OT: Thank you all

Thank you all...inc. those of you who took a moment to email me privately -- you lifted my heart with your kind words after I posted about Sunshine's death.=20

It's taken my DH and I a couple of days to regroup since losing our beloved pet. We both feel as though the wind has been knocked out of our sails.

But we wouldn't trade those 25 great years with her for anything. She was such a perky, goofy creature. She talked up a storm, called us all by name....she would call out 'MAAAA!' every now and then, which sounded just like DS when he was a kid (given that DS and Sunshine grew up together, that's not surprising). She was eager to learn new tricks, and I enjoyed teaching them to her.

Large Macaws can live up to 50 years, so at 27 Sunshine wasn't an old bird. We asked the Cornell vets to do an autopsy, to know what happened and to be sure that our other birds are safe. They found Sunshine's liver and heart distended, so are doing pathology on them. Those tests, and the blood work, should be done in a week or two.

DH and I have several relatives who are now no longer with us who just adored Sunshine - including my dad and my aunt - and I like to think she's keeping them company now.

-Irene in rainy CNY

-------------- You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.=20

--Mae West=20

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