Right now Salty is.....

[kme3388]

Here we are, playing pirate on the Delaware state tall ship, the Kalmar Nyckel, for a private sail. Nothing like playing sea shanties on an actual tall ship, for actual crew hauling actual sails.

Salty would blend in with this photo

 

[SailBoat]

Here we are, playing pirate on the Delaware state tall ship, the Kalmar Nyckel, for a private sail. Nothing like playing sea shanties on an actual tall ship, for actual crew hauling actual sails.

There is nothing that provides appropriate background than the hauling of actual sails!

I am certain that the crew enjoyed the music!!

 

[Rival_of_the_Rickeybird]

Better than Pirates of Penzance!

 

[SailBoat]

Zero comparison there!!

 

[wrench13]

Sunday past was Chop Day
35 baggies with 3 days of food in each. 15 ingredients. Salty LOVES it.

double handfuls of Habanero peppers
double handfuls of red chilies
big handful of jalapeno peppers
2 red bell peppers
2 radicchio
3 broccoli heads
1 cauliflower head
1 large can corn, rinsed and drained
1 can red kidney beans, ditto
1/2 lb pasta, single ingredient, no salt, no added vitamins
1 bundle organic kale
1 bundle brocoli-rabe
2 bundles leafy parsley
1 pound brussle sprouts, chopped
1 bag baby arugula

 

[SailBoat]

Sunday past was Chop Day
35 baggies with 3 days of food in each. 15 ingredients. Salty LOVES it.

double handfuls of Habanero peppers
double handfuls of red chilies
big handful of jalapeno peppers
2 red bell peppers
2 radicchio
3 broccoli heads
1 cauliflower head
1 large can corn, rinsed and drained
1 can red kidney beans, ditto
1/2 lb pasta, single ingredient, no salt, no added vitamins
1 bundle organic kale
1 bundle brocoli-rabe
2 bundles leafy parsley
1 pound brussle sprouts, chopped
1 bag baby arugula

Julio just left, flying East at speed!!

 

[wrench13]

Happy Hatchday to my best buddy, Salty! At 9 years old, you have become our little boy who never grows up, so firmly intertwined in family life and who brings so much joy and happiness! We love ya Salty!

 

[cnyguy]

Happy Hatchday to Salty from Ralph and me, and many more.

 

[kme3388]

Happy Birthday to Salty!

 

[SailBoat]

A Very Happy Hatch-day, Salty!!
Your Good Friend Julio and the Boat's family, we wish you a truly wonderful Hatch-day!!
You are a joy and truly loved member of your family!!

 

[wrench13]

Salty says "Braacckkk!" which is Amazon for Thank You!

 

[wrench13]

I have often bemoaned the lack of quality parrot tricks available, and I have made a few of Salty's tricks and props myself, like his slide. I was contemplating this the other day and hit on 2 new ones. One is a simple trick, which I've seen before on YT with other parrots, mostly budgies. It is raising up a flag up a flag pole. The other trick is taken right out of old-time carnival days, where the strong man uses a mallet to hit a fulcrum and send a weight up to ding a bell. Well I got this week off and bought all the hardware and wood needed to make both of these! The strong man thing I got done tonight and the little pulleys for the flag pole set up just arrived in todays post. Have to get my son to make a nice pirate flag for that one, because well ..... pirate parrot. Tuesday is jam session night but Wednesday we will start with these 2 new props and see how long it takes Salty to get them. I'm betting the flagpole will be easy and the strong man thing he may never get, Salty is not fond of hitting stuff with his beak. But we shall see!

THe bicycle trick, we have kinda stalled out on that one. After many months I finally rebuilt it, from chain drive (which caught Saltys foot in the sprocket) to o-ring belt drive. Problem is , the o-rings slip and never really force his feet to go around with the pedals. This is his current favorite trick, the lazy boy, because he basically sits there and gets a treat for holding onto the handlebar and letting me drag it around. I either have to get a smaller diameter o-ring or larger diameter pulley sheaves to increase tension and not let the pedals slip. Or drill a new place for the pedals. THis bicycle is a real PIA to disassemble, MUCH worse then a real bike would be! With itty bitty nuts and washers!

 

[SailBoat]

If you selected, gathered the bits and then assembled it for Salty! Why not!
Always remember, he is an Amazon and has his choices.
A match is a win! May you win!

 

[GaleriaGila]

Ya know Wrenchie, it's only cuz I love you and the Saltster that I can tolerate y'all's accomplishments. The Rb and I are still working on the "step up" command after 40 yearszszszszs.
You're both amazing.
If you ever open up a remedial psittacine correctional facility, the Rb can be your first recruit. I'm going to start saving up now.

 

[wrench13]

Well Gail, you're gonna hate us even more because not only was Salty not afraid of either of these new tricks, but he got the idea of each of them after a few tries. For sure we need work on both of them, but he is so eager to please and the learn new stuff, its awesome to watch. Like the flag raising one, he tentatively put his beak onto the pull rope, and then looked over to me, sort of to get validation he was doing it right. So smart. I'm only half kidding when I sometimes say he would plow the back 40 or build me a Volkswagen for a pine nut!

 

[Rival_of_the_Rickeybird]

Well, SOMEBODY has to have that perfect kid... valedictorian, boyscout and quarterback......................................
And somebody has to have the foul-mouthed thug that smokes in the boysroom and steals the neighbors' Amazon packages............................................

 

[Kentuckienne]

I wonder..instead of an o-ring, how about a round hair tie? I have a fistful of these because they are cheap and come in many sizes. It’s a circle of round elastic, and the right size might stretch just enough to not slip on the bicycle. Might need to rough up the gears/pulleys a bit to create friction?

 

[Rival_of_the_Rickeybird]

Well lookie who''s here! Parrot poet laureate and all-around-fix-it-er Kentuckienne. Good to see you.
PS- the missus buys and loses those hair things by the tens. Many wind up mangled into the front door welcome mat somehow.

 

[wrench13]

I'm trying to figure out how to increase tension on it, without disassembling the whole thing, its like CHinese puzzle box, a real PIA>

 

[wrench13]

Well back to the drawing board on the flagpole trick. Salty's razor sharp beak just sliced right thru the string i used like it was butter! This was nylon twine, used for stuff like plumb bob weights and similar. Any suggestions?