Hiking With Paulie

Most people think of someone who is "spoiled" and someone who likes to hike as two very different people. And I get called "spoiled" at least once a day. Now, I don't think that I'm really spoiled. You see, I have a fiance. We'll call her M. M and I have been together for almost 4 years now. We live together. I have a very assertive and dominant personality and she does not. She's very submissive and passive, and because of this, we get along very well. It's just a given that in our relationship I usually am the one to take the wheel and do things, make decisions, etc. Obviously I consult her about every decision that needs to be made, but in the end, since I have the more dominant personality, it's just how it is. Our friends are always commenting on this, and honestly, to outsiders it probably looks like a not so nice relationship that we have here. But to us, it's what works. It's just how it is in our relationship.

Anyway, so after people see how she treats me (she jokingly refers to me as "Princess," as do my other friends) they are astonished to discover that I am a very outdoorsy type person. I love hiking, I love getting dirty. I love bike riding. I love walking, running, swimming, canoeing, working out, playing on jungle gyms, rock climbing, etc. You name it. If it involves being outside and/or exercising, I'm there! Hiking, aside from swimming, is my very favorite. Especially if there are no trails. I am thankful that we just moved to a house with acres upon acres of woods in the back. I've only been out there once so far, and it was so much fun. I went with my brother and we made our way through the dense forest together. We found some very beautiful and interesting plants, and I even fell in a hole. It was so much fun to discover the plants, nature, and wildlife in our area. I also bike ride at least 3 times a week, for at least 8 miles at at time.

Here are some pictures I took the other day in the woods behind our house:

How does this pertain to parrots? Well, I am hoping that once my parrot and I develop a bond, I will be able to take him or her outside with me. I plan on buying a harness (I am still undecided about clipping) and taking them with me hiking/walking.

Have you ever seen the movie Paulie? It's a lovely movie (starring the Pepsi girl) about a parrot. He's a Blue Crowned Conure named Paulie. *SPOILER ALERT* He is originally purchased for a young girl (I know, not a good idea, but in the movie she takes very good care of him) named Marie. Marie has a speech impediment and her parents aren't very nice about it. So, she uses Paulie as a friend and a teacher. Paulie can talk. Not mimic, but actually talk. But he only talks to those who he thinks deserves it. He teaches Marie how to speak better, but he is too afraid to fly. So one day, Marie tries to teach him how and she falls off her roof. After that, her parents decide to get rid of Paulie. He is bounced around different homes for years and years until finally he gets back to Marie as an adult. They live happily ever after!

Anyway, that whole paragraph had a point. Really, it did! In that movie, there is a scene where Marie is taking Paulie all around her back yard and pointing to things. She'll point, and Paulie will ask, "What's that?" Marie would then respond with the correct answer: "Flower, chair, rock." Paulie learns the words. I would love to do this with my bird. Just take them around the yard, around the house, around the woods, the park, etc. and teach them things. It's one of the things I am looking forward to most about having a bird.

In fact, I am really looking forward to teaching my bird a lot of things. Tricks, for instance. My Chihuahua has been trained (by myself) to obey over 40 commands. She's only a year old. I love teaching her, and I use positive reinforcement, so I think I am at least a bit prepared for teaching a bird. And I feel that birds can do so much more than dogs. (No offense to dogs or anything.) I just can't wait to teach my bird all kinds of things!

I can only hope that my bird bonds to me as much as I know I will bond to him/her!