This is a very joyful Thanksgiving for me.  A new bundle of fluffy grey joy joined my flock a week ago.   Her name is Gizzy and she is a 2 1/2 month old Congo African Grey.

Many of you know that I lost my beloved 25 year old CAG Zeke to cancer several months ago.  Zeke was so integral to everything I do on a daily basis that I felt like I could never escape his loss on any level.  My work and home life is essentially 24/7 parrots and, although I continued to function, it was very difficult to bring the same level of joy and passion to my work.

I hadn't really planned on getting a new baby grey.  For months I really struggled with the thought of whether it would be "fair" to the bird with the likelihood it would outlive me.  Last weekend, when I met and held Gizzy at a local bird event, my heart won out over my head. I couldn't be happier.

I marvel at how far she has developed in just the past week and I'm absolutely captivated as I watch her, seemingly without fear, explore her new world.  Daily she has gained more confidence in her physical abilities.  I watched her as she first learned to perch at ground level and then, just 2 days later and with much determination, conquered climbing up to a slightly higher perch.  She has also begun to avidly test out her wings while firmly holding onto my hand or a pillow in preparation for fledging. 

I'm delighted that she has already shown great interest in exploring and playing with foot toys of all shapes, colors and textures and, although she is still being handfed, is exploring and taste testing a wide variety of fresh foods.  I continue to introduce a few new things to her environment daily.

Thankfully, I know a heck of a lot more than I did 25 years ago when I first brought Zeke home as a baby.  I'm thrilled at the prospect of working with Gizzy to make sure she is well trained and socialized.  Undoubtedly, I believe the best gift I can give her is to make sure that she becomes the kind of bird that anyone would be delighted to add to their family.

No bird can ever replace Zeke, he will always hold a special place in my heart.  However, I was very glad to find out there was still room for Gizzy too.