Our dear friend Jim has hinted to me that maybe I should give updates on the first Greytown Mayor, Nigel.
Nigel's doing well in Malawi now, he has (actually I'm 99% sure Nigel is Nigella but anyway no way to test in these parts) adjusted to his new home well. Our friend (Wilson) and his family have taken Nigel's care on full-force. They are great family friends and took it personally when we lost Nigel last year in our move; Wilson did everything he could to get Nigel back. It took a month or so but he succeeded. In this part of the world things aren't at all straightforward. Anyway, Nigel now is content with his family and is loud, messy, and full of chatter which shows that he's doing well.
Wilson came to visit us last week for a conference we were hosting. It is a 4 day bus ride from Malawi to Burundi. I secretly hoped he would find a way to bring Nigel but I knew he would not come. In reality, it isn't worth the risk - even with all the proper paperwork as we had it last year. There are too many unanswered questions when passing through borders and too many unknown risks. I won't ever attempt anything like that again.
Knowing Nigel is well and happy is the best thing tho... but, we miss him. Losing him as we did last year trying to transport him with us here was possibly the worst things we have ever experienced as a family with a pet. I wouldn't wish that on anyone.
Kevin, now the Mayor of Greytown 2.0, shows how different 2 birds can be. Although he was mistreated for however long we don't know, his personality is beginning to show. He's extremely mischievous...extremely. And when he knows he's in trouble he runs off like a little vulture back to his cage and I'm sure he's smiling! He's also the messiest bird on record! But I love him! Our family has this bird-sized place that needs filling. We love their enigmatic nature and intelligence, it's especially rewarding when they begin to come out of their shell (ha pun intended) and just get happy. My husband and daughter both love interacting with him - my daughter is 11 and was so hurt when we lost Nigel, that was as bad as losing Nigel, seeing her so sad. She's very passionate about making sure Kevin and other greys are "OK so no one else hurts them." I wonder if she might do something special for them in her lifetime.
Enough ranting for now. Greytown 2.0 has lots of daily madness to attend to this morning.
