That was a busy weekend! Kim and Cass came down from Derby on Friday, to go to a gig in Nuneaton. They got back 2am and then had to get up again at 7 to come to the rat show with us. Five in the car, plus the Ratty Corner stock, rats to show, a box full of home-made play dough for the Model Rat Show, and various other bits and pieces.
Kim and Cass were expecting to pick up their first little ratlets at the show, but we found out on the Friday afternoon that one of the babies wasn't big enough to come to them yet, so they've got to wait. It's only two weeks before they're back here for Christmas, so it's not a major problem, just a disappointment.
The show seemed jinxed earlier in the week. On Tuesday we found that the hall was double booked! Thankfully we had made the first booking, so the other groups were asked to give their regular Saturday bookings a miss for this week. Then on Friday the varieties judge pulled out, so after a phone round to find a replacement our chairman, Graham, took the judging.
The buffet was fantastic! I ate so much! Show photos are on the MRC Website by the way. The play dough I made went very sticky. We're guessing that because it has such a high salt content it can absorb the moisture from the air, and it got very humid in that hall. I need to cook it again to dry it out. Not that I know what I'm going to do with the stuff. Give it to the kids next door?
Darwin got a second and Oliver got a third. I'm not sure how many were in their classes though. Darwin looks as if he has small eyes, but I think it's partly because he's so BIG. Edison had to be withdrawn at the last minute, as he had a big bite on his back. Sigh. I was going to take Max along as the shoulder rat but we couldn't see him in the cage as we took them out, so Morse came instead, just because he was asking to be picked up. So Eddy and Morse had a fun day out, meeting people and smelling interesting ratty smells. Edison came third in the agility with a time of 34 seconds. We need to train him. That would be fun!
The model rat show was a success. We had more entries from adults than children, which I half expected. Last time we did it the adults were reluctant to enter against the children, so I divided it into three age groups this time. Very colourful and great fun!
Ratty Corner made about enough money to cover the fuel and our expenses at the show, which is all it needs to do really. I'm not looking at it as a money maker any more, just something which adds to the show.
On Sunday I drove Kim and Cass home again, with their new rat cage, a big bale of bedding, and a wonderfully purple igloo that Kim bought at the show. I need to set them up with rat food, hammocks and egg food ready for their new babes, but it's not as urgent any more. The rat cage looked enormous in the box, but in their flat with its high ceilings it looked quite a reasonable size.
I've got to work out where to put the babies when they get here. I was only expecting to have them overnight at first. I've got two very large (for hamsters) hamster cages in the loft. I'm thinking I can make a hole in the base of one and fix them together. That will make a cage which is easily big enough according to the cage calculator. Then when the babies move on I can fix the top cage on the girls' Freddy 2 to give them an extension.
I had a busy day on Wednesday, taking Ginnie to the Clothes Show at the NEC. So loud and full of teenage girls. Of course, none of the clothes fit anyone over a size 14 max. I did buy a lovely little jewellery box shaped like an armchair. Just rat sized and reduced from £30 to £5. I got a nice fake leather and fur bag too. Reduced from £55 to £15. It pays to go on the last day! Ginnie had part of her Christmas present, a lovely pale blue corset. She's getting gothier by the day. We were both shattered by the time we got home again.
Tomorrow (Sunday) I'm going down to Hertford to collect Kim and Cass' little ratties, now named Dante and Milton. 160 mile round trip. There goes 40 quid of petrol. Sigh. I must be mad! I've got the cage ready, but I'm not quite sure where to put it yet. I've connected two large hamster cages together to make one big cage, about the same size as our Freddy 2 cage. It looks really good. When the remaining two hamsters are no more I might connect the third cage on too.
I have to remember to dose the boys with their third lot of Ivermectin this evening. I should have done it already, but I keep forgetting. I did the girls last night. A couple of the lads were getting scabby, it might have been fighting but probably mites because the scabs are going now.
Right, a whole week's worth of diary to write.
The little babies are wonderful. They're two completely different characters. Milton will come out quite happily onto my arm and up to snuggle down in my hair. Dante likes playing the tickly-bum game and goes bouncing around in a circle coming back for more, over and over again. Milton just doesn't get the idea of the game at all. He is the one who uses the wheel most though.
I collected Kim and Cass from Derby today. They're here for the holiday now. Going to be cramped in the house with them sleeping in the front room.
Sue offered me two kittens at the December show, but unfortunately one of them died so there's only one baby to come. I've asked Dan if I can have one of his to give the little chap a friend, though there will be a two week age gap. So I have an agouti and a little mismarked black capped to come, probably Brunel and Otis.
Ages since I've posted an entry. Got the family here for Christmas. Kim and Cass's little ratties are doing fine. Kim's cleaning their cage right now, with their help of course. I've got the Norad tracking page open right now, only eight hours till Christmas day!
Well it's just about over now. Just spent the morning doing the washing up with the help of a glass of port and Radio 2. Hurrah for Boxing Day! Everyone else was either still asleep or just keeping out of my way.
Been a good year, what with fairy weddings and stuff. Kim and Cass gave me a great prezzie, going to see Mediaeval Babes at Tewkesbury Abbey. Interesting drive through a pea souper fog in the dark too. Only lost the road once – it swerved off to the left without me and left me rumbling over the chevrons. Still idiots whizzing past us, don't know how they could see where they were going. We had a mince pie and ginger beer feast in the car afterwards with the heater going full blast. It was slightly warmer in the Abbey than outside.
Yesterday we had a fairly late start, Christmas dinner with duck for four of us, and some cheese and broccoli concoction for the vegetables amongst us. Then opening presents. I'm currently wearing my new jumper from Granny Lorna, heather and grey 'Cat in the Hat' type stripes and veeery stretchy. Maybe the horizontal stripes will make my boobs look bigger? It will stretch down to my knees, but the neckline goes down to my navel at the same time so not a good look.
Round to my parents' for tea time. So much food! Bottle of Bailey's as my gift from them. Yum. Gave my baby brother (not quite 40 yet) the cut out and build model of the Unseen University. Keep him quiet for weeks, will that.
The ratties had left-overs for supper. The duck went down quite well. I'm hoping that made up for not coming out to play yesterday. I've got to let them out today for some fun, though I'm told the big boys got up to mischief last night, trying to climb out of the cage and falling down between the two sections. Good job Kim and Cass were sleeping in the living room, so managed to sort them out.
Last modified: Thursday, 08-Nov-2007 15:28:34 GMT
