On December 25th, 1993, a somewhat frazzled Yellow-Naped Amazon was delivered to my home. Yes, that was 20 years ago today.
Max, my feathered companion for the last two decades, is 29 years old. My sister had him for the first 9 years of his life. After the birth of my oldest nephew, Max turned a little mean. Fearing for her son’s fingers, my sister offered Max to me. I accepted.
In preparation for Max’s arrival, I purchased a big cage. Max was supposed to arrive from Texas on Christmas Eve, but weather in Seattle was poor, so the plane had to land in Portland. My brother-in-law, the designated deliveryman, had to keep Max in his care overnight. A charter bus shuttled the travelers to their intended destination, approximately a three hour journey.
By the time Max arrived on Christmas Day, he had been in his travel carrier for about 24 hours. My brother-in-law feared being bitten by Max, so he was stuck in the carrier the whole time.
Through thick and thin over the last 20 years, Max has been a stable and vital part of my life. Having a loyal friend, even one with feathers, is one of life’s joys. I’m also happy to report that Max’s disposition has improved markedly over the last two decades. He’s actually quite sweet now and demands attention from strangers, especially women.
Did I mention that Max is a YouTube star?
