
13.04 Up from an hour's snooze (not really a "nap") solo BUT... I got up to see the Little Guy sitting right up in his nest! I had to leave the room for a moment and as I did... HE CAME RUSHING OUT, THROUGH THE KITCHEN AND OUT TO THE LIVING-ROOM TO THE ROOF OF HIS YARD HOUSE!
"woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo" from out there!
Followed by a "WOO-HOO!"
and another "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo"
and again... "WOO-HOO!"
When I got out to him, I opened the front door to check the clearing skies and he flew to the floor and toddled around the living-room, came toward the door, got a bit of the cold air and headed to the kitchen!
And now, as I sit here typing this, HE'S WALKING ABOUT THE FLOOR OF HIS ROOM!
At some point in all of this, he'd stopped at the pillow on the futon where the Futon Flock usually is and... POOPS! WOW THE POOPS!
TWO OF WHAT'S BECOME "EXPECTED": 3cm LONG BY 1cm WIDE BUT ANOTHER ONE, RATHER LARGE 1cm ROUND WITH A "LAYER" OF POOP BUT MOSTLY UREA! IN THE OTHER TWO, THE UREA WAS "SWIRLED" INTO THE REST. BUT WOW! WHAT POOPS!
AND NOW, HE'S ON THE FLOOR, BY MY FEET, BESIDE ME AT THE DESK!
ONE PARTICULAR NOTE: HIS TODDLES ARE A LITTLE STRANGE. AS IF ONE OF HIS LEGS IS "ASLEEP"... HE'S GETTING AROUND, BUT IT APPEARS A LITTLE "AWKWARD". BUT HE'S JUST FLOWN BACK UP TO HIS DOOR PERCH AND HE'S PREENING AND BEHAVING AS IF ALL IS WELL. I'LL BE WATCHING HIS WALKING AND FLYING, TO BE SURE.
And he's pecking at the scattered seeds on the floor of his house now so HE'S EATING! I'M THRILLED!
As for this morning, when I'd done getting me together, at the last minute, I went into the room and opened the curtains on the farther window, left the blinds down but open, removed the roof board, opened the door to his house and placed the door perch. That way, the room was light enough and he had freedom to get up and get out. It was heart-breaking to leave him. (But the results of today's medical were GREAT! No "biopsies" for me, a follow-up in February and blood drawn - I'm still waiting for the results. Leaving the house was OK. 7.00 and I was on the road and all "down here" was fine. But the difference up on the mountains! So much SNOW up there and blowing all about. The appointment ran until 9.15 and coming back was as snowy and wet and slow.)
I didn't get back until 10.15 and the first thing I did was to come into the room and open the windows so that the sun-light could come into the room. Well... what sun-light was coming through the clouds. In any case, it was much lighter.
(13.19 and he's back in the loft... But at least he was out, about and POOPED and ATE!)
He was still in his nest in the loft, but he was so "broad"! "Squashed-down", as it were. When I put my hand in to give him "HELLO!" neck rubs and such, he got up and gave my hand and fingers the strongest pecks and bites. I got to the morning water change in his pool and as I ran back and forth, in and out of the room, he watched, but didn't get up.
When the water run was done, it was already time for an early lunch so I set his lap-top on the desk, put the "news" on and went about getting my little lunch together. I went back to him for more neck rubs and "Hello" to assure him that I was back, and in and wasn't leaving. He did the same thing with the pecks and bites but just wouldn't leave his loft. I took it that he was still going to stay there through the day again, though I SO wanted him to get up... at lest to POOP! Nope.
So I had my lunch at the desk and thought I'd get a snooze in to make up for no sleep last night... and there we have it.
And yep... 13.28... he's back in the loft. But he's moving about now, "arranging" the twigs in his nest and preening. So...
(I have to take a quick run out of the house in a little while, but only for moments... the sky is trying to clear to the house is a bit lighter than it's been. As I snoozed, the sun came in beautifully. The snows are supposed to be done for the next few days. I wish we could get out in it but... COLD is coming too so...)
19.36 The house is settled and I'm at the desk when... suddenly...
TWEEDLES! WING-WHISTLES! HE'S ON THE SHELF! He'd been in his house, all calm, looking like he was getting ready to settle-in for the night. OH, I should know better! But I HAD to get up and as I did, he headed for his roof-top and we had a bit of playing as I started to close the room for the night. Interestingly, I tried to "introduce Burdie-Bird" into the play but he didn't want to play with Burdie! But with ME? SURE! Well hey!
And now, he's on the floor of his house, foraging about for a little late-night snack.
BUT... ACTIVITY! HE'S ACTIVE! HE'S UP! HE'S ABOUT! AND I'M NOT COMPLAINING AT ALL, AT ALL! OK, so it's last minute of the day but IT'S SO GOOD, SO COMFORTING TO SEE HIM SO ACTIVE! (Now, I wait for the poops... AND.... HERE WE HAVE ONE!:
Of course, on the shelf. ONE... large poop and again, the LARGE urea "blop". A little "odour" but I never checked the others and I'm not surprised by this... the size is what I'd expect after he's held all day again. Now to see how long this burst of action lasts.... and I was contemplating tucking-in soon. The waters are changed, the windows closed. I did those at 18.30... and he stayed in his loft all the while then. THAT'S hard for me to take.
Oops... he's back on the futon! (19.47). 20.08 SO much for early tuck-in. HE'S BEEN ALL OVER THE ROOM, ON THE LITTLE "EXTENSION PERCH", AND NOW, I SPRINKLED FOOD INTO THE PILE OF TWIGS AND PINE CONES AND WOW IS HE EATING! So I have to keep this in mind: he's foraging. I HAVE to figure out how to make his house more "foraging-able", as it were, especially if he's going to eat there. He's eating from his dish too, but I want him to eat enough! Especially these days.
Well? I've got nothing on tomorrow's agenda (maybe a quick run to market in the after-noon or early morning) so we can "sleep in" (as if we ever do... but then again, with him sleeping in the loft until 10.30 or 11.00 that's pretty much "sleeping-in", though I wish the circumstances were different). 20.24 and... he hopped him-self up from his floor and to the loft! I've put a little "ramp" across from his loft to the food shelf. I don't know (I NEVER actually "KNOW"... "the superior being... human) but it's just in case he isn't in a mood to hop or fly over to get something to eat. It's a little scrap from the back-board wood that I cut to size. Not sure if I'll leave it there. It takes a LOT of space from the inside of his house and if he tries to fly, he might injure him-self. He DOES make it obvious though, that he doesn't "approve" so it'll probably be out before the end of the night. (And I don't want to leave it in there over-night in case something startles him in the dark. he could break a wing if it got caught under that board. I'm thinking, again, of getting the next larger house, but that's going to be larger shelving and there's the matter of room to roll it about. Oh... but... we' shall see. For now, I'll leave the board and see if he even uses it. If not... out.)
20.52 and the Little LOVE is still in his loft. Our night music is on, my "ablutions" are done, sleep-wear on and the house is settled. It's so "still", so quiet... so "heavy"... but we're closing house, closing the day and hoping for tomorrow...

Tuesday 18 November:
18.55 AND I AM SO FAR BEHIND in spite of being up at 7.00 WHICH IS WHEN THIS MORNING'S "CALL" CAME... YES! WE HAD A "CALL" THIS MORNING... FROM THE NIGHT ROOST! I woke at the usual 5.00 and was NOT getting up until I got called. I rolled over, looked up at the night roost, say the little silhouette and went right back to sleep. I had no particular plans for the day ahead and we had an exceptionally late tuck-in last night so...
As for last night... well...
At 20.52, as I closed the day, I'd closed the whole house, and Yonah's house was already settled for the night and I expected to get us both tucked-in BUT as I went to get him settled... HE WAS EATING! There was NO way I was going to disturb him, since he eats so seldom during the day. So I got the futon together, and laid the linens for me, expecting him to eat and head back to his loft BUT...
He ate... he headed to the desk shelf at 21.02! I'd already turned on the moon lights, one desk light was off so the room was truly "dimly lit" but there he was, all fluffing and preening! I talked to him a little bit about being up and awake so late and as I talked, he flew over to his roof-top and stepped onto the little platform that was still there, waiting for him.
Oh yes... he waited and when I reached up to get him, he got into his usual position, ready for "take-off" and we "drifted along", over and down and into his house to the night roost. On arrival? He hopped right off the platform and onto the night roost, but he's done that before and then scuttled over to his loft so I wasn't expecting him to stay so I went about starting lullabies, and turned off the last desk lamp and our night music.
WELL THEN! I was on the futon, ready to tuck me in when... FLUTTER OF WINGS! I'D ALREADY CLOSED THE DOOR TO HIS HOUSE, still waiting for him to go to his loft BUT THERE HE WAS, ON THE FLOOR OF HIS HOUSE! HE'D COME DOWN FOR A DRINK OF WATER! I was THRILLED! BUT... when he'd done, he came to the front of his house, by his door and was staring up at his night roost, looking as though he wanted to get up there but... SO, I OPENED HIS DOOR AGAIN, GOT THE PLATFORM that, at the time, was already on the desk for the night, and brought it over to him and... he hopped on and we went back up to the night roost where he stepped off and... TO MY SHOCK, HE SCUTTLED OVER TO HIS "NIGHT ROOST" PLACE AND... HE STAYED THERE! SO... I made haste to get the lights in the room down to where he MIGHT sleep and sure enough...
By 21.30, lullabies were done, the last light was turned off AND HE WAS STILL ON THE NIGHT ROOST! I WENT TO SLEEP SO HAPPY!
This morning? OK... as I said, I waited for the "call" and sure enough... 7.00 came a BEAUTIFUL "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo"! Woke me up, but I managed to gather a raspy little "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo" back and he answered with a "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo" and I replied with another raspy "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo" and THEN came the "woo-HOO!" and I was up! AND HE WAS ON THE NIGHT ROOST! I WAS ECSTATIC! "MORNING CALL" FROM THE "NIGHT ROOST"! I opened the door to his house immediately, checked the "poopie rug" and sure enough... there they were! POOPS... ON THE LITTLE KITCHEN ROLL UNDER THE NIGHT ROOST! 11 QUITE NORMAL AND REGULAR AND HEALTHY POOPS, AND 3 TINY "PARTIAL POOPS", BUT ALL OF THEM ON THE "RUG" AND ALL OF THEM LOOKING JUST AS HEALTHY AS THEY COULD BE!
I leaned in to the Little LOVE, to see if I'd get ANY kisses (thinking he'd be angry with me for almost fooling him into staying on the roost and not letting him get to his loft) and I GOT KISSES! NOSE, CHEEK, FORE-HEAD... KISSES! AND WING-STRETCHES AND MORE WOO-HOO'S! WOOHOO! WHAT A GLORIOUS START TO THE DAY! And since I had only one quick market run on my agenda, I looked SO forward to us having the day together.
More? CLEAR SKIES OUT-SIDE WHEN I OPENED THE WINDOWS... SUN-SHINE OUT THERE! I got right to putting the kettle on for me and into the morning water run. I was FULL of energy! SO INSPIRED AND ENCOURAGED!
Ah, but when I'd done with the water run...
I was emptying the catch-bucket in the loo when I heard the TWEEDLE of WINGS and looked out just in time to see the LITTLE WONDER-LOVE SOARING INTO THE LIVING-ROOM! "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo's" in abundance out there and then, he was onto the roof of his yard house by the windows where he settled right down and made him-self MOST comfy!
I went out to do the "heat and oil checks" and when I came back, he was still there! AND HE WAS IN THE LIVING-ROOM FOR THE BETTER PART OF AT LEAST AND HOUR THIS MORNING before he went back to his house and... yes... back to his loft. No play on the futon. No "Good morning" to Burdie. But I was happy that he'd been up and out and about and moved... for a GRAND CHANGE. I was hoping he'd be out and about as the day progressed but this morning's "exit" from his house... his ROOM... well, it just "inspred" me and gave ME the energy I needed to face another day.
Oh but... POOR PRECIOUS LITTLE LOVE... I'd misplaced a pair of my reading glasses some-where at some time and the last place I remember using them was when we clipped his little claw. SO... thinking they were in his room some-where, I began to search. WELL! THAT turned into an "all-in-all-out" ROOM CLEANING! Under the futon, the files on the desk, book shelves... I turned his room all about for the entire morning! There was no want for "activity" in the place. Where he usually has to tolerate me sitting almost silently at the desk, this morning was hoover, and boxes, files, papers... all sorts of chaos! It ran until 11.45! Time for lunch!
The sun POURED in through the windows all through the morning, so that was delightful. But the Little Guy stayed, again, in his loft... probably wondering what was "wrong" with me.
I had my quick lunch and, as we do, I headed to the futon for a much-needed lie-down for... 90 minutes! It was so comfortable being there, on the futon. But again... I was solo. I'm SO MISSING our naps together!
When I got up, I HAD to RUN to market so I jumped up, determined to get that out of the way, headed out the door, with the Little LOVE in his loft, in the warmth and sun-shine... 30 minutes, marketing done we were back to the "normal affairs" of the day. But, he stayed in his loft again... for the entire rest of the day
So it all ran into dinner time and I sat, alone, at the desk, to have my dinner. My Little LOVE stayed in his loft. It makes for a "heavy" sort of evening. I've become accustomed to him getting up to have HIS supper when he sees me having mine.
I was finished with everything including the washing-up by 18.00 so I decided I'd get the water in his pool changed whilst I was up. This evening, when I'd done with the water run, I closed the blinds and curtains too, thinking we'd get to tuck-in at a "good" hour tonight. WE PLAYED WITH THE "CURTAIN CRITTER"! HE WANTED TO PLAY! I ALMOST CRIED!
And when the windows were done, back-board on and all was settled, I headed to the kitchen to settle that for the night and whilst I was out there... HE GOT UP AND WENT OVER TO EAT! AND HE ATE SO VERY WELL! I'm relieved to see him eating well, but wish he'd get back to eating during the day too. I worry, terribly, because now, he eats before tucking-in for the night and all through the night, he HOLDS all that poop, and then, in the morning, what comes through is so LARGE and dark. It can't be good for his little system (and I don't know HOW he manages to pass so much at once... some of these poops are the size of EGGS and he's not "built" for eggs!)
But... after all that... back to the loft... back to the loft... back to the loft.
20.17 HEY! He's on the floor of his house foraging! I REALLY HAVE to figure a nice little "foraging box" for him or some way to make foraging fun for him! But it's a relief to see him up and active. Hopefully it'll help him digest all that he's eaten... Now to see how the rest of the evening runs. I have to get to my ablutions and hope we get to "seepie-nigh-night" before really late. I can imagine he's not very tired after lounging all day, but the sun is gone, the Yardies are roosting, it's "time" for sleep (for both of us).
At 20.00, on the mark, I was "chatting" with AI, where I asked why he was so stand-offish tonight, facing away from me and the rest of the house, and not playing... Great insight from AI. He's "focused" on his nest, his territory now. The "nesting instinct" does that, and in the wild, he'd be watching the nest, protecting it from "intruders" and predators. Even "bachelor birds" will do the very thing in the wild, and reading thrugh the information reminded me: Yonah isn't a "pet-shop bird". He's "wild", no matter how adapted he's become to living the life he has. His instincts, his hormones, they're ALL "NOT-domestic". I've done all I can to help maintain those "wild" instincts... here they are. Now I have to learn about them and come to accept them. AND... THEN... AS I was typing with AI, he came WOOSHING out of his house and off to the futon where, of course, he "deposited" TWO LARGE POOPS again and then, apparently feeling lighter, he was off and up to his house to eat... foraging on the floor again.
The poops? 2 large, but not as large as they've been. One had no urea at all and the other "made up for it". But they're not as dark as they've been. Maybe because of last night on the roost? I'm hoping his little digestive system will return to "normal"... SOON!
Well... I'm off to ablutions and turning the news off and seeing about where we'll sleep tonight...
20.46 already... so much for "proper tuck-in"... Yonah is back in the loft, the night music is on, my ablutions are done, I'm off to set the futon for me, lullabies and to see what's to come next... He was up and about this evening for a total of about 20 minutes. Not really "moving", not really exercise. And it looks like another night in the loft... Well? More tomorrow...

Wednesday 19 November:
it's 8.10 and I woke, this morning, at 6.30 and for no particular reason other than my usual hope to keep abreast of the day, I decided to get right up and on with the day. Yonah's door has been closed and I'm quickly jotting here now that he's up...
At 8.00 I really started to *worry* because there hadn't been a sound from him, no "call", nothing, so I silently opened the door to his room and waited... SILENCE... Heavy-hearted and not wanting to disturb him, in case he was tired or simply not feeling well, I made my way to the futon so that I could look into his house and, at least, see the little silhouette there in the loft as I silently folded the linens.
He raised his head... in silence... looked toward me but didn't move other-wise. It SHATTERED MY SOUL! I JUST DIDN'T KNOW IF I SHOULD GO OVER TO HIM OR LET HIM BE AS HE WAS! IT'S THE NOT KNOWING WHAT TO DO THAT MAKES THIS ALL THE WORSE!
But I let him be, waiting to see if there would be any sort of "activity", hoping he'd actually get up and move about, at the very least... AND POOP!
-8° out there this morning, clear skies though. "Snappy-cold", frost all over and on the trees too. Last night's "tuck-in" was... well... at 20.53 I got to settling the futon for me for the night and started "Autumn Leaves" when... there he was, on the night roost! It LOOKED LIKE he was settling there for the night but, silly me, oh no. I stopped singing and went over to him AND I GOT KISSES! I GOT KISSES AND CUDDLES! HE LET ME GIVE HIM KISSES AND CUDDLES! AND THEN... off he went, scuttling back over to the loft. Oh well. No sooner did he get there, he obviously snuggled-in and... well, there he stayed... for the night.
I got me to the futon, watching to see if he'd come back to the night roost but, I got me settled for the night, finishes the lullabies and, at 21.15, the last light was turned off. No seepie-nigh-night on the night roost again.
16.11 WELL! WELL! WELL! WELL! WELL !!!
It's been another day in the loft, with the sun POURING in through the windows, and for me, just dull OTHER THAN...
I was putting the room together, ready to confront the day, the room was settled and SUDDENLY... THE SOUND OF WINGS !!! THE NEXT THING I KNEW... THERE HE WAS... ON MY ARM! ON MY ARM! FOR THE FIRS TIME IN WHAT FEELS LIKE "ETERNITY" !!! AND HE TODDLED UP TO MY LEFT SHOULDER AND STARTED PREENING !!! THEN, TODDLED ROUND MY BACK TO MY RIGHT ARM WHERE HE WENT BACK TO HIS PREENING !!! AND HE LET ME GIVE HIM LITTLE KISSES !!! (I managed to get some photos but they're of him preening and his little "tail side". BUT I got "selfies" and snuggles!) HE STAYED WITH ME FOR A GOOD 2 OR 3 WHOLE MINUTES, UNTIL I ASKED IF HE WANTED TO COME WITH ME WHEN I CHANGED HIS WATER AND HE HEADED TO THE WALL SHELF... APPARENTLY, HE PREFERRED TO "SU-BIRD-VISE". I WAS PERFECTLY FINE WITH THAT ! I WAS JUST SO IN AWE THAT, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN "FOREVER", HE CAME OUT OF HIS HOUSE AND RIGHT TO ME, TO MY SHOULDER! I WAS SOOOOOO HOPEFUL THAT OUR "MOOD" WAS PASSING TODAY ! SO I GOT RIGHT TO WORK WITH CHANGING THE WATER IN HIS POOL AND AS I STARTED, HE HEADED BACK TO HIS HOUSE, TO THE FOOD PERCH, TO "SU-BIRD-VISE".
BUT THE TIME I'D DONE AND MANAGED TO GET BACK TO THE ROOM TO GET ON WITH THE MORNING'S AFFAIRS, THE SUN WAS SHINING INTO HIS HOUSE AND AS I SAT AT THE DESK, HE NESTLED, RIGHT IN-SIDE HIS DOOR, IN THE SUN-SHINE... TO BASK ! HE HASN'T DONE THAT IN THE LONGEST WHILE EITHER! OH YES... I WAS HOPEFUL... but...
It didn't last... By 10.30, he was back up in his loft and, oh well, that's where he stayed for the rest of the day. Me? I "busied" me in his room, desk and futon, trying to be "together" with him, even though just in the same room for the morning and he stayed in his loft.
POOP REPORT: THIS MORNING, BEFORE COMING TO MY SHOULDER, HE TOOK A BRIEF STOP AT HIS DOOR PERCH AND THERE HE LEFT TWO LARGE POOPS! LARGE BUT NOTHING LIKE THE POOPS HE'D BEEN LEAVING ABOUT. THESE ACTUALLY LOOKED LIKE "POOPS", ABOUT 1cm X 1cm EACH BUT THERE WAS ANOTHER ONE, ABOUT THE SIZE OF A "REGULAR LARGE", ,5cm, MOSTLY UREA! ONE OF THE LARGER HAD UREA TOO, BUT NOTHING LIKE THE AMOUNT ON THE SMALLER. BUT... POOPS THEY WERE, AND CONSIDERING THEY'D BEEN HELD ALL NIGHT, THEY WERE "HEALTHY", NOT "DARK", NOT "WET". SO THAT WAS PROMISING.
SO... mid-day, I had my lunch, my Little LOVE lounged in his loft. After, I grabbed a 30-minute snooze and I WOKE 2 minutes before the alarm and heard him, fluttering down to his night roost. When he saw that I was awake... he headed back up to his loft.
I had a quick-run errand this after-noon so I got up, got me together and headed out the door in one "swoop" of my own. 30 minutes later, I was back and my Little LOVE was still in his loft so... the day rolled on.
And now? He's still in his loft, I'm going to throw some "dinner" together and... wait for his nightly WOOSH and see where it brings us.

Thursday 20 November:
14.00 And the day has been "occupied", sunny, chilly too. But at least "sunny". And as I sit, at long last, to type, my little Heart-and-Soul has been in his loft for most of it... again. It started quite "active" though so I'm almost wondering if he's not just there because it's the way he wants. And after last night's late tuck-in and lights-off, maybe it's a "snooze-day". He DID coo this morning! THAT was different from recent days. So, we'll have to "watch, wait and see" how the days ahead move along.
Meanwhile... let's get to last night here because I have written notes that I jotted after closing this Journal for the night... LOTS of note...
By 20.52 the house was settled, the room was settled and the moon lights were on. All that remained was setting the futon for me for the night. So I started that, started the lullabies (the "night music" off) and as I did, the Little Character got up and hopped over to his food. I thought it might be a little snack but WOW, did he ever EAT! And THEN, he headed right to the floor of his house! I SO expected him to head to his pool for a drink but he made him-self quite comfy there. Figuring he might need a little more light to "navigate" I turned the "LED" desk lamp back on, at its dimmest setting and no sooner had I done, he headed back up... for MORE TO EAT! HEY! My Little Guy was EATING! I was in no particular rush to get settled for the night so I kept singing our lullabies, set the futon for the night and had a sit-down to see what was coming next - still expecting a drink at the pool... I was already through "I Wish You Love" and he was STILL not looking like he was even considering tuck-in for the night.
I waited... actually got onto the futon, though with my head at the other end so that I could clearly watch to see what the Little Guy was doing and while he ate, I threw our "Think It's Going To Rain Today" and "The Turtle Dove" back into the repertoire... AND... at
21.05 I got up and brought him, in cupped hands, down to the floor of his house, hoping to encourage him to get a drink of water after so much to eat. Nope. No interest in a drink of water BUT HE WENT BACK UP TO HIS FOOD TO EAT AGAIN! I WAS AMAZED! HE WAS SO HUNGRY! So I was CERTAINLY NOT going to rush him in ANY way. SO I re-settled me on the futon again and continued with our lullabies repertoire.
By 21.24 I'd done with "Stille Nacht"... the last song sung with any lights on in the room. Done. And as I was singing, I noticed the Little LOVE made a quick "visit" to his loft. Oddly, I'd moved his little "bundle of corn husks:" that dangles under the loft, because it seemed to be in his way when he was on his floor, and I'd put it up onto the loft. It appears that it bothered him some-how. He looked at his nest for a while but didn't go into it.
I recalled a suggestion given by "AI" to re-arrange something around his nest, that it might break his "connection" with/to it and encourage him to change the "nesting instinct". I don't know that that's what happened but I was pleasantly surprised to see him step back off his loft and scuttle across the perch to his night roost and then, back over to his food perch!
Because it was getting late, I thought I'd give a try to get him back over to his night roost, hopefully for the night, so I brought his platform over to him. He wanted nothing to do with it so I made a little "bridge" from him to the night roost perch and he got on... I brought him over to the night roost and he hopped right on and THEN...
For the first time all day... a soft "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo"!
I responded with my own soft "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo"! and he repeated "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo"! as softly!
I was SO delighted that we were having a "chat" so I repeated "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo"! and he, AGAIN, replied "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo"!
Giving it a try, I changed to "woo-HOOooo", a "nest coo" AND he answered with "woo-HOOooo"!
I tried again: "woo-HOOooo" and again, he answered "woo-HOOooo"!
Well? Seemed like we were telling one-another "It's time to settle-down for the night." and so, I turned the desk "LED" light off, sneaked-in a couple of soft kisses and closed the door to his house. I got me back to the futon and watched, carefully, expecting him to head back to the loft but... HE DIDN'T. HE SETTLED ON THE NIGHT ROOST! So I dimmed the last moon light to lowest and sang "Mein Klein' Yonahlein", watching the little silhouette there... and when done, the last light of the day turned off... I sang "What'll I Do"...
Lights off... 21.28! And my Little LOVE, "mein kleiner lieber Yonahlein" was on his night roost!
This morning? Well OK then... I DID wake at 5.00 and I DID stay on the futon and I DID doze back off to sleep until... "morning call"...
7.00 on the mark! "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo"!
I did my best to answer with a "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo" in my "morning chirp" and he answered with a "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo" too! And when I repeated my "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo" he replied with the morning "woo-HOO!" Time to get up and on with the day! And because the day started with COO's, I WAS FULL OF HOPE AND ENERGY! I got up, looked into his house as I opened the door and there he was, on the night roost... with a little wing-stretch! WE WERE UP! And we'd both slept until we were ready to wake! And he looked SO comfortable there, under his little heater. I popped my face in for "Good morning" kisses and I GOT A FACE FULL! KISSES! COO'S and KISSES this morning! I WAS THRILLED!
AND POOPS ON THE "POPPIE-RUG" THIS MORNING TOO! 10 PERFECTLY, ABSOLUTELY "NORMAL", HEALTHY POOPS, ON THE RUG, NO "STAINS", "HALOS", NOTHING OUT OF THE "NORMAL"! WHAT a beginning of a day!
Encouraged, I got right to opening his house for the day, lifting the roof board, placing the door perch, I was full of hope. AND... in MOMENTS HE WAS UP, OUT OF HIS HOUSE, FLYING ABOUT THE ROOM! Desk shelf, futon, desk shelf, wall shelves. Staring at me all the while I went about settling the house for the day! FULL of ALL SORTS of ENERGY! It was almost a "normal" morning again!
Ah... but... as soon as it all started... he was back to his loft. But in the morning sun-shine, it seemed "normal". And he appeared to be quite alright... after a night on the night roost.
19.52 and here we are... the evening waters done, the windows closed against the on-coming chill of the night. The kitchen is settled. All that needs be done now is my evening ablutions, change to sleep-wear and settling the futon. The "news" is still on but is soon to be turned off too. AND... as for the day?
Another day, all day, in the loft. I held off with cooking, made a quickest run to market this after-noon after lunch. No snooze today.
I had dinner... my Little Guy stayed in his loft.
I did the washing-up and he stayed in the loft.
After the washing-up, at 18.30, I ran the evening water change and THEN HE GOT UP, WENT TO HIS FOOD AND ATE WELL... AND ODDLY, WHILST HE ATE, HE POOPED! ONE of the usual LARGE poops, and this one was almost one complete poop. The urea was "appropriate" to the rest, and white. But it was on his food shelf! He didn't even have time to fly out. AND... he never did!
Today, I tried giving him some of the sprouted seeds and to my amazement, he actually ate a few! They had "roots", but he nibbled and then swallowed them! He LIKES them!
But I checked with "AI", as I do, because I wondered how he'd digest the little "strings". Come to learn, I shouldn't wait so long for them to "sprout"! It should take about 48 hours, let them absorb the water and "chit", split the shells. By then, the germination will have begun and THAT'S when they're "good to eat". OK... we're starting a new batch.
BUT... I was curious as to how they tasted, these "sprouts" from those seeds. So yes, what Yonah didn't eat, I had! There weren't many, but enough to get a good taste and... THEY'RE REALLY QUITE TASTY! "NUTTY", as they call it. And when I mentioned it, with some humour, to AI, come to learn, THEY'RE FINE FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION TOO! SO THAT WAS ASSURING! I've always felt: if it's not safe for me, I don't want Yonah eating or drinking it. So there we have it! Sprouts for both of us! YAY!
Anyway, I'm here now, waiting for him to take his "last minute flight". He ate, he pooped, he went right back to his loft. (I might put that corn-husk toy back in the loft tonight if he leaves. Right now, I'm concerned about his "poops" and would rather he let them fall during the night than hold them.) He doesn't appear to even be considering leaving the loft but then, I don't doubt that if I start getting me ready for the night, that's when he'll get up. I can only wonder and wait. Oh... going into week 3... The ONLY thing I can say at this juncture:
I'm SO glad that I looked into multiple sources about this. In days passed, I was SO DEPRESSED, DARK, HEAVY, MISERABLE. These days, I don't "like" this, wish I could do more to help it pass, but... now, I count the days... in hope. At least he's eating, passing what he eats, has "good moments", is flying. I can only hope.
20.52 The house is settled, the night music is playing, I'm in sleep-wear and closing the house. Off to set the futon for me for the night and my Little LOVE? He's still in his loft. (There's a LOT of heavy trucking on the main tonight. Some sort of "congestion" at exit 31 - the one that goes into Keene, and North Hudson... so there's going to be "traffic noise" through the night - how I long for a place away from this.) Anyway, let's see what tonight's "episode" will be when I start lullabies and futon. More tomorrow... I'll jot notes.

Friday 21 November:
18.51 and I'm getting the "nest coo's" from the roof-top after another day of silence from the loft. But I'm just too relieved to see this Little LOVE up and about at last! I had dinner at 16.00 this evening and at 17.00, turned off the UV light to run the evening water and THEN, as soon as I turned the UV light off, he got up, hopped over to his food and ATE BRILLIANTLY WELL! (I think I've just learnt yet ANOTHER lesson: I read that part of how birds perceive "time" is by certain sounds and the light of day. Well? The UV went off, likely signalling the absence of the sun and so... it was time to eat and get ready for the night. And getting ready for the night, of lately, means "LET'S FLY! LET'S GO!") And... no sooner had he eaten, he was up and out and onto his roof-top, back-end over the front and yes... POOPS... THREE of them... down on the floor. BUT, no major deal. I got the bulk and the rest will come right up when dry. (I don't understand people who say "Birds are so dirty." They're actually the cleanest Companions. A little poop here and there, when dry, they pick up as completely clean and easy. Besides, I know what's in them... nothing but the very best seeds and clean water so... Never mind for all the rest. Mean-while, he's taken a couple of "flights" round my head now and is back on his roof... staring down at me as I type. (Because I finished dinner so early, I was looking forward to having some time with him but he didn't want to play and didn't want kisses either. So I'm not going to force me on him. This is HIS house, HIS world... We'll see how long this lasts.)
Anyway... time for me to catch-up with this day here... with the time I have.
Heading back to last night... Oh... last night... ANOTHER NIGHT ON THE NIGHT ROOST! I WAS AMAZED! (And comforted. And I took notes...)
SO... at 21.00 he was back in his loft, so I popped my head in and asked "Are you ready to go seepie-nigh-night now?" He just gave me the usual "look" but didn't appear to be any-where NEAR ready for "seepie-nigh-night", so I started to sing "Autumn Leaves" and set the futon for me and...
UP HE GOT AND HEADED OVER TO HIS FOOD! AND WOW, DID HE EAT!
(*** 19.24 and he's just come down from his door perch and IS ON HIS LAP-TOP BESIDE ME! ALL SNUGGLED AT THE SCREEN... LIKE "OLD TIMES"! I want SO MUCH to snuggle and kiss but I don't want to disturb him! This "normalcy" is SO COMFORTING! IT'S BEAUTIFUL! Now I wonder what's to follow... And I know... we shall see... Oh yes... we SHALL... ***)
Continuing.. by 21.07 he was on the night roost and I took the liberty of setting his roof-board on, expecting him to see that and head right to the loft... BUT HE DIDN'T. Instead, HE HEADED BACK TO HIS FOOD AND THEN DOWN TO THE FLOOR OF HIS HOUSE ... AND A DRINK! I'd turned all the lights off, save the moon lights, but seeing him there, I turned the desk LED lamp back on, at dimmest setting. I'd already closed his door for the night and when he'd done drinking, he came over and stood there, staring out at me... just staring out at me. SO...
I opened the door, brought the little platform over and set it in front of him so he could get on, if he wanted and he wanted. He HOPPED right on and so... up we went, to the night roost where he hopped onto it and actually started to settle, as he used to do! I took advantage of the situation, closed his door again, continued lullabies and got me to the futon... watching and waiting...
He STAYED on the night roost all through the rest of the lullabies and... at 21.35... the last light was turned off! AND MY LITTLE HEART-AND-SOUL WAS ALL TUCKED... ON HIS NIGHT ROOST! SO BEAUTIFUL!
Ah... this morning... of course, I woke at about 5.00 but I wasn't in any mood to get up at that hour. Nothing pressing on the day's agenda. It's Friday, house-cleaning, and I had some cooking to do but nothing that warranted getting up that early, so I dozed right back off to sleep until...
6.56... "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo" !!!***!!!***
And when I replied "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo"... HE responded with "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo"!
Just to see where it would go, I continued coo'ing and HE continued coo'ing and then, after two MORE exchanges, he changed to "woo-HOO!" (OK! GET UP!). And when I replied "woo-HOO", HE answered with a louder, more "curt" "woo-HOO!" SO! I was up and over to his house, opened his door and I got ANOTHER...
"woo-HOO!" as though I was being told "About time!"
Oh... WE HAD A WHOLE CONVERSATION THIS MORNING AS I HEADED OUT TO THE KITCHEN WITH THE WATER CONTAINERS... ALL THE WHILE I WAS SETTING UP FOR THE MORNING WATER RUN, THE COO'S KEPT GOING BACK AND FORTH AND FORTH AND BACK! AFTER ALL THESE DAYS OF TOTAL SILENCE IN THE MORNING... THERE WAS SO MUCH TO BE SAID AND I WAS SO INSPIRED TO GET THIS MORNING SETTLED AND THE DAY ON THE WAY!
And WHAT A MORNING WE HAD...
As I ran the water, my Little Heart-and-Soul stretched his wings, I leaned in for some kisses and got SEVERAL ACTUAL KISSES! And then, he was off to his food shelf as I opened the windows to the grey and chilled morning out-side. In a moment's time, he was OUT... to the wall shelves... to the desk shelf... and when I'd done with the water, he was back in his house and... well... back to his loft.
Poops? 10 ABSOLUTELY PERFECT POOPS IN EVERY WAY... AND ALL UNDER THE NIGHT ROOST.
When I'd done with the water run, the room opened and settled for the day, I stepped out for my morning "loo" and whilst there... THE WHISTLE OF WINGS! MY LITTLE LOVE WAS HEADING OUT TO THE LIVING-ROOM! HE WAS "ON THE WING"! IT WAS SUCH A WELCOMED RELIEF!
When I'd done in the loo, I went out to find him on the roof of his yard house, all cosy. I tried for a kiss but, as usual, OH NO! He scuttled away so I let him be there... HE WAS IN THE LIVING-ROOM FOR JUST OVER AN HOUR THIS MORNING!
I was on the verge of starting to think that we were in for a return to the "normal days" as I started putting the kitchen together for cooking when... WOOSH... he came through the kitchen and back to his house and... back to his loft. That was OK. He spends his days in his loft, but I wondered... after all the chatting this morning...
I went through the cooking, got the kitchen settled and it was time for early lunch. Out-side, the sky was still over-cast and the temperature... "snappy". AND... my Little Guy was still all snuggled in his nest, in his loft. So I went through lunch, news on, trying to keep the day's routine "regular".
After lunch (mostly because for me, it was quite a "painful" day with all that's going on with this old body), I had a "lie-down"... which turned into 90 minutes... alone again. When I woke, the Little LOVE was still in his loft... that's when I turned the UV light on, seeing that the sun wasn't going to come through.
I had one massively quick errand to run and by 14.00 I was out the door. By 14.25 I was back to find the Little Guy REALLY snuggled-down in his loft. So? So... I went directly to the "Friday house-work". THEN, I got a little reaction. He got up to watch me but would NOT leave his loft.
So? SO... house-work done and me up and about, I decided to put my dinner together (since it was cooked) and there we have the day.
Another "Day In The Loft"... until...
Here we are.... and it's 20.02 and he's STILL ON HIS LAP-TOP, NEWS PLAYING, AND HIM PREENING! WE'RE BACK TO THE "GOOD OLD DAYS"... for now, anyway. Let's see what happens from here. I'm up and off to getting the house together... and what-ever games come.
The windows are closed. WE DID PLAY ON HIS ROOF-TOP WHEN I DID THAT THIS EVENING! OH! THE RAISED WINGS WHEN I REACHED UP TO PLAY! THE TODDLING AWAY AND BACK.
One other item...
THIS AFTER-NOON, I REACHED IN TO GIVE HIM A LITTLE NECK RUB AND OH! HE ENJOYED THAT! PECKING AND "PREENING" MY HAND AND FINGERS. But he's SUCH a Character... suddenly, that was the end of it and the pecks got stronger as he made his move away from me. So now... I've been trying the radiator in the room to see how it runs and what it does for the temperature. It's been "cycling" and the room is at 24°. The house furnace is on and the "terracotta heater" is on out there. We'll see how we fare. (The house furnace is almost "touching" the 1/4 tank mark... We're going to have to hit the "savings" again, I'm afraid. But with the little radiator in the room... at least we'll keep warm. And Yonah's got his "Sweeter Heater" in his house and if something happens to that... we have the new one at the ready.)
21.00 My Little LOVE has been on his door perch for 20 minutes, as though waiting for me... and now? We're closing house... news off, night music on... Let the games begin! I LOVE HIM SO MUCH!
21.21 Still on the door perch... TRULY time to close this day... More tomorrow. WHAT A LOVE! WHAT... MY LITERAL HEART-AND-SOUL!

Saturday 22 November:
15.30 already and it was an "other-wise occupied" sort of day with our usual "people nonsense" including but certainly not limited to ordering oil for the furnace to make certain that this house stays comfortable for my Little LOVE! After all, were he not here, I wouldn't bother. But even though he has his "Sweeter Heater" in his house, and the little radiator in his room, I just can't see any reasonable cause for him to have to ever "fluff" his feathers against a night's chill. And the nights are what concern me the most, really. During the day, especially in Winter, when the sun is shining, his windows bring in all the light and warmth it could possibly provide. And that side of this old house is drenched in light and warmth. But the night's temperatures drop so low now... I have blankets... he has... his feathers. So... we keep the place healthy. After all, "I'll give you shelter from the storm, a cosy fire to keep you warm, but most of all, when snow-flakes fall, I'll give you LOVE."
And now, as the sun begins to set, behind the Western mountains and the dark clouds that have come and gone through this other-wise "comfortable-sort-of" day... I finally get to sit and recap last night and this morning and the day... We have "Jean-François Paillard" playing on his lap-top. A little "baroque" to close the day before "supper", and my Little Guy is still in his loft where he's been through another day. Although, I HAVE to note: HE WAS A BIT "CHATTY" DURING THE DAY TODAY. As I sat at the desk, rummaging through all sorts of "business" and the likes, every once in a while, now and then, he'd give a bit of a "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo", and when I answered, he'd keep the conversation going for a while... and then, back to his silence. Frankly, I'm a bit surprised that he was in his loft for such a long while because this morning... WELL!
First of all... last night's tuck-in...
At 21.21, as noted, I got the house closed and headed into his room to find him on his door perch! I turned our "night music" off and started with our lullabies as I put the futon at the ready for me and at 20.25 he was still there, almost nestled but I could see that he was tired. (I'm actually getting, after ALL THESE YEARS, to SEE his fatigue in his little face and by the way he "holds" his feathers... there's a distinct difference between the day and night and as he becomes tired, the little feathers look to be some-what "fluffed". Ever-so slightly, they just don't "lay smooth", as the usually do.) So, I made quick work of the futon and headed over to him and there... as I'll do, I cupped him in my hands, brought my face down for kisses and "snuggles". I expected him to take flight, because that's what he's been doing of late when I try to be "affectionate" BUT LAST NIGHT... HE NESTLED AGAINST MY FACE AS I STROKED HIS NECK, BACK AND BREAST! I whispered "I LOVE you SO much! I really do." and as I whispered, he lightly pecked at my fingers and brought his head up to my chin! It was "like old times"... and just the most PERFECT way to close a day! And when I opened my hands, he hesitated for a brief moment and then headed up to his night roost! I didn't expect him to stay there, so I went on, singing lullabies (by then, we got to "I Wish You Love" already) and turned the desk LED lamp off... He headed over to his food perch so I really expected him to eat a little and head to his loft... BUT HE DIDN'T... instead, he headed right back to his NIGHT ROOST! I still expected him to head to his loft, but he settled there, on the night roost! So I got to the futon, only the little moon lights on so the room was softly dim, the door to his house was closed. We were ready to "officially" close the day... and again, I waited for him to head to the loft.
Ah well... THEN... I was already under the covers on the futon, he was still on his night roost and no sooner had I started "Guten Abend"... "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo"... so softly and "melodiously". I stopped singing and answered, as softly "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo" and he replied with another "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo". ALL of them were truly almost "whisper-like". He WAS tired. And when I answered with a "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo" he replied with a soft nest coo... "woo-HOOoooo". Thinking it a "Good night", I replied "woo-HOOoooo" and he repeated his, I repeated mine and then asked, "Are you ready for seepie-nigh-night?"
"woo-HOOooooo", He was. So, I went right to the little "medley" of "an der ganzen"... "stille nacht"... morgen früh" and put the last lights off... 21.33.
This morning? Well! Yes, I'd woken at my usual 5.00-ish but it being Saturday, I had NO intention of rushing into the day. AND... WHEN I LOOKED UP FROM THE PILLOW, I COULD SEE THE LITTLE SILHOUETTE THERE... MY PRECIOUS, MOST-CHERISHED LITTLE LOVE HAD SPENT THE NIGHT ON HIS NIGHT ROOST AGAIN! I was SO relieved to see that! He was warm, under his heater, and I looked forward to being able to see and count poops... knowing that he wasn't "holding" again. I drifted right back into a deep sleep when...
At 6.56 I was snapped out of a dream by the MOST MAGNIFICENT "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo" !!!
It just feels like it's been SO TOO LONG A WHILE since I've been awakened with that call. And it was clear and so soft... almost more like a semi-whisper, what some would call a "stage whisper". As though he didn't want to "disturb" me but wanted to know if I was awake.
Oh! I was awake alright! And there he was... on his night roost! I was awake and up to open his house and get this morning ROLLING!
Out-side, the skies were over-cast so the room was dark. I quickly opened one window all the way, the farthest from where he was, just to let in some light, placed the door perch, removed the roof-board. I wanted HIS place open in case he wanted to hop about or come out into the room. I headed to the kitchen, put the kettle on and came right back to remove the back-board and as I did... WING-STRETCHES! I popped in for "Good morning" kisses and GOT A FACE FULL! MORNING KISSES! MY LITTLE HEART-AND-SOUL ON HIS NIGHT ROOST! WHAT A START TO A NEW DAY! WE WERE "NORMAL" AGAIN!
Poops check: ALL ON THE LITTLE "RUG" UNDER THE NIGHT ROOST. 14 OF THEM! ALL OF THEM ABSOLUTELY PERFECT!
And that's when the day REALLY started to take off... SO MUCH TO BE SAID! SO MANY "woo-HOO's"!!! The CONVERSATIONS WE HAD THIS MORNING! AND THEN, HE WAS UP, ON THE WING! TO THE WALL SHELVES WITH MORE TO SAY! IT WAS AMAZING! IT WAS DELIGHTFUL! THE HOUSE WAS FULL OF COO'S!
I got my coffee. I got right to the water changes. He came back to his house and watched my EVERY move as I came, poured fresh water, left and came back again. His little head tilted to catch my each and every move!
Ah, but... then... when it was all done, he headed to his loft. But he does that, of a morning, after a BURST of energy. And out-side, the sun tried to break through the gathering clouds. Thankfully, it wasn't a "bitter-cold" day out there and the room was comfortable.
So... I got right to the "business of business". We had to "budget-in" some more heating oil this morning and get "expenses" in the "forecast". I sat me at the desk and get right to it. Yes, "Saturday", "no business, no work", but as I say, the oil in the house furnace is getting low and I'll not be here worrying and wondering about keeping the place happy and healthy for my little HEART-AND-SOUL. So we did the "budget" and the order for the oil AND ALL THE WHILE... intermittently, little "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo"s, back and forth! Little "chats" through the morning, from the loft!
By mid-day, all of that was done... time to break for "lunch". So the old lap-top came into the room, the "news" on, I sat, had my lunch. Yonah had been in his loft all through the morning, there were breaks of sun-shine but for the most part, it was "November"... rather deary. the Yardies had come and gone. In the "relative warmth" I imagine they were taking advantage of it else-where. Still, Yonah made him-self quite cosy in his loft, and the little chats were a most-welcomed break.
When lunch was done, I HAD to take a lie-down (between being awakened from "dream sleep" this morning and the pains of what-ever it is I'm going through these days, I was exhausted). So I set a 30-minute alarm and hit the futon... to more "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo"s. And again, we "chatted" briefly and I actually got another "woo-HOOoooo". It was as though I was being told "Have a good nap." and I drifted off. When the alarm sounded, took another 45 minutes and got right back up to wrap the morning and get on with the rest of the day.
And so, here we are, 16.30, now listening to "Albinoni" with "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo" accompaniment. (I think Yonah LIES "baroque" music! I know he likes Dvorak... and now we add Albinoni to his "repertoire". Classy Little LOVE!) It's gone rather "darkish" out-side the window. And all day, Herr Taube has been nestled in his loft... and I'm wondering what tonight will bring. Oh, indeed... we shall see.
18.56 I'm out of a shower, ready to tuck in. Water in the pool is fresh and clean AND... I started the water at 18.30 AND WOOSH !!! MY LITTLE BUNDLE OF FEATHERS AND LOVE WAS UP AND EATING AND WHEN I'D DONE WITH THE WATER CHANGE... HE WAS OFF TO THE WALL SHELVES AND THEN UP TO THE TOP OF THE BOOK-CASE, MAKING WITH THE NEST COO'S! HE HASN'T DONE THAT IN ALL TOO LONG! And now, as I sit here typing, he's on his roof-top, windows closed, back-board on... this day is wrapping-up! And he's preening! I was seriously beginning to worry (again, yes, again). But here he is... Now? I wait to see when we actually get to tucking-in for the night and what little "surprises" he's got planned...
It was a boring day for him, I'm sure. But all through, as I went about "business of the house" we DID have several little "chats". THAT'S quite NOVEL. We've not had many of that sort of days where we actually chatted. For a moment, I wondered if he wasn't trying to "tell me something that I need to know". Wondered if he wasn't feeling "ill" or in some kind of pain. Then again, with the weather and season being what they are, "Winter" is almost here, the season for "lounging". We shall see. He ate very well, so there's that much encouragement. But again... we'll see how the rest of this evening goes... He's just SO particular about his feathers! It's WONDERFUL to see him preening, putting every-feather in order.
Well then... here we are... 19.54... and the house is settled, I'm almost settled (ablutions await). My PRECIOUS LITTLE LOVE IS STILL ON HIS ROOF-TOP... and I'm turning the "news" off, the night music on... and... ?
20.28 Last minute of the day and the Little Character was up on the upper-most wall shelf and I got up on the futon to get a kiss and then I SAW... OH! THE POOPS UP THERE! REALLY AMAZING! All the while I think he's pooping around the house and he's been pooping up there! Thankfully, they're dry so easy enough to sweep and pick up. Sure, there are stains in the wood, but hey, I know what's in that poops and a little sand-paper, maybe a little "washing" and all will be well. (I'm hoping to use these shelve in our "new home"... may that come SOON, PLEASE!) So, while I was there, as I say, I swept them up and picked them up to get rid of them and as I stood on the futon, THIS LITTLE GUY sailed down onto the futon by my feet! (I had to be SO careful where I stood because he tends to stand so close that I don't always see where he is!) But it didn't seem to phase him at all. And when I'd done, I carefully stepped down, off the futon, got rid of the poops and when I got back WE PLAYED... WITH BURDIE-BIRD! AND WE PLAYED "CHASE" AND I GOT SO MANY, SO VERY MANY KISSES! He's a Character! He's a Comedian! He's a LOVE! HE'S MY LIFE!
So now the "night music" is on and playing and all my "ablutions" are done. He's on the floor of his house, "foraging" thought the twigs and pine cones for a little snack and, for the most part, all is settled. Time for me to get us tucked-in for the night... I think. Full report tomorrow, to be sure.

Sunday 23 November:
It's already 15.40, there's been the lightest snow falling all day and WHAT A DAY THIS HAS BEEN! AND LAST NIGHT WAS "ODD" TOO!
Let's preface with: We've been up, "awake", from since about 5.20 this morning, so it's been "off" for most of it. But... to keep some "chronology" here, let me step back to last night's "tuck-in"...
When I finally got back to the room for the night, my Little LOVE was still on the door perch, so I put the room in order for us, dimming the lights for the nigh, futon ready and I went over to him at 20.35 for some "cuddles", holding him, as I do, in my cupped hands, for back and neck strokes, kisses and "I LOVE YOU"s. Again, he nestled, pecked at my fingers a little but for the most part, he was SO comfortable and obviously enjoying it. But as soon as I opened my hands, he was UP, on-the-wing, and off to the desk shelf! And when he got there, he gave a little "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo" to Bustelo-Birdie! A little "Good night"? What-ever it was, after the coo, he toddled across, closer to his house and took a quick flight to his roof-top and to the little platform there... waiting for the "ride home". WELL THEN! At 20.40, the ride home and when he got to the night roost, it was one of his "casual" steps from platform to night roost. It was SO NORMAL AGAIN! My heart was SO FULL of hope for the night ahead!
I started lullabies as he settled-down for the night, closed his door and headed to the futon to continue the serenade and THAT'S when it started to become REALLY FASCINATING.
As I sang (20.47) I got almost through "I Wish You Love" HE STARTED COO'ING... REPEATEDLY! I stopped singing to coo back... matching the "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo"s and he kept the whole exchange going! BUT THEN, WHEN I TRIED TO CONTINUE THE LULLABIES... HE CHANGED TO "NEST COO's" AND ALL THE WHILE I SANG... THROUGH "Guten Abend" and then through "Weißt du, wie viel Sternlein stehen" HE COO'ed! IT WASN'T A "OK. Enough." SO MUCH AS HE WAS SINGING WITH ME! REPEATEDLY! The coo's were soft, gentle, and almost seemed "timed". OH! But how I SO WISH I could have recorded it! He didn't stop until I started "Stille Nacht" and then... I looked up at the little silhouette before dimming the last moon light and I could see that he'd tucked-in for the night. At "Stilled Nacht" the one last moon light is as dim as it can be and then, after the little "chat", I turn all the lights off for the night. Well! By 21.00 on the mark, the last light was off and so were we... But the singing/coo'ing along was just AWE-INSPIRING!
THEN... came the "interesting" night...
At 3.35 this morning, I was asleep on the futon, the house was, as far as I knew, calm and quiet (save for the sound of the house furnace which makes strange, dull, soft thumps when it starts - I've never been able to ascertain what causes that but it's done it all the while and we usually sleep right through it - BUT... I was awakened by a quite-audible "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo"! Not a "loud" or "panicked" coo, but loud enough to wake me from sleep. In the darkness, I coo'ed back, a soft "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo" and he answered me with the same. As I say, nothing "loud" nor did it sound like anything startled him. I've come to hear the difference. But right away, before I could say or coo any more, another "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo"! I didn't get up, but softly assured him that all was OK, I was with him, we were safe and he settled again... for a moment...
At 3.43... ANOTHER "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo". I was about to get up but again, the house was calm and I was hoping he'd drift back off to sleep... I re-assured him, softly, gave a "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo" and he replied with a soft "woo-HOO!" When I answered with a soft "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo", he replied with an equally soft "woo-HOOooo", I replied with an equally soft "woo-HOOoooo" and that was that... for a while... until...
THE WORST OF THE NIGHT...
I'd fallen deeply into sleep and was dreaming one of those "strange dreams" that was more "fascinating" than "horrible", snapping from one scenario to another, none of which had anything to do with much of anything, but at the end, a little segment of discovering a "nest" of garter snakes. I wasn't afraid. I'm not afraid of garter snakes anyway, but in the dream, I stepped back when one of them came toward me and lifted one foot to avoid stepping on the one coming at me and...
*** BOOM !!! ***
I ROLLED OFF THE FUTON AND WENT DOWN TO THE FLOOR! OF COURSE, THE BOOM STARTLED YONAH AND HE WENT INTO ONE OF HIS "ESCAPE FLIGHTS" IN HIS HOUSE! HEARING HIM CANCELLED THE FALL AND SUCH, I LET HIM KNOW IT WAS OK, AND I GOT UP, TURNED ON THE MOON LIGHTS SO THAT I COULD SEE HIM AND HE COULD SEE ME AND WHERE HE WAS. HE WAS ON THE FLOOR OF HIS HOUSE, UNDER THE NIGHT ROOST! Quick check of the clock: 5.20! THE HOUSE WAS STILL DARK. THE SKY OUT-SIDE WAS STILL DARK. AND THERE HE WAS, MY LOVE, MY LIFE, MY HEART-AND-SOUL, ON THE FLOOR OF HIS HOUSE, STILL. NO COO's. HE WAS FRIGHTENED!
I got right up, went directly to him in the dim light, opened the door to his house and reached in to pick him up, cradled in my cupped hands, to let him know that he was safe, that I was there with and for him, and held him close, gave him little kisses. He was still... apparently comforted to be held, to know he was safe. he was SO still, I brought him over to the futon with me and as I sat, he toddled up to my shoulder. I laid down, head on the pillow, lights still on, and he made his way to my chest. I had my arms crossed over my chest and he nestled in the "crook" of my elbow and settled quite comfortably there. I was tired, but I was more delighted in having him so calm on my chest. We laid there, just like that, and I kept speaking softly to him, to let him know that I LOVE HIM and that he was safe, I was OK and WE were OK... together.
WELL! As it turned out... we laid there, that way, on the futon, together, my little HEART-AND-SOUL on my chest, then on my arm then back to my chest... UNTIL 6.20! I could see "day-light" coming in through the kitchen window... Sunday had arrived, we were up and my Little LOVE was ready to GO! He hopped off my chest onto the futon between me and the back, toddled down to my legs. I was waiting for him to "roost" there on my legs as he "used" to do when we snooze at mid-day but he wasn't in the mood to snooze. He was awake, the day-light was starting... So... I got up, he stayed on the futon, I put the kettle on and Sunday commenced.
But what a way to start at day!
When I got back into the room, he was still on the futon and I started putting things ready for the morning water run.
POOPS this morning: 11 of the most absolutely perfect little poops! I was SO relieved to see that! (Of course, as we were laying on the futon, there were 2 more... equally as perfect.) But what a relief!
And so, that's how our Sunday began. And as soon as the water run was complete, my Little PRECIOUS LOVE headed back "home" for a quick bit of breakfast and the rest of the morning rolled.
Honestly! I just don't know. Not only was the start of the day EARLY, and CHAOTIC, that he just picks right up and moves right along. HE'S MY INSPIRATION!
So I tried to keep the day as "normal and regular" as possible after that. And through the morning, we had more of our little "chats" back and forth. AND... AS I WAS RUNNING WITH THE WATER, WE CHATTED BUT WHEN I GOT BACK INTO HIS ROOM, I COULDN'T SEE HIM! AH-HAH! HE WAS UP ON THE CURTAIN ROD OVER THE LITTLE ALCOVE IN HIS ROOM... ALL JUST AS COMFY AS HE COULD BE. SO... I PUT THE HOUSE TOGETHER "UNDER SU-BIRD-VISION" AND WITH CHATTING!
By 9.00? He was back in his loft, by the window, and out-side, the clouds gathered. What little sun we had earlier was gone. Another "November" sort of day.
This morning, I planted 2 more pots of peas. The first one is growing nicely but isn't ready to be "attacked" but I want to have "extras", back-ups. Yonah enjoys picking at the sprouts and there are so many peas from the "Dove Supreme" mix (he doesn't eat them... they're so large) so... rather than toss them, I usually plant many of them in the gardenette during the Summer. And some end up in the grass for the Yardies. But Yonah likes to peck at the little sprouts, some end up in his loft nest and others? Well, he just likes to pull at them and if he actually gets to ingest any part of them, "greens"! When they finally "give up", they get replaced. It's nice to have the plants in the house and it's fun watching the Little Guy plucking them.
I decided to use the time this morning to get back to another "check" for those glasses I've "misplaced" and this morning, I headed for the little alcove (since I was "reminded" that I'd skipped over that). Nothing "drastic", but I managed to put it back in order... and no, the glasses are still missing.
By the time I'd done, lunch. The Little LOVE was still in his loft, and considering the night we'd had, I wasn't going to disturb him any further so I put lunch together, sat at the desk, put the "news" on and had my mid-day... solo. The Little Guy? He dozed. And when I'd done with my lunch, I grabbed another hour for a snooze of my own. It was dreary out. The Little LOVE was lounging... we snoozed... separate again though. He didn't come over to snooze together. (We'd had this morning, I suppose.)
Snooze done, by 13.30 we were back to our normal day... Me at the desk, no more running about the place, taking things apart, and my Little LOVE, LIFE and INSPIRATION taking it easy. I turned the UV light on though. UV and vitamin D!
19.01! Dinner done. Washing-up done. Water in the pool changed. And all the while I ran the waters, MY LITTLE PRECIOUS LOVE ATE! AND HE ATE SO VERY WELL! And now, he's taken to his roof-top, and I'm about to close the windows for the night. Sunday is coming to a close. Considering the start of this day, honestly, again, Yonah is my Mentor. This morning was, it isn't now, so the world goes on and so do we. I'm just SO HOPING for a calm, peaceful night's rest tonight! Last night was quite the "event".
20.20 The Little LOVE is on his roof-top after being on the desk shelf whilst I settled the rest of the house and he's making with his "nest coo's". When I came back into the room, he was up there, all "nestled", little wings a-flutter... AND HE LET ME STROKE HIS NECK WHILST HE COO'ed! Most often, he stops the coo's and pecks at my hand but tonight, he seemed to appreciate it all SO MUCH! It gets to the core of my soul when he's so calm as I stroke his neck. He's not usually so affectionate... unless HE wants to be so when he's like this, it tells me that I'm "OK", what I'm doing, at the moment and other-wise, is "good" and I SO NEED to know that. Anyway... we're "headin' for the beddin'" now. Night music is on and it's time for lullabies and tuck-ins. I'm off... More tomorrow!

Monday 24 November:
9.30 already and it's been "a morning"! Quite and most active... about an hour in the living-room almost immediately after I "opened house" and quite a bit of "coo'ing", although, I'm going to say, they're "soft", quiet. For a while, they were normal volume, they're "normal" in general quality, clear, but just on the side of a "whisper".
But last night, after all was done round the house, and it got to "tuck-in" and "seepie-nigh-night" time, and I managed to get things settled, at 20.25 my PRECIOUS LITTLE HEART-AND-SOUL MUST have noticed that I was finished with the evening mayhem... He was on his roof-top, watching me get about the room and as soon as I'd done settling the futon for me, HE HEADED DIRECTLY TO THE PLATFORM and it was SO obvious that he was waiting for me to come and lift him up for the ride home! So I went over, thinking I was going to do so but took the liberty of giving him more little neck-rubs and as I did, he pecked at my fingers and preened my hand! He was enjoying the affection so I kept at it until...
I brought him to the night roost, he hopped right over and onto the perch and as I turned to get the roof board, he was over to his food... another little "before tuck-in snack"! FAR be it from me to interrupt his eating! To be sure. He ate quite well and when he'd done, he went right back to the night roost, but he appeared to be looking down at the pool, as if trying to decide whether or not to drop by for a last drink. So I brought the platform back to him... and he hopped on... and I brought him down and rested the platform at the edge of the pool and said "You can have a drink here." HE HOPPED RIGHT OVER TO THE EDGE OF THE DISH AND HE DID HAVE A DRINK! SO... I can't say how he knew, but he KNEW and I was (as I always am at moments like this when I get something obviously correct) in AWE!
When he'd done with his drink, he got right back onto the platform... as if he KNEW that I'd bring him back to the night roost, and so, up we went and again, upon arrival, he stepped off the platform, onto the night roost and at 20.38 all was settled for the night.
Me? I got to the futon, I'd started the lullabies when I first brought him to the night roost and was already through "I Wish You Love" so I threw in "I Think It's Going To Rain Today"... to fill in a little time before getting to "Guten Abend"... And as I got me onto the futon, I could see the Little LOVE, settling on the night roost. It was SUCH A COMFORT.... We were back to our "normal", "regular" nights:
YONAH IS BACK TO SLEEPING ON THE NIGHT ROOST!
(It gives me comfort to see him there, mostly because I worry when he's in his loft over-night, he holds his "bowel movements" and then, when he finally lets them go, they're SO BIG, AND SO DARK AND SO SOFT and I'm pretty sure they can't be comfortable, in his little body all night and then passing them. On the night roost, at least he doesn't have to hold and they just come as they will... not to mention, where they are and how they are on the little "rug" under the night roost, lets me know what sort of night he'd had and how his "general well-being" is. When he holds, it isn't "normal/usual" and there's really no telling too much about anything. AND, I worry about his little feet and toes. If a bird's toes naturally "grasp" for perches and such, when he's in the loft, his feet are flat under him. Is it uncomfortable? I don't know. But at least when he's on his night roost, he's there as he would be in the wild.)
The last light ws turned off at 21.00 again... on the mark. Later than I'd hoped, but hey, I didn't force or rush and there was no "co-singing", and the Little Guy was all nestled... there... on his night roost, so calm. It was a "normal" night again! At last!
SO-THEN... this morning... I was some-what closer to sleep than awake but "coming out of sleep", as it were, when... "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo"... I looked up... 6.28. I was really rather tired, the room was so comfortable, day-light had only but just started, I softly replied "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo to you too. I'm going to just take a couple more minutes here, if you don't mind. No rushing today. But not too long. OK?"
"woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo" came the softest little reply... almost as if whispering "OK. Take some more time."
And so I did... until... 6.58 when the next "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo" came rolling round the room, but this time, a touch louder and clearer than the first. So I took that to mean "OK. There's your little extra time. Now, we get on with the day here."
I was up and at the house, opening the door, popping in for poops-check and kisses... and kisses I got... a few, round about the nose... better than none and a scuttle away.
Poops: 11 quite perfectly "normal" this morning AND EVERY ONE OF THEM DIRECTLY, AND NEATLY, UNDER THE NIGHT ROOST! One aspect of "note": they're all quite "brown"... even the "halos" are "brown". There's ONE actual "halo", from the moisture, and I'm looking, with great care, at the "shade". My "eye" seems to see a "reddish" tone to it, but honestly, I have to say that it's just me and my particular "obsession". One fairly large "halo" and another much smaller, and both are "brown". I very well could be what he ate before heading to seepie-nigh-night last night. And the change from the "parakeet" mix to his "regular". So I'm going to be keeping a most-careful watch during the day. Other-wise, I'm comforted to see that he was calm through the night, last night, no scuttling or shuffling and no "startles"!
I opened the one window, farthest from him, to let in some light, placed the door perch and removed the roof board to let in some light, in case he wanted to hop about in his house as I set out to the kitchen to put the kettle on and prepare for the morning water run. As i worked in the kitchen, we exchanged coo's again this morning! Morning chats! So I made haste to get back and get the room in order for my Little LOVE to get on with his new day. When I got back to him, he was obviously up, awake and ready to roll so I opened the rest, windows and back board and put his room in order.
Next up? Water run, fresh water in the pool and as I ran in and out of the room, he took to his food perch, at the ready to GO!
WELL! No sooner had I done in his room, I headed out for the morning "checks" of electric and oil (to make sure we still have enough of that to keep the house warm) and when I came back... HE WAS UP, OUT AND INTO THE LIVING-ROOM! TO HIS TREE WITH "GOOD MORNING" WOO-HOOs TO THE DECOYS, THEN TO THE ROOF OF HIS YARD HOUSE AT THE WINDOWS! OH! BUT IT SEEMS LIKE THE LONGEST WHILE SINCE WE'VE HAD THESE MORNINGS! AND HE WAS OUT THERE FOR THE BETTER PART OF AN HOUR! WHAT A DAY! WHAT A DAY!
And so, I'm here at the desk, getting into our "normal morning"... and he's back in his house, in his loft, coo'ing at me as I type. My HEART IF FULL!
13.49 already and another day slips by us. A day PACKED WITH SUN-SHINE! CLEAR SKIES! Still on the chilly side but SO BRILLIANT! And I've had lunch, a 45-minute lied-down (solo though) and as I sit here, catching-up, my PRECIOUS LITTLE LOVE is in his loft where he's been, and he's "nest coo'ing" at me... and I'm nest-coo'ing back... We're having another "chat"! And he's looking around, pecking at the reflection in his little "loft mirror". The sun is POURING in through the windows and the room is at 24°... and the house furnace has been off all morning! WHAT a day!
Oh, this morning, I changed the kitchen roll in the front trays in his house. There was a lot of seed scattered about and a few poops under the stones and pine cones so it was time. Of course, I did so under strict "su-bird-vision". My Little Foreman checked the removal and replacement of EVERY bit of what's supposed to be in his house. And as I removed and replaced, he checked each item. But it's clean... and apparently "approved". When I stopped, he headed up to his loft and settled in. OK.
On with the day here...
OH! AN ODDITY TODAY: When I came back into the room (at 9.17) this morning, ready to settle at the desk, to my SURPRISE... THERE HE WAS... ON THE DESK CHAIR... ON THE SEAT, NOT THE BACK NOR THE ARM-REST... ON THE CHAIR! HE'S NEVER DONE THAT BEFORE (to my knowledge). And I had to think that the "cushion" on the chair is that ski sweater that I'd put on once - and never again - and he had such a violent response to it! OK. It's inside-out now and only the "body" of it is there. Still, the colours are the same but the pattern is completely nothing even remotely similar to the pattern that disturbed him. SO! I managed to get a photo of him there and even that didn't disturb him until I actually said "If it's OK with you, I'd like to sit down, please?" and he actually got right up and flew up to his house! (Yeah, tell me again he has no idea what I'm saying to him. The "experts"... Pfffttt!)
Well then OK... here it is, 16.39 already BUT AND HE'S FINALLY COME OUT OF HIS LOFT AND HAS HAD SOMETHING TO EAT AND... HE CAME OVER TO THE DESK SHELF AND THEN MADE A DASH-FLIGHT TO HIS ROOF-TOP! HE'S UP! HE'S OUT! HE'S ON THE MOVE! And me? I've got a new bolt of "energy" for me too! When my Little LIFE here is up and about and looking good, the WORLD is "good"! Now, time to get us settled for a little "supper"... if he wants more to eat. But I'm just grateful to have seen him eating! 19.32 and the clock keeps sweeping time away from us. A "mad dash here" to get some more notes on the day before we head directly into closing house for the day and (seeing if we can) get down for a night's rest.
My Little Character was on the wall shelves, making all sorts of nest coo's and I was trying to get some more modifications to our lullabies on the web-site. (The lyrics change as time passes, and originally, I'd posted the actual lyrics to the songs, then changed them to reflect what we sing of a night and then there's OUR * Mein Kleiner Lieber Yonahlein * that's really changed over the time... )Anyway, I'm typing and printing and trying to convert the files to images to put onto the site and the "new, Acer" lap-top is fighting me every click of the way - I ALMOST LOST PAGES ON THE SITE! And all the while, most of me was completely looking forward to getting up from the desk, away from all of what-ever else there was in the room because the room was FULL of little nest coo's!
Oh and... Deborah stopped by at about 17.00 this evening. Just as we usually sit to dinner. Poor Deborah, they'd just returned from being away again and she didn't come in because it was late, the skies were already dark and the evening cold was setting-in. I hope she'll be able to get into the house to visit with Yonah again, soon, for a little while. I'd like her to see how much he's changed and I'm curious as to how he'll greet her. He's still "skittish" around "people" (but then, so too am I so I can't fault him there). But Deborah DOES love him so. It would be a comfort to me to know he'd be OK with her, if, may it be strictly forbidden, I ever had to be away for any length of time. I'm forever thinking of who could come to be with him and the most important times of a day, who WOULD come in, attend to him as he's become accustomed to and take the time, patience and care. It's a horror of mine. Deborah? She trusts me with her house keys, the keys to their Jeep. I trust her... I just don't know how Yonah feels about her. Oh... all I can do is hope to get them together before such a thing should happen. Meanwhile...
I finally got back into the room and at the desk to have my dinner and the last time I'd looked, the Little Guy was still in his loft, all cosy... BUT... OH BUT...
AS I GOT UP FROM THE DESK, I LOOKED OVER TO HIS HOUSE AND THERE HE WAS...
IN THE POOL! LOUNGING! SOAKING! JUST AS PEACEFUL AND CONTENT AS HE COULD BE !!!
I didn't DARE to make a move because too often, when he sees me move, he cuts his pool-time short, wo I sat and waited... A GOOD 10 MINUTES, whilst he moved about, made a few splashed and then he was UP and OUT of the pool and over to the door perch with a hefty SHAKE!
I rolled the chair over to his door and OH! KISSES! KISSES! MORE KISSES! ALL OVER THE FACE! KISSES ! HE'S BEEN IN SUCH A GRAND AND GLORIOUS MOOD AGAIN! May this last! And I was off to the kitchen to do the washing-up and getting prepared to change the water in his pool so that he'd have fresh, clean water to drink, should he want before tucking-in (at 18.30)
THEN, WHEN WATERS WERE DONE... WE HAD *** PLAY TIME *** ON THE FUTON, WITH BURDIE... FOR AT LEAST 25 MINUTES!
AND HE'S BEEN SO "CHATTY" ALL EVENING! EVEN NOW, AS I GET THIS TYPED WE'RE COO'ING BACK AND FORTH! SO... NOW? I'M CLOSING THINGS AND IT'S TIME FOR US TO GET READY TO SETTLE FOR THE NIGHT (I think... we shall see).
OKIE-Dokie Then... 20.00 and HE'S EATING AGAIN! I'M THRILLED AGAIN. AND HE'S OFF TO THE NIGHT ROOST! TIME TO GET TO CLOSING THE DAY BEFORE - we shall see...
20.26 He's on the floor of his house, everything in the house is settled, I'm turning things off for the night... and he's making with the little nest-coo's... flutters and all. WHAT a way to close a day!
MORE TOMORROW... Good night world!

Tuesday 25 November
It's 19.00 ALREADY! AND... JUST LIKE THE "OLD DAYS", MY LITTLE HEART-AND-SOUL WAS ON HIS LAP-TOP WHILST I CHANGED THE WATER IN HIS POOL! ON HIS LAP-TOP! But I closed his windows too whilst at it and he was on the lap-top so he's up to his roof-top! BUT WE'RE BACK TO THE "NORMAL" DAYS AGAIN... WE'RE BACK! AND EVEN MY OWN HEALTH IS BETTER! No more "oppressive silence" in the house! WHAT A DIFFERENCE!
And last night? That TOO is a return to "NORMAL"...
At 20.30, he took off from his house where he'd been on his floor, coo'ing with nest-coo's and the fluttering and he headed up to the wall shelf and THEN up to the top of his book-case with MORE coo'ing! AND, when I reached up to stroke his neck, he coo'ed right through the affection!
When I went to his roof-top to get his little platform, he headed over to the curtain rod over the alcove in his room, gave a little "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo" and then headed back to the book-case where I brought the platform to him and he stepped right on! RIDE HOME to the night roost again, where he simply stepped off the platform and onto the night roost! AND... as I sang our lullabies, he stayed there, preening, arranging feathers for the night ahead and... I watched him as I sang and got me to the futon and...
Sure enough... at 21.00 the last light was turned off and he was all settled for the night! "Normal"!
This morning? After a night of sleeping-through, I woke at about 5.30, looked at the clock, pondered getting up but decided that there wasn't anything really worth missing the opportunity to get a little extra snooze AND I DID NOT want to disturb my Little LOVE... we'd slept last night and he deserved to get up when he wanted... so... I dozed right back to sleep until...
7.04 and A HEARTY "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo...hoo"! And when I answered with a "morning voice" "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo...hoo", he replied with another HEARTY "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo"!
I got right up, opened the door to his house, removed the roof-board to let in some early morning, dim light, bolted to the kitchen to put the kettle on, get the water running for the morning "pool water flush" and came right back. There he was, my Little LIFE, on his night roost, waiting. I popped my head in and got some "Good morning" kisses. Not a "face full" but KISSES! So I hurried to open his windows and take away the back board to let in more light.
Out-side, over-cast but not "heavy" so the room was lighted quite nicely and as I went back to the kitchen to make coffee and set-up for the morning water run, THE LITTLE GUY WAS UP, ON THE WING AND OVER TO THE WALL SHELVES WITH SOME NEST-COO's!
I got back to him there, AND AGAIN, HE ALLOWED LITTLE NECK RUBS WHILST HE COO'ED! AND, AS I RAN BACK AND FORTH WITH THIS MORNING'S WATER RUN, HE WAS ALL OVER THE ROOM... FLYING FROM SHELVES TO FUTON TO HIS HOUSE TO THE DESK TO HIS HOUSE!
Morning POOPS: 11 TOTALLY ABSOLUTELY PERFECT POOPS... SIZE SHAPE CONTENT, and the colour, brown but HEALTHY brown! JUST PERFECTLY WONDERFUL AND WONDERFULLY PERFECT! ALL directly under the night roost! "We" DID sleep calmly last night!
IT WAS A PERFECT START TO A NEW DAY! And as the Little LOVE settled into it, I did too! Got the room together, got things settled and did my best to get the usual "people nonsense" of house-keeping together. (Had a REALLY LOW REAR TYRE ON THE TRUCK THIS MORNING - here we go again... cold weather and low tyres - AND GOT TO TRY OUR NEW "INFLATOR"... WORKED WONDERFULLY AND IN THE CASE, THE READING GLASSES I'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR FOR ABOUT A WEEK! After tearing Yonah's room apart - but hey! it's clean now... there they were and now they're found!)
But OH! The chatting that took place all during the morning! SOME-birdy was REALLY in a GREAT MOOD! And he didn't head directly to his loft right away this morning. We PLAYED with Burdie-Bird on the futon for a good 15 minutes... a little game of "chase" and KISSES! We played until HE decided it was enough and he headed up to his loft and snuggled-in by his window and I finished the morning tasks.
At noon... he was still snuggled in his loft and I had my lunch and then an early "30-minutes" lie-down. Being early, and having a couple of things to do, "errand", I RAN out the door right away and managed to be back in 30 minutes. I'd napped "solo" again today (we're not quite "back" to snoozes together but hey, I'm just SO RELIEVED that my Little LIFE is active, in a GRAND mood and giving KISSES and PLAYING again!
When I got back, he was on his door perch and when he saw that I was in the kitchen, he went FLYING AROUND THE ROOM, TO THE FUTON AND I HEADED IN FOR MORE PLAY! PLAYING! WE'RE PLAYING AGAIN!
Well then, all that "people nonsense" done... time to settle together in the room with my HEART-AND-SOUL!
AND... today... another little "house-hold blessing": BOTH oil for the house furnace and gas for the hot water got delivered! (Both already paid by the budget.) So... WARMTH! "I'll give you shelter from the storm, a cosy fire to keep you warm"... Another promise kept!
So... the after-noon rushed, as they all seem to do, into dinner time and at 17.00 I was at the desk, news on, AND THEN...
YONAH WAS ON THE FLOOR OF HIS HOUSE WHEN I GOT UP TO PUT MY DINNER ON THE HOB SO I STOPPED BY TO GIVE KISSES AND HE SNUGGLED INTO MY FACE SO I LIFTED HIM UP AND PUT HIM ON MY SHOULDER, EXPECTING HIM TO TAKE TO WING BUT HE DIDN'T! HE SETTLE THERE! SO I HEADED OUT TO THE KITCHEN AND HE STAYED WITH ME, ON MY SHOULDER, ALL THROUGH THE MOVING ABOUT THE KITCHEN AS I GOT FOOD, PUT IT ON THE HOB, WASHED THE COUPLE OF DISHES IN THE BASIN! HE ACTUALLY GOT COMFORTABLE THERE! AND HE STAYED UNTIL A MOMENT BEFORE I WAS DONE BEFORE HE HEADED OUT TO THE LIVING-ROOM AND TO HIS TREE TO "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo" TO THE DECOYS THERE AND THEN TO THE ROOF OF HIS YARD HOUSE! I had the light on out there because it was already rather dark, but WOW! HE STAYED WITH ME ALL THROUGH THE MOVING ABOUT THE KITCHEN THIS EVENING! "NORMAL"!
Ah... but, as I sat to eat, he came back into the room, into his house and he started pecking at the pile of twigs as if looking for something to nibble on. Because I'd changed the kitchen roll there, there was nothing so I put a spoon of seeds into the pile and he snacked on them. "Foraging". (Today I'd thought of getting a box of "tissues", since that seems to be the "most suggested" box to make a "foraging box" from but I realised: he won't go to a "box" so, since he DOES forage on the floor of his house, we'll just scatter some seeds there for him. He obviously enjoys "foraging" in the twigs, so we'll use what he enjoys and just make sure to clean the place as often as we must.
He's got a jar of "sprouting" seeds almost ready to eat too. And I can't help but think of the sprouts from the previous batch and how pleasantly "nutty" they tasted and that they're safe for "human consumption" so I'm more comfortable giving him these. Will be "reporting" on the "reception" (and I've got SO much information on his web-site to up-date according to our 5 years together! OH! THIS LITTLE LOVE has been SUCH AN EDUCATION!).
And now... 19.56... he's down from his roof-top, "foraging" in the twigs again... "evening snack"... plenty of food in his dish, fresh, clean water in his pool... and it's time to start closing the house and getting us ready to tuck-in for the night already. At least the major parts (water and windows) are done. Now to see what this Little Character has in mind for the night.
20.30 and BECAUSE OF ALL THE COO'ing, I WENT INTO THE ROOM WHILST BRUSHING MY TEETH AND GAVE MY LITTLE GUY NECK RUBS! I BRUSHED MY TEETH AND RUBBED HIS NECK AND HE NEST-COO'ed AND FLUTTERED AND PREENED THE HAND AND FINGERS THAT WERE RUBBING HIS NECK! And now? He's on his roof-top... nest-coo'ing, the house is settled, we're off to close the day! More to follow tomorrow! WHAT A LOVE WHAT A LOVE WHAT A LOVE!

Wednesday 26 November:
15.16 already on another one of "those" days, over-cast, damp, dreary. The UV light has been on BUT WOW! IT'S BEEN A "NORMAL" DAY OF ALL SORTS OF FLYING ABOUT AND PLAYING AND ALMOST A NAP TOGETHER THIS AFTERNOON!
Last night was a "NORMAL" ride home too! I got back into the room after settling the rest of the house and my PRECIOUS ADORABLE LITTLE LOVE was on his roof-top... WAITING for me! But when he saw me coming into the room, he headed, from the front of his house, toward the platform and just before getting there, he "scrunched-down", tail up, wings fluttering and MORE NEXT COO's! AND AGAIN, WHEN I RUBBED HIS NECK, HE NESTLED INTO IT AND THEN PREENED MY FINGERS AND HAND! We must have been that way for a full 5 minutes, at least, if not longer! And when he'd had enough, he got up, casually made his way onto the platform and waited for the ride home to the night roost!
When we arrived, once again, the most casual step from platform to night roost and there he made himself quite "at home"... FOR THE NIGHT!
And I got to the futon, singing the lullabies and when I'd done with "Die Vögelein Sie Schlafen" we exchanged "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo"s twice and I got to "Stille Nacht", dimmed the lights and then... by 21.10 (late), the last light was turned off for the day.
It was WONDERFUL! "NORMAL"!
And this morning? I woke at 6.38 and got up from the futon, silently, to head into the kitchen thinking I'd come back to close the door to his room to let him sleep. After all, it was "dark" because of the clouds and the rain falling out-side BUT... no sooner had I stepped out when, behind me...
"woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo" nice and clear!
I called back with a brief "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo... I'll be right there." and he immediately replied with another "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo"! So I made quick work of getting things together in the kitchen and headed right back into the room to open his door, place the door perch, lift the roof board and open a window to let in the dim day-light in case he was ready to get up and out. The Little LOVE WAS FULL OF KISSES AND WANTED CUDDLES THIS MORNING! No "face-full" of kisses but the most gentle little kisses on the nose and cheek and he was READY TO GO! SO... we opened the rest of the windows right away, I headed into the kitchen to set coffee and water containers for the morning water run and whilst I was there, he was UP AND OUT TO THE FUTON! WHAT A START TO AN OTHER-WISE DREARY MORNING!
When I got back with the waters he was back in his house to "su-bird-vise" and we got right to the morning routine... and all the while... "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo"s!
POOPS? 12 OF THE MOST PERFECT LITTLE POOPS, RIGHT UNDER THE NIGHT ROOST! WE'D HAD A CALM NIGHT LAST NIGHT! CLEAR VOICE. MUCH ENERGY. GREAT MOOD! FULL OF LOVE! And what a relief to be back to the way the house used to be before "the mood"!
When the water run was done and I'd had my coffee, I made the quick trip to check our electric and oil. With another "cold snap" due by the week-end, I HAVE to make certain that we'll have what we need to keep this Little LOVE warm, safe and cosy. (All were perfectly fine, thankfully.) And I came back in to find him on the futon again... CUDDLES AND KISSES AND A GAME OF CHASE WITH BURDIE!
So, all of the morning "people nonsense" done... I got to the desk and started with the regular affairs of the day and the Little Guy took to his loft to relax, looking out at the drear out-side his windows.
I had an early lunch at 11.30 today because I had ONE massively quick errand to run and right away after, I had my little "lie-down" for 30 minutes... At first, he came rushing over to my leg, and IMMEDIATELY TODDLED UP TO MY CHEST AND TO MY CHIN! KISSES AND CUDDLES! BUT... when they were done, he headed back up to his loft. It was as though he was telling me "Have a nice nap." and he was over and settled back in his loft. When the alarm sounded, he came back, again, to my leg, again up my leg and then... off he went, to the desk shelf, waiting for me to get up. And I did... and BOLTED to get me out and back.
20 minutes later, I was back and he was at his door perch, as if waiting for me.
Today, I put some of the "sprouted" seeds in his food dish on top on the food that was already in there. He came over, looked at them and then... PUSHED THEM TO THE SIDE TO EAT THE SEEDS UNDER THEM! The seeds are only JUST showing the lightest little "roots" so they don't look like a "salad" but it doesn't appear that he's going to enjoy them. This evening, I'll change his dish, and wash the one he has now.
(16.05 I'm typing and HE'S GATHERING TWIGS FOR HIS NEST AGAIN! There's a part of me that usually rejoices when I see him doing this but today, so soon after his "nesting mood"... I'm a bit on the "anxious" side. He's been SO FULL OF AFFECTION AGAIN... I'm wondering. But noting it, we'll have to see where this goes. It's another one of those times when my heart breaks, thinking of him having a little "mate" and then comes all the uncertainty that would go with it. But for now, at least he's got the energy and there are more than enough twigs in his house... AND the pine cones are in there too... I have to figure out what to do with them to spread them out, maybe hang one or two... and we have MORE in the kitchen, cleaned and ready to be added. They make for a little "different terrain" in his house but I don't want it to become uncomfortable for him.)
Anyway, for the most part, it's been, thankfully, a quiet sort of day. Sadly, dark. But we've taken "breaks"... I'm making sure to five him attention, affection and "something moving" in the room. (At least I'm feeling "better" today too... "tired" because last night was difficult getting to sleep for me, but... WE'RE HERE, MY LOVE IS HERE, MY LIFE IS HERE AND HE'S HEALTHY AGAIN!)
NOTE: THE FEATHERS ON HIS HEAD SEEM TO BE MOULTING. THERE ARE LITTLE "FLECKS" OF "WHITE" IN THE GREY. IT ALMOST LOOKS LIKE HE'S GETTING "GREY HAIR" ON HIS HEAD! AND I'M SEEING MORE SMALL FEATHERS AROUND THE ROOM. NOT THE "DOWNY" FEATHERS THOUGH. AFTER ALL THE "NEST MOOD"... A MOULT? I CAN ONLY HOPE NOT!
19.21 UNbelievable! Already! I have NO idea where our day has gone! And now, with the rain falling out-side the "closed" windows, and my Little LOVE on the floor of his house, "foraging" in the twigs, with a fresh food dish full of fresh food, we've changed thee water in his poos and for the most part, settled the house.
AND, fora while, this evening, he came with me to the kitchen to finish the dinner washing-up and THEN, for most of the start of the filling of the containers for his water change! He's been "affectionate" today... AND he's been working on his nest again. THAT causes me to wonder. This is how the previous "mood" started, with the affections and the nesting. I HOPE we're not heading into another 3 weeks of silence in the house and him taking all night to his loft and holding poops all night.
I DO appreciate the "affectionate" part, but I worry more about his mood and his health.
I have to admit, I was rather "out of it" most of the after-noon today after the bolt-errand. But with all the activity going on in the room as I went about the general business at the desk, this Little LIFE gives me all the inspiration I need to keep going. He gives "purpose" to my every heart-beat and next breath.
Now? It's already time for us to start looking into getting truly settled for the night ahead. Thankfully, the temperature in the room is a very warm 24° tonight. I don't know why, but the house furnace is running but it does help to keep the "humidity" down in the rest of the house. I'm still so terrified of "mould and mildew". And in my haste to change the water in his pool, a little bit went over the edge. I can see it in the wet gravel under the dish. But with low humidity in the house, it shouldn't last long and it likely helps keep a little necessary humidity in his place for him. Poor Little Guy. I can't help but think of those feather... looking like he's about to moult. If the air is too dry, it'll just make him itch all the more! I'll have to keep a careful watch on the cleanliness of the water in his pool now... so that he'll take advantage of a nice splash.
(What is amazing me now is that, instead of being up on his food shelf, eating, he's REALLY pecking at the food on his floor in the twigs! Our "Della"/Teillady posted on her account, a little card-board box with Timothy grass in it for her flock. They like foraging in that. So I have to figure a way to get a little "box" in Yonah's house. We still have so much Timothy grass left. I thought he'd enjoy using it in his nesting but the pieces are too small. But for a foraging box, they might be perfect! Now, to figure where to put the box for him. I'll be making it... "custom fit". I wish we had the room for a larger house for him, and the shelving that will be needed for a larger house. I wish we were already in a safer house for both of us so that we could just get the new house. I wish... I can only wish...)
Anyway, it's almost time to start putting the room together for the night. We've been listening to/watching "Tagesschau" instead of our usual "news" this evening. German language, the sound of "lullabies". I wonder what Yonah makes of it, although I've been speaking to him in as much German as I can, of late. It actually amazes me that I can still speak as much as I do and it helps keep my mood "settled", since it's the language that my mind associates with "love, caring, prayers, lullabies, the grands". And, since he started hearing it in lullabies, hopefully he'll associate it with the same. Ah... the two of us...

Thursday 27 November (U.S. Thanksgiving. And were it not for this little bundle of feathers, flying around me, plucking at a fresh pot of pea sprouts, hopping about in his house by the windows where the passing sun-shine pours in and the vanishes behind transient dark-grey clouds out-side, I'd be resentful of the day. But here we are, as our music plays on the old iPod, "Sand and Water" plays, and the furnace runs, the bird-songs recordings fill the room... and I am truly more grateful than I could ever express in human words.)
10.48 already and another "holiday" commences just the very same way any other day in Creation commences... started with the morning "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo" when I first woke, having to use the loo, at 5.28. But I went, I returned, in the early morning darkness, to the little room, and getting back onto the futon for a little while longer, I softly said: "Not yet, Little LOVE... 7.00. There's no need for us to be up and about at this hour. Let's just take what-ever time we have to relax." and I laid down until 6.58 when the next "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo" came. It was time to get up. A new day, another day. And hearing the clarity of the coo's, I was inspired and up we got and into the day. Where it will go is the mystery of each day. What comes of it will be known when this sun sets... tonight. For now? We're together and that's what matters... nothing else. We can only hope that all goes well... "hope"... it's all we can do, and do what we can to direct it... if we chose so to do.
This Little LOVE, this Little LIFE is my inspiration. He's been through so much actual living HELL, and yet, here he is. He's been to my shoulder, he's just in from a quick flight to the living-room. He's been to the desk and the pea sprouts and to his house in the sun-shine. He's given me kisses. He's given me conversation. He's given me "LIFE"... something I don't recall ever really having in the 70 year I've been meandering around this place. It used to be a matter of simply making it through one day to the next, not even looking forward to "the next", resenting, even hating the dawn of "the next". And now? As long as Yonah is here, every "next" day is another day I look forward to. Whether we have all the time close together or simply being in the same room, the same old house... as long as "we" are "we"... all is well.
To that... we get back into this Journal so that maybe, one day, some day, some body will actually take an interest, will want to "learn" what this Little Professor has taught me. I doubt they ever will. "People" are just too wrapped in "self", self-serving, self-absorbed, all with their preconceived notions, not wanting to hear or read anything that might even slightly conflict with what comforts them. They prefer to take the words of "experts" who have no right to the title. But, here we go... anyway...
So, we had a "ride home" to the "night roost" again last night! SO MUCH BACK TO "NORMAL"! It was quite the little "show" again too! The Little Character had flown up to the wall shelves as I started putting the room together for the night and as I put the futon together for me, I reached up to play a little. Next thing I knew, he was on the book-case, making with the "nest coo's" again! So I finished what I was doing and as I did... he was toddling across the curtain rod, over the little alcove! Oh well, I was expecting a little game of "Come Get Me" but he immediately toddled back to the top of the book case and there, he actually waited for me! So I got the platform from his roof-top, started singing "Autumn Leaves" and brought it over to him as I sang. No sooner did it reach him, he SO casually stepped on and made his way over to where he could look down and see me. We were "in flight", off to "home" for the night. AND, as he does, we touched the perch for the night roost and it was just another "arrival". He stepped on, settled down and we closed the day with kisses and I closed the door to his house and took me to the futon to finish the lullabies.
We had another little "sing-along" with "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo"s and some nest coos in "Scheiden Tut So Weh" and "Die Vögelein Sie Schlafen" !!! Needless to say, when the last light was turned off at 20.55, it was a WONDERFUL night to close a WONDERFUL day!
And as I've said, I woke this morning, got back to the futon and waited until 7.00
It was quite the morning... Oh.. and POOPS:
13 PERFECT little poops, all under the night roost, ALL of the perfect composition, colour, consistency, the whites as white could be... "happy", healthy little poops!
And the conversations? Oh... all the while I ran the water and set the kitchen for coffee... and when I stepped out to check things (electric, tyres on the truck, &c... people nonsense) I came back to MORE chatting! SO, what a perfect start to a new day... a "holiday". As I say: If not for this Little LIFE, it truly would be just another day, but with Yonah here? Well, there's ONE aspect of "Creation" that I have to be TRULY, WHOLE-HEARTEDLY THANKFUL FOR! With-out him... I don't even think about such a time.
But THIS morning, with the coo'ing, the flying, the little kisses I got on the night roost, then again on the food perch, the energy, the clarity of his voice, the poops? What's NOT to LOVE?
Now, at 12.15, we've had a little lunch already. TODAY, I scrambled an egg (no oil) and added some of the sprouts from the jar. (What's left will go to the Yardies for their evening meal. There's the lightest snow falling out there now, even with the sun shining, but the breeze is really cold and coming in from the North, as threatened. They'll need the extra energy for the night and we have plenty more seeds to sprout.) Of course, this Little Character looks at them and literally shakes his head! I have to wonder if it isn't the "strange, new stuff" that puts him off. I'd tried putting a plate across the perches where his loft and night roost are, thinking he might hop on and give a peck, but he just hopped down away from it all and looked up as if the plate were in his way. So the egg/seeds is in a little dish beside his regular food on the shelf. And I actually put a little bit of the egg/seed mix onto my bagel that I had for lunch. It really IS quite tasty and, as I always say: If I wouldn't eat/drink it I won't give it to Yonah. And I've checked; all of the seeds are perfectly safe. And after being rinsed so thoroughly over the past 3 days, they're clean. So... WE had a bit of lunch together, though I'm still waiting for this Little One to actually EAT some of the egg. Oh well... )
The morning since waking? It's been "active" and mostly with him flying about, to the pea sprouts on the desk, pecking bits and bringing them back to his nest. We have "our music" playing along on the iPod
AND....
ODDLY ENOUGH... WHEN "C'est la Vie" by Patrick Bruel started playing, he was on the desk, looked up at me and headed RIGHT FOR MY SHOULDER! AND HE WANTED CUDDLES AND KISSES! It wasn't just a "little visit"! HE WANTED AFFECTION! Between the affection breaks and the adding the pea sprouts to the nest... I'm beginning to "prepare"... I HOPE we're not looking at another "nest mood". But for now, IT'S INDESCRIBABLY FANTASTIC!
13.07 We've had MORE KISSES and CUDDLES and PLAY TIME on the wall shelves and the futon, with Burdie and with-out. He's been back and forth to the desk, at the peas, up in his nest. The snows have come and gone and come and gone again. We've gotten stuck on a collection of "Roberta Flack" and the memories I've had over all these years have come rushing in. Hard to believe the reality that the people I associate with these songs are "gone"... And again, were it not for Yonah, I'd other-wise draw the blinds, take to the futon and...
But at the moment... it's time for a "mid-day snooze". I'm not really "tired' but he's in his loft and I'm going to keep our "routine"... and let's see if I have company today... More in a moment...
13.54 Just up from a 25-minutes snooze alone BUT the very second I opened my eyes, there was my Little Companion, ON THE PILLOW, at my face... with a little peck on the nose! So we played with Burdie for a few minutes mores and then... now? He's back in his house. He SAW my eyes open (or he "knew"... the way he does - how I WISH I could KNOW how he does it!). So our iPod is playing again and we're back to "normal"... for what's "normal" for us. And the sun is trying to get through the clouds but the house furnace is running now... the "cold" is coming... and we're prepared for it! THIS Little LOVE will NOT be chilled!
16.24 Out-side, the sky is growing dark. Inside, the room is growing dark too. Desk lamps on. In the kitchen, dinner on the hob. AND THIS LITTLE ABSOLUTE LOVE IS STILL BUSY, FLYING ALL OVER THE ROOM, GATHERING MORE PEA SPROUTS AND BRINGING THEM UP TO HIS NEST! (I'm almost dreading tonight... No night roost again? OH I HOPE NOT! But the choice is his.) AND HE'S BEEN SO AFFECTIONATE AGAIN, THROUGH THE DAY. I've been trying to clean this Journal up for posting to the server and he's been "tweedling". THAT LITTLE "WING WHISTLE" that my LIFE would be worthless with-out. How I SO miss that when he stops and what a beautiful PEACE it brings to the very core of every cell of my being! (And Roberta Flack is singing from the iPod again. And I've only just discovered... She too, is gone. February... 24... this year... at the age of 88. Honestly... the reminders of our time together, Yonah and I, and how short, how PRECIOUS BEYOND ALL WORTH AND VALUE measurable!) And he's now on the desk, picking-up more sprouts. And I have to check if he's eaten any eggs... I doubt it. More for the Yardies. But OH MY! THE ACTIVITY IN THIS ROOM! Now if only one of the other two pots of peas would even sprout! We're going to need replacements!
But it's time to set up the "news"... We haven't seen ANY all day today... and it's been wonderful!
19.42 The house is settled. The room is almost settled. The waters have been changed. The windows have been closed. We are settling. BUT...
AT 18.00 (I have photos, of course), I CAM BACK INTO THE ROOM FROM THE WASHING-UP AFTER DINNER AND THERE... IN THE POOL... THE LITTLE BUNDLE OF FEATHERS, JUST AS CASUAL AS HE COULD BE, SOAKING AND LOOKING AT ME AS IF TO SAY "Oh... Oops." I snapped a couple of photos and he just stayed where he was for a moment and then, as he does when he sees the camera, he turned his back to me. AND THEN, CAMERA AWAY, AS I WATCHED AND LAUGHED, HE GAVE A FEW SPLASHES, A LITTLE "RINSE" AND HE WAS UP, OUT AND TO THE DOOR PERCH WITH A SHAKE! AND WHEN I WENT OVER TO HIM, I GOT A FACE FULL OF KISSES AND THEN... he was a though all was just "another night".
OH! But how it does my heart so much good to see him able to use his pool when he wants to. And oddly, earlier this evening, I'd been reading through some entries in this Journal from July, on a miserably hot day and how I appreciated that pool. But on a night where the sun was gone from a chilled November sky... there he was again. Weather makes no difference. Time of day makes no difference. When Yonah wants a batch or swim, Yonah takes a bath or swim. And that's how his Life should be! There's SO much MORE I WISH I could give him, but these things? While the Little Ones in the wild are snuggling against the cold and rain and snow, THIS Little One is eating well, drinking clean, safe, fresh water, bathing. He's protected from predators. He can sleep at night... sleep. It's what I CAN give him, what I OWE him, what Creation owes him.
So... bathing done, I hit the evening water flush and change to make sure that the water he'll go to for a drink tonight is as clean, fresh and safe. And then, since he was watching me from the floor of his house, and I was turning things about in the room, I went right to closing the blinds and curtains for the night to get things "quiet" for him for "end of day" AND OH! BUT HOW HE CAME RUSHING UP TO HIS ROOF-TOP TO PLAY! NO SOONER HAD I PUT THE BACK-BOARD UP WHEN THERE HE WAS, LOOKING OVER THE BACK FOR THE "HAND" THAT POPS UP AND PLAYS WITH HIM! AND WE PLAYED FOR A GOOD 15 MINUTES BEFORE HE LOST INTEREST! WHAT FUN! WHAT FUN! HOW WONDERFUL!
Now? He's on his food perch... He never did touch the eggs from today, but he's eaten.
And I had to change the kitchen roll on the tray under his night roost. As he rested there after the bath, a little poop, a little "watery" poop. His poops today have been watery. But I think it might have something to do with the pea sprouts. His poops DO tend toward "watery" when he plays with them. I think he might be ingesting a little bit. But I keep watch. It passes. I'll keep watching. But the sprouts are the same thing from his food mix, I HOPE the plants are as safe. Anyway, OH but did I get the su-bird-vision as I pulled the twigs, pine cones and kitchen roll from his house! But when done, and all was back and clean, I sprinkled some seeds in the twigs and he foraged a bit and all was well again.
Now? 19.58 and he's still on that perch and it's time to close the day... The room is a warm 24°. The air monitor is as "good" (the green lights and bars) as could be hoped, and it's time to start winding the day to close!
And now at 20.26, I saw the Little Guy get a drink of water as I went to the kitchen to close house. He's on his roof-top making with the nest coo's and preens. Air is a little "elevated"... but I've been moving about so hopefully that's all there is to that. And he let me give him little back rubs during the nest coo's. That's a recent development. He used to stop the coo'ing and toddle away! This has been "strange" since this last "nest mood". I wonder... I LOVE IT! But I wonder. Anyway and So... night music has been on, and now it's time to close... More tomorrow... notes will be jotted.

Friday 28 November:< br /> 4.15 WEIGH-IN: 133g! HIS AVERAGE WEIGHT SINCE WE'VE STARTED! RELIEF! Especially after that 3 weeks of the "nest mood" and him not really eating regularly.
9.25 and we've been SO VERY UP from since about 5.40 this grey and dreary and some-what chilled Friday morn. And last night's "ride home"? It was surprisingly quite "straight-forward". I got into the room, got the futon set for me, turned to my little Heart-and-Soul who was on his roof-top, making with the nest coo's and again, I was allowed to give the lightest little "neck and back strokes" as he continued coo'ing! And when we were done, he got up, gave me the SWEETEST LOOK and then... went over to the little platform to await "take-off" and we were up and over and round and in and at "touch-down" at the night roost, a simple hop and all was settled.... well... for him, anyway...
Last night's "last minute" nonsense, as it is in this "box 'o toxins", as I think of this old house, the "air quality monitor" suddenly started to "rise"! I still have NO idea as to what had happened, where the "TVOCs" were coming from but the reading started increasing and it was almost "regular" and "non-stop"! THAT ALWAYS sets me "off" because I don't know what's going on, where these "compounds" are coming from and, considering the house was quiet, even next door, and there wasn't any "wind" blowing out-side - nor in-side, for that matter, thankfully - it didn't make any sense. I thought I could smell the slightest bit of those dryer sheets in the air, but there was no cause for that. AND I could smell them, ONLY in Yonah's room! THAT is the worst curse of this place: air seems to always settle in Yonah's room. If we had enough space/room in the bed-room and those windows didn't require covering in the cold months, I'd move us all into that room. But it's cold in there, and the configuration is such that Yonah's house would be almost behind a bit of wall, AND he'd have to be EXCEPTIONALLY CAREFUL flying out of the room because that door-way faces the side of the fridge. TOO MANY CHANCES FOR TOO MANY COLLISIONS! I AM NOT RISKING THAT! NO MATTER WHAT! Anyway, I managed to get a recorded video of some of the monitor as the numbers rose. And in an effort to combat what-ever was happening, I turned the purifiers up from 1st to 2nd (out of 3) for strength hoping that the double "activated charcoal" filters in them would take, at the very least, some of what was in the air out. It made only the slightest difference. What-ever was disturbed in the air was definitely there. My anxieties rose with the readings and so, I headed out to the living-room to set the "purifier" out there back up to run through the night, hoping that it would circulate the air in the house. FOUR purifiers running constantly in this house and still, we get this situation and, of all the times of day, as we were getting to settle for the night. Anyway... I did my best to "cover" my anxieties and when the readings started to "stop" increasing (which they did... at "0,691" for the TVOCs, "0,89" for the HCOC... oh, and all the while, the "particulates" readings were perfectly fine - go figure) I returned to lullabies... softly and calmly as I put me to the futon and tucked my Little LOVE in for the night.
We managed to make it almost all the way through the repertoire too, but at the very last two lines of Die Vögelein Sie Schlafen we had a little exchange of "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo"... again, more of a "sing-along". So I broke to "chat" and then continued.
Sadly... we didn't get to turn the last light off until 21.14!
Even at that, I laid awake, watching the monitor, wondering... and dozed off a bit... At 23.00 I was up again, the readings were still high so I headed back to the living-room to make sure the "fan" there was working... it was, there was nothing I could think to do, short of opening doors. But at 23.00 in the cold, I wasn't about to do that... just yet. I went back to the futon to watch the monitor and to my shock, the readings were dropping again. No apparent reason or cause... and I managed to drift to sleep. Thankfully, I didn't disturb my Little LOVE....
Come this morning...
I woke at about 5.15, looked at the clock, looked at the air monitor... the clock was early, the monitor was "normal"... well... "green" (on that monitor, the indicators are "yellow" - "caution") but the numbers were where I'd expect them to be. I half-dozed there, in the silence and darkness until... at 5.40 the neighbours started their morning routines of "thump-thuds"... they were leaving for the day and THEN... came the
"woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo"... morning call.
Not sure which one of us was up first but there he was, the PRECIOUS LITTLE silhouette, up there, on his night roost, all snug. We'd made it through another night... together... The room was still rather dark-ish because of the clouds out-side the windows, but the room was cosy and we were well... And the call was clear and I answered with my "morning voice" (all crackly, as it were) with a little "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo" and that was answered with a "woo-HOO"... not a "nest coo" but not exactly a "OK! GET UP!" either.
I got right up, opened the door to his house, popped my head in for a "Good morning" kiss and got a couple little light pecks on the nose and we were off and into the morning. Much to do this morning and I had NO idea HOW MUCH... Me? I had the usual morning affairs - serving breakfast on the back walk, checking things about the place, but OH MY! I wasn't the one in a "rush" to get on with the day THIS morning!
I put the kettle on, got me together, got back to opening the windows to the morning, getting the morning water run finished and... by the time I'd done, SOME-birdy was UP AND INTO this Friday morning with a BURST of energy!
Poops: 10 Scattered a bit about the little "rug", though under the night roost. The "worrisome" aspect is that they were all different in shape and form. All of them were "round", and "wrapped", as they ought be, but each one was "wrapped" slightly different from the others, some more tightly than the others. And the colours varied, from quite-dark brown to pale brown. Two of them were "quite wet" too, though not watery. So there's really no telling. I can't say that there's any sing of "digestive troubles", but I do wonder, when they're not "consistent".
Still, at this hour there's NO "want for energy"! I mean... it's been on BUSY BUSY BUSY MORNING!
This Little Bundle of ABSOLUTE JOY has been ALL OVER THE ROOM THIS MORNING, FROM WALL SHELVES TO LOFT, TO THE DESK, TO ME. AND EVEN AS I TYPE THIS, HE'S BOUNCING BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN THE FOOD PERCH AND HIS LOFT! He was on the desk, at the corner, looking up at me, so I brought what's left of the pea sprouts back into the room, put them at the corner of the desk and he plucked a little something from what's there and brought it to his loft. And earlier, when as I sat at the desk, sorting through more photos that are now on the "back-up drive", I heard "rattling"... turned to look and see the Little Character on the wall shelf... picking at the dried corn leaves up there. When he saw me turn... WING-SNAPS! HE WANTED TO PLAY! HE'S BEEN FULL OF PLAY THIS MORNING! IT'S ONE OF THE MOST ABSOLUTELY MAGNIFICENT WONDERS OF ALL CREATION! (He's back up on the wall shelf... at the corn leaves again and back to his house! WHAT a difference from those weeks of him being in his loft all through the day! IT DOES MY HEART AND SOUL SO MUCH GOOD! Especially this morning when I'm just "a touch out of sorts" with the oddest little "pains" in the ribs, and, of course, the "hydros" - I'll call them that.)
Anyway, the thermometers are telling me that it's 23° in the room this morning but I can "feel" a "chill"... "floating" about the room, like some invisible mass of cold. The house furnace is on. But after waking at 23.00 last night and seeing a reading of "0,685" on the "TVOCs" and not knowing where that was coming from, after having seen all the readings at "normal" before tucking in... and then, this morning, at 5.40, the "return" to what use to be our "regular wake-up rumbling" and the neighbours left for the day... I just don't know. Looks to be an "interesting" sort of day ahead... and fortunately, I am determined that there's nothing to take me out of the house today. It's grey out there now, threatens to grow darker with some snow so... we're here and we're staying here. And as long as this Little Guy is in such "BOISTEROUS SPIRITS"... we're going to have TOGETHER TIME!
Little note at 11.00... I just had an hour of "lie-down"... the Little Guy had one in his loft. There's a light snow falling out there and Yonah? Oh... he's up and about the room again! OH! To have even HALF the energy he has this morning! Well? I'm thrilled... no errands today and "Friday house-keeping"... when we get around to it. For now... a little early lunch and on with FRIDAY!
19.10 WHAT AN AFTER-NOON THIS POOR LITTLE LOVE HAS HAD TODAY!
First of all... I "forced" him into getting on the scale for an over-due weigh-in! OH MY! It was TERRIBLE! He was SO abused! (And I had to LAUGH SO MUCH!) At 14.00 he was out in the living-room on his tree, minding his own business, having a charming chat with the decoys, there was a bit of sun-light making way through the clouds even as the light snow fell out there and then I decided it was a good time to get the scale out! Well? Since he wasn't going to come back into his room, I brought the scale out to him, set it up on the roof of his yard house and as soon as he saw it... he JUMPED onto my shoulder and looked down at it! He was NOT going over there anywhere NEAR it! OK... So he was on my shoulder and I went to give him a kiss and he took off, back to his tree. So I thought I'd try what worked the last time we had to have a "weigh-in"... I fetched Burdie and brought Burdie out to the top of the yard house and sure enough, Yonah came RUSHING over to see Burdie. BUT... the very second he saw the scale there too, he realised what was going to happen and NO, he was NOT getting on that scale! HE FLEW RIGHT BACK UP TO MY SHOULDER AND TODDLED ACROSS MY BACK, GAVE ME THAT "LOOK" THAT SAYS "You think you're THAT SMART? Watch THIS!" and back and forth and forth and back, shoulder to shoulder. He was NOT going to go over to that roof-top and that "silver thing"!
So I rested my one hand on the roof, beside Burdie and the Little Character toddled down my arm and did everything he could think of to get to Burdie but NOT on the scale! I was almost on the verge of sitting down from laughter! He's SO SO CLEVER!
Honestly, I don't recall HOW, but the next thing was... HE WAS ON THE SCALE! Thankfully it had been "set" so to weigh him and he stood there, just long enough to get a proper reading! AT LAST! So I checked the time: 14.15! IT TOOK A FULL 15 MINUTES TO GET A WEIGHT! BUT HEY! IT WAS SO WORTH THE EFFORT (and the entertainment, to be sure). 133grams! His general weight! I was concerned because of the 3 weeks of him not eating normally during all that "nest mood". And he almost looked a little "thinner". But YAY! HE'S GREAT! PERFECT WEIGHT! (Wish I was. But as long as he is, I'm happy... THRILLED!)
THEN? OH THEN...
When I went to put the scale back into the tote on his shelves under his house, I happened to look at the wheels on the shelving and noticed: THE ONE WHEEL ON THE ONE LEG AT THE WALL-SIDE OF THE SHELVING WAS BENT !!! WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED IS THAT THE "STEM" THAT SCREWS UP INTO THE LEG HAD BEEN "MOVED". IN ANY CASE, THE CASTER LOOKED LIKE IT WAS ABOUT TO SNAP! NO WONDER I'VE BEEN HAVING SUCH TROUBLE ROLLING HIS HOUSE ABOUT TO GET TO THE WINDOWS TO OPEN AND CLOSE CURTAINS! IT WAS HORRIBLE! AND I ALMOST GOT PHYSICALLY SICK TO MY STOMACH! SO... THE LITTLE LOVE WAS STILL IN THE LIVING-ROOM SO HE WASN'T IN HIS HOUSE OR THE ROOM... I EMPTIES THE SHELVES AND TRIED TO GET TO THAT ONE CASTER. NO DOING... WHAT I HAD TO DO WAS TAKE EVERYTHING OFF THE SHELVES AND THEN I HAD TO EMPTY HIS HOUSE, REMOVE THE POOL, THE TREES, THE ROCKS... IT ALL HAD TO BE EMPTIED SO THAT I COULD REMOVE THE WHOLE HOUSE FROM THE SHELVES! I honestly didn't think I could do it. The "crate" is weighty as it is. But it's been "settled" on the shelving for so long that I thought it's rather "attached". BUT... blind determination and knowing that this HAD to be addressed NOW, TODAY, IMMEDIATELY, UP CAME THE HOUSE, OVER TO THE FUTON! I DID IT! (Not with-out a bit of a "smack in the face" under the shelves, but never mind...) HOUSE OFF, I TIPPED THE SHELVES OVER AND DISCOVERED THE PROBLEM. I HAD TO REMOVE AND RE-INSERT THE CASTER INTO THE LEG AND THEN I DISCOVERED THAT THAT ONE LEG IS JUST SHORTER THAN THE OTHER 3. I vaguely recall it being that way from the beginning and never discovered why or how, but there it was and is. And though the casters should be "adjustable" to compensate for such things, with the slightest damage to the threading in the shelving, well... looks like that new house and shelving I wanted to get for Yonah for our 5-year anniversary, then his 5th birthday... but because of so many other "people nonsense situations" this year, I didn't... we're going "New Year's Shopping"! Yes, he's back in his house now, and it's "sturdy enough", and now that "wonky wheel" is in the front so I can keep an eye on it, but... it's time to replace this stuff. AND, what made it all the better: I was wondering HOW we were going to move his house when we leave here. I didn't know that I could possibly do it alone BUT I DID AND I CAN AND WE'RE GOOD!
Ah... I had everything out of his house and had only just put it back together and at the window, all of his things from the shelves were all over his room and I was in the kitchen cleaning his pool and such... I heard the faintest little "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo"... HE WAS IN HIS HOUSE... NO POOL, NO TREES, he looked LOST in there! Imagine? He left to go to the living-room and he comes back to... NO HOME! SO... I made a dash, washed his pool and fountain, changed the sand that was under the pool (it needed it anyway) and put his "home" back together. He was obviously pleased that it was back together but was equally obviously NOT pleased that his house had been disturbed with-out warning. Oh, he should only know.
But when I got it all back together and we flushed fresh water through... thrice, all was well again... and it was time for me to put my dinner on the hob! The WHOLE after-noon had passed! But it's a relief to know his house won't tip in the night and THAT was my WORST PANIC! Next up! HOUSE SHOPPING! (Now to decide whether or not to go one house larger... and keep in mind the moving of a larger house. Oh well... But... at least I know I can handle THIS one! And, oddly, I went to close the curtains this evening and I don't know why or how but, I didn't put all the heaviest stuff back on the shelves so rolling was MUCH easier AND, it seems like there's more space to get to the windows? Oh well...)
So... we made it to 17.00 for dinner and as I went along, I did the washing-up and the Little Guy made him-self back at home. But it was non-stop! And in between, I managed to get the Friday hoovering done.
I OWE HIM A CALM DAY TOGETHER TOMORROW!
Now? It's already time to get settled for the night. There's a "scent" of "cold Winter air" in the room this evening. And again, there's an "elevation" on the air monitor! The "HCHO" is in the "yellow" band at "0,165", the "TVOCs" up at "0,701"!!! Last night, at 23.00 there was such a spike in all that crap that I HAD to get up and put on the living-room fan/cleaner and worry. What bothers me the most is that even as I hoover the house, which I would think would kick-up so much, the readings were perfectly fine. I just don't understand these readings. So? Tomorrow? Back to deep AI... I'll get to the bottom of it. I know TVOCs can be cleaning perfumes, cosmetics, exhaust, SO many things, most of which that are regularly in the air, but I don't like this. So much for "clean Adirondack mountain air".
And now... as I'm getting ready to settle for the night (19.55) the Little Character has come flying out of his house to the book-case and is coo'ing at me! Oh yes. Time to get this house CLOSED for the night! We've BOTH had quite the day! Oh yeah... now we're up on the curtain rod.... our "new fave place".... with the "wooooo-HOOOOooooo!" coo's. I'm off here!
20.25 Time to close the house. Everything is done and all the while I was attending "ablutions", the Little Character was on his night roost so of course, I really didn't expect him to stay there and sure enough, just as I get here to close the day, he's off to the futon! But before I headed out to close house, he was up on the curtain rod again. But OH! The fun we had there! I went over and slid my hand up behind the curtain and reached my fingers up and when he saw them, it actually took him by surprise! He saw my fingers, gave a little "start" and then looked down at me as if to say "WHAT ARE THEY DOING HERE?" As though he didn't expect me to be able to reach him up there! I wonder now, if he's disappointed that even up there, I can reach him. He doesn't have a place in the house where he's out of reach. (Which is something I consider in looking for another place. Those "cathedral ceilings" are attractive but I think of him getting up there and, well, having to wait for him to come down... especially at the end of a day. And then too, "poops". OH! But I can imagine what THAT would look like up there. I'd be on a ladder weekly, cleaning. That top wall shelf has more than I care to think of. Thankfully, I know the poops are healthy. Anyway...) I'm closing the day here. Let's see what time we can get to settling-in for the night. More to follow...

Saturday 29 November:
10.07 this morning has RUSHED BY! And it hasn't been one of "lounging" and it didn't get started all that late. It's just the way the clock steals time - at a point in my life when I cherish each moment.
Last night's little ride home went quite well, indeed! After the little games on the curtain rod and me getting back to the room, the Little Guy headed directly to his roof-top. He knew it was "seepie-nigh-night" and he headed to the platform, with little "nest coo's". And I believe he's actually looking forward to the little neck rubs that come with at the end of day because, again, I got to stroke his neck and instead of heading away, he just nestled right down to enjoy the affection! What a change! And ever since that last "nest mood". I have to wonder: "age"? Or is it an "acceptance" of the affection now? We've been together for 5 years now, maybe he's come to understand that my touching him IS a little sign of affection, the we ARE the "flock". These are the moments when again, I SO WISH I could talk with him and know what he's thinking. But for now, it's really a most delightful way to close a day.
When he'd had enough of the "Luvin'", I got a few pecks on the hand and he got up and strolled over to the platform and got him-self in to position for the "take-off" and so we were up, over and into the house. "On arrival", another simple step onto the night roost and, it STILL makes me smile to see how much it's just a matter of an evening for him to get to his night roost, as if the "ride home" is just part of "nature".
So, lullabies started, nice, slow, soft, calm, Yonah got settled and I got to the futon.
Made it through to Die Vögelein Sie Schlafen and at the very end... ANOTHER SING-ALONG of me singing a line, him joining with a "nest coo", and that was through most of the second verse! When I'd done, he was finished so I went on with the rest and... the last light was turned off at 21.00. I'm still not sure why this seems to be the hour Yonah chooses, for the most part. Out-side, the Little Ones are LONG roosted. I often think it's because of the artificial light in the house that keeps him up and awake later. But the one small consolation: he sleeps until he wakes (I so hope) and he gets his needed rest at night... even if it is "off the natural clock". How I wish we could both just follow the way things ought to be: up at dawn, down at sun-set. One day... soon, I hope.
Meanwhile? This morning, I'd woken earlier, before the sun even started to touch the sky, and laid back down to snooze until "called".
But at 6.28 the first "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo" came. And me? OH, I just wanted to luxuriate there, on the futon. Oddly (or not) I get the most "rest" after the first morning call. It's when I know my Little LOVE is OK. To be honest, between the old house, and yesterday's "discovery" of the "wonky caster" this time, I don't believe I actually get "sleep" through the night, always "listening" for the slightest sound, be it the settling of the house (which I heard at 1.00 this morning... well, 0.58, with a dull "thud" some-where, and for the next hour I laid there, in the dark, listening for another and wondering where that one had come from... at that hour) or, the WORST: the flapping of wings! It's why I can't go back to the bed-room now. I've tried that but I just lay there, on the bed, "on the edge" of sleeping all the while but never actually sleeping. if nothing else, it's made house-hunting different. Where I used to look for 2 bed-rooms so that Yonah could have his own, I know now, we sleep together in the same room. And never mind an "office" room. These recent months (years) have proven: we're the flock and we're together... always. And I surely don't mind it at all. I'm HUMBLED AND HONOURED.
So this morning, I politely tried to give a "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo" in reply but "morning voice"... I got a raspy bit out and I got a "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo" in reply. So I asked for "a few more minutes" and laid there, in the morning stillness until the next call... at 6.58. "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo"... time to get up! And so? I did.
I headed directly to his house, opened his door, stuck my head in for a few little "Good morning" kisses and... I was off to put the kettle on and get on into the morning.
Ah... but, as I started to run the morning water change... the fountain wasn't flowing as it did last night. This new tubing. It had kinked! AND, some-how, there were seeds in the out-put! SO... we had to take the fountain apart to see what had happened. There were seeds on the "screening" that protects the in-take again. Looks like that's going to happen. Some of them are just small enough to get caught in the mesh and they sprout there, under the fountain. And that kink? Well, we needed to put the new length of tubing on the pump and re-run it up to the fountain. Oh dear. First thing in the morning and there I was, AGAIN... pulling his house apart! Trees had to come out. His house was disturbed and he hadn't even had a chance to get up and out! So that took quite the chunk of our time. And then... a MAJOR FLUSH OF WATER! FOUR TIMES! I can tell that Yonah has a sense of it being done twice because when I add one extra run, he tends to roost on his food perch and watch. But this morning, when I started the FOURTH! WELL! He actually appeared a little "annoyed"! He was fidgety on the perch, watching me. So I made quick work of it all but THEN... HE CAME OVER TO MY SHOULDER WITH A PECK ON THE CHEEK! I couldn't help but think "WHAT? AGAIN?" When I told him "This is the last time." he headed out to the living-room with a resounding "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo" out there. As if telling the decoys "He's at it again!" And he was out there for the better part of 45 minutes. (I really have to come up with a different system of doing the water changes. Something less intrusive. It's a "task in the works". And again, as always, I think of being in another place, having to work in the water changes... kitchen-to-room. And with my old body being obnoxious, as it's turning, something to do about the bucket. It's a bit heavy, I'm putting less water in it these days than we used to, but...)
OK, so now, the room is settled, the water in the pool is fresh and clean and the fountain is flowing nicely again. AND the sun is just coming up over the tree line... AND THE HOUSE IS SO FULL OF SO MUCH ENERGY! THE SOUND OF WINGS, THE "TWEEDLE" OF THE WING-WHISTLE AND JUST *** LIFE *** !!! Saturday has come to order and it's WONDERFUL!
POOPS! 11 total in "neat" little pile for the most part, under the roost. Slight "green tint" even to the urea, but not "wet". But nothing that causes any "concern". Since all the checking with "AI", and getting quite the detailed break-down of what seed(s) will cause what colour and consistency, this little trace of green is OK. I'll just watch... through the day to make sure this is only the "over-night". I'm just comforted seeing that all poops are under the night roost and not scattered. My Little LOVE had a calm night, last night, and THAT is what "concerns" me most... that and that the poops are "healthy".
Now? We're on the move and INTO THE DAY! Chilly due, but FULL of SUN and LIFE!
OK then... here we are, 14.45 already! Another day that's slipped right by entirely TOO quickly! But it's been FULL of sun-shine, though quite "crisp" out-side the windows. And as I sit to type, the "news" on the old lap-top, quietly, THE ROOM IS FULL OF ACTIVITY! IT'S BEEN ONE OF "THOSE" DAYS WITH MY LITTLE LIFE HERE, FLYING ABOUT, FROM HOUSE TO DESK TO FUTON! He's been a veritable BUNDLE of all the energy that I so wish I had!
The morning for me was a lot of "searching". Still trying to find some sort of something that moves on its own, something "sound-activated", soft, safe and fun. Then, a quick break for a quick lunch and, of course, a snooze... solo... though when I first went to the futon, he DID come over, landed on my legs, toddled up to my waist and then... off he went, abut the room.
When I got up and headed to the desk, HE headed out to the living-room for a little while and the next thing I knew, there he was, toddling back round the corner and back into the room! The sun is, at this time of day, shining brilliantly in through the living-room windows, so I don't blame him for wanting to be out there. And it's a comfort to me to know that he has that room with the sun-shine there for him. But the toddling back ALWAYS touches me. It's SUCH a DELIGHT to know that he's comfortable in this, HIS house, so he simply strolls about, room-to-room. (I just hope he'll feel as comfortable, quickly, when we're in a different place - may we get there soon. I worry about him adjusting and adapting to a new place, a new environment. There's a young lady on our social media who's just moved to a new place and I watch her posts for inspiration. She has two small parrots/conures who seem to have adjust quite well. There was about a week where they had to re-assess their surroundings, especially "windows". But it's been several months now and all's well. She has to spend some time away from them though, and THAT always breaks my heart a little. The thought of her Little Ones being with-out her and, well, even as recently as this morning, the thought of me having to be away from Yonah for longer than a day is heart-wrenching. I DO have the briefest moments of pondering: surely others see me as being a touch insane, being to "tethered" to Yonah, yes, even to the point of not wanting to take a walk for an hour or so - something I really ought to be doing these days. But I'm sure there are those who think me crazy for being so attached to this Little Guy generally. Oh well. So be it. As long as Yonah is safe and healthy... "people" need to find other concerns of their own to focus on, to be sure.)
Anyway, it's REALLY JUST A BIT OF HEAVEN, hearing those little "tweedles" of his wings, and now, as I type, he's back in the living-room, "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo"! There truly IS no "Life" and no reason to "be" with-out this (and he's just come toddling back!).
16.20 and as I've been catching-up with the day here, a documentary on "birds" on the old lap-top, the Little Guy is up now... letting me know it's time to put supper on the hob! For a moment, there was a segment of little birds hatching and chirping and it seems that attracted him! He came RUSHING over to his lap-top to look at the little bird popping out of the shell! How I WONDER how much of his life he recalls before "that day". How much of his "natural" life he retains. I'm rather sure, certain, that most people don't give such things a passing thought, but for me? It's EVERY moment of EVERY single day and always, the wish, deepest and most serious, that I could, even for a passing moment, just sit with this Little Guy and "discuss" with him. Oh... it all goes back to that nonsense about "humans" being the "highest evolved". What a complete farce, proven each and every day.
Anyway, another day slips by us... and... we're off to "supper" as the sun-light vanished out-side out windows.
18.14 QUICK NOTE HERE... DINNER IS DONE AND WASHING-UP IS DONE AND I HAD COMPANY THIS EVENING, AT DINNER. MY LITTLE HEART-AND-SOUL CAME OVER TO THE DESK, TO HIS LAP-TOP, PECKED AT THE SCREEN AND SETTLED THERE ALL THE WHILE! And when I'd done, he headed up to his roof-top! BUT HE STAYED WITH ME! AND WE WATCHED BIRD AND NATURE VIDEOS ON "utoob"... TOGETHER! It just feels like it's been a "forever" since the last time we had dinner TOGETHER! SO BEAUTIFUL!
20.14 and I'm out of a shower... and when I got back into the room, my LOVE, my LIFE was on his roof-top making with the nest coo's and OH DID HE EVER ENJOY THE NECK RUB... WITH HAND-PREENING AND ALL! And now? After a little "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo" to the little reflection in the little mirror on the floor of his house, he's pecking away at the food there, amongst the twigs! Tomorrow... foraging! I have to work on that. But for now... the house is settled, I'm off to ablutions... and... we hope for a restful, sleep-full night ahead!
20.28 the Little Character is on the wall shelves making all sorts of "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo"s and the house is settled, I'm almost settled and we're off to see how "tuck-in" goes tonight. But it's time to try for a "civil hour" for last light off. Yeah... right. We shall see. Report tomorrow...

Sunday 30 November:
15.00 on the mark and the snow is still falling steadily. Thankfully, no wind and it isn't bitter-cold out there. And not very much is accumulating. But it's been "dark" all day and for much of it, my Little LIFE and I have been in his room, with me "doing stuff" and him lounging in his loft, as is appropriate for days such as this. (And JUST as I finished typing that, he's decided to get up and fly over to the futon behind me. OH MY! I SEAR he KNOWS when I'm thinking of him!)
I can't believe that we're closing ANOTHER MONTH already! "Time" stolen, and now, at this juncture in my other-wise mere "existence". When I think of all the years... as I did just this morning, where I simply "flowed along on the winds", as it were, just "tolerating" the next minute, waiting for the "last minute", resenting each "new day"... and NOW? NOW THAT I HAVE A REASON, CAUSE TO BE ALIVE, HEALTHY, ABLE... "TIME", SO PRECIOUS TO ME WITH MY LITTLE HEART-AND-SOUL, gets ripped away, quicker than I can even register the moment at hand.
But WHAT A START WE HAD TO THE DAY! First... Last night's tuck-in here.
Oh but yes indeed, at 20.30, the Little Character was up on the wall shelf AND THEN, up to his favourite place on the top of the book-case! I grabbed the camera to get some photos and THEN, he headed over to the curtain rod as he's been doing of late. HE EVEN ALLOWED ME TO GET A COUPLE LITTLE VIDEO RECORDINGS OF HIM UP THERE! But, when he saw me head for the platform on his roof-top, he OBVIOUSLY got ready for his "ride home"! (I got a poor-quality recording of that little adventure and I'll have to decided if I want to put it some-where on the site... when I get to putting images on the server.)
It didn't take but a moment and he hopped on as I brought his "chariot" up to him, and we were off across the room and over to his house where, upon arrival, he stepped off just as casually as "Thank you, good evening to you". I managed to get lights dimmed, door closed and me to the futon as he settled-down for a night ahead.
Lullabies were steady and soft and oddly, instead of "nestling" against the little mirror on his night roost, he settled some-what "removed" from it. But he DID nestle, and by 21.05... the last light of the day was off and we were too.
THIS MORNING? WELL! I'd been up and down, awake and snoozing from 4.30 but refused to get up from the comfort of the futon. And when I could see the little silhouette up there on the night roost, it was still just away from the mirror. But he was quiet so I dozed until 6.42 when the first "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo" of the morning was called. When I looked at the clock, I wanted to wait until 7.00 this morning, it was SO comfortable in the room. So I, with my "morning crackle" gave a "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo" back and the reply was a "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo" followed by a "woo-HOO". I asked for a couple minutes more and there was no reply so I half-dozed until the next "call" came. This time, louder and clear: "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo"! 7.02! So, OK, I got up with a "Thank you for the little snooze. I DO appreciate it so much! Good morning to YOU!"
As I opened the door to his house and popped in for "Good morning" kiss(es), I got another hearty "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo" and a few beautiful little kisses on the nose!
Door open, door perch placed, I headed to the kitchen to put the kettle on and set the kitchen for morning water run and as I did, a few more "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo"s from the room.
When I returned, I opened the far window completely to reveal... SNOW! Not much, but enough to cover road and lawn, and it was still falling lightly. I removed the roof board, placed the platform, finished setting the kitchen up and came back to open the rest of the windows and when I rolled his house back into position, I had to lean in... he was on the food perch and I GOT A FACE FULL OF KISSES! AND... as I ran the waters, he was UP, UP, AWAY, OUT AND ABOUT THE ROOM! A BLAT OF ENERGY on a dreary, dreary morning! THESE are the moments when I'm struck with "LIFE"!
Poops this morning: concerning... 10 that I could gather, and I HAD to "gather" most of them. From the looks of things, not only was the Little Guy not in his usual place on the night roost all night, but he was facing in the opposite direction again... AND I had to dig through the twigs and pine cones to find them. Thankfully, they were all "healthy", proper colour, composition and all. But that they were so scattered makes me wonder what happened through the night! (And to think: ALL readings on the air monitor were perfectly fine when we put the lights out, and I was, as usual, up again at 23.30 and they were STILL perfect. The air was good... I wonder what kept the Little Guy up and moving about last night. Haven't seen anything "odd"all day today. And poops have all been "normal" and now - at 15.46 - he's on his lap-top here, on the desk, beside me, preening. I just don't "know" and that bothers me the most.
But... OH THE ENERGY THIS MORNING! I got the water changed, threw me together and went out to clear some of the snow off the back walk to serve breakfast to the Yardies, clear the truck (sadly, I HAD to make a quick errand this morning), check our "utilities" and when I got back in, there he was, on the futon with the "Futon Flock" as if holding court! No sooner did he see me back, he was ON THE WALL SHELVES WITH WING-SNAPS!
And then... I had a bit of a "happening" with some Yardies' breakfast and spilled it just inside the back door! SO... I had to feed them and get the hoover AND THE FUNNIEST BIT... AS I GOT THE HOOVER, I HAD A LITTLE SU-BIRD-VISOR ON MY SHOULDER! AND HE STAYED THERE, AS I SET THE HOOVER UP AND ALL THE WHILE I PICKED-UP THE SEEDS FROM THE CARPETING! HE RODE RIGHT ALONG, WATCHING MY EVERY MOVE! And he stayed there until I turned the Hoover off and went to bring it back! SHOCKING, really. He's started to come with me as I hoover, but usually heads off to some-where as soon as I get into it. But this morning... there he was! WOW!
Since I was already on the move, I decided to head out for the errand and get that out of the way. The truck was warm and clear, I grabbed what I needed and just bolted out the back door and away.
The snow was falling ever-so lightly, the road was "OK", but I rolled slowly. (Once upon a time I wouldn't have cared much more than "general safety" but I tend, now, to think: I HAVE to get out and back as quickly as possible, I don't have time for "accidents" and the likes.) And then...
In the first store, as I was getting to the door, DEBORAH came in! It was SO WONDERFUL to see her up and about. She'd been so ill all day yesterday. And we had quite the little conversation. She told me of her new medications, how they sickened her so terribly yesterday and as we spoke of the general "atmosphere" of the days, she commented on the local news and how things are in The City. Then, she mentioned how ill her Julio has been for a year now and how her anxieties are so high, particularly because she keeps thinking that she has to be in the best-possible health to be able to help him... "Just like you are with Yonah." SHE UNDERSTANDS! I almost broke into tears! SHE DOES UNDERSTAND AND SHE DOES LOVE YONAH TOO! It was comforting to hear that SOMEBODY actually FEELS as I do. I DO trust her with Yonah, and I wouldn't doubt, for a moment, that, if I needed somebody to come by to attend to him, she would do the very best for him that she physically can. It doesn't make me comfortable with even the thought of EVER needing such a thing, but, knowing that she's in a "same situation", well, I don't wish it on her and I take no comfort in knowing she's going through this, but... it's some-what like our little lullaby lyric:
"Wir sind gemeinsam. Du bist nicht alein."
Yes, we ARE together and neither of us is alone.
And so, with that, I was back on the road and up to the market where I got what I needed for the immediate future and even there, with so few in the store, another delight when I bade one of the cashiers (Mary) "Safe home" she replied "You too, dear." It just put the world into some new perspective and the trip back went smoothly and then... when I got back, I came in through the back door to see...
THERE HE WAS, MY LITTLE LIFE, AT THE CORNER OF THE DESK, PREENING AND FLUTTERING HIS FEATHERS as if all were as all ought to be. WHAT A "Welcome back"! And knowing that I didn't have to leave the house for the rest of this other-wise dreary day just made it all the better.
I put the groceries up and got to a quite "lunch" break with Yonah who saw me eating and he headed for his "foraging" too! No "snooze" again, today. I had other things to attend and so, got to those... at the desk, in the room, with MY LOVE, as the snow continued to fall softly and lightly out-side our windows.
17.42 and my dinner is done. Yonah had his dinner as I had mine. I had mine early this evening too so we were on the same "clock"! And as I ate, HE CAME BACK OVER TO THE DESK TO HIS LAP-TOP! WE HAD DINNERS TOGETHER THIS EVENING! And now, he's up on his roof-top and the washing-up is done, the kitchen is almost settled. Out-side, the world is "night-black". "November" is leaving... and here comes December... and... WINTER!
20.29 ABOUT TWO HOURS! IT WAS ANOTHER ONE OF OUR "OLD EVENINGS TOGETHER"! I was at the desk, finishing the day's "people nonsense" and MY LITTLE HEART-AND-SOUL WAS ON HIS LAP-TOP, NESTLED AT THE SCREEN, BESIDE THE "NEWS"! WHAT A WAY TO CLOSE THE MONTH HERE, AND THE DAY! All was calm, the screen was bright. IT WAS FANTASTIC!
As I ran the evening water change and put the windows closed for the night, he ate, at his food dish, completely oblivious to me and all the commotion. Hey! He ate and he ate well! Night snacks... full crop for the night ahead.
When I stepped out for my evening ablutions, he took to his food shelf and made with the evening nest coos and again, this evening, as he coo'ed, I WAS ALLOWED TO GIVE THE LITTLE NECK RUBS! NOW THIS IS SOMETHING OF NOTE! IT'S ALL RECENT. HE USED TO STOP THE COO'ING AND WOULD MOVE AWAY FROM ME! I DO WONDER. "TIME"? TRUST? WHAT-EVER IT IS, IT'S COMFORTING TO MY HEART, TO BE SURE.
And so, now, with ablutions and house-settling done for the night, I'm off to set the futon, start the lullabies and... OH AND... MY LITTLE CHARACTER, MY LITTLE LOVE IS UP ON HIS BOOK-CASE, AGAIN, WITH THE NEST-COO'S AND FLUTTERS. The night music is on so... AND OH DEAR! The nest coo's have changed... Now I'm being called: "woo-HOO-hoo-hoo-hoo"! Repeatedly! It's time to wrap this up. We have some "seepie-nigh-night" to get to!
I'll pick-up tonight's tuck-in on December (I CAN'T BELIEVE IT... DECEMBER... 2025 HAS SLIPPED BY! HOW I HAVE COME TO RESENT THIS ... FOR THESE PAST 5 YEARS... TIME... BEING STRIPPED AWAY. BUT... OFF WE GO! CAN'T STOP IT. CAN'T PUT IT "BACK", NOT EVEN WITH A CLOCK. BUT I'VE BEEN TAUGHT TO HANDLE SUCH THINGS, BY THE BEST PROFESSOR EVER: Herr Doktor Yonah Taube... my HERZ-UND-SEELE!)