Sydney, our beloved Indian ring-necked parakeet, went to Bird Heaven on May 2, 2011. He was killed by a visiting dog. Here he is drying off on my wife's shoulder in 2009 after bathing in a bowl in the kitchen sink.

My wife and I were very attached to the little guy. He was not just a bird, he was part of the family. I often called him "My Boy." What a cool bird he was. He loved me and enjoyed nothing more than sitting on my shoulder and talking to me. Of the many "shoulder conversations" we had, the most memorable are those that took place when I shaved with an electric razor, filled the bird feeders outside, puttered around in the garage, and walked to the mailbox. When he couldn't be physically close to me, he got upset and let us know by screeching. At times it got bad enough that I called him a brat and banished him to "The Brat Cave" (his cage). His passing is a great loss for me and my wife.

Bon voyage, Sydney!