I'm a Blessed Bird!

Blessing of the Animals!

October 4th, 2015 was a very special day for me! I got to attend a Blessing of the Animals Service at an Episcopal Church! I had never been to church before so this was a new experience!  Marcia and Jeff couldn't come because they had to go out of town to attend the wedding of my human cousin.  

It was a beautiful afternoon with mild fall Texas weather, just perfect to go outside! I was taken to church by my good friends and bird sitters for the week end.  They took really good care of me! If you'll notice, they even double secured my travel cage with strong zip ties! I'm very safe! I'm riding in style as we drove to church! They know how much I like care rides! Wheeeee!

When we arrived there were so many people with their furry companions! There were mostly dogs, a few cats, and even a hermit crab! Do you see me in the picture below! Yup! That's me in the cage!

There was only one other bird at the service. A cute little blue budgie.  Here is a picture of him getting blessed too!

Time for MY Blessing!

Father Andrew, a very nice man, wore a white robe walked around to each of the animals and said a short prayer. I was pretty quiet the whole time. I did't say a word, but I did "beep" a lot!

I kept doing my imitation of the door security alarm over and over. It was my way of letting everyone know we were all safe! You can listen to the beep on this video.

It was a very fun outing! I enjoyed meeting so many nice people and making some furry friends!

 St. Francis of Assisi lived in Italy in the 12th century. Everyone listened to St. Francis, including the animals. At times he found that no one listened to his preaching, however the birds always stayed and listened. Birds would fill the trees and completely surround him when he talked. They were intrigued by the power of his voice. They did not fly away! St. Francis is often illustrated as having a bird on his shoulder or holding a bird in his hand.  Marcia has always displayed this picture of St. Francis next to my 3 month old chick picture on a shelf in our family room.

My Summer Vacation

Ahhhh! The last day of Summer! Cool fall weather is finally making it to Texas! It's time I tell you all what I did this summer!  My humans took 2 trips, one to Chicago and one to Southern California.  The main reason for the trips was to attend weddings, but they also took a few additional days to get some sight seeing done.

They are often asked, what do you do with Einstein when you leave?  I get to go on vacation too!  I get packed up just like a kid going to camp!  The cage gets loaded into the back of an SUV.  My PVC play perch gets broken down and pilled into the other family car along with toys, food, and other things that I need. I perch in my travel cage while Marcia and Jeff drive the vehicles to the home of the bird sitter!

BIRD SITTERS ARE AWESOME!!!  Anyone who allows me to invade their home for a weekend or a couple of weeks should get a medal of honor! My bird sitters are trained well in advance of my arrival.  This includes many visits to their home, and even a few "overnighters" before my humans ever leave town.  All their questions are answered and hours of instruction, and training is given. I am very grateful to all the bird sitters in my life both past, present, and future.

It is not easy to having a house guest like me. I'm messy, I talk a lot, and I need my SPACE.

and my STUFF!

Toys, Treats, and Food

Frozen and Refrigerated Foods

I'm not allowed drawer time at my sitter’s house, and I try not to fly off my perch, but sometimes it happens!  I also don't get many scratches or cuddles because it takes me a really long time to allow other humans to do that. That's OK, because I do get to perch on knees and that's just fine!

Now that I'm settled in, Marcia and Jeff can enjoy their vacation at last!  I won't bore you with all their pictures and activities. Here are the activities they did that I thought were exciting!

The San Diego Zoo!  

They where able to visit with the African Grey Parrot who lives there. It was fate that they got to see the parrot as there are many large aviaries. He could have been in any of them, and we are not easy to find!  Just as Marcia was looking up into the trees, there he was! Chatting up a storm! They raced to the side of the aviary so they could get as close as they could, and here is a short video of the San Diego African Grey! He's a very pretty bird!

Another fun thing they did was the Rio 4D Experience. It’s a short movie filmed in 3D, but as you watch you feel the wind in your face, and fluttering near your feet. There is also a moment when you are poked in the back!  This extra dimension this makes you feel as if you are a part of the movie! The movie is about Blu and Jewel (the last Macaws on earth) are captured and chased by an evil cockatoo named Nigel. Although Blu can’t fly, they work together to get free and help other birdies get free to. The movie is set in Rio de Janeiro, and it sends a strong message about preserving our rainforest and eliminating the parrot poaching that continues to be a problem around the world.

These 2 beautiful parrots were just outside the theater as you walked in to take your seat.

This Beautiful Toucan was just one of many beautiful birds Jeff photographed at the zoo.

Beaches!

Marcia and Jeff went to many lovely beaches along the west coast. When they went to Pacific Beach, Marcia saw pretty parrot having a cocktail. She had to buy one to put in the backyard for me.  I enjoy watching it spin as I perch in my screen porch. She bought it at a shop called Swings-n-Things. A man by the name of Pig helped her to find the last one in stock.  Thank You Pig!

Did I miss them?  YES I DID!  Did they miss me!  YES THEY DID!  

It's good for them to get away now and then. It's also good for me to get away and do something new and different too. I always know they will be back because they tell me, and I'm always happy to see them when they come home!