You know, it's funny... It hasn't been a year yet, and looking back at how Lucy was like when I got her, cpmpared to how she is now, a lot has changed.

When I first got her, she wanted nothing to do with me. Would fly away, stepped up for only a split second only to go back to her perch, afraid of the dog, didn't like being out of her cage, and ESPECIALLY didn't want to be touched (though apparently she only accepted it while she was with Carolyn).

Now, she loves being out of the cage (possibly a little too much), flew to me on her own accord a few times (though simple landed near me), steps up almost immediately with the exception of finding something to chew on, dominates the dog, and regarding scritches, well...

The other day, I was changing out her food and water. I was giving her fresh pellets, fresh water, fresh seeds. At some point in the middle of doing so, she climbed to the front of the cage, and sat at the doorway. She didn't want to come out, or otherwise she would have climbed out and to the top of Joey's cage within seconds. When I asked her to step up, she pressed her head against my finger. She wanted scritches, and nothing more. So I gave her some for a good few minutes, and when she was done, she climbed back into the cage by herself.

So that just about sums up how she is with scritches, these days. She's become a total sweetheart, but at the same time, a total face of destruction. She's mischievous, destructive, and loves to make everything a challenge (for me), but she's also sweet, silly, gentle (when she's not destroying things). It surprises me how much she is a gentle preener when her mother doesn't really "preen" others. Maybe she gets it from her father (that might be for Carolyn to answer).

I sometimes wonder how much of Lucy has changed, compared to how much I've changed because of her. I know I've definitely grown more patient, since her tendency to drive me crazy has kinda forced me to become more patient with her.

I love her though, and I'm happy she is here. Overall, she's a total goof, and fun to have around.

I think that with birds, the changes are usually mutual. Wild parrot flocks are a society of equals, where every bird has the same rights instead of having an alpha bird dominating the others. It means that we humans have to work on a mutual cooperation arrangement if we want to have a good relationship with our bird. If we take their feelings and natural instincts into account and work with them instead of trying to impose our will on them, it turns out pretty well. Neither side is going to please the other 100% of the time, but if the relationship is mostly positive it's great for everyone.

I remember when you first came around here you actually wanted to exchange Lucy for a different bird a while ago. I bet both you and Lucy are happy that you didn't. She's your buddy now!

That is true. It surprisingly applies a lot to humans, too. In order to successfully work with someone, you would have to find equal grounds with them.

Though what impresses me is how much Lucy both is, and isn't like her mother. It's like she's an even mix of Buster's sanity, and Shodu's insanity.
However, I'm not sure what she might have inherited from Buster. It seems she has the monotone singing down, but the fact that she sings at all is pretty different. I think a lot of her personality is really just Lucy being Lucy. The apple didn't fall far from the tree, but it isn't exactly "close" wither.

I remember that too, Bluekeet. I'm happy I kept her. When I look back on it, it seems kinda silly, how easily I got discouraged, and how I didn't connect her refusal to cooperate with her fear of the dog. I guess I just didn't see the dog as a problem to me, so I didn't realize it was a problem to her.

Though now she likes to torment the dog. Either she knows the dog is a chicken now, or she knows the dog won't attack her on my behalf. Might be a little bit of both.

It's funny how much you miss looking from only one perspective. I'm an odd mix of respect for my budgies' standoffish behavior and "BE TRAINED". To be honest, they're hookbilled finches. Can't do a thing with them. But, having matured in bird keeping from when I was 13 now to 18 year old me, Beck and I have established a kind of respect. Poppy ended up feeding on that vibe too, but I had Poppy just after he was weaned, and I never grabbed him like I did Beck so many years ago, so that's probably why. Sometimes Poppy will come up and budgie bop my glasses or quickly lick my lips or something along those lines, and oddly, I find that satisfying enough some days, even if Beck never does it. Once in a blue moon, they'll do something completely out of character. Those moments are few and far between, but very special.

I have Rocko a year now time goes so fast

She is gorgeous... what time and patience can achieve with a bird... well-done

How old is she? She is a beauty

Just over seven months, I think. She hatched on my birthday, April 30th.

That picture is her satisfied expression after doing her morning routine of driving me insane. That's why she's so content.

In all seriousness, she is pretty. The only cinnamon in her cage at that bird show among four greys and... Two, three pieds? I can't remember. Either way, she really stood out to me

Very cute
P.s. you got to meet carolyn.