pic-nic/n: A pleasant or amusingly carefree experience, an excursion, an outing usually involving food eaten in the open. Welcome to a slice of my life!
The feathered, grey friend that we've had residing in our house for the last 28 years is named Greystoke. When he came to us as a small one year fledgling our assumption was that he was a boy.
What's the saying??.... never assume?
Today we got confirmation. Greystoke is a GIRL!!
Cause for lots of laughter and funny chiming-in on Facebook about our new status! We now have a girl... what shall we do about that?
Not going to change his her name. We love her just the same as always!
Twenty seven years old. That's my guy's age. We were told the day we picked him up that he was one year old. Not a moments peace since then ~ said with a big grin and even bigger soft spot in my heart ~
This is him ^, Lord Greystoke. Royally he's named, and royally he acts! Our parrot is an African Gray Timneh. The small version of the famous Alex ~
Hubby brought Greystoke home as an early Christmas gift to me. This was one of those buy-honey-a-gift-that-you-really-want type presents! At least I don't remember asking for an illegal, from the wilds of Africa, untamed, flying, pet-for-fifty years gift! This surprise also happened to be one of those unforeseen, happy you found it, so glad it's mine events!
Greystoke has graced our home with his personality for 26 years. I'm moved to tears to think of the laughter and pleasures he's brought us. Tears can also flow when I think of his couple of years health struggle. We nearly lost him at one point. In the picture of him above, that unattractive white cone on his neck is only in place so he doesn't pull his feathers out. It doesn't seem to faze the Lord, one bit! He just recently had a procedure that we're hoping will end his days of being a cone-head!
You'd laugh at the stories I could tell about why Stoke may have had said illness. Long story - LONG, he got the notion that I was his chick. I mean literally. He chose me as his mate. Twas not good for his hormonal balance! Poor fella! Thus there was stress, and no mate, and no chickadees in a nest, so he chose to pluck! But, we're all done with that now. We're hoping anyway. I may choose to fly the coop if not! ( yes, pun intended!)
Stokie wakes us in the morning. He may ring his bell, he may yell one or both of our names, he may whistle a tune, or say FEED ME to get our attention. His vocabulary is strong, but his training (us humans) was weak - otherwise he might have rivaled Alex. He's a messy little sort, and tosses anything he'd like to dismiss from his premises straight to the floor. Hello is spoken into the phone if we place it near. He tells us, or my in-laws dog to "BE QUIET!"
One of the sweetest parts of my day is when Stoke is sitting on my shoulder and says I LOVE YOU! I guess we trained him right after all!
