Gotcha! New kids on the block ...

So the ferrets are now  8+ weeks, and moved in yesterday...

We named them Noodle and Biscuit and seem to be our current favourite waste of time. Not to mention a good reason not to hoover. Noisy and scary. 

Topsy on the other hand is horrified. Salt new her place but these wee ones are far to curious. They probably won’t be hanging out together any time soon! 

These are Mary’s Platys and they came to live with us on Wednesday. We think we have made up for our recent drop in numbers during lockdown. We sadly said goodbye to 2 rats and our last ferret salt. There was a space in Mary’s room where a cage once sat, but now it’s all colour and flickering life. 

We drew the background for the tank during one of our group art sessions, this time back at St Mary’s Church, with a Greg’s vegan sausage roll! 

Lockdown life .... some thoughts

Lockdown life has thrust families together. It’s also enabled us to help those without family nearby, as long as we safely can. 

A routine has helped fill our days, and little celebrations are also important. We delivered balloons on a birthday by tying them down and retreating to a safe distance! The shadows of balloons should be enjoyed. Why hadn’t I noticed them before? 

If able, take your one outdoor exercise everyday, and drink in the sounds, sights and smells. It’s a good way to break up the ‘school’ day too. Much of it is administered via laptops and iPads. 

Bean and Flute remind us to be kind and look out for those older or more vulnerable than ourselves. 

Wearing a mask will help protect you and others and help you to feel safe especially when in the shops. I think mines cute, but I don’t seem to raise many smiles. Wearing a mask is clearly very serious business. 

Cuddles help. Ash wants more cuddles, he can clearly tell that the world is a different place now. Cuddles it is, then ...

If you can’t get out, you might find a way to keep fit indoors, like Bean. Especially if you do a lot of the baking and sampling. 

Above all, now and always, love each other deeply. This weeks prayer flag was released on Sunday. We were a little sad after saying goodbye to a second  pet since lockdown started. Stay home, stay safe xxxx

From tiny to huge! Pet Portraits ...

From this tiny well loved degu, captured in black and white ...

To a colourful calico, who I have created in exchange for some fabulous hand knitted gloves ...

And via this special horse, who I had to keep off line until the birthday when he was presented. I will probably go back to working on my book now ..

Three faces of the season.

How cute is this little girl? She's carefully cleaning her paw. Or is she? Caption competition?

 

Sometimes I have to wait to after Christmas to share what I have been up to with some furry friends. Such is the case with these three lovelies. 

So good to be asked to do a rat again. I will always love rats and value them as pets as well as subjects!

 

A girl Yorkie and a boy with the best nose ever are this years delightful dogs. 

 

I can't wait for the new year to begin. It's going to be a good one. I think 2016 held a lot of challenges. How was it for you? 

Chickens again!

So happy to be a chicken lady again, some sweet young things raised on Portland have come to join us at The Raggy Rat!

One conquers the apple tree before Daisy climbs up there. Then we clip the birds wings to prevent poultry walkabouts!

Much lighter than our old buff orpingtons, the girls enjoy some cuddle and strokes. I like the smell of the feathers and the glossy sheen as I stroke them!

And 26 eggs in 7 days! But ouch! I do not know who laid this beauty!

A Pup called Bailey ...

These two pics show colour build-up on this lovely boy, he was a pleasure to create and the portrait made his owners very happy as Bailey-Dog is no longer with them ...

Also to create this work, i removed the collar for a cleaner look, and drew in the fluffy head top which was cut off from the photograph! Pet portrait, anyone?

A Ratty Kind of Weekend ....

Made a black 'car rat' and a silver grey rat bag ...

Then Mary drew two very special rats ... she has never drawn a rat before! They are of our new girls, yes - a Rat owning family again!

Here is young Smudge, she is a Himalayan-hooded rat ...

And her sister Pepsi, a Hooded girl, and the alpha rat! Both named by my girls during a dinner discussion!

We completely know how to look after guinea pigs!

yes, I probably have watched too much Charlie and Lola!

Cute !

WIP - Herbie

Doing some Drawing ...

Cold day!

It was a cold day today, with frozen bird-baths and chicken drinkers ...



but some of us still went outside to do fun things on our bikes that it says not to, in the instructions!



And some of us stayed inside, where it was much warmer ...



there were curved seems and there were ... even wibblier ones!



And then there was a rat named Agent, to go with toffee!

Toffee, plush of beloved pet rat ....

Himmy-marked Ross-Rat ...

Rather pleased with this cuddly little chap ... One of my dearest rats was a Himmy marked boy, called Rufus, and he looked just like this! He used to travel Intercity trains with me during my student days, perhaps i ought to share some of our adventures with you sometime?

Three Eggs ... home grown ...

Three fresh eggs, three different sizes ... now we have had a wind-egg before, but what's this?



a dinosaur egg, me thinks!



And it really is a whopper, poor chicken, well done to my Buff Orpington!

Butter Chicken?

Daisy has progressed from cuddling chickens on the ground, to picking up one of our black-tails...



and they both seem happy with this development!



Don't look now little chicken, but...



That looks like a jar of Butter Chicken!



But it's ok, I am just a rotten tease - this is our favourite family sauce, but I only ever put Quorn pieces in it!

Chicken run!

it was time to stop squeazing in between the clothes pegs and have a proper chicken run - with a gate! First, we had to free the chickens, and they were all over the grass at once!



the two buff Orpingtons seem to be the gaffers on this project ...



but the black tails are happy to lend a had to Doug too - this one is off to look for a left-handed spanner ...



my camera is something of an attraction too, and i feel a bit wary when those beaks start to loom large in my veiw-finder!



Any work in the garden calls for lots of builders'(TM) tea - just ask Mary!



Looks like all our girls really like to play together! And that keeps the chickens from under Doug's feet - they didn't even quake when he fetched out an axe!



Our cuddliest-Chicken has a nice sit down with Matty and Daisy!



And the work is completed in one day - I just had to pick all the pooh off the lawn the next day, before letting the children out to play!


Thank you Doug xxxx