Saying Goodbye to a Legend

I haven't blogged at all about her, but she is the Matriarch of our house... Always lets us know what's on her mind... And was our first baby.

I'm talking about our Quaker parrot, Gonzo. In 2000, we purchased a cute baby bird and settled on Gonzo, like from The Muppets...A one of a kind. He was our spoiled baby for many years, made the transition with us from apartment to first house, survived the Seattle earthquake of 2001, and welcomed (against his better judgement) a bundle of energy and anxiety: "Polli the Wonder-Frenchie", in December of 2005. He even made a journey with us from Seattle to Coeur D'Alene Idaho and took his first dip in a lake.

In September of '06, "he" became a "she" when we were surprised one day by an egg sitting curiously in her cage when we came home from work. What a shock! My little boy laid an egg!

As our adoption process materialized, so did the realization that we may need to find Gonzo a new home. With the addition of Polli, our time devoted to her had lessened to the point that she was becoming a feathery ball of attitude. What would happen when Ian comes home? How would we adjust him to a new country, language, doctors, us, Polli, AND a parrot... who cannot be hushed with a simple 'no' command during naptime... Not to mention that Gonzo's room will become Ian's room. Where does Gonzo go? We did not want to face the answer that was becoming obvious. Gonzo needed a new family that would give her the attention she needed and deserved.

So my search began. Gonzo got her own blog: http://ahomeforgonzo.blogspot.com/ and I canvased Quaker Parrot forums (which get an amazing amount of traffic...rivals Rumor Queen!), and talked to exotic pet stores. I also posted a notice on an online board at my company, which prompted instant calls. Between all the above efforts, I had almost a dozen offers to adopt Gonzo within 24 hours. She had finally reached Rock Star Status!

I narrowed the options down to 4 families, grilled them shamelessly, and asked them to come out to interact with Gonzo. The first person to come visit her had an immediate connection. Gonzo "stepped up" right away, cooed, preened her hair, nibbled her nose and earrings... she was in heaven. After about 40 minutes, I asked the prospective mom if she was interested and she almost started crying. She said she couldn't imagine not having Gonzo. Exactly what I wanted for our girl. She has 2 daughters one young and one older, who are excited about a parrot and are used to having birds, so I feel comfortable that they will do well with her.

So, today Gonzo took flight. She makes her trip from her picturesque room with a view nestled under the mountain foothills to the hustle and bustle of a 19 year old's "like totally awesome crib" bedroom in the crazy city of Seattle. We will miss her so much, but we know that this is the right thing to do. Anyone out there who has had to let go of a loving pet family member knows how I'm feeling.

Here's to Gonzo, her new home, and the very empty room that now waits for Ian.

I guess when one chapter begins, one must also end!