Shadows of a friend that last forever....Mrs. Hobbes's was my bestest.

[Boxerfan]

I lost a large part of me this morning. The fact she was a small parrot-a Peach front Conure-does not bely the import of her on my life.

In 1989 I bought her as a baby. Awkward but cute. Hand fed and raised she became a bonded partner. At about 1 1/2 years she was badly injured -blinded & lost an eye to a bigger parrot she lived with. I now know it was a mistake to have them together but back then they were best friends & it happened.

Shout out to long retired Dr. Chuck Galvin of Marin Ca. He helped me rehabilitate her & took an antique typewriter as payment. That's all I had to give & he treated her for over a week.

She was surprisingly able & knew her cage so well I never dared replace it. She had various toys & really liked knocking the bejeesus out of one of those plastic canary toys. Her favorite toy was plastic store bags. She loved rustling them & nestling in them. It mimicked another birds feather noise and she never had a problem despite my concerns. I had her even when I was homeless & living in a camper. Through sobriety a marriage & about 18 years as a family.
---------

Last night she was rustling her bags & playing with her toys loudly till 2 AM when I put her cage in the next room to sleep. I moved her back @about5 am & she was still having a fuss with her toys.

About 7am she fell off her perch & was obviously distressed. I'm so glad I was there for her. I held her & sang her favorite songs. But I was sobbing uncontrollably and didn't do a very good job of it. She passed away about 2 hours after she fell. I still can't believe it but she was very happy and loved till the end. We should all go as well....

I buried her with some favored toys in our family pet resting area shoveling through snow into the soft warmth of soil & eternity.

My daughters drawings have almost always included her so I am displaying them where her cage was.

Bless you my friend and thank you.

[RKP5637]

1. ...

[LisaM]

2. I'm sorry you lost your friend.

I'm glad she had fun playing with her toys till the end.

[Raster]

3. Bless your heart... what a wonderful tribute to dear friend...

...

[samnsara]

4. Please post this tribute to your best friend on the Rainbow Bridge...

...there are so many wonderful tributes and yours is as beautiful as any of them. She deserves to be shared. I'm in tears. Godspeed sweet Mrs. Hobbes.

[Lifelong Protester]

5. I am so sorry.

[RandomAccess]

6. Oh, I'm so sorry. What a sweet story, though.

You do her memory proud.

[MFM008]

7. rest in peace

Our animal friends live in our hearts as do our human family.
As long as we live, they live on.

[irisblue]

8. Angel Wings and Mrs Hobbes

I am sorry for your loss.

[erronis]

9. Beautiful tribute to Mrs. Hobbes and to you

I've heard that parrots are incredibly in tune with humans and our emotions. Maybe all non-humans are in touch with the world around them them since the real world is important to survival.

It doesn't matter what species of animal, mammal or otherwise, that we find as a strong soul-mate. As long as we can get outside of ourselves and look at the world from another perspective, we are far better.

Grace to you, and may you find someone/something to continue on Mrs. Hobbes connections.

[Skittles]

10. ...

Grieve not,
nor speak of me with tears,
but laugh and talk of me
as if I were beside you -

I loved you so -
'twas Heaven here with you

~Isla Paschal Richardson

[Boxerfan]

11. Thanks all this is not easy...

A few more memories...

She always was concerned when I sneezed. She would give a squabble call after every sneeze.

When my car was waaay down the drive she would get excited & my wife would know I'm home by her squawks.

If a burger entered the house she had to have some. I used to joke she would fly out onto a field of cows-land on one & the next thing there would be a set of hoofs & a fat birdie with a belch.

She would not let anyone else in the family hold her. Bite city if you tried. She would bite me also but in a birdie friendly way. That is how she let me know who was in charge of herself. And she would give a soft bite as a love gesture -she did that just before she passed so I knew she was still with me & loved me. Crying now not that it helps...It will be a while.

We do rescues here & I would consider another bird if they needed me. But it is a huge commitment & frankly I'm old & don't want my daughters saddled with a heirloom parrot.

--

Yesterday I was able to rig a small heater element from a airwick to my Hummingbird feeder. The PNW had a sudden ice / snow event & I guess the Hummingbirds didn't migrate in time. I'm happy to say I've fed more than I've ever seen in the last 3 days.

This AM early-while Mrs. Hobbes's seemed fine & it was just strange that she had stayed up partying all night-we had half a dozen at the feeder before she fell from her perch. It is some solace that I was able to help the local Hummingbirds. Nature is screaming if you have been listening. We just have a small area to try & minimize the impacts of habitat loss & climate change. And we do what we can.

I'll find comfort in time & family. Thanks for the understanding.

[BittyJenkins]

12. I have been there

with sweet sweet birds. My daughter worked for the bird rescue center when she was a teen...so I ended up giving birds shots in the chest for led poisoning and giving a red tail hawk dead rats and baby chicks so he could fly down and catch them on the top of a ladder. One of our sweet cockatiels passed about a year ago. He was found in the grass by my golden retriever in the nineties, he must have been in his mid twenties. I loved him so much and no matter what, it always feels too soon for a friend to pass away.

[Omaha Steve]

13. Rainbow Bridge

Parrots of Telegraph Hill come to mind.

K&R!

OS

[Irish_Dem]

14. Sending thoughts to you and Mrs. H.

I cannot imagine a better passing.
Being held and sung to by someone who adores you.

[sprinkleeninow]

15. ..."t'was Heaven here with you."

I'm crying.

I need to believe we'll be with them again. It has to be.

If The Creator has such a tender heart of lovingkindness to have given us all these precious ones, I have to believe that we will be united again.

Thank you for having a tender heart to have loved and nurtured this little one.

Mrs. Hobbes🕯

~sprink

[Rhiannon12866]

16. I am so very sorry - though words seem inadequate now

She sounds like the pet - and friend - of a lifetime. This is such a beautiful tribute. She was so very, very fortunate to have found you.

[niyad]

17. Lady of the Winged Ones, please take Your little one gently home, and send peace

and comfort to those who love her.

[Fla Dem]

18. Almost 30 years. What a wonderful life she had with you. My heart aches for you.

Always heartbreaking to lose a cherished friend and companion.

[pressbox69]

19. I'm sorry about her passing

but at least she was loved and so were you.