When Harley turned 3 I decided I wanted a buddy for her. There's a bird store in Sterling, VA that has a big variety so I went o check out different species particularly to see if they had a severe, or maybe even an illegers macaw. I had every intention of getting a bird from a breeder but needed to know which species I wanted to look for. I wanted something about the same size of Harley. I've never been able to resist the large macaws and toos so always have to say hello and visit when I'm someplace that has some. When I saw Gandalf something clicked between us. I can't explain it but there was something. The sales lady was right there and immediately gave him to me to hold. We sat for about 30 minutes with me just talking to him. He wouldn't let me touch him other than to stand on my wrist but seemed really happy to be with me. I went back 8 more Wednesdays to visit him, trying to save money, convince Frank to let me have him, and get things ready. The whole time I was begging the store not to sell him. Gandalf was already 16 months old when I met him and they had others that were a lot younger so it wasn't hard for them not to. The 9th week I didn't go on a Wednesday because I had started a job. The store told me on that Saturday when I went to pick him up that Gandalf had been really upset that I didn't come and had spent the next two days pouting. (of course, in all fairness they told me a few things that weren't true too.) It took 9 visits for me to be sure I could handle him and to come up with the money to bring him home. Each visit I felt more connected to him and I think he did me as well. That was 6 and a half years ago and he's still my beautiful boy. My favorite memory was showing him his new cage. They had him in a 40x30 cage after store hours with three 9 month old greenwings. They picked on him and forced him to stay at the bottom of the cage. When the store would open Gandalf spent the day on a playstand. When he came out of his carrier and I put him in his own cage there was no mistake how happy he was and he seemed to know it was all his. His expression and delight that day will stay with me always. I really believe he knew he was "home".
Couldn't she sense that that I didn't really like macaws? Didn't she get that I had no experience with them and that I only admired the big ones in an awestruck but only from a distance kind of way. I think she trusted that I would do her no harm. It's definitely a very unique experience as a parrot owner, when you have a macaw who *chooses* you. Their devotion to their chosen one is unwavering.
