One of our original gerbils died the other day. BJ, the brown gerbil on the left, was found lying on his side in his cage. He was cold and appeared to be sleeping. I picked him up thinking he was already passed, only to realize he was still breathing. He had no noticeable injuries or signs of illness. Logan and Conner were able to says their final goodbyes to him while he was still with is. Conner was very upset; BJ was one of his favorites and held a special place in his heart. I held him in my hands for another hour or so. He twitched occasionally if stroked, but it was clear where this was going to end. Finally his tail jerked a couple of times, he stopped breathing, and that was it. He was buried out beside the house in our ever growing pet cemetery the next day. BJ is survived by his wife John (also pictured on the left), and his umpteen million children.

Conner wrote BJ a note that read as follows (exact spelling, etc remains intact):

“a loved gerbil named B.J. was was very sweet and lovable. He was fat but very strong, no one could stand his cuteness. B.J. good luck in the sky!”