Joris shows himself

[Anne]

So I thought maybe it is time to add some pictures of my sweet African Grey Joris here.

This picture of him is when he just came with me and this was his first day out of his cage (and one of the first days he was here)



And here some pictures of him when he played for the first time on the ground with some toys.





Lets jump a couple of months further (I got him in Januar) to the time it was warm enough to go outside for the first time. It was a little scary on that moment but also a lot of fun!





And here is my boy being proud on his stand.





So that is a first impression of my lovely and funny bird. More pics will follow in this thread.

I hope you have enjoyed them.

 

[Betrisher]

He's a beautiful boy! I'd love to see a CAG in the flesh - but sadly, I probably won't. There are very few in Australia.

I especially love his name - is it after the poem, 'How They Brought the Good News from Ghent to Aix', or did you find it elsewhere?

 

[MomtoPercy]

Hi Joris!! You're so handsome!!

 

[Anne]

@Betrisher: I don't know that poem. I am from the Netherlands. I just picked that name because I liked it. But now I am curious about that poem!

@MomtoPercy: thank you

 

[Betrisher]

It's by Robert Browning and is one of my all-time favourite poems because the rhythm is exactly like horses galloping. Here it is:

I SPRANG to the stirrup, and Joris, and he;
I galloped, Dirck galloped, we galloped all three;
‘God speed!’ cried the watch, as the gate-bolts undrew;
‘Speed!’ echoed the wall to us galloping through;
Behind shut the postern, the lights sank to rest,
And into the midnight we galloped abreast.

Not a word to each other; we kept the great pace
Neck by neck, stride by stride, never changing our place;
I turned in my saddle and made its girths tight,
Then shortened each stirrup, and set the pique right,
Rebuckled the cheek-strap, chained slacker the bit,
Nor galloped less steadily Roland a whit.

’Twas moonset at starting; but while we drew near
Lokeren, the cocks crew and twilight dawned clear;
At Boom, a great yellow star came out to see;
At Düffeld, ’twas morning as plain as could be;
And from Mecheln church-steeple we heard the half-chime,
So Joris broke silence with ‘Yet there is time!’

At Aerschot, up leaped of a sudden the sun,
And against him the cattle stood black every one,
To stare through the mist at us galloping past,
And I saw my stout galloper Roland at last,
With resolute shoulders, each butting away
The haze, as some bluff river headland its spray.

And his low head and crest, just one sharp ear bent back
For my voice, and the other pricked out on his track;
And one eye’s black intelligence,—ever that glance
O’er its white edge at me, his own master, askance!
And the thick heavy spume-flakes which aye and anon
His fierce lips shook upwards in galloping on.

By Hasselt, Dirck groaned; and cried Joris, ‘Stay spur!
Your Roos galloped bravely, the fault’s not in her,
We’ll remember at Aix’—for one heard the quick wheeze
Of her chest, saw the stretched neck and staggering knees,
And sunk tail, and horrible heave of the flank,
As down on her haunches she shuddered and sank.

So we were left galloping, Joris and I,
Past Looz and past Tongres, no cloud in the sky;
The broad sun above laughed a pitiless laugh,
’Neath our feet broke the brittle bright stubble like chaff;
Till over by Dalhem a dome-spire sprang white,
And ‘Gallop,’ gasped Joris, ‘for Aix is in sight!’

‘How they’ll greet us!’—and all in a moment his roan
Rolled neck and croup over, lay dead as a stone;
And there was my Roland to bear the whole weight
Of the news which alone could save Aix from her fate,
With his nostrils like pits full of blood to the brim,
And with circles of red for his eye-sockets’ rim.

Then I cast loose my buffcoat, each holster let fall,
Shook off both my jack-boots, let go belt and all,
Stood up in the stirrup, leaned, patted his ear,
Called my Roland his pet-name, my horse without peer;
Clapped my hands, laughed and sang, any noise, bad or good,
Till at length into Aix Roland galloped and stood.

And all I remember is, friends flocking round
As I sat with his head ’twixt my knees on the ground;
And no voice but was praising this Roland of mine,
As I poured down his throat our last measure of wine,
Which (the burgesses voted by common consent)
Was no more than his due who brought good news from Ghent.

 

[thekarens]

He's gorgeous! I love CAGs

 

[Anne]

Thank you for posting that here! That is a beautiful poem. I will read that to Joris and see what he thinks of it

 

[Terry57]

Joris is gorgeous & seems like he has quite the personality

 

[Anne]

Yes, he does. But he is so great. In the beginning he was a bit afraid of almost everything, but now...he seems never be afraid anymore. He makes me laugh with his crazy behaviour. When I come to his room in the morning, I say "goodmorning" to him. And almost every day he says back: "even stofzuigen" what means something like "just vacuming the room" so he wants me to work immediately earlie in the morning
He loves to dance and can wistle a couple of tunes. He also can sing, but he makes up his own songs.

 

[Katiejayne]

Aw he's so adorable congratulations

 

[Blancaej]

Joris is very handsome. Great photos! Sounds like things are going well!

 

[DustytheDusky]

He is very handsome!!!! Thank you for Sharing! I love African Greys

 

[RavensGryf]

Joris is a beauty (and a cutie)