Bit of a barney this morning with Jack. Yesterday discovered that he'd either been attacked through the wire by Algernon, as one toenail on his right food was mangled and bleeding, or less likely, he'd caught it in the wire. I think he'd had a fight with Algernon as Algernon has been sticking close to home the past week or so. I've broken up skirmishes before. I was vacuuming when whatever happened happened as I'd been out just before to visit him and went out immediately after because I heard black cockatoos in the distance. And there he was, blood smears on the perch, coagulated blood on the ground and him holding it up and looking forlorn. Not that injury and my soft words improve his temper. I put his seed out this morning but he ignored it as he was on the ground (hope we don't get another infected toe). Anyway, he tried to climb but had trouble so I extended, with some trepidation, the handheld perch for him to get on. He did but just as he was stepping from it to the aviary perch he lunged for my hand. I dropped the handheld with him on it and in retaliation he attacked my foot (luckily ensconced in ugh boot) and bit. Connected too the little toad. So I kicked/tossed him away and scolded him. Not that he cared. He's not one bit cowed. Naturally I don't want him cowed but he does need to understand that a) it's not acceptable to bite and b) it's not acceptable to bite. I haven't been out since but am going to later as there are some delectable torelliana tree branches which have fallen that can be divided up between the birds. They always like having fresh chewable branches.
At least he's in good feather and looking well. He's energetic and getting around, an entirely different bird than when he arrived.
Dimitri continues to relax around me. Yesterday he even walked towards me as I was walking towards him. I don't think he even realized what he was doing. I love his little 'hooo?' sound that he makes. Like a contact call. I repeat it back to him so we have this little conversation going which is pleasant for us both. I haven't worked with him, as in clicker training, for awhile. I do think it's important but frankly it's been too bloody cold to sit on the floor and train. Perhaps that's why he's relaxed. I must advertise to him that I want something for he's less relaxed when we're training than when we aren't even though I try and keep a relaxed body posture and try not to want things from him. Bird training is very zen really. It's when you don't want too much that you make progress.
I'm intermittent in my yoga training. Some days I just don't get to it and feel guilty for not training which is self-defeating I know. But I do want to do yoga as the changes in me are noticeable. I am far more supple than I was this time last year. I think it's helped clear this heavy chest cold that I've had too. The deep breathing but also the inversions. I do a decent shoulder stand but haven't been game to really attempt a headstand yet. Tried yesterday and what used to be so easy felt very awkward and difficult. Will try again today. Did a backbend which I couldn't do last year. I can't stay up for very long but that's because of weakness not because it hurts my back. The Plank with bent arms is still difficult but is easier than it was before. Half Moon is much better. It really illustrates how differently the two halves of my body cope with postures. It's amazing to me that despite being fairly regular in my practice I still feel it in my body the next day. The feeling after being on the mat is tremendous. Yoga really does work all of me, stretches and invigorates.
As for meditation. Well, poo. My ability to concentrate has improved a miniscule amount. A reallly minisule amount. Usually when something is practiced regularly there is some noticeable improvement. The improvement is negligible, so much that I'm a bit defeated.
Had a really great dream two nights ago. Two paintings, influenced by William Blake's The Flea. Haven't seen that painting in quite a while but must have recalled it because of seeing a reproduction of The Red Dragon and the Woman Clothed with the Sun in the book (a horrific book BTW) The Red Dragon. (Almost decided against finishing the book as it is the mental equivalent of pigging out on ice cream and doritos). Anyway, there were two paintings; mine and someone else's - both an old yellow gold on black background of faces of a surrealist nature. I can still see the colours although I can't see the faces. I would like to try and duplicate that colour using pencil rather than pastel. May have a go today. Then again I may whiffle the day away and do nothing.
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