Toby and the Giant Corncob

Toby is spoiled.

Perhaps you all already assumed that by virtue of the fact he has a blog, and human staff to type for him, but it's much more than that.

We have imagined that in a previous life he was the pampered pet of an Amazonian princeling. Toby would be quite comfortable if he were hand-fed every meal. He would have preferred us to hold the corncob while he daintily plucked individual kernels and ate them one by one, but that got old fast. Here's what happened when we stopped holding the corn for him.

Toby wonders what to do.

At first, delicately picking up the corncob.

Table manners are cast aside as he chomps down.

Almost done.

What a mess! What's missing here is a picture of the floor around the cage--corn and hunks of corncob everywhere. These pictures really don't do justice to the ripping, shredding, flinging frenzy; we need video. Coming soon: TobyCam!

New Posts Coming Soon!

As you can see, Toby is hard at work updating his blog. Apparently he has become impatient with our delays in adding new entries and photos.

You might not believe it, but this is not a posed picture. We left him on the perch in the kitchen (which theoretically he can't get down from) and went outside. When we came back in, he was sitting on the keyboard and his blog was on the screen. We knew he could jump off the perch, and that he could climb onto the desk. And of course, he loves to walk on the keyboard which has resulted in some interesting text and several misplayed hands of Spider. But how did he open the blog?

Timid Toby

Toby is sitting on the (almost completed) aviary which Art has been building. The frame is made with PVC and the mesh is garden fencing. Art has built a lot of small perches for Toby but this is the first big project. When it's finished, Toby will be able to be with us when we're outside and we won't have to keep an eye on him every minute.

Why is Toby timid? And why do we have to worry about him being outside? Because right after I took this picture I looked up to see a red-tailed hawk (who lives on the next street) circling directly above. Maybe he was looking for chipmunks, but Toby is also a tempting morsel.

More Mosaic Photos

Here are two more pictures of the mosaic. The piece was commis-sioned to fill a blank wall outside our side door, which is the door facing the road and the door most people use. This is the full view of the mosaic.

Another view showing the blooming lilies. Susie made the flowers in the picture to go with the flowers in the flowerbed by the door -- red hibiscus, orange lilies, and blue bellflowers.

(Artwork copyright 2009 by Susan Barry.)

Toby's Day Job

Yes, Toby has a job. He is a professional artist's model. He has posed for Christa-phora Robeers' advanced students at Crossroads Art Center and recently sat for Susie Barry, a mosaic artist at Crossroads. The mosaic piece is finished and hanging outside our side door!

(Artwork copyright 2009 by Susan Barry.)

More Bathtime Photos

It's hard to get a good shot of Toby in the shower since he's in constant motion. However, sometimes we suspect him of posing.





The brilliant iridescent green of his feathers looks brown when wet.

We rarely see these beautiful reds and blues. He doesn't often spread out his wings like this other than in the shower.

(by Jan)

Toby Takes a Bath

I don't know if Toby likes baths or not, but he always makes a big production of it. If we don't put him in the shower on a regular basis he will bathe himself in his water dish. This is very entertaining as he stands on the side of the dish and plunges his head into the water, then flings water all over the room and everything in it.

Since we don't live in a rainforest and all of our belongings don't need the drenching, we try to shower him once a week. Art puts the spiral stand into the shower, turns on the water at a medium temperature and intensity, and adds Toby. Then the fun starts.

Toby makes noises and contortions he only makes in the shower. Instead of the usual high-pitched shriek, he makes a low, guttural squawk. It almost sounds like one of his (human) brothers belching as only teenage males can do. He spreads his wings, stretching them wide then wrapping them around himself. He dances around on the perch, twisting and turning every which way. We think he's having fun, so maybe it's the tough-looking mohawk effect hairdo (feather-do?) which gives him the appearance of outrage.

(by Jan)