I invited Laura to come with Isaac and me to visit Chico, and what should we find there at the bird rescue but a beautiful white cockatiel sitting and waiting for Laura. She has been wishing for a white cockatiel for a long time, but they are hard to find around here, and usually cost over $100 when they are to be found. My heart melted when I saw Laura and the white bird together, so I asked if we could adopt that bird, too.

Laura chose the name “Martin” for the bird, since she’s reading lots of Redwall books right now. Most of the time, Martin seems to enjoy Laura’s attention. But a few times he has bitten Laura, and this morning he bit hard enough to bring tears to her eyes. Fortunately we have already experienced biting birds before, so we know it’s not uncommon for a bird to bite as he’s getting used to a new home. That doesn’t make the pain go away, but it does keep us from losing hope that soon Martin will be a wonderful birdie friend.