I always have mixed feelings when one of our Agaves/Century Plants blooms, because the show can be very pretty, but then the mother plant dies. That's why it's good many of them send out pups before hand...although, it can be work to dig out the pups and replant them!

We have many Agaves, so some are by walkways, but if the leaves are too close to passing traffic, I have taken pruners and nipped off the needle-sharp tips. Only takes a second and they will not grow back. It really doesn't affect the look of the plant if you just nip the tip, and that way I don't impale myself quite as often.

Rockybird, we are all pulling for your little Scout. Your posts here with your beautiful birds have been such a bright spot in recent weeks. Hope she is doing OK.

Thank you for your thoughts on Scout. She is very bonded to me and came from a neglectful home. Her wing was broken when I got her and she had sores from being kept in a small cage. She has never bitten me. I saw her on cl last year, and just couldnt leave her there. She is so affectionate- always kissing and nuzzling me, even with the bloody toe. I think she is so happy to have a new home.

The vet had to put her under and take part of the toe and put in stitches because he couldnt get the bleeding to stop either. They said she is in a cone now. When I dropped her off (I had to come to work), I could hear her frantically calling me as I left. I feel so bad! I am sure she thinks I am never coming back. :(

Ravencajun - what an adorable dog species! I have looked into the hariless breeds. I have looked into every species, even the lagotto. From what I understand, even though the American Hairless Terrier doesnt have fur, they are still allergenic. The antigen comes from the skin, so I would still have likely have allergies. It gets caught in the fur in furred dogs, but would still be shed in a hairless dog. Is that what you have heard?

I used cornstarch, which Scout thought was a game, to stop the bleeding. LOL there is cornstarch all over the house right now. She kept playing with it on her foot, and this caused more bleeding. I think she lost a lot of blood.

Good to know about the agaves! They sound like they can be troublemakers, like my birds. Ravencajun-very funny about the Taco Bell, btw!

Rocky, I hope everything worked out ok last night and Scout is healing as I type.

I agree with mudhouse, I love seeing the photos of your little birds with huge personalities :-)

Edit: just saw your update. So glad that Scout made it through the night and through surgery.

Your landscaping project looks great but I'll admit that I am following this thread for updates on Scout. Hope we can get a photo soon once she is home and healing. Is she named after Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird? A friend of mine named her cats Jem and Scout.

Yes, we should rename this thread to: Another Update on Scout. :-)

Thank you for the compliments on the birds and landscaping.

Yes I named her after Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird :) I wasn't going to keep her but she ended up really bonding to me. I had a great home lined up for her but she bit them and clung to me . I didn't want another bird but I guess also bonded to her. I am still waiting to hear from the vet. Here is a pic of my little girl before injury. I hope this doesn't post upside down

Oh I hope the news on Scout is good. What a talented bird - standing on his head. :)

Poor baby. None of them ever understand being left at the vet- I think that is the worst part of it for us. Hope Scout heals quickly and is home and happy soon soon soon.

I raced like mad in traffic to get Scout before the vet closed so that she wouldnt have to spend the night. She is snuggled up against my cheek while I slouch in a lounge chair trying to make her comfortable. My poor baby. She is miserable and exhausted. I am as stressed as she is about this cone, but there is nothing to be done about it. She cant groom herself. She cant hold food and eat it. She cant do her favorite thing of all - roll onto her side snuggled up against me while sucking on her toe. She is missing part of a toe, but it looks so much better than the mangled mess it was this AM. She does say thank you for all of your well wishes!

The pool tile is in and it is BLUE! I was shocked at how blue it is. Is it too blue? I am hoping that once the pebble sheen stuff and the water gets in, it will simmer down a little? I got home right before dark so didnt have much time to take pics.

The blue looks spectacular!

Poor Scout, but with lots of love I bet she'll recover well.

The tile looks fantastic! The contrast with the Arizona mountains and the soil is beautiful. And yes, I think when it is finished and full of water, it won't seem as shocking to you. I think it's perfect.

Best wishes to little Scout.

I agree, the blue tile is beautiful. I think you'll be happy for that little jolt of color when it's all done.

Poor baby. Those cones are miserable for dogs, and obviously for birds too. I think they cause us as much stress as they do our pets! But I'm so glad you were able to get her the care she needs. Scout is lucky she landed in such a loving home.

That blue is spectacular and when the water is in it will look very cool.

Glad to see that Scout is home. I hope the two of you have a good night.

You must have a good Avian Vet nearby ... many Vets don't like to treat birds. Scout looks good and maybe the cone will be a good deterrent not to pick a fight with her "sibling"!

The blue tile looks great too. The water will minimize the brightness and the tile will also not be as bright once you get some wear and tear on it!

So glad your Scout is doing better. I love the name, but being from Alabama you know I would! I had a Scout (dog) once myself!

The blue looks spectacular and it will look even more gorgeous once the water is added! It will sparkle!

Scout doesn't look too happy about the cone but I'll bet she is happy to be home! How long does the cone stay on? The pool and landscaping looks beautiful!

I haven't been on GW for a while and when I came to your post I loved checking out what is going on. The plants and pool are just spectacular. I love the blue and I think it will be fun to play it up by repeating the aqua color on the patio and/or in the planters.

Your birds are so cute. I hope Scout is getting better.

Thank u all!!! I like the blue now too! I think you are right-it will tone down with water, surface material, and use.

Chispa-they arent avian vets but they are just as good. I am really fortunate to have access to good vets, although it's a drive to get there.

Scout is looking good in her new Victorian modern wear lol

I know Scout will be back to normal in no time, plenty of love helps tremendously.

The pool is looking so much better! The blue is good. Will look so refreshing with water sparkling in it.

What is the place to the right with the big chain link security fence around it?

Chispa,

That area is not pretty. :( At some point, I may add a master addition running off the end of the house there. If not, I will bury the electrical cable. (I hate it). You can also see pool equipment, which will be hidden by rusted steel panels and plants. There is a rusted steel panel fence going in connecting to the side of the house by the driveway (not shown). The chain link fence is temporary until that fence gets built. I wanted to keep people from getting into the backyard, until the permanent fence is in. Unfortunately, there is an ugly pool fence I just had installed, but we are goung to hide it with plants. It runs down into the wash, so most of it is not visible. I am putting one or two big trees at the head of the pool to try to hide the electrical cable.

Scout is doing okay. Luckily I got off work early yesterday. I spent a lot of time with her. Poor thing keeps trying to groom herself through the collar and reach for things with her foot. I have a vet apt. on Sat. I am hoping we can take this thing off, but I also dont want her to mess with her foot. She could bleed to death. She lost about half the toe.

We would like a Scout update :)

Thanks for asking! Scout went to the vet today. The toe is healing but stitches wont come out for another week. She needs the collar till then. We were able to reverse the collar, so it is a little better for her. But she still took a terrble fall, because she cant walk well with the collar on, today after we got home. I almost rushed her to the vet. She seems okay, but I am watching her. She never shows pain, which is bothersome. My caique cries and whines from the littlest scratch. But not Scout. She came to me in bad shape with sores and a broken wing. I am afraid that she thinks pain is a normal way of life. :( I feel so bad that this accident happened to her because it is my fault. I am totally babying her.

Here's a pic of Scout today and some landscapig. You can see the plants shrunk. :)

Oh wow. The gardens are looking just fabulous. I like the first picture (not the ones of Scout although he is very cute as well) with the succulents against the circles of the wall. It's a really neat contrast.

I'm glad Scout is doing better.

Oohh, it's looking so GREAT. I'm especially partial to the blooming centerpieces that stand on their own in their squares up by the house/windows in the 3rd to last picture. They kept their height out of the pot just fine!

Looking great. Poor Scout, can't catch a break. Glad no harm was done in the fall. I think it looks like the collar is much better this way. Food is in reach.

Poor Scout and poor you! It's so stressful when our family members are hurt. I really like the blue in the pool and I think it's going to look great once the water gets in.

Thank you all! Scout is doing better today. SHe is eating a LOT! She wasnt eating much but since the collar was reversed she can eat easier. It is also lower down on her neck. I think it was compressing her crop.

The pool should be done by the end of the week. Then I have to remove the chain link fence on the side of the yard, plant a couple more large trees, add rusted steel fence in the front of the house and a panel to hide pool equipment, and new stabilized dg driveway. It is coming along, and the more I see the blue tile in the pool the more I like it. You guys have been a great help!

Are you going to use some kind of ground cover around the plants? I'm sure mulch isn't used for your region. I think it looks great as is, just curious.

I'm worried about weeds growing so I am going to ask the landscape architect about using decomposed granite. I think someone suggested on this website that it might prevent weed growth. I really like the look of the natural dirt though. I agree - I dont see mulch much in this area, but lots of decomposed granite.

decomposed granite is what I was thinking. Unfortunately, weeds figure out a way to grow through DG as well.

If using the granite you can have them put down a double layer of weed cloth then the granite on top, they have little pointed metal pins - stakes to hold it down properly. It will definitely slow down the weed growth. Water and nutrients flow right through it. I have used it in some of my beds.

That will look great when the plants settle in and grow a bit.

Resign yourself to having to do weed control no matter what you use - the trick is to stay on top of them and don't let them go to seed.

It looks amazing. I am so in love with your breeze block. Such a cool house!

Ravencajun is right. The landscape fabric really helps. I have a lot of river rock and I used the Landscape fabric under all of the rock. How is the wee bird doing? Improving each day, I hope.

Thanks! I'll defintiely ask about the fabric and the dg.

Little Scout is doing so much better! Reversing the collar has really helped and she has been eating an incredible amt. of food. Unfortunately, I have been babying her. I hope she doesnt think this will continue after the collar and stitches are removed!

What a pretty girl, and what a lucky girl to have found you. Bless you for caring about her. You've now got me hooked on this thread for Scout updates.....but your landscaping is beautiful too. :)

rocky, I love your landscaping. I think it looks super great already and will grow up nicely over time. Can I just say that I am loving that extra planter you ended up adding? I think it looks great.

I'm also happy to see Scout in fine feather!!!

Your landscaping is gorgeous. I'd love to see some Blue Chalk Sticks and also some Purple Queen. But, I think I might have already caught a peek at some PQ?

Scout is adorable. I'm glad she has you and you, she. Mind if I ask a few questions about birds as pets? 1st the obvious one... what do you do about her/him pooping? I mean it looks as if they have free reign of the house, while you are there, of course. Second your beautiful new house has all those walls of glass window/doors aren't you worried about the birds escaping. I'm in Florida and I feel so bad for the many pet birds I see confined to a cage...I mean. I hate to see any animal confined to a cage, but birds... birds are meant to fly. I know they are smart, love companionship with their humans but I feel so conflicted about them as pets.

I don't mean your situation. I know your birds are rescues. Maybe it's just because so very many animals are mistreated down here in Florida. Or just put in a cage for display. Or left in the sweltering heat on a chain in the backyard. I find it shocking.

Anyway, Scout is a cutie!

Thanks robo! You all helped me decide to put that space in the patio. I think it looks great!

Thank you Patriceny! Scout is doing well. She is now expecting cuddles and head scritches all the time. I am really hoping that on Sat. she can get her stitches out and go back into her regular cage.

enmc- Here's a long answer:

After owning birds, I do not think parrots should be pets. They are undomesticated wild animals. I dont think humans can provide what they really need - a flock, a mate, and the mental stimulation of surviving in the wild. They are extremely intellingent, affectionate and social animals. No matter how much I try, I cannot provide the constant companionship of the flock. They were not meant to live in homes with square corners and ceilings. When I see parrots locked in small cages without any toys, or proper food, and forgotten, my heart just breaks. I have bought quite a few parrots living in terrible conditions off craigslist and either rehomed them or given them to a bird rescue. In my opinion, parrots dont make good pets - they are loud, messy, needy and long lived animals.

My birds are not out all the time when I am home, but I try to keep them out as much as possible. They have "stations" where they go when I am home. If I am getting ready for work in the AM, they each have spots in the bathroom to hang out. When I eat dinner, they each have separate cages to eat on top of. They sleep in night cages, that are kept covered and dark. Their day cages are the best that I could buy - 4 ft. x 2.5 ft stainless steel. They are in front of a shaded window so they can see outside. Keeping them on this schedule, with different cages and stations, helps break up the monotony of their day. I try to do the best I can for them, but I know it is not enough.

My two older parrots (caique and maroon belly conure, 13 and 14 yrs old) potty trained themselves very quickly. The maroon belly conure, Rocky, learned to go potty on command when out of the cage. The caique learned by watching her. Scout does not know this yet but she will politely crawl off of me to go potty. Still, birds are meant to live in trees, not homes, so it is something I always have to watch for. Interestingly, none of my birds will go potty in their night cages. They hold it all night until I take them to the toilet and hold them over it in the AM. This much be natural instinct because I have read of a lot of pet parrots exhibiting similar behavior.

Scout came to me with a broken wing, which the vet says cannot be repaired. She cannot fly. After almost losing Rocky out the door years ago (she flew away with a flock of doves, but came back to me!), I keep the wings trimmed.

My two parakeets, however, are fully flighted. One was found in terrible condition outside by friends. When we couldnt find the owner, or a new home, I kept him. I couldnt replace another bird (parakeets are big flock animals), so I bought him a buddy. They are the happiest little things, but they cannot fly out of the cage, as they will go into the windows. I bought them a five foot long cage and filled it with toys. They seem to love it.

On Monday, I went to visit Oasis, a bird sanctuary, outside Benson, AZ. They have over 750 parrots that are rescues or donated in wills. The birds live permanently there. It was amazing to see. They have HUGE flights for the birds. Birds that are healthy and nonaggressive, live in the flights, which are separated by species. They try to pair birds up. Some birds live in large cages. There is an indoor area where injured or ill birds live in large cages.

Anyway, parrots are an incredible time committment. My birds will live to be up to 35 yrs. old, possibly longer. The larger species can live much longer. I truly believe most humans cannot provide adequately for them for that length of time. Many parrots are rehomed when they hit maturity and become loud. Or when the owner loses interest or moves for college or marries. Or when a baby is born. Moving parrots from home to home is very stressful for them. I am guilty as anyone else - I had no idea of the commitment these intelligent animals require. But I am also committed to keeping them and providing the best home a human can.

Here's some pics of my birds (if you havent had enough already!):

Rocky, 14 yrs. old:

Zeek, 13 yrs old:

Zeek loves to be wrapped up and snuggled. Caiques are not other parrots. They are extremely playful and love to wrestle.

Pip, found outside:

Sky:

Rockybird, you are a kind soul. The world would be a better place if more people were like you.

Thank you, Rockybird. It was pretty much what I already knew in respect to the very sad situation with captive/pet birds. I'm from Massachusetts, and we have such a bird sanctuary as you mentioned visiting. In fact, PBS did a story about it.

Your birdies are lucky to have you and yet, I understand your "guilt" Believe me, I have been involved with rescue, and have rescued all of my dogs and still, I always think it is not enough. My Dh says to me, "You can't save them all". Still, it never makes me not want to.

I guess, I must be losing my mind, because the main reason I was asking was because I felt that at some point that maybe I could help a bird or 2. Like I said, this is Florida and it pains me to see these birds, these intelligent beings, treated ..... just so, I don't know the word? Wrongly. Some are just outright abused and traded as if they are playing cards, others are left to languish in what their "proud" owners call elaborate cages.. maybe in the 400 -700 range. Seriously, they will brag more about the cage than they do the bird that is stuck in it. I walk by so many houses that have the garage door open or screened in front areas of the house with these poor birds squawking and begging for some sort of attention. I never ever see any kind of interaction on the owners part with the bird. I mean, whf, this is Florida and hotels use them as decorations at the entrance. UGH. I'm sorry, the whole situation just makes me sad, very sad.

Anyway, thank you. Your birdies are beautiful and I think they do know that you are doing the best you can.. which amounts to what is best for those birdies. I smile just picturing you and your "rocky bird" rocking and bonding and loving each other.

Wow, rockybird, thanks for filling us in on the lives of parrots. I had no idea of the commitment or their requirements. The fact that they need a flock is really interesting. Thanks.

@enmc-yes, we share similar sentiments! It makes me so sad to see how many parrots are treated. Rescuing a bird can be very rewarding. Scout was kept in a very small round cage. She was in bad condition when I got her. I spent over $700 on medical bills that first month. When I searched the owner's number on cl, I found that he was at one point trying to trade her for a gun. She is just the most sweet affectionate little animal, even though I was told she is mean and untame. She was so weak from being kept in the small cage that she couldnt balance on my finger, but now she is strong and in great shape.

If you have dogs, you have to be very careful with birds. Your bird will eventually want to be out with you ALL the time. I know three different people whose birds were killed by their dogs. At the rescue, they showed me a cockatoo whose wing was ripped off by a dog. If you decide to rescue a bird, I would go for a small parrot like my Rocky - a Pyrrhura (green cheek conure and mutations). They are fairly quiet and can be very endearing birds. They are being overbred by breeders and so I see them frequently on craigslist or in rescues. If you get a bird, you will probably be bitten. Just dont take it personally when it happens and remember they are wild animals. Also, I wonder if they realize how much they are hurting us as we dont have feathers, but sensitvie skin. Even giving a parakeet a good home would be a good thing (just remember that in the wild they fly long distances and need a flight cage and probably a buddy). It is great that your dogs are rescues!

bfenton - Thanks! I guess I should add that some parrot species probably live in small family groups or as couples. I believe the eclectus may be more solitary. But just because they are largely flock animals, doesnt mean that two birds should be thrown together in a cage. Putting two parrots in a confined space of a cage could result in the death of one, if they are not bonded. Keeping parrots as pets is much more work than I ever imagined!

No landscape updates, but just an update on Scout - Scout has the collar off! She saw the vet Sat. He took the thick scab and stiches off (she was in pain, poor thing) but he said it needed to come off. He has seen birds get infections under the scab and it becomes a chronic problem. He super glued the toe and said to leave the collar on a couple more days and put her back on antibiotics.

I took it off last night. She is SO HAPPY to have it off. I am off work today so I can watch her. So far, she has left the toe alone.

Scout dancing and singing after the collar came off:

Scout out of the hospital cage and back in her big cage:

She looks so happy!! Yay, what good news. Hope the recovery continues to go well too.

Awww. So cute! I would be glad to get that collar off, too! She looks happy. I hope this will be the end of her troubles.

Yay! Such good news for Scout. I have to admit, I was very disappointed that that pic of Scout "singing and dancing" wasn't a video! I really thought it was going to be!

Thanks again, for taking the time to talk about the sad situation for Parrots. Also, I know my dogs and birds would not be a good mix...I was just trying to figure out some way to get involved. Not necessarily as a "parent' to a pet bird.

I have to tell how excited I was the time I heard this sudden commotion of a noisy flock of wild Monk Parakeets, AKA Quaker Parrots, came swooping into my front yard! Oh! They looked positively joyous... bright, bright green and blue, with a bit of yellow/green. Noisy is probably not the correct word. Well, it is, and they were noisy.. there were about 30 of them...but it was the sound of them that got my attention. I heard them before I even saw them. I was in the back yard and followed the sound out of the gate into the front. It was unlike any other bird I'd ever heard here in Florida. I loved seeing them and I was hoping they would come around, often. They didn't. Just 2 or 3 more days and then they were gone. I remembered wondering would the Northern Mocking Birds (who are always in my yard and who nest every Spring) would pick up their calls!

I watched them flit about swarming from palm tree to palm tree and criss crossing to the neighbors front yard. And It about broke my heart when I saw them land in the neighbors 2 coconut palms, planted right outside of his garage, where he keeps 3 very ignored Parrots... one is a Macaw. I really did wonder what those caged birds felt seeing that happy and boisterous bunch free flying among the palms.

Anyway, Scout is a happy little birdie, once again, and so, too, his Mama.

Good news, for sure!

Oh I'm glad Scout has the collar off and I'm sure she is as well. Road to recovery - what a great place to be for you both (and us).

enmc - I think you would be a GREAT parrot owner. I think you could own a parrot, even with dogs. You just have to be careful. I think you should find a good bird rescue in your area and visit it. Then if you enjoy the birds, keep an eye out on cl or get a bird at the rescue that you bond with. You can also volunteer at the bird rescues.

That is very sad about your neighbor neglecting the parrots. :( That is so exciting to see the monk parrots! They are definitely flock birds. I saw a bunch of them in an aviary at the Oasis sanctuary. It was neat to see them fly as a flock. I wish I could set something like that up. Since I am dreaming, I would put it somewhere like the desert botanical garden with huge gorgeous aviaries full of parrot safe succulents and trees.

Since you asked, here is an older video of Scout dancing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwJ7D1uLO40

A little twerk:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HS8Enl3hG5E&feature=youtu.be

Not my bird, but an adorable caique:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DIMJ2eENow

and singing cockatiel to the piano:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WK5uGXpd_PE

I'm just now seeing this post. Seeing pics of your many birds and hearing about their antics has been enjoyable, although I feel for poor little Scout. I hope that you'll continue to keep us posted on them all, as I'm a huge lover of birds of all kinds.

I'm loving the landscape progress, too. Regarding Xeriscaping with rocks, gravel, etc. It gained great popularity here in New Mexico, as it did in many other arid and semi-arid locals across the Southwest, back in the early-Eighties. This was when I was studying to become a Master Gardener. I still recall many of my instructors telling us that people would soon see "the dark side" of using rock as mulch in their xeriscaped yards. And we did. On one hand, it's very practical, but even with the best weed barrier put down underneath, you'll end up with weeds within a year. That's because the wind will always blow dirt in, which settles down between your rocks, gravel, etc., thus creating a good environment for many weeds. The heat from our intense southwest sun is absorbed by the rocks, gravel, etc. It can easily create an environment too hot/ harsh for many flowers to do well, but our feisty, tough SW weeds seem to thrive on it. Yes, the accumulated dirt may be shallow, but those tricky weed roots can easily grow sideways to take hold. So then you're stuck with what to do with the accumulating dirt between the gravel, etc. You can, of course, pull out the weeds as they sprout, but you'll eventually need to shovel up the rocks -especially if you're using gravel or the crusher fines- get rid of the accumulated dirt around them and start over again. Gardening here in the Southwest can be trying, to say the least! I've used the crusher fines. I've used larger rock. I've left the dirt exposed. There are pros and cons to them all, but you end up with weeds, regardless (LOL). What works for me here is to forego the weed barrier and just use several inches of treated bark mulch around my plants. The blown in dirt just drops down to the dirt below. I add more bark on top every couple of years. It works for me, But regardless of what you go with, invest in a good narrow headed, long-handled weeding pronged rake for working around your cacti. The breezes and winds also blow in trash that is much easier to pull out with the right tool. Those cactus spines are vicious!