Penny was my surviving (widowed) adopted Grey Cheek parakeet.

She was left on a pet shop's doorstep. It was the nicest thing her previous owners ever did for her.

Penny was frightened of everything, so no one else wanted her.

My previous pet bird of 22 years, Wiley, had passed away. Grey Cheeks are very rare, so in Wiley's honor I happily adopted Penny. I did so knowing she was so timid she might never make a cuddly pet.

After four years, she'd become very loving. It was worth the wait.

I had a chance to adopted a buddy for her, whom I named Jake. They spent three years together. He was elderly, though, and died in Dec. 2008.

At the time of this video, Penny had developed a tumor in her liver, so I didn't know how long she would be with me. I'd was on furlough, so I had a lot of time to give her.

Here she was, nodding off on my shoulder, as I napped in the living room.

I got a job in California in July 2009. Penny and I moved there. We were living in a motel, and her tumor was getting worse. It interfered with her breathing, so I took her to two vets. They could do nothing for her. After a month, the problem was just getting worse and worse.

One August morning, a vet put Penny to sleep peacefully. She was euthanized with sleeping gas .

The vet wrapped her in a colorful blanket and a pretty box with flowers on it. I buried her in a pretty, shady grove near the hotel.

Please say a prayer of kindness for this beautiful little soul. I do so often.

Thanks for watching. (less info)