I remember the day I found him so clearly. It was September 2003. We lived in an apartment building with an indoor garage. As I was driving out of the garage one morning, I saw this little bird standing in the driveway right in front of my car. I was surprised he was just sitting there. I had never seen a bird like him before. I stopped the car and got out, and started talking to him, asking him where his mama was. I kept talking to him and he was staying about 3 feet away from me, but I could tell he was listening to me very intently. After a few minutes of this, he let me get close enough to him to grab him. There I was holding this bird flapping his wings like crazy. Just then, my husband Steven came to the driveway, where his car was parked. We took the little bird to our local vet and then we both went to work. During that day I tried to find the bird's owner through the local paper's lost and found. I informed my husband that I was unable to find the owner. He went out and got a cage and bird food and brought them home, and then we picked up the little bird from the vet. We offered to pay the vet but he wouldn't take money from us. The vet said that if we hadn't rescued the bird he would have been cat food. He was a healthy 6-month old male cockatiel with clipped wings. We brought him home with us. We named him Beeker because we were both biological scientists who worked in labs with beakers, and there's a muppet who works in Professor Honeydew's lab named Beeker.

The first few days with us, Beeker was terrified and kept flying toward the window. But with patience and love and lots of attention from both of us, he bonded with us. He was our joy. He was hilarious. He was clever and entertaining. After a few months he began to talk, saying what I said to him every day: "Who's a cute little Beeker Baby?" "I love you." "Hi cutie."

For the next 17 years, our beloved Beekie was a very special and integral part of our lives. I feel like I'm living in blackness now.

May 14, 2020 - 8 years ago on this date, we lost our beloved Tibbie, your mate. Now you are together again. I can almost feel your warmth and joy at being together again. We are in so much pain without you both. Sending you all of our love.

May 30, 2020 - I would like to thank all the lovely people who wrote beautiful and heartfelt condolences in Beekie's guest book. What a wonderful surprise to open my email and see all of these new messages! Animal lovers are very special people. Only people like us can really understand the deep love we have for our furry, feathered, scaly, etc. family members. How wonderful to have a home here at Rainbow's Bridge where we can all share our love for our babies.

May 7, 2021 - Tomorrow is the first anniversary of the day my beloved Beekie flew to the Rainbow Bridge. I had made a special memorial for him on top of his cage. The cage has a blanket over it, and on it I put a little coffin that says Beeker on it that contains his ashes. I put 3 flameless candles next to the little coffin and have kept them lit ever since. I was thinking of taking it down after one year but I still don't want to.

May 8, 2022 - The cage and memorial are still up and will be for the foreseeable future. I think about Beekie and his mate, my beloved Tibbie, who went to the rainbow bridge on May 14, 2012. So long ago. Not a day goes by when I don't think of you both, my babies. I still miss you so very much. That will never go away.