Unexpected Ending

This is my 100th post on Follyfarm but unfortunately it is an unhappy one. This as a result of shock from the accident early last week or else the extreme cold I don't know but it looked like he died in his sleep. I raised him from a baby two and a half years ago and he'd grown into such a character. He was enjoying playing with the new bell and mirror I bought him last Wednesday. This is the best photo I have of him.

Strangely enough it wasn't the bird I thought I'd lose this week. My friend Tanya and her daughter visited on Friday to bring out Aliesha's old mattress to replace my 50 year old one with the dip in the middle (a hollow so deep you'd get trapped and have to mountaineer your way out of it). Anyway it was bitter so we sat in the sitting room talking and saw Briar walk past the window. Aliesha asked if the goat was mine as well and when I looked out I saw Tobermory standing hunched up with his tail between his legs. His eyes were closed and he was swaying and nearly falling over. We rushed out to look and he was shaking. He had been trembling when I fed the hens early in the morning but then so was I as it was so cold. I fed him an apple but when I returned to let the hens out mid morning he hadn't eaten it.

I rang John (my free vet adviser) and he cautioned that as Tobes is nearly 16 it could be his time to go. However when I went out at 5pm to check on his he was eating grass again. Yesterday he was back to normal.

Obviously it wasn't his time to leave us but Tuppence's. It's never easy to say goodbye to a pet and it seems harder when you weren't expecting it. I had two and a half years of great fun with that little sparrow and it was two and a half years he wouldn't have had if the cat hadn't brought him inside so I was able to rescue him. I've kept birds since I was five and each one has been a character that you never forget.