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CHUCK & MISHI
 

9-24 Chuckie Gets A Child Bride

Just got back from a trip to Dayton to see a friend who has lung cancer ... not a fun trip. It's funny, I lived in Ohio for close to 30 years and never saw an acorn! Now that I have Chuck, I looked for them and found them everywhere. And so BIG! Much bigger than live oak acorns. I got some red oak, black oak and the fuzzy acorns of the Bur oak. One black oak acorn was absolutely picture book perfect. I'm going to preserve it. Found even more on the trip home through Tenn. and South Carolina. Every stop at a rest area found me out scouting the ground.

While I was in Knoxville, saw Tammy Spears and picked up Chuckie's 7 week old bride, Mishi. "Mishi" is short for Squamish which is NW Coastal Salish for Mother of the Wind. "Chuck" is good ol' boy southern for Passes Wind. LOL Chuck has not really seen Mishi yet. Chuck got in my shirt once and was sniffing to beat the band ... focused on someone's little butt through the pocket. he's going to have to wait awhile until Mishi is his size before I put her cage near his. Guess my wrist can wait that long. LOL



Mishi Takes Her First Field Trip

Had to swap the decks on the sailboat and took Mishi along. Stopped taking Chuck some time ago as I sweat all over him.

It was cooler today and I had a wash cloth in my sports bra with Mishi sleeping inside it. Finished the job and noticed the bra was wet, but the wash cloth kept Mishi relatively dry ... or dry enough that she didn't complain;-)

She's a sweet little girl and adjusting well. Chuck hasn't discovered her yet. LOL


9-26 Chuck's Reaction to Mishi

Chuck is NOT a happy camper. He won't stay on me if I smell like you know who;-) He hasn't really gotten a good look at Mishi yet. I carried her all day yesterday in a sports bra and when I put her in her cage and got Chuck out of his, he wouldn't stay on me. Raced around and around, up and down and was too fast to catch. Earlier in the day, I'd put him in my shirt while she was in the bra and he did the same thing; so I had to take him inside as he was climbing out of my shirt ... something he never does during day time.

After I showered, he reassessed my smell and climbed aboard like his usual self. He acts REALLY "squirrely" when he can smell her on me. I don't know if the odor excites him or makes him jealous, but he's still humping Mommy's arm ... if she's clean. LOL

The funniest thing, this morning I found some cotton balls on the floor of his cage. I have 3 nest boxes in there and he only uses one ... NEVER even looks at the others. I lifted his lid to take him out and the top was stuffed with cotton balls he'd taken from another nest. I think he's rearranging his room hoping for company;-) LOL


9-27 Chuck is afraid of Mishi

Tonight I forced him to look at her. He was on his open cage door and I put her on the other side. She saw him and started up over the edge to his side. Chuck flew away to the blinds and wouldn't come back to his cage until I put her back in hers. LOL He's twice her size and scared to death of her. I guess the trauma of Sophie's and Roxie's rejection still linger. He sticking real close to Mommy ... know a good flyer therapist ;-)


9-28 Chuckie is a 10 Year Old Boy (Emotionally)

Last night Mishi came out of her nest and was very interested in Chuck who was jumping around on the "Gym" next to her cage. He hopped on her cage and she raced around where he was. He moved off and jumped on me. I put him up close to her and he got on her cage and flattened out against the wire. She ran up and stuck her nose against his (in a flyer kiss) thru the bars. Chuck jumped back quickly to his cage, spit and wiped his lips off as if to say, "Ugh! a girl kissed me ... phooey. Cooties!" I think it'll be quite awhile before I see pups. LOL





10-1 Chuck and Mishi Take a Trip

Chuck ... the flyer formerly know as Chuckie (a baby name) and his child bride, Mishi went with Sylvia and I to St. Augustine today.

I started out with Chuck trying to get all of himself into my sports bra. "You're too big for that now, Chuck." I said to his rump and tail which were sticking out. He was not happy at being moved into my shirt. Mishi was placed in the sports bra, but she kept wanting to come out into the shirt. I was concerned about Chuck's reaction and stuffed her into the large Velcro pocket on front of the shirt, She and her sister had slept in there all the way from Knoxville, but that was a whole week ago and she's 2 months old and not a baby as far as she's concerned. I kept hearing the Velcro rip as a little nose tried to break through. I was more afraid of her popping out than Chuck's reaction. Down she goes in the other side of the shirt, but not for long. The small lump moves over toward the large lump. I look down my shirt. Chuck's ears are flatten down ... not a good sign. He reminded me of a Shetland pony a childhood friend had. He was meaner than a snake and would bite, try to knock you off my running under low limbs or scrape your legs against barbed wire. He always flattened his ears when he did that. Chuck runs Mishi off. She retreats and returns. No one is screaming and nothing feels like a wrestling match; so I figure they'll have to work it out. Sometimes when I peek, they are both sleeping in a mutual ball. Other times Chuck's ears are flat and Mishi moves to the other side of the shirt. There is no fight, biting, yelling or blood; so I forget it. It's hard to keep track of two lumps anyway.

After lunch by the sea, we head over to Dreamstreet Too (http://www.dreamstreettoo.com/home.html) to see Cathi. Chuck is enamored of her and she wants to see Mishi. When we get to the store, Chuck is the first to greet Cathi and lies contentedly against her chest while she rubs his head. Chuck is in heaven and just stares at Cathi with his big eyes and would stay forever, but he decides to shirt dive and maybe get to go home with her;-) While Chuck is exploring inside Cathi's dress, I present Mishi who is just as willing as Chuck to rest on her chest and have her ears and head rubbed. Whereas Chuck could not keep his eyes off Cathi, Mishi closes her at half mast in ecstasy at being rubbed. Mishi is easier to retrieve than Chuck who gives it a good try at staying with Cathi. But, a scoot maneuver up her back gets Chuck in grabbing position and he's back with Mommy before he can protest. Chuck definitely would be happy to stay with Cathi at Dreamstreet Too. LOL



Mishi is A Pistol

Mishi was up playing in her cage at 4 AM while I was at a VERY early computer run. I heard her running around in the cage and took her out. She ran around me, jumped on a chair and back to me. Got on the floor and ran back when I called her. She likes the chair to me game best and played it over and over. She got on the floor again and ran around checking behind things as I supervised. She scurried across the floor, climbed onto the bed and jumped to the gym. Something Chuck did not do until several weeks older than she. I called, she continued to explore and I finally picked her up and plopped her back in her cage with a pecan bit.

She is much more adventuresome than Chuck was at that age and more independent ... not afraid to leave Mommy. Maybe I have a precocious girl ... or a chicken hearted boy. LOL

10-3
Flyer Cartoon
http://www.ucomics.com/closetohome/2003/09/30/


Chuck Has Met His Match

I have been keeping Chuck and Mishi in my shirt together. I peek frequently if I feel a lot of activity to make sure Chuck is not hurting Mishi. Tonight, Chuck came up several time to peep (Kilroy style) out the front. I thought he was hungry as I was putting supper together. I offered him some items, but he was not much interested.
A little later I felt him coming up the inside of shirt front and peeked in. He got close to the top and Mishi jumped on his back, wrapped her arms around his waist and he started slipping back. Try as he would, he couldn't get out of her grip and stared at me with big, black, pleading eyes as he sank into the darkness below.
Bye Bye Chuck. LOL

10-4
Tiny Claws

I forgot how sharp baby flyer's nails are ... esp. if hanging off your lip:-( OUCH! And track marks are reappearing all over my body like some exotic tropical disease. Chuck at least has learned to climb the shirt, not the skin.
And one flyer awake is enough, but two makes your head spin as your body turns into a NASCAR race track with each fighting for the lead position. WOW!

Stop Me Before I buy More

A squammy, (squirrel Mommy ... thanks to Laurie) should NEVER be allowed inside a PetSmart with large sums of cash or a credit card. Trust me ... I know!

Sundial Rotating
 
10-2-03
Adoption Day
Today, one year ago, Chuck came to live with me.

10-7
                                                     Rumble

  I put Chuck and Mishi in my shirt today and after some running around, they settled in to nap. Later in the day I was aware of much activity, tumbling and general raucous behavior than got me concerned for Mishi. Hoping she was in one piece (I'd heard no screams), I peered inside to see Chuck flat on his
back with Mishi sitting on his chest holding his shoulders down. "1-2-3! OK Mishi, you pinned him now let Chuck up." Chuck scurries to the back on my shirt with Mishi in hot pursuit. Poor Chuck. I guess I'd better keep a closer eye that
he isn't hurt.

10-10
                                          Baby Sitter Mom       

  Now, I have David & Mary Jane's (flyer friends) two 3 1/2 week old twins and picked up Christine's Toby this afternoon. He's Mishi's age and belongs to a oman I never met until I picked him up. LOL He's no trouble.
  Chuck is sleeping now, but earlier smelled the twins' odor in my shirt ... not happy! I showed Mishi to Toby ... he was VERY interested, but she was scared of him. LOL She picks on Chuck who is twice her size, but is scared of one er own size. Go figure!
  Boy, are the twins tiny. David was feeding them every 3 hours and at night too. I immediately adjusted them to every 4 hours and no night feedings. LOL I think they've grown, but it's hard for me to tell as I see them so often ... David will be able to notice.
  I put them on elongated nipple/syringe feedings and they love it. He was worried about the little boy who frequently choked and blew milk bubbles ... he'd CPR him. The little bugger loves the nipple and puts suction on it that makes it almost impossible to get it away from him.
  The best part is I had just ordered a "SnuggleKittie," which is a rehab item. It has a Velcro stomach pocket and you place a heat pack inside. It also has a battered operated plastic heart that also does inside. The heart beats and it gives off heat! The pups love it. I think it is really helping them grow. They burrow under it, in it's arm pits, on top of it if too warm and cling to it when I go to get them. Once, I picked it up and NO flyers. I tore the cotton apart and still no babies. I had the Kittie in the air and both were in an arm pit hanging on. LOL

10-13
                                        Chuck gets Grounded

  After running from Mishi ... usually inside my shirt, Chuck decided she wasn't so bad after all ... and started trying to hump her! No more mutual shirt time for Chuck ;-)

10-14                                
                                          Winter's Coming

  This morning when I went to get Chuck from his nest, he was sitting a little higher than usual with no cotton covering him. I started to scoop him up and my fingers dove into a mass of nuts. I removed Chuck to my shirt, pulled out the cotton and found his nest half full of various nuts ... 6 pecans, 24 acorns, a hazel nut, a shelled pecan, a shelled walnut and crumbs of
indistinguishable items.

10-16
                               Sailing Without "The Crew"

  Went sailing this afternoon. Didn't take Chuck or Mishi as I sweat all over them. The weather is getting cooler; so maybe I'll take Chuck soon. He stays in my shirt and sleeps. Mishi is a little more adventuresome and likes to come out and look. A gust of wind when the boat is heeling just might send her
into the river. They make life jackets for dogs, but not flyers. LOL
  The sailing was really nice and I was at the helm. I asked Sylvia. "Who has the right of way ... a sailboat or a helicopter?"
"What?" was the response. I repeated the question and she replied with a laugh, "Helicopters aren't in the water, boats are."
"Oh, yea!" I retorted. "Look straight ahead."
  A Navy helicopter from NAS Jax was practicing sea rescue and pick up at a buoy where we were headed on the river. It was hovering a few feet off the water's surface and kicking up a strong gust of wind and water with it's props.
  "Well, I think we have the right of way. We're under sail power and he's got an engine!" , I said with great confidence. In my sternest voice, I yelled, "Heave to ... I'm on a starboard tact." Smug in my knowledge of sailing right
of ways.
  Needless to say, the chopper crew could hear nothing, but did zip off like a dragonfly as we approached. I think I was lucky it was a Navy chopper and not Air Force ... who knows what right of ways they observe. LOL

10-22
                                      Mommy Gets Ignored

  I have started letting Mishi out with Chuck at night (under strict supervision) for play time. Chuck's favorite place is the large honey comb blind. I used to chase him around it and he would run after my hand when he was tagged. Now, he would rather play with Mishi:-(  Seems another squirrel is more fun. I admit she's a lot faster than me, but I helped him learn to "Big Jump ."
You'd think he'd be grateful and not ignore me so!
  Mishi doesn't take any guff from him and had no trouble asserting herself.
He's constantly trying to catch her and hump on her. She puts up with it just so long. Last night, she got tired and grabbed him before he knew what had happened, spun around on him and started humping his head. LOL  Fair enough :-)
  In addition to losing my place as favorite playmate, I have become "The Tree" to spring off in their never ending chases. It's different from when Chuck alone returned to "Mommy Tree." Now, I don't get a kiss from either ...they're too wrapped up in each other ... literally! LOL I hope I adjust to being second fiddle:-(

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