The Little Tookie that Could!

I am a little overwhelmed (to say the least) to think about starting another year here in Monteverde and wondering how the heck to kick off my first POST here on No Breadcrumbs. After talking with a good friend earlier in the week, she gave me some great advice. " Sally, Don't feel as though you need to recap the last three months (two months in Chicago, hectic schedule, estate sale, parasites, medical procedures, road trips, cranky kids, even crankier adults), just focus on one little thing and start composing from there!" So, thank you to Deb for the great advice...here goes!

Allow me to introduce you to the newest member of our family (although not a permananet fixture), he has been with us a month now and has survived a cat bite and let's just say "an abundance of TLC" from Michael and John. Tookie as we call him, came to us by way of a group of students from BankStreet College in the U.S. The story goes something like this....the group of students happened upon Tookie in the forest - they believe he fell out of his nest and was alone/parentless on the forest floor. With the group's eminent departure looming, an announcement (or rather a plea) was made at Meeting for someone to take the baby toucanet and need I say more! Yes, Mike scooped up the opportunity to be caretaker for little Tookie. Need I remind you that he is not the parent at home all day, so the 2-hour feedings and the poop duty falls on yours truly! I have always been weary about touching birds in the past but must admit that this little guy is really pulling on my heart strings! He is a tender, dear little bird! So, his week stay has turned into a month and that leaves me with a house that smells like bird and droppings of Tookie poop all over the floor. We often play a guessing game as to the last meal Tookie consumed. "ORANGE MUSHY" poop, Oh, that would be papaya! "WHITE HARD" poop, compliments of hard-boiled egg and best of all, "GREEN BABY POOP", if you guessed avocado, you get the prize! You can imagine the fun we have! You get the idea...right?




Enter the neighbor's cat! The one time I leave the door open for a minute, in comes orange cat! I am in the bedroom with Rachel (our house guest from Philadelphia) giving her a lesson in how to use the internet when we are interrupted by a screaming bird. I grab Tookie, while Rachel chases off the cat who has a full mouth of feathers as he exits stage right. Tookie, I am sure in shock, clings to me for security, poor little soul.

The next day, Tookie, or Tookster as the boys now call him, is weak, skinny and naked with a good portion of his feathers consumed by Orange Cat. In comes another friend to survey the damage. She quickly dials up the Vet and arranges a 9:30 visit at his office in Santa Elena. As she is on the phone arranging for the consult, I am thinking to myself ("it's a bird for goodness sake - how many colones am I going to have to cough up for this?"). Well, being a good sport, I put Tookster in a plastic bin and we were off. A 10 minute consult, two days of oral antibiotics and cream and he would have a fighting chance. 7000 colones or $14.00 for the treatment. Tookie left the tip, a big blob of poop that landed smack dab on the Vet's shoe! Way to go Tookster. Not two steps out of the Vet's office and Tookie stood up and then fell over! I was sure he had croaked, but I was not so lucky - he revived himself and made it home. We kept a several day vigil, watching and waiting as I shoved the daily pills down his little throat and coated his cat bite with cream. He wasn't eating and I was sure he was a gonner. Oh no, this bird was a stubborn little thing!

So, where does this leave us now - Tookie is stronger than ever, his feathers are back to a brilliant green color and his coos for food and attention are louder than ever. Thanks to Maria and Elan for building a little caged-in play-yard outside for Tookie - this way he can have some fresh air while the cats are kept at bay. What will become of Tookie, one does not know. He needs some open space to learn how to fly before he gets too heavy. So, fly Tookie and be free!



The boys supplement Tookie's meal plan with any insects they can find around the house - the baby lizard they caught provided several day's worth of protein I'm sure! Remember the food chain folks!



Check back for updates on Tookie or if you know someone in Monteverde who is willing to take him on, please pick up that phone!

Peace,
Signed: S, a Tookie lover in-deed!