Well the next special thing to happen was Dad achieving his life long ambition to own a Hyacinth Macaw. Yes, Blu has come to join the flock. Blu has not been used to being caged, being used instead to living in a conservatory in the open. The trouble was he befriended a Blue & Gold Macaw who bit off all his tail feathers so looked very tatty. This tatty look was made worse when he was put ion a quarantine cage in Mum & dad’s bedroom. He is still in quarantine but is due out any day now.With regard to his tatty tail, Dad has made an appointment for him to see Neil Forbes to have some proper long tail feathers imped onto his stumps to give him a tail again. He is currently finding it difficult to balance so Dad thinks this will help. Personally I don’t see what all the fuss is about – I only have a short stumpy tail and I balance OK!!! Well, anyway, Blu has joined us but I have yet to meet him. I’m told he is big and that if I thought Georgie the Green Wing Macaw was big, then I haven’t seen anything! So, I am intrigued!!!
Next, Dad has had builders in extending the lounge to make more room for us Fids (at least that’s what I reckon!). They have been making a lot of noise but the shell is all up and it should be plastered in time for Christmas. After Christmas it should just be the bamboo flooring to be put down and then it will be finished apart from decorating! Mum says she wants Dad & Adam to go away for a week-end and she and Stacey can decorate – strangely enough, Dad likes this idea! Ther plan is to put Charlie in the extension as it gets a bit chilly at night in the conservatory. I dunno – I think this Charlie is a bit special because not only is he having an extension to himself in the winter but in the spring dad plans to have the conservatory extended to make more room for him in the summer months!!! Bloomin’ cheek!!!
We have still managed a few walks in this chillier weather. You see as long as it is not below 5 degrees, we can still go out as long as we have access to food. We have been to Lacock a few times and so have the Macaws. You can see some pictures of me next to a HUGE Christmas Cactus in Lacock Abbey Greenhouses and another sweet picture of Magic preening Oscar on one of their trips out. Also, we went on our usual trip to Bath Christmas Market where Syd was a pig and was sampling just about everything on offer from coated peanuts, sausages, cheese and some cashews. I was a bit more reluctant to try things (I like to think I just watch my figure!!!). Dad, needless to say, wasn’t backward in coming forward to try new things either and nor was Stacey!
This last week-end was Dad and Stacey’s annual Christmas pilgrimage to Normandy. They went on Tuesday night but only to Amesbury where they spent the first night and then had half a day in Salisbury and half a day in Portsmouth before taking the Wednesday night ferry to Le Havre; returning on Sunday evening. I don’t know what they bought but they took the big car and it was completely full when they got home! One important thing they got was loads of Golden Delicious Apples – our favourites! Stacey wore her Santa Claus (Mère Noel) outfit and Dad took a picture of her with Père Noel together!