Biggles’ first post

On November 30, 2020November 29, 2020 By BigglesIn Health2 Comments

Hello, I’m Biggles.

Roscoe said to tell you anything important that happened last week. That’s a good idea.

First off, Ludo and I had a misunderstanding.

It was quite a difficult misunderstanding because he tried to bite and kick me, and chase me away.

Mummy let us all mix together, under her supervision, of course. We had sat together so nicely on Sunday for our photos, she thought she’d try letting Ludo and Locksley meet with us on the floor in the morning.

I was in the box when Locksley came in and found me. We were just chatting when Ludo arrived. I think he thought Locksley was in danger from me, because he leapt on me and we had a bit of a scuffle. Mummy was right above us, so she got us sorted out pretty quick, but she picked me up and put me back in my run.

It wasn’t my fault, and she told me so, and she picked me up again and cuddled me and checked me all over. But Ludo hadn’t actually hurt me, just my feelings.

Mummy obviously decided they weren’t yet ready for free time with us, as she hasn’t let them out with us since. But she asked me to try to get to know Ludo a bit better. He doesn’t know much about meeting other guinea pigs.

When she changed our beds on Friday, she swapped Ludo & Locksley into the space next to me, and sent Roscoe and Neville to the end by the blue wall. I haven’t said much to them yet, but it all seems to be working fine at present.

So, that was that.

The second thing: Mummy went out when it was getting dark on Friday, and came back late, with a patch over her eye. Auntie Anne was with her, but I don’t think she did it. Mummy said she had been to the human vet to make her eye better. She hasn’t got the patch on now, so I think she’s better already. She keeps wearing different glasses though, and she puts the patch back on at night.

That’s enough for today, I think. I hope you liked my first post.

Love

Biggles

We’ve been busy this week

On November 23, 2020November 22, 2020 By geordieroscoeIn Happenings2 Comments

Way-aye, Roscoe here.

I was going to tell you so many things about our week, but now I’ve forgotten most of them. The two most important are these:

Mam and I discussed the blog, and decided to invite Biggles to join me as co-presenter. He said yes, as long as I showed him what to do, so I’m showing him right now.

It’s a good one to show him because we have NEW PHOTOS!

Yes we had our Christmas Photoshoot yesterday. I thought it was going to be really boring at first. Mam took me through to the other room where we have our cuddles, and gave me a brush to make my coat look good. Then she sat me down on the red towel, which had been specially washed. And there was a spotlight all set up, and decorations around the set, and it looked really nice.

Then I thought, oh no, it’s the silly hat again. But she fooled me and took the first photos without it. There’s one of my best side with me looking really cool.

Then she brought Nev in, and we did the joint silly hats thing. Nev doesnt mind, but I threw mine off eventually. Mam said it was the best one of Neville, so she’s cropped my blurred image out of it. Sounds good to me.

Then Biggles came to join us. Do you want to do this bit?

Okay then. Yes, I came to join them, but I didn’t do hats till later, because there are only two hats, I think. Mummy took a nice photo of the three of us under the wreath. Then Mummy went and got the two new boys.

Yes, Ludo and Locksley. She had a right time with them, because she wanted to bring them in their box. We could hear her talking to them, I think Locksley jumped out and tried to hide away.

Ludo said he thought if they went in the box they were going back to the rescue. But they didn’t.

Ah, I see that. Not a silly thought, really. They’ve probably been here about the time they were in foster, so he thought he’d be on the move again. Well, they got moved all the way to the front room. I reckon Mam wanted to make sure she could put them somewhere safe if there was any trouble.

Do you think she was surprised we all got on so well?

I think she was delighted. She was really pleased with the photos she took, and said we, that’s you and me, did very well at getting them to sit nicely.

Yes, you calmed Ludo down well, and Locksley needed just a little bit of encouragement to come out of the corner and sit with us.

They’re nice boys, very polite. And then we came back to our run.

Have you noticed how hairy Locksley’s getting? He’s got longer hair than me. Oh, then I stayed and had my hat photo taken, and then Ludo and Locksley had their hat photo taken. What does Mummy do with the photos?

We’ll put them on here at Christmas time. She says I can post these ones today though.

I was going to tell you about the rest of the week but I can’t remember what happened now. Oh, Neville had his hair cut. Mam talked on the phone a lot, or to the computer. I can’t remember what it was about. Maybe one of us will tell you next week.

Have a good week yourself,

love

Roscoe xxxxx

and Biggles

Yes, and Biggles.

What happens now?

We put the photos in, and then we set it up to get published. Watch carefully, you’ll be doing it next week.

Just another November week

On November 16, 2020November 15, 2020 By geordieroscoeIn Happenings2 Comments

Way-aye, Roscoe here. It’s still November.

We had plenty more wild wind and rain beating on our house and windows this week. But we also had two really nice days. On one of them the builders came back to fix the summerhouse roof. Well, they arrived when it was still raining, but it got sunny just about as they were thoroughly wet. It meant the summerhouse roof got fixed, and shouldn’t ever leak again.

Our hay is still in the spare room, where it got nice and dry. Mam said it’s not going in the summerhouse until it looks really dry in there. I hope it’s ready by the time Uncle James comes to stay otherwise he’ll have to sleep with the hay boxes! I’m sure Mam wouldn’t make him do that, though.

We’ve got a HayBox delivery coming tomorrow. It’s worked really well having it every five weeks, as we’ve just about finished this last box, but not quite. Mam’s been taking photos of us enjoying our hay to send to them. I think they like putting pictures of happy customers on their website.

Another website you might find photos of us on, is Ani’s blog ‘A Small Dog: Life at the Tail End.‘ Mam’s added her to our list at the side, so we can visit her easily. Ani’s doing something called an Advent Calendar, and I’ve written a blog post about us for her. Mostly about our amazing year and all the problems we’ve had with moving and Bertie and everything. I hope people enjoy reading it. But Ani’s blogging about her amazing Mam and the troubles she’s having at the moment. I hope nothing like that happens to our Mam.

We’re lucky we’re all settled now, although war broke out last night because Ludo was still contemplating his piece of cucumber when Locksley came round and stole it from him! Well, it wasn’t really war, Ludo was pretty upset and chased him a bit, but Mam took it off Locksley and gave it back to Ludo. I don’t know whether he ever finished it, though.

Mam says Ludo isn’t the most eager guinea pig she’s ever known, but she reckons he does like cucumber. Just takes his time in taking it from her. Once he takes his first piece in the morning, though, he doesn’t waste any time taking the second or third.

I think that’s about it. No idea why we had fireworks again on Saturday and Sunday. Mam was a bit cross about it. But there’s nothing to be done, and they weren’t those ones that just go bang…bang… bang which we used to hear in Norfolk. These go whoosh crackle crackle, and only sometimes go bang. I hope those are the last of them till Christmas.

We’re having our Christmas photos taken soon. It’s earlier than usual because one of the pictures has to go to Ani to go with my blog post. Maybe I’ll be able to give you a preview next week!

Till then, keep safe, love

Roscoe xxxxx

I’m Fine and Locksley’s Grown

On November 9, 2020November 8, 2020 By geordieroscoeIn Health4 Comments

Way-aye, Roscoe here again.

I went to see Dr Mark last week. He checked me all over, personal like, and concluded I was fine. Just getting a bit older. And he let Mam know what the new maximum dose of Metacam is. I started getting 0.3 whatevers a few weeks ago, because Mam thought I needed it. According to Dr Mark I can have up to 0.5 whatevers a day. So Mam’s doing it right. Some days I feel more in need of it than others. Mam says she has the same problem but she gets Ibuprofen sometimes, not Metacam.

So that’s us. Now for the update on Locksley and Ludo.

First off, Locksley’s grown. Well, you know he’s growing, because he’s a baby and that’s what babies do. But he’s now a young guinea pig, not a baby guinea pig. It’s quite a difference. He’s hit the 600 gms mark on the scales, which means him and Ludo together now weigh more than me. For weeks they weighed less than me. I’ve stayed the same. Ludo’s put on a little weight, Locksley’s more than doubled.

But he’s also doubled in size. Look at this!

October 5th
November 5th

I know it’s not easy to see him, but he has a white thumb-like mark on his right shoulder, so you can get your bearings okay. Locksley’s not far off being the same size as Ludo!

Mam says she has a lot of trouble seeing him, even when he’s in the run. He’s like a shadow, she says. And he’s got very fluffy hair, not really like a Rex, like Biggles. She says it’s more like the soft hair Victor had on his back. Maybe he’s going to be an Abby? He’s probably old enough to show longer hair if he was going to be like Neville, though. Mam had a look back at Dylan and Dougall’s baby pics and theirs was already sticking up above their ears when they were three months.

He’s turning into an attractive young man, and he’s quite well mannered, considering. Mam took the second panel away from our run yesterday, because he’s too big to poke his head through now. It was clever what she did, just attached another panel with wire on our side, so we didn’t chew it like they might have done. But it’s wired to the other panel on the left, to offset it, and make the bar come between the other two bars on the one behind. Oh, this photo will probably explain it all much better.

So, that’s gone and we’re back to normal now. I can have better chats to Locksley and give him proper Uncle Guidance. Ludo seems to be quite willing to say hello, but never has anything else to say for himself. I think he’s been through a very bad experience, with no-one to keep him company. Nev and I had each other, of course.

Mam says he enjoys his cuddles, and is quite relaxed when he’s with her. He’s just nuts about hiding from her if he’s in the run. He’s beginning to get used to Mam sitting next to him and reading, but he shoots for cover any time she moves.

None of us had any trouble with the firework things this week though. They happened every night from last weekend to this, starting around 5 pm, and mostly stopping around 10.30. But it’s not as noisy as the builders. We can cope, Mam 🙂

Have a good week

love

Roscoe xxxxx

It hardly ever stops raining

On November 2, 2020November 1, 2020 By geordieroscoeIn weather2 Comments

Way-aye, Roscoe here.

We had all that hot weather in the spring, and it seems for the last five weeks it hasn’t stopped raining. Mam’s been worried about the summerhouse roof which had some damp patches, and the men came to fix it in September, and then it hasn’t stopped raining since, until yesterday, for about an hour.

But the roof isn’t fixed properly and Mam called the fixers back to look at it and tell her what they were going to do to make it right. It’s even worse than before they fixed it, and our hay that’s stored in there is getting a bit damp. Mam noticed, of course, and brought it in to the spare room yesterday, and it’s drier already.

Ludo got a right shock when Mam and the fixing man were outside his window at floor time. He shot round the floor run then jumped clean over it and went and hid in among the tents. We all stood and stared at him, not realising what his problem was. I think Mam saw him, because she came in very quickly afterwards and rescued him, and soothed him, before going back outside (in the rain).

Ludo doesn’t seem to be settling very well. He’s okay on Mam’s lap, and when he’s on the floor and Mam’s not here he’s fine. In fact, he relaxes a bit when Mam isn’t here. But if she comes in, or comes close to his run, he hides.

Locksley’s okay. He’s grown into a proper guinea pig shape now. But he’s learning bad habits from Ludo. Like hiding instead of coming to be picked up. He sort of does half and half rt present. Hides in the far corner and makes out he’s scared, then lets himself be ushered to the corner nearest me, and then he picks up as easy as anything. But he’ll come forward for his cucumber now.

Oct 18
Oct 25
Oct 26

Mam says he’s doing fine, and Ludo will take as long as he needs. But I can’t see either of them coming up to the side of the cage for a head scratch any time soon. I think Ludo stares at me as if I’m mad when I do that, but I like it, and so does Mam.

Mam’s been a bit busy with her book. I think she needs to spend more time sitting by their run, reading or something, like she did a couple of weeks after they first came. They’ll get more used to her that way.

Ah, well, what do I know, I’m just a guinea pig.

Have a nice November.

love

Roscoe xxxxx

Neville went to the vet

On October 26, 2020October 25, 2020 By geordieroscoeIn Health3 Comments

Way-aye, Roscoe here.

Yes, our Nev went to the vet yesterday. The local vet, to check his teeth, that is.

Mam says his back teeth definitely meet at the front because she can feel them. Nev says she put her finger in his mouth and he was so surprised he closed it. He hopes he didn’t hurt her. I think she’d have said something if you did, mate.

She said Ow.

Oh well, maybe you hurt her a little bit, but at least she knows where your teeth have got to.

Anyway, the vet looked at Nev’s mouth but said he had too much food in it. He hadn’t had anything for four hours and was starving! Maybe he ate some tasty poos in desperation. Mam talked to her about washing out techniques, but the vet was worried about things going down the wrong way, or something.

Anyway, we’re hoping to hear about going to another vet today, the one in Andover, because our local vet is happy to refer Neville to the expert there.

Not that Nev is in desperate need. He is managing very well with the new smaller pellets Mam is giving him (the ones baby Locksley needs). Mam’s also cutting his veg up nice and neat in sticks which are easy for him to eat. Easy for me too, so she’s given up and all our food comes served that way — ‘julienne’ is the technical term.

Nev was losing weight about two weeks ago, but he’s back to normal with the different pellets and food sticks.

Locksley is not back to normal – he’s nearly doubled in size! Ludo has also put on weight, and Mam says he’s feeling podgy. He may still do some growing, but she’s going to watch his food intake, all the same. He’s still as scared as ever, although Mam is very patient with him. He’s taking more time to look at us through the cage bars, though he still doesn’t say anything. I think he’s getting a bit more settled, though.

Mam says the fireworks season is nearly upon us. And judging from New Year, this area is very noisy with its fireworks. Sigh. People.

More news next week

Roscoe xxxxx