You will have seen at the top of my site some photographs of Sarah's and my parrots. We have three: two African Greys and one Black Headed Caique - he is called Jasper. For want of a better name!! Jasper Carrot?! comedian and he is just that.

Any way this post is not really about Jasper but about the frienship and support that being part of something can bring you.

I have been fascinated by feathered birds all my life and a very close friend of mine breeds them.

We decided to see if we could hand rear a bird from the egg. My friend had just had a clutch of Caique eggs laid and only one survived. I said I would take him on when he was old enough and my friend would do the hard part the hand rearing.

At the same time Sarah joined us to a Caique website. This site is a forum for sharing info and giving assistance to Caique and other parrot owners. We got to know a lot of people on the site and eventually we wrote a story about Jasper growing up from hatching onwards and posted regularly on the site. We attached photographs and made a light hearted thing to entertain as well as, we hoped, show that it could be done. It was quite succesful and I am told provided much entertainment. Nearly as much as the little dude gives us!

Sarah and I became firm friends with all on the Caique site. When I developed cancer I found it difficult to spare the time to go onto the site. When I wasn't having tests I was sleeping!! - or thats what it seemed. I was told I was missed. The Caique site members wanted to know where we were what we doing and how we were. When I told them, they were shocked. I then started to get supportive messages and culminating in receiving a message of support, encouragement and friendship from the site members.

See the link for some of these messages of support  

http://www.baywood-pets.co.uk/guestbook/get-well-david/index.php

It was clear that, apart from the direct support I have received from family and friends I have met, there are friends (who I have never met face to face) who are supporting me and helping me. This is a joy to me and fills me with emotion whenever I think of it. The fact that people will go the extra mile to help someone they have not met is wonderful - it restores your faith in human nature. The help from friends and family you see on a regular or irregular basis is no less touching but is easier to explain. From those you have not met is awesome. So thank you guys for your help support and strength - it will make me fight harder to lick this thing.

To everyone else out there think of this - the power of your support to help others is without limit. Practice it as many times as you can and never let it go.

The link to the Caique site if you want to look is

http://www.caique-crazy-capers.co.uk/

I'll be back!