For some time, Alexia Sheffer of New York State has been teaching her Mom, Nancy, about the benefits of "surfing the net" to get solid ideas, tips and nuggets of information that help us be better nurturers. The following is a sampling of the information they’ve published in The Grey Play Round Table Magazine, to help fellow readers:  

• TROUBLE WITH ANTS? If so, place cinnamon and bay leaves around the area. The little beasties won’t cross over. Remember, you can’t spray around us. For more information on how to fight pests, wait for the Summer 99 GPR.....

• HAIR DRYERS: Please do not dry us with your hair dryers. We need to have the moisture on us, and if you dry us like that, a shower bath is not any use. Some cases have been reported of birds dying within a few minutes of using hair dryers from the fumes of TEFLON inside them. Let us preen while we’re wet and keep us away from drafts. If you do use hair dryers, as far as we know, Con Air is one of the few brands that has hair dryers that are not non-stick coated. Always check with a manufacturer about contents before you purchase a hair dryer.

• FURNACE FILTERS: Remember that your furnace is in the warm part of the house, so check your furnace filters frequently—vacuum and change them often, as this is the place where bacteria can grow and stick.

• CARPETS: Please be careful when installing new carpets in your home. The new synthetic kinds contain formaldehyde fumes. When you install carpets, please remove your birds from the vicinity for at least two weeks or longer, until the fumes are dissipated. Further, if you’re having breathing, sinus and/or wheezing problems, keep your birds away from carpets as their dander collects in them. Vacuuming doesn’t even get everything out.

• COOKING OIL: Cooking oil that is burned will produce toxic fumes in birds, almost like teflon. Make sure you use safe cooking practices, such as not overheating, not burning plastic in microwaves.

• TOILET SEATS COVERED: Maggie asked us to remind you that toilets have many germs and bacteria, so remove your feathered darlings from the area when you flush. As a matter of fact, keep the toilet seats covered when not in use.

• SMART PERCH: A quick fix for a perch is a small toilet plunger. That’s right. Get the short ones that you can slap on the wall, whenever you need an instant perch. Mom tried it, and it works...even in the shower...and on the kitchen window where we can watch what she’s doing.

• CUTTING POMEGRANATE: Hold the fruit in your hand with the stem up. Score the skin of the fruit along the ridges with a knife. Then make a circular cut around the top of the fruit. This area has a stiff, creamy white membrane that separates the seed from the skin. Once the top is removed, you can see the segments. Then gently pry apart the pieces that are bounded by the ridges that you scored. It will pop open like a segmented orange!!!

See The Grey Play Round Table® Magazine for more amazing TRUTHS from Ms. Alexia and Nancy