[Graehstone]

Now I was the proud Papa of an African Congo Grey, Yippee!!! Life was great and we were having a blast learning to live with each other. Her plucking and self mutilation had stopped and the rate at which things were growing back was greater than the rate she was removing them, so things were looking up and everyone was just tickled pink at … everything.
On the road for the Orchid nursery I was working for at the time allowed me to meet another member of our family. I was delivering an order to one of the local grocery stores that had plant departments, when I heard chirping from one of the corners of the store. I peeked around the corner and there was in its little cage, a little blue budgie that was just begging to be taken home with me. The price was right and I had a weak moment. $30 for the bird and cage sealed the deal.
Nicky was now bird number 5 and upon arriving at home immediately became attached to Katrin, and still is to this day hers and hers alone. I come anywhere close to the cage or try to interact with her she goes ballistic and attacks me with a vengeance. I love her just to pieces the little terror.
My life and family was growing and becoming that what I had envisioned in my dreams.
There comes a time in every ones life when one has to say good bye to a loved one due to either ill health or … it was just time to go.
The only other “Guy” in the family was Freckles, and one day he looked a little depressed. Not knowing what was wrong as I had not seen or detected anything unusual in any of my birds, I took him to the Vet just in case. It was late in the day and they wanted to run some tests and put him under anesthesia the next day to run some more tests. I left him there overnight.
The next day was the worst day of my life with birds ever. I got the call that we all dread. My Freckles did not come back out of anesthesia. He had passed due to fatty liver disease that is what the tests showed.
We were back down to 4 in my family and were resigned to the fact that we would not have any more than that. We all grew together and fell in love with each other more and more every day as we played and fought and chased each other around the apartment and just generally had a great time with each other. Even the bites taught us all lessons best learned fast and the first time to avoid the same again and again. 99% of all bites were my own darn fault and I wear the scars proudly, but I am not in a hurry to add to them.
I have over the years also had brushes with wild birds that will eventually all get their own story written, if I ever get off of my lazy butt and write them. One such tale I have already shared with most of you one on board or another called “My Magic Moment”, and deals with the Mourning Doves that had decided to nest in my plants in front of my apartment. They successfully raised 4 clutches over the years and are now gone elsewhere.
Then Katrin goes to San Francisco and leaves me alone with the birds for over a week.
I run out of bird food and have to go to the bird store to buy more … I meet Gracie and the rest is history.
The Saga continues … and I can’t wait to see where life will lead us.
God is great and life is good. I have been blessed beyond belief and am humbled daily by the love shown me and the respect I receive from my feathered family.
I hope to live up to the standards they expect and deserve.
So there you have it, my life with birds, albeit the “short” version, but hopefully colorful enough to have caught your interest and peaked your curiosity enough to read it to the end.
Thank you all for being in my life even if it is only on the World Wide Web, you enrich me with every word you write.