This is Pi. Or was. I had her for about eight years before, one dark winter night, she left me forever.
This is Joules, my Red Lored Amazon who I adopted last year.
Pi was my baby. She was a she, about once a year she'd make a nest under her newspapers and lay a barren egg. She'd nest on it for a bit until I would take it away. I always felt bad about doing that, but it was for her own good. She'd be pretty aggressive with me when she was nesting, but in fact would nest in my shirt for a good while before the motherhood instincts would pass. All other times of the year she just wanted to be with me, sit on my shoulder or sleep in my shirt, nibble on my ears and preen my eyelashes.
She was a naughty little bird. I have now gotten rid of all of the T-Shirts she chewed to shreds. She'd eat anything that I ate, drink anything that I drank (though she never got a taste for coffee, thank goodness). She shared in with everything I did, mostly because I wanted her to, but that made her seem rather entitled to get into things that maybe she should not have.
She was loud too. She spent so much time with me, she deacclimated to being caged. I couldn't go anywhere without her without getting an earful. She'd chew up all the toys I put in her cage, as parrots are wont to do, but if I was in earshot, she'd make sure I knew about it.
I still miss her terribly. There are no flaws to her that I did not love and still do, to this day. I wish I had more pictures of her to share. She so often got into such cute mischief, and I'd laugh as much as I scolded (to no avail. Just try scolding a parrot. Good luck with that).
Now I have Joules. I don't know if Joules is male or female yet, too young to know without a DNA test, so I chose an ambiguous name, and a great one if I do say so myself. Like Pi, being mathy, Joules is scientificy (those aren't words, but you get what I mean). Its fitting in another way. Joules has a meaning in my profession related to defibrillation and pacing. So if I shock a cardiac arrest, I'm in part channeling my best friend, and my love for him (or her). Safe a life with Joules. Not that it happens all that often. At least I can think of Joules when vfib becomes asystole.
I have only had about 6 months of bonding with Joules, compared to eight wonderful years with Pi, but already I feel like I could not live without. I don't know how I went on so long after Pi died... but I still keep wishing I could have her still. I think maybe they would like each other. Joules has nowhere near the penchant for mischief that Pi had, but I bet they'd teach each other a thing or two.
Thank you for allowing me to introduce my friends to you.
Goodbye, baby.
Thank you for being in my life, Joules!