P is for Percy, also known as Mr Percy Pig

On July 15, 2019July 12, 2019 By bertie bootsIn a to z challenge, Memorials5 Comments

2019 A to Z badge — Blogging from A to Z

Percy was my uncle. He looked after me and Biggles when we first left our birth mum and aunties and sister and cousins and came to live here. He had led a fairly quiet life up till then, but we soon changed all that.

Percy was a mystery pig, because nobody knew how old he was, or where he’d come from. Except Mummy saw him in a shop advertised as being 5 years old, and she thought he would fit in well with the pigs here then. Also she didn’t think many people would want a five year-old black pig five weeks before Christmas.

In the shop (through glass)

Mr Percy settles in

Mr Percy at the party

Santa Percy

Percy tries his present out

Percy relaxes

Percy in the daffodils

Percy and Oscar

Kevin and Percy

Well, she was wrong, wasn’t she, because she did! She went back to get him two or three days later. He lived in the grey cage opposite the others who were here then, Dylan and Dougall, and Oscar on his own. And Kevin was upstairs with Midge. I think that was how it worked, anyway. Then it wasn’t long before Dougall died, and Dylan went upstairs to live with Kevin and Midge, and Percy moved into the blue cage here we found him a year and a bit later.

It turned out he wasn’t five at all, though. Mummy and her friends worked out he couldn’t have been much more than eighteen months old when she brought him home. He grew quickly when he was here and developed what Mummy calls a ‘classic boar shape’.

Percy all soapy and trying to swim

Percy 6.10.16

Percy in his new cagewear

Percy in camouflage

Percy on the step

Percy finds the lavender

Percy with Biggles

Percy and Bertie love zebras

When we arrived, Percy was astonished. He was also worn out with us rushing around and jumping on him. He soon sorted us out and explained how pigs should behave. I’m afraid I didn’t listen to his teachings much, although I liked the stories he told us.

Percy managed the blog for a long time, and did the A to Z in April with Kevin. He’d gone upstairs to live with Midge and Kevin then, and we’d taken over the blue cage. And maybe Biggles had moved next door to me. I get confused.

Then Percy got a lump on his cheek, which was called a sarcoma, and Dr Sally and the other doctor he saw couldn’t do anything about it, so eventually he died. That was very sad. I still miss him a little, but I’m usually too busy with Roscoe and Neville to miss him much. I remember snuggling him, and him reassuring us when there were scary things like thunderstorms, though.

You can see Percy’s lump on his left cheek here

Percy’s lump (left cheek)

Percy, 2 year anniversary

Percy at B&B’s 1st birthday party

Selfie with Auntie Vikki

Percy looks after Biggles and Bertie

Percy and Midge relax

He was a very amiable person, and got on with everyone. I think he was very clever, as well. He had little tricks and signals he did with Mummy. Like patting her shoulder was a signal. I’ve learned to do it too, but sometimes I forget to do it at the right time.

So that’s P for Percy. Next week, Roscoe’s got the letter Q. We’re all trying to give him ideas on what it might stand for, but nobody’s come up with anything yet.

Tomorrow is Guinea Pig Appreciation Day, and Mummy says ten lucky people can get the first 3 ebooks in the Princelings series FREE at Smashwords until midnight tomorrow night, Pacific time, which means about 8 am on Wednesday if you’re in the UK. You need to add the code RL68R at the checkout. Be lucky – and I hope you enjoy it!

Bye for now

Bertie xxx

O is for Outdoors and Other things

On July 8, 2019July 7, 2019 By geordieroscoeIn a to z challenge, garden1 Comment

Outdoors is definitely my favourite thing.

I’m Roscoe, and we’re working our way from A to Z through the alphabet. My mate Bertie does alternate weeks with me.

We spend most of our time indoors, in our runs, up next to Mam’s working space. But summertime, we go outdoors into the garden, if the weather’s not too hot, not too wet, not too cold, and not too dry. Or too dark.

Most days Mam sets up our run around or between the vegetable patches, with their own little fences surrounding them. She says it ‘maximises the use of the panels.’ I know we get bigger runs when she does that. I don’t know if that’s what ‘maximises’ means. Bertie generally gets his own run, because he fights with Biggles if they are left together. We get on with both of them.

Summer snoozing

Yummy leaves

Social setting

Between the veg beds

Bertie’s run always joins onto ours. We have a sort of meet and greet area. We’ve got that indoors as well, so it’s not vital. Biggles likes running around with us, though, and we like him. He’s a nice chap, keeps himself to himself while still being sociable, like.

Over the weekend she decided we’d better get to work on the grass elsewhere in the garden and we had one under the tree and the other next to it, spreading out onto the grassy area, which is still a bit sparse. It’s recovering from drying up last summer.

More mowing

On the grassy part

Under the tree

Mowing the grass

Saturday we were with Biggles in the very shady patch. Sunday we were in the other one (which is bigger) with Bertie. We got to work on the grass on both places, but clearly Bertie needs more help to mow his than Biggles does. But then, he doesnt pay much attention to the grass. He spends a lot of time bothering me. He’s a right pain in the grease gland at times. Later in the afternoon Mam put me back with Biggles, which was nice. Biggles appreciated my company too.

(Sigh) Outdoors. I like it a lot. I sometimes stand at the door when Mam’s out picking our breakfast, thinking how nice it would be to go out straight away. But I don’t. Not till Mam says the time is right.

Then I can go and get the feel of grass underneath my feet, the wind in my ears, and the sun on my back. I laze around listening to the birds singing, and the little rustling noises of things in the borders, like frogs, and toads, and insects.

Yes, I love outdoors. Although I’m not so keen when it rains.

Next week, Bertie’s back with something beginning with P. I’ve no idea what.

Have a good week.

love

Roscoe xxx

N is for Neville – the interview!

On July 1, 2019June 27, 2019 By bertie bootsIn a to z challenge, guest interviews2 Comments

Hello, Bertie here.

I decided that N would be an interview with Neville.

Neville lives with Roscoe in the run next door to mine, so I could chat to him through the bars. Obviously it would be silly for Roscoe to interview him!

I’m going to ask him roughly the same questions I asked Joshua, although some answers are pretty obvious if you read our blog regularly.

Neville’s interview

First of all, who are your companions and what are their favourite things?

My companion is Roscoe. He’s a nice chap. We get on just fine mostly. Some evenings he gets a bit bossy, but I tell him no. After a bit he gives up.

His favourite thing is grass, closely followed by pellets, and then cucumber – his or mine. Mam caught him trying to steal mine the other evening, because I taking my time over it, enjoying it properly. He’d finished his already.

Roscoe loves bitey things, like the hay box, or the paper under the fleeces.

Why did Mummy decide to get you?

I don’t know, but I’m right glad she did. Oh, yes – Roscoe’s just reminded me that I look a lot like Dylan from the front, and Dougall from everywhere else. So Mam couldn’t resist me. (sounds of Roscoe muttering in the background)

Neville gets up close and personal

Dylan 27.11.11 to 26.2.16

Where were you before you came here?

Up north in a place near Newcastle. We were there for about three or four months after the family who had us before disappeared. I don’t know why they disappeared. I liked them most of the time. Sometimes they left us in the cage without much attention for a couple of days, but the half-size humans were sweet, most of the time. We stayed at a couple of different places after that, but the people were very nice and very attentive. They brushed my hair and cleaned my bottom (which can get a bit mucky with the long hair). I was very comfortable with them.

There were two very nice half-size humans there, too. They played with me and gave me treats. They had nice careful hands.

I vaguely remember half-size humans too. What’s your favourite thing Mummy does?

I love when she gives me nice nibbles, especially cucumber and special hay. I like when she puts us out on the grass too. I enjoy being sat on her lap in the morning and eating cucumber. It’s nice to have some time with her to myself.

What are your favourite memories of your companions

Well, Roscoe’s been my only companion full-time. He’s often off getting into mischief, but that’s just him rather than a favourite memory. I think he’s a very good companion (if bossy at times).

When we travelled here on the train, we didn’t know what was going on, and I was a bit scared. Roscoe told me stories to keep my mind off the things that happened in the past. He made up this adventure where we went somewhere entirely new and lived in a palace with lots of servants and lovely food every day.

Most of that came true. We met Percy, and then you, and Biggles, and Midge, and there was another guy here then, Oscar, I think he was called. I don’t think anyone was a servant, but we had lots of new friends. And we went out in the garden together and chatted through the railings.

And we do have lovely food every day!

Tell us a secret that we promise not share with anyone except readers of the blog

Mam has put me in the last Princelings book. I’m a bit like a pirate, but I also get mistook for Dylan. Or is it Dougall? I don’t know. Maybe both.

Thank you very much for that, Nev. It was great!

And I hope you all enjoyed it too. Till next time

Bertie xxx

M is for Mam, or Mummy, as Bertie calls her

On June 24, 2019June 27, 2019 By geordieroscoeIn a to z challenge, Health3 Comments

Hi there! It’s me, Roscoe, the Ruler of the East!

No, seriously, I just wanted to sound different today. It’s just GeordieRoscoe as usual. We’re still blogging from A to Z once a week, and we’ve just reached halfway with M. But we have an Appeal further down the page, so please read right to the end. Ta.

The best M I could think of is M for Mother, which means Mam, or for Biggles and Bertie, Mummy. I’m not sure why we call her different things. I don’t think she’s different for each of us. Then I thought some more and decided to ask each of us a question – or set us a challenge, anyway.

Sum up Mam (Mummy) in one sentence

Bertie

She’s the bringer of food, the cuddler of cuddles, the cleaner of cages, the scratcher of crests, and I love everything she does except cut my nails.

Biggles

I love Mummy because she looks after me and brings me cucumber, and makes sure I’m well, even if I’m not feeling happy. And she puts up with me when I’m grumpy and makes me feel better.

That’s two sentences, Bigs.
Well the second one begins with And, so it would be one if I hadn’t had to put the full stop in.
Oh, okay.

Neville

Mam brushes my hair and smoothes my coat and cleans my ears and makes sure I get enough to eat even if someone tries to eat my portions. And lets us run in the garden when it’s nice.

That’s…
Okay, what Biggles said.

Me, Roscoe

Mam understands how important I am, and sees to my needs, and looks after my welfare, and makes sure I’m looking my best as much as she can. And goes out to play golf or watch birds a lot.

Bertie: That’s not fair, I want a second sentence, too.
Roscoe: Go on then

Bertie (2): And we all love her but that sounds soppy and it’s really difficult to think of something different from the others. I’m glad I went first.

Roscoe: hee-hee, I know just what you mean.

So that’s what Mam (Mummy) means to us, and we’re all very grateful we’ve got her.

Appeal

Please give some thought for the piggies at the East Anglian Guinea Pig Rescue. Auntie Sophie was just restarting as a rescue in a small way after Christmas, and had about twenty piggies in, then they all had babies, and then a couple came in that had an illness that didn’t show during their quarantine period.

Mam says the illness is called Chlamydia Cavia, and basically all the piggies that came into contact with the others are either sick or potentially carriers, and can never be rehomed anywhere with either other guinea pigs, rabbits or cats (because cats get it too).

So now Auntie Sophie has 60 guinea pigs with no way of rehoming them (and no rehoming fees to contribute to costs). Unless you have no guinea pigs, rabbits or cats. And she has a lot of wishlist items and vet bills to pay. Mam says the vet bills are covered for now by donations already.

If you would like to sponsor a piggy or contribute in any way, please see East Anglian GR Amazon wish list, or wait for further details of the sponsorship scheme.

I was a guinea pig in a rescue once and I know how it feels. Thank you for caring about us.

love

Roscoe xxxxx

L is for Lavender, which we Like a Lot

On June 17, 2019June 18, 2019 By bertie bootsIn a to z challenge4 Comments

Hello, Bertie here again.

I Love Lavender. Others Like it a Lot. There’s Little more to say. Although Mummy says I should be more Loquacious. Wax Lyrical.

George and Fred with cucumber & lavender birthday cake

Oscar with a lavender and cucumber birthday cake

Neville eats lavender

Percy finds the lavender

Bertie eats lavender

Biggles eats lavender

Dylan prunes the lavender

Roscoe eats lavender

But I’ll Let it Lie.

See you next time 🙂

LOVE from

Bertie

K is for Kitchen!

On June 10, 2019June 14, 2019 By geordieroscoeIn a to z challenge4 Comments

Way-aye, Roscoe here.

I was wondering about the letter K, because all I could think of was KALE. Bertie reminded me there used to be a hero here called KEVIN, but I never met him, and Bertie says he only met him once or twice.

So I asked Mam, and she said, well, where do you spend your mornings most days?

KITCHEN, I said. So I found us some pictures of us pigs in our KITCHEN and Mam found a nice moving one of me checking the kitchen extension out. So here they are.

Bertie looks after Percy

Roscoe in the haybox

Bertie and Neville

Percy, Midge and Biggles with a Box of hay

Neville and Bertie

Biggles on Thursday (he went all shy in the garden)

It’s nice, running around the kitchen. Always some interesting smells to explore, although when Mam had a deep clean one time a lot of them disappeared. There are still a few lurking behind the cupboard door where the washing and heating machines are. But they’re very faint. And Bertie and I get to hang out under the closed table our cage used to be on. Mam can’t get there, except with something long and thin like a brush.

Yes, I like our KITCHEN. And that’s it for K. Next week, Bertie tackles L. But in between that we celebrate Princelings Day on Thursday. That’s Fred & George’s birthday, June 13th. And that’s when our Tenth Anniversary official ends – so enter the Giveaway because Mam has that nice George’s Guinea Pig World notebook to give to one of our lucky fans!

See you next time

love

Roscoe xxx