The Hermit needs nagging gentle encouragement in order to buy Christmas gifts for me, his best beloved - he loathes Christmas. However, for the guinea pigs he will, unprompted, purchase them a new fleecy blanket and some guinea pigs treats - and wrap them. Ahem.

The boys are loving both of us being home, and enjoying the extra time they are getting in their day bed, which is on the table next to the computer. I've peeled back the blanket for a peek at them ... after this picture was taken, Rowan tugged at it to try and get it to cover him again...

Piggie Pics

Given that my last piggie post generated a heap of comments - more than my craft ones do! - The Hermit suggested that the boys should get a weekly (or should that be wheek-ly?) post of their own, and the boys agreed, so, here's Rowan having a bit of a snooze...

It's just before they were cleaned out, hence the rather scruffy pen! This is one of Rowan's favourite spots - he's 'guarding' Jasper, who is curled up behind. They will share the pod, but prefer not too, I think it's a bit of a squeeze!

And here is Jasper nibbling the parsley bell. Both he and Rowan have worked out that they can lift and drop the bell to make a nice, satisfying (to them - annoying to us!) 'clunk' - which is sometimes used to call the slaves to service...

Guinea Pigs

I'd just like to pop up and say 'thank you' for all the lovely comments I've had recently - it is appreciated. I know I'm not always regular in my posting - hence the unheralded participation in NaBloPoMo - so it's great to know that people are still out there reading!

And just to make a change from the crafting pictures, here are a couple of 'the boys', my house guinea pigs:

This is Rowan. He's just over a year old now. He's very strong willed. He is also able to recognise certain words and will react to them - even wake up for them! The words kind of show his priorities: banana, grape, parsley, basil, day bed, duvet, hay ...

This is the old guy, Jasper. He's nearly six years old, but is ageing well :o) He is one of the most laid back guinea pigs I've had, and is an absolute love, nearly always up for a cuddle. Like Rowan, when one of us comes home, he comes out of his little house and he'd wag his tail if he had one, he loves people and is excited to see them. His favourite person in the whole world is The Hermit - the two of them often snuggle and nap together! This picture is unusual in that Jasper's eyes are open when he's curled up on The Hermit LOL!

Guinea Pig Friends

The guinea pigs now have a day bed so they can be next to us when we are using the computer. Rowan and Jasper actually like being out together and will snuggle together quite happily.

Rowan has grown very rapidly, and has hit guinea pig puberty. Fortunately, he is being quite a pleasant teenager :o)

Introducing ...

There will be an end to guinea pig posts soon - probably :o)

From past experience, The Hermit and I know that the easiest way to process the sadness of losing a pet is to focus on caring for one, not on obsessing over the one that has been lost. No new animal can 'replace' the one that has been lost, but by concentrating on getting to know a new personality, the grief can be lifted and love can come back into life. Thanks to the wonders of the internet I was able to make contact with a lady who actually lives very close by who had a baby guinea pig available for adoption. Tina boards small animals and takes in unwanted pets and had initially taken in two guinea pigs for holiday boarding who basically were abandoned when the owners returned from holiday as they (the piggies) were pregnant.

Most of the babies had been rehomed, apart from one little chap whose new home had fallen through, so Tina was so pleased when she saw my message and invited us round to look him over ...

I don't think we necessarily chose a new pet - I think he chose us! As he was used to being handled thanks to Tina's care, he snuggled up with both The Hermit (guinea pigs love beards...) and I instantly and was very chatty and perky - we thought he would get along well with Jasper in terms of temperament and so we took him home, with promises to keep in touch and send pictures.

First of all though, we had to get him to tell us his name ... It took most of the day, but finally, we came to the conclusion that we have a Rowan - an Anglicisation of the Gaelic for 'little red one', coincidentally.

And then secondly, we had to introduce him to Jasper... introducing boars can sometimes be troublesome, as there are dominance issues. Jasper wasn't aggressive, but poor Rowan had to submit to a lot of chasing around, bottom sniffing, mounting, and head rubbing, although he took it fairly sanguinely and didn't cower - in fact, when placed in the newly cleaned pen, would defend the corner he thought of as his in quite an assertive manner ... meeping all the time. Of course, guinea pigs don't have huge amounts of athletic stamina, so every episode of chasing was punctuated by them curled up next to each other to sleep before the cycle started over again :o) This is basically normal behaviour and we knew it wouldn't last, although waiting it out can be a test of patience ...

Now, life is harmonious in Piggleville. Jasper is allowing Rowan to share the pod without complaint (something it took a very long time for him to do with Colin) and they are so sweet, sleeping curled up together, and Jasper is definitely taking an elder brother role. Jasper seems more himself than he had been over that last week when Colin was ill, and although Colin hasn't been forgotten, the pain isn't as sharp.

Thank you again everyone for the comments about Colin - he was a lovely little chap, so cute and a good little buddy. May he rest in peace, and may Rowan have a long and happy life with us!

Thank you

Thank you all so much for your comments on the loss of Colin. He was indeed a cutie, and one of the sweetest natured piggies I've been privileged to share my life with. It's very odd not to have the big fluff ball look up at me at every movement, expecting food but this will pass, and I will be sharing some good news tomorrow...

Colin: 1 December 2005 - 24 October 2008

Colin
1 December 2005 - 24 October 2008

This week has been difficult - Colin had a respiratory infection/pneumonia and although initially he made good progress, he relapsed during the night and his condition was such that this morning, our lovely vet Manuela and I took the decision to put him to sleep. He had collapsed totally and he would have suffered a slow painful death otherwise.

His companion Jasper is fine, he is not ill but is a little subdued.

The Hermit is at work, unfortunately, but my parents will be by shortly. Colin will be laid to rest with all the previous family piggies, under an apple tree I grew from a pip, and in the spring, there will be flowering bulbs to mark the spot.

Goodbye little buddy, we knew you for too short a time, but we wouldn't have missed having you for the world...

Answers to Questions

Elisabeth (who does some fabulous embroidery - go check it out!) - I'm based in Sheffield, so I don't think I'm all that far from you :o) For less local readers of my blog, Sheffield is the famous 'steel city' and England's fourth largest city. It is very hilly, very green and overall, not a bad place to live and work, especially now it is beginning to recover from the collapse of manufacturing and mining.

Sheffield is full of culture - with two world class theatres, two world class universities, countless cinema screens, an annual literature festival, three art galleries, a museum, two football clubs - there's always something to find to do!

And culturally speaking - one mustn't forget The Full Monty - filmed on location in Sheffield, in some of the areas hardest hit my the end of the steel trade. I used to work next to the Jobcentre where the guys 'danced' in the queue in sign on - and I've had to visit there myself when I've been unemployed. No - they don't play music anymore!

Tammie asked who The Hermit is. It's my nickname for my partner, as I attempt some degree of anonymity for him. But here he is with Colin, one of our guinea pigs, having a snooze :o)


Thanks for your comments and questions, I'll always try and answer them, so do ask away!