Plant

The rain wasn't too heavy early this morning, so I snapped a quick piccy of the repaired planter. Told you TPTB would have their own ideas of how to use it, didn't I? Yep, seperate pots inside the planter. I'm told once things have grown a bit it'll look much better...



I'll say something for this Mac; uploading pics from the camera is about ten times faster. Very impressive.

Got it pegged

Just in case anyone has any doubts about what parrots like to do to tree products... I was going to use this one for a caption comp, but the potential prize had to go elsewhere. Feel free to have a go if you fancy.



Anyway, the stricken planter. As you can see, all was not well at all. I ended up taking the thing apart in the end and found uncured glue on the mortises. Humph. I also took a fraction off the width of the panels in case that was exacerbating the problem. Trouble is I forget how darn dry the workshop is these days. Great for furniture for the house; all wrong for outdoor stuff.



Anyway, I broke out my little hatchet and some oak offcuts, rived me some peg material and drove it through the dowel plate to make some sturdy pegs.



All joints are now mechanically locked in (sorry, forgot to take a pic), so if it's gonna come apart again it's going to be so much harder to repair... Funny, the planter's not actually been outside for long, but you wouldn't believe the number of insects and such that high-tailed it out of there once I started in with the mallet. I know it's an oft-quoted thing that one oak tree supports some astronomical number of living things, but an oak planter...?!

Rissoles

You know how sometimes just about everything seems to be going wrong? I'm in a deep, deep rut of that very feeling at the moment. My life is apparently going "to hell in a hand basket" - not for the first time, which should, in theory, be a comfort. Just to add to the happiness, the planter I made back in Dec/Jan is apparently falling apart. Never, but never again will I buy glue from a local supplier; exterior glue, my posterior. I'll have to pseudo-drawbore the joints before it completely gives up the ghost, as if I didn't already have a to-do list as long as a roll of Andrex.

But not as soft or strong.

Having "Everybody Hurts" on a loop should just about sum up the situation for you...

Affordable Housing

Well it's not woodworking related, but as the funding is coming from my recent tool sale... Yes, I'm looking into a new home for Bertie, my African Grey. At the moment he's in this cage that he's lived in the last 7 years, ever since he was 3 months old (bless).


Well-seasoned applewood branches for perches which I covert for turning... The smooth beech dowel that always gets provided with cages is absolute murder on birds' feet, so I replaced them asap. Was lucky to get the apple; dunno where I'll get replacements. Anyway, at the time it was a pretty standard cage type, the best I could afford, but in the intervening years more notice has been taken of parrot housing and particularly having zinc-free coatings. This is important, 'cos Bertie unfortunately likes to chew on his bars. From a distance they look okay, but the feathered fiend has done his worst and I've been worrying it'll be doing it's worst on his innards too. So I'm looking for a replacement.

If space, and yes, money were no object, I'd be getting him something really palatial. As it is, parrot cages take up more real estate than you might credit so I'm aiming for something a similar size to what he already has. Naturally he'll go into a blue funk at the idea of a new cage, so even if I get one close to what he currently has, it'll be a stressful transition for both of us. The key thing is to make sure PJ, the Senegal, doesn't take posession first! He's already had a cage upgrade when I first got him "pre-owned", which pretty much doubled the size of his living quarters and he took to it like a duck to water. I can see him getting the idea of another upgrade all too easily...

Anyway, I've narrowed it down to two. The more expensive Noo Joisey, er, um, I mean New Jersey, which has the benefit of a similar arched shape. On the other hand that arch does cut down on the head room which has bothered Bertie before now. The pull-out tray looks very substantial, but it doesn't have the (potentially) handy shelf below. Also the bars at the top following the curve look good, but they're tricky for a bird to climb up.



Ignore that flock of 'toos; only a sadist would put even one cockatoo or macaw in a cage that size.

The other is the Orlando, which I'd like to think is a Shakespearean reference, but I fear has probably more to do with Florida. Cheaper, which is a factor, better head room in the corners, but without the seed catchers in place will there be a gap between the body of the cage and the tray? The shelf underneath is nice though.



But do I just warm to that one because of the toys (not included) shown within?

Anyway, it's a total 'mare. With any luck we'll be living with the choice for ten years at least (I hope) so it pays to get it right! And before I get letters; they get as much time outside their cages as possible and they don't have clipped wings. They don't look on their cages as a bad place, but rather as their own particular territory. Which is why Bertie's going to absolutely hate moving...