ALI and MOODY GREENS from West Senegal.....

We have had Ali as a member of our family for a year and a half now.   After bouts with a Mast Cell Tumor and subsequent Mast Cell Disease....and most recently a torn ACL and surgery to repair that....fingers crossed Ali will remain in good health for the foreseeable future.   She is a great dog....she is smart...she is a diva when it comes to getting attention....she draws attention to us wherever we go, folks say "what a beautiful dog...what kind is she"....she is stubborn at times but most of the time she listens and follows commands.    Ali, a Golden Retriever /  Great Pyrenees mix, at 110 pounds is not your "typical" RV dog....when the more "usual" of them walk by in a campground we refer to them as breakfast, lunch or dinner....depending on the time of day.   Ali is a great traveler....all she wants it seems is to be where we are....providing she gets her two squares a day and the occasional treats.  

Ali loves the water.  It isn't so much that she likes to swim as it is she just loves to wade and romp around...and in the process either lie down in the water to cool off or simply to dip her head over and over again.   It must be the Golden part of her that loves the water as she finds it hard to resist when she sees a beach.

Don't let the fact that Ali is a "gentle soul" fool you....if she is harassed by another dog she can and will react to let them know to give her some space and leave her alone.   Such action is saved mostly for the larger dogs who bark at her....as for the smaller ones, she just sniffs them and then moves on.  It is as if she is smiling at the pluck of the little critters.   That said, a gentle soul she is....and a recent experience we had is true testament to that.....here is the story:

Pam and Ali and I were in a Camping World store in Jacksonville, FL while our motorhome was in the shop being outfitted with a new Splendide washer / dryer combination unit.  We were sitting in the store's owner lounge when in came a woman and a man carrying a very large bird cage with a good sized green parrot inside.   Being the self appointed greeter no matter where she is....Ali got up and went over to say hello to the couple.  Subsequently she got interested in the bird cage and the bird.   She sat sniffing and staring at the bird in the cage for a very long time.....probably a half hour; and her attention to the parrot could not be deterred.   We have seen Ali focused before, but nothing like this.

We introduced ourselves to Larry and Carol Butler, the "parrot parents".  They marveled at Ali's concentration and we asked about the bird.   The parrot is a Senegal Parrot from the country of the same name in West Africa.  Her name is Moody Greens....we will get to that shortly.....and she is about 22 years old.  (That represents some 50% of a parrot's expected lifeline it seems).   Larry and Carol told us that Moody didn't tolerate other animals very well, nor strangers getting too close for that matter.  To back up a bit.....Larry and Carol are full time RVer's and have been for about 9 years...and they travel the country in a wonderful vintage Foretravel motorhome.....a 1994 Foretravel Unihome...and they had stopped to have Camping World take a look at their inverter.

Our time together continued over coffee (for them) and tea (for us) and additional "getting to know you" discussions.   The Butlers are very nice and extremely interesting people.   It wasn't too long before we inquired as to how Moody got her name "Moody Greens".   It seems the day they got the bird their daughter was with them and after a fashion she commented that the bird seemed 'moody'.  It seems that also that night Larry and Carol were to attend a concert by the Moody Blues.....whereby they got the idea of adding Greens to the birds name....and Moody has ever since been Moody Greens.

While we chatted we noticed that Ali had crept closer to the cage and that Moody had actually moved over to same side of the cage where Ali was.  Ali sniffed the cage and Moody stuck her beak through the bars but did not bite Ali.  It seems they were bonding.   Moody would then hop around the cage and make quite loud whistles and other 'pronouncements' when she felt she might be being ignored.  She also got Ali's continued attention by moving to her perch where she swung back and forth at a high rate of speed....all the while Ali following the activity very closely.  It was truly amazing to watch these two animals "carry on" as they did.  The Butlers and we marveled at what was taking place.

               Here are Ali and Moody Greens getting acquainted.....up close and personal!!!

Larry and Carol's service finished before ours, and when they picked up the cage and Moody and walked toward the front door; Ali was running after them.  We had to put Ali back on leash to get her to stay with us.   She and Moody had apparently REALLY bonded!!

                               Ali and Moody Greens just before having to say good bye!