Cheeky Cockatoo.

I took these pics through the window, last week. This cheeky chap came to sit on the balcony rail, & seemed to be taunting the dogs inside, who were barking furiously at the cheek of the cocky. At first I thought he may have been a tame one, who had escaped, but there were several birds, & the others were down in the street pecking at the road, & our lawn- or what remains of it!
They are large birds, & I would not like to come too close to that beak!

They are very beautiful, but they can be so destructive, & friends had their wooden balcony railings destroyed by disgruntled cockatoos, looking for food. We see them in the trees often, but it is the first time one has come to perch on our railing..which is metal, in need of a paint!

And this is a pic to enrage all the conservationists among us!
A neighbour does the house up every year, & this year it is just loaded with all these lights- it has been getting bigger each year. Of course it has become a target for the 'lookers' so we get a lot of traffic up & down our otherwise quiet street. GRRRRR!

The pic hasnt shown the full horror/glory of it all, but I couldnt seem to make it happen- even with the fancy borrowed camera.


And this is dear old 'Paddy'who belongs to my neice. She is a very old girl now, & has 6 claws on each foot! She is a regal old lady, & has certainly earned her relaxed old age, having survived many house moves, & building of some of said houses, plus the arrival of 2 dear little girls, who are now 7 & 5 years old.


In one of the Hotels we 'inherited' 2 dogs, who were supposedly watchdogs. One of them was a big old 'yaller' dog, who looked like a real mixture, but my guess would have been what we called a 'pig dog' in NZ. His name was Sandy, & he was a ferocious looking old chap, & I am sure he would have demolished any intruders. The other dog was a mixed breed also, looking most like an Alsation, but he was rather timid, & totally cowed by old Sandy. Let's call him Wimpy.
We used to have to feed Sandy, & then shut him in the gas room while we fed Wimpy, otherwise he would have starved to death.
Old Sandy could be as full as he could be, but he wouldnt let Wimpy eat a bite, & would stand guard over the food, growling, or attacking, should Wimpy get too close.
We used to laugh about it, & in our family it became known as the 'Sandy Syndrome'- indicating the person neither needed, nor wanted a thing, but just had to have it to be greedy, or to prevent someone else from having it.
This continues to be a joke with us, & I find the Sandy Syndrome alive & well, sometimes between GOM & SG. If I make a green jelly- dont ask why green is the preferred colour, we cant find out either!- as soon as SG has some 'Sandy' has to have some... same with icecreams. And sometimes, even toys!

Poor old Sandy had never had vet's attention, & had never been given immunisation for diseases, & as he had spent his life having to sleep on bare concrete, he developed severe arthritis. We got vet attention for him, & were shocked to find he had been so neglected. Vet gave him cortisone shots for his arthritis, & he had a better quality of life for some time. We also provided him with some bedding, & also poor Wimpy. When old Sandy got ill again, he had to be put to sleep, & I felt glad he would not have to live in pain. Though, of course, I cried when they put him to sleep.
Wimpy lived on, & though he became 'top dog', I dont think he ever achieved the ferocity old Sandy had.