We got wet!

On July 31, 2017July 30, 2017 By bertie bossybootsIn Happenings3 Comments

We were out in the garden on Saturday. Oh, I should tell you it’s Bertie here. Anyway, we were out in the garden on Saturday. We went out early, about 2 o’clock, because Mummy was here. She’d finished the gardening she wanted to do. Then she had a drink and was reading while we did the rest of the grass for her. She says Oscar and I aren’t much good at mowing her grass, but I think we’re brilliant. We do our patches all by ourselves. Percy, Midge and Biggles share the workload on theirs. What, Percy? Yes I know yours is three times as big. You still have help.

Anyway, I was saying about getting wet. Mummy went upstairs to do something. I think she forgot to come down again. We were there for quite a while, and it got even cloudier. It had been cloudy before, but this was worse. Then it started to plop little plops of water around the place. It was like being in a mist, only bigger. It settled on the grass and on the tents and the tunnels and things. Midge told me to go in the tent and he went into his. Oscar said he was fine up against the covers of the kale bed. Biggles ran from the tent to the tunnel to the new big tunnel. I think he went under the tent for a while. Percy went in the blue tunnel. Everything got pretty wet, but Midge decided it was still good to eat. He came out and started eating again. His coat was sort of wet on top, but he said he was nice and warm. He said he couldn’t feel the rain. I tried it, and I couldnt feel it either, except on my nose and ears. Percy told us not to be silly, didn’t you, Percy? (-Yes, I did.)

Anyway, suddenly Mummy rushed out to see us, apologising for leaving us out in the rain, and thank goodness it wasn’t heavy. She said she hadn’t done that since Fred, George, Victor and Hugo were young. That’s a very very long time ago. Percy said it was so long ago it’s the dawn of history. He started talking about the difference between our time and Mummy’s time. I think he’s going to tell you about that next week. (-I will if I remember)

So that’s our big adventure this week.

By the way, my nose is better now… look.

PS We were all perfectly warm enough, and we’re fine today, thank you.

PPS It was Hugo’s day yesterday. Hugo tends to get left out of Days, for some reason. Mummy said to remember him when I did the post. Here’s a photo.

Z for Zebra stripes #AtoZChallenge

On April 30, 2017April 30, 2017 By KevinIn a to z challenge5 Comments

Hello! I’m Kevin. I’m a ginger and white guinea pig and I look after both George’s Guinea Pig World and our Facebook page. Percy and I have been sharing the workload for our A to Z Challenge this year, and I’ll be doing this last week.

Our theme is “Our Favourite Things” – and I hope you’re not tired out from all this blog-visiting (I am)!

Zebra striped snuggle sack

Our zebra snuggle sack is everyone’s favourite. It’s quite old, but it’s worn really well, especially when you consider it gets sat on, sat in, and washed quite often too. It’s got cotton fabric outside and thick fleece in with an extra bottom layer to make it even comfier.

Mummy got it originally for Hugo, who was black and white with a Zorro stripe on his side, just like Auntie Dawn’s Mariusz. They were pretty hard to tell apart, which is why, when Mummy wrote her books, Hugo and Mariusz were the same person!

Percy and Bertie love zebras

Hugo’s birthday present

Hector hides

Humphrey in the zebra sack

Bertie bides his time

Percy in camouflage

As far as I know, Mariusz never hid in the zebra snuggle sack, which Mummy calls the camouflage sack. All our black and white pigs use it to hide in plain sight. Humphrey’s and Hector’s white noses disappear very well into the general stripeyness. The grey and white piggies have used it too, and at the start of the A to Z it was Percy’s, although Bertie & Biggles put in a strong bid for it. Mummy eventually gave it to Percy and Midge, and they’re very pleased.

This is the end of our A to Z 2017 and I hope you enjoyed learning about Our Favourite Things.

Did you see the interview we did on Mummy’s blog?

Apparently we have to do something called Reflections on Monday week. Come back and see us then – and every Monday. We’ll be here, probably with a new apprentice!

V for Vets #AtoZChallenge

On April 26, 2017April 20, 2017 By KevinIn a to z challenge1 Comment

Our theme is “Our Favourite Things” – and I hope you’re not tired out from all this blog-visiting!

V is for Vets!

Our vet is Dr Sally at All Creatures Health Care. I like Dr Sally, even when she squidges my bottom. They really do look after all creatures. We’ve often seen lizards and parrots and tortoises when we’ve been there. I must admit I don’t like having to stay there and Mummy going home, but I’ve always come home again eventually.

Sometimes people don’t come home again, which is very sad. Mummy doesn’t usually take photos at the vets, although if we’ve got something wrong with us she sometimes takes close-up pictures and puts them on the Rodents With Attitude forum for people to look at.

Here’re some old pictures of Hugo at the vets, with Nurse Amber fixing up his special oxygen for his lungs.

Tomorrow it’s W. I think Percy really ought to write it tomorrow, but he says it’s still my turn.

T for Tunnels #AtoZChallenge

On April 24, 2017April 20, 2017 By KevinIn a to z challenge9 Comments

Our theme is “Our Favourite Things” – and I hope you’re not tired out from all this blog-visiting! I’ve had an upset tummy for the last couple of weeks, but I’m feeling a lot better now.

T is for Tunnels…

… although it could also be for TENTS.

We have lots of tunnels, some soft and cosy ones, some cardboard ones, and some covered with dry grass which we can nibble. There’s also a blue fabric one, the same as our tent fabric, which we use out of doors. Tunnels are lovely to snuggle up in or run through, and they make a great shelter when we’re in the garden and fancy a snooze.

Midge in his tunnel

George and Fred 6 weeks old

Hector’s tartan tunnel

Kevin in the tent

Oscar in the old green & purple tunnel

Fred and Victor

Hugo takes a break

Tents and tunnels in the garden

Fred and George with new chubes

Snuggly Dylan & Dougall

Victor rests

Dougall mowing

When Mummy first got guinea pigs, that was Fred and George, she used to carry them around in the cardboard tunnels called chubes, which she thought might be safer if she ever tripped over. Later when she got the tents, she realised that not only are they good for sheltering from the sun (and rain if she forgets to bring us in and it starts raining), but also, for carrying us from the house to the garden and so on. And then when she did that, we all knew what was what, so when she shakes our tents at us we come and get in them to be taken in (or out). Mostly. Sometimes if we really don’t want to come in she has to be a little stern with us. But we know when she really means it.

She’s learnt from our Looks at her when we want to come in. I think Fred taught her to watch for his Look, and I managed to give her the same Look, which she understands. So we’ve done quite well at training Mummy over the years.

Here’s a moving picture of Dylan playing with his tent and tunnels in the garden, and Dougall too.

And here’s a picture of Midge coming into his tent at the end of floor-time in the morning.

Come back tomorrow and see us doing something Unusual!!

I for Indoors #AtoZChallenge

On April 11, 2017February 18, 2017 By KevinIn a to z challenge6 Comments

Hi, Kevin here. We’re into the second week of the A to Z Challenge, and in case you’re just visiting, I’m a six year old ginger and white guinea pig. This blog was started by Fred and George, Mummy’s very first guinea pigs. She writes books about them too.

Our A to Z Challenge theme is “Our Favourite Things”

I is for Indoors

We are indoor guinea pigs. We have cages and runs in the house, and Mummy lets us run around in the kitchen every day. Sometimes we get a special treat and run around in the living room on a special blanket. That’s usually for special events like winter birthday parties. Summer birthday parties are usually in the garden.

Here are some pictures of us indoors.

Oscar and Percy in the living room

Four have birthday breakfast 2014

Percy’s birthday party in the kitchen

Oscar watches the others

Oscar investigates the bucket

Dylan and Dougall’s fourth birthday

Humphrey, Hector and Hugo with Hector’s cake

Midge and Percy in the kitchen

Percy on the step

If you go to our Youtube Playlist you’ll find lots of moving pictures of us running around indoors. Mummy’s found this one of me and Colman running around on the floor, about six months after we came here. The floor does get swept after we’ve all finished! I’d forgotten about this. It’s four years ago already.

H for Hay #AtoZChallenge

On April 10, 2017February 18, 2017 By KevinIn a to z challenge, Food4 Comments

Our A to Z Challenge theme is “Our Favourite Things”

H is for Hay

Hay is marvellous stuff. It’s best straight from the bag, although Mummy doesn’t understand why clean looking hay that’s been in the cage for an hour or two needs to be supplemented with some from the bag. Well, a guinea pig can never have enough hay (and neither can a rabbit or a horse for that matter).

Hay is great to eat, full of good fibre and tough stalks to help our teeth work properly.

With the help of George, Humphrey, Hector, Oscar, Midge, Victor, Hugo, Percy and me, here we demonstrate its uses. (mouse over the picture for the caption)