Monthly Archives: April 2010

Fairy On Manoeuvres!

Fairy is very good at posing for the camera. She is a consummate professional  – keeping still, applying just the right expression to suit the scene, she could not be more cooperative. She seems to know exactly what is expected of her and provides it willingly! Seeing her posing for the camera and taking into account she is blind and deaf, you may wonder how Fairy copes ‘on manoeuvres’! Well she has a remarkable ability to memorise where objects and obstacles are. She methodically explores an area until she is happy, and if the mood takes her, builds up her pace until she is zooming around at high speed, expertly leaning round the corners, accelerating on the straights and pulling the odd wheelie!

Here’s a short film of Fairy in action.

Fairy Bee DVD

Some countries do not allow the video with the accompanying music. You can view it without, but it isn’t quite the same.

Christmas Comes But Twice A Year!

Christmas was a very special time for Fairy. Not only was it her first Christmas ever, it was also a time of giving of gifts and receiving surprise presents in return! The highlight of her day was Christmas Dinner. Mr Bear joined Fairy for a not quite traditional meal.

Oh yummy! Look at my Christmas Salad, Mr Bear! It looks lovely. Those cakes are probably quite tasty too, are you going to try one?

Lunch for Fairy and Mr Bear Xmas Day Best

This leafy stuff is my favourite! Nom, nom, nom . . .

Lunch for Fairy and Mr Bear Xmas Day Best (1)

Nom! Oh! Where DID it all go? Can we get seconds do you know?

Lunch for Fairy and Mr Bear Xmas Day Best (2)

Please Note: Although she ate quite a lot, Fairy did not eat ALL the salad on her plate. Guinea Pigs should be fed a balanced diet including fresh food, hay and pellets.

Bears should not be fed knitted cakes.

Push Ups!

Although, like most guinea pigs, Fairy’s favourite pastime is eating she is also very aware of the importance of exercise. And what could be better than combining the two!

Fairy’s little hay tin contains some chopped ‘special blend’ hay. Each ‘Push Up’ results in a small treat! The perfect combination!

Fairy and her hay tin (2)

What a great game!

Fairy and her hay tin (9)

Minty’s Marvellous Wedding Dress!

Fairy took Minty to choose her wedding dress the other day. Plans are well under way for ‘The Wedding Of The Year’. The invitations will be in the post any day – look out for yours!

Here’s Fairy to take us through the proceedings.

Morning, Mr Bear. It is so kind of you to offer to make Minty’s wedding dress. We spotted some of your marvellous creations when we went up to London. You are so talented! We want nothing but the best for Minty.

Choosing dress fabric  (42)

Come along now, Minty, behave yourself!

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Yes, this is a gorgeous fabric, this cotton matches perfectly.

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This is a beautiful shade too . . . pale pink, just like my ears!

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. . . what do you think, Minty?

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Haha! You look so funny in THAT!

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Well now, that is divine too . . .

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. . . and this pale blue is so pretty! Is it pure silk do you know?

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Oh! Oh! Oh! I am going to . . . SNEEZE! Atichoo! S’cuse me!

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Yeees . . . . it is quite lovely as well.

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Hum . . . those ribbons would tone in perfectly too.

What do you reckon, Mr Bear?

Choosing dress fabric  (15)

The shade suits your fur colouring so well.

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Hang on! I’ll ask Mum – Muuuuum! do you like it?

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And, more importantly, what do YOU think?

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Let’s try it on then!

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Oh my whiskers! Just look at you! Mr Bear, you are a clever tailor!

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You look simply amazing, Minty!

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I think I’ll just have a nap while you do all the measurements and things, Mr Bear.

Choosing dress fabric  (1)

Minty, you are going to be the most beautiful bride I have ever seen!

Monty is a very lucky little mouse!

Choosing dress fabric  (43)

Handle With Care!

Fairy is usually a very clean piggy but occasionally she gets ‘kebab toes’. Grubby little paws from paddling though ‘unmentionables’. If she washes herself with these ‘gloves’ she resembles a tiger with her pig-made stripes. Very un-Fairy-like!

It isn’t quite as pleasant cuddling a piggy with grubby toes and stripy fur – especially if she is a little smelly!

A soak in the bath and a Fairy sized nail brush are required to remove these baked on gloves. A good wash with some Gorgeous Guineas shampoo, Fairy favours Posh’n’Go, and she is back to her usual spick and span self once more.

What a lovely day.

Portrait of a Fairy (1)

Hum . . . . is something wrong?

Portrait of a Fairy (3)

Oh! You are looking at my ‘gloves’!

Portrait of a Fairy (5)adj

I’ll hide them!

Portrait of a Fairy (11)

A couple of hours later . . . . .

They’ve gone! I have had my bath.

Look! Thanks to Gorgeous Guineas Shampoo I’m all clean

and shiny now and my toes are just like new!

Portrait of a Fairy with clean toes (2)

On Top Of The World!

It has been a very long winter. Five months of what seemed like perpetual cold, wet and windy weather. According to the experts however, this weekend promises to be the warmest of the year so far! A mini heat wave no less! Good! The gang (piggy and people alike) can’t wait to get back to serious lawn mowing duties!

They have a custom built, (by Daddy), secure outdoor run arrangement enabling them to spend a couple of hours safely nibbling the grass, romping round and snoozing in the spring sunshine.

When the sun is shining everything seems a lot more exciting. The days are longer and there is more piggy quality time available!

A few weeks ago on a bright and crisp Spring morning, I introduced Fairy to a little taste of what’s to come with a few minutes in the sun a’top Big Mavis.

Mmmm, this is lovely! I could quite get used to it.

Fairy atop Big Mavis 310110 (2)

I can ‘see’ for miles perched up here! Oh look – is that Mariella over there?

Fairy atop Big Mavis 310110 (3)

All this freshness has gone up my nose! The air smells so . . . . tasty!

Soon be time for home-grown grassy nibbles.

Fairy atop Big Mavis 310110 (4)

Have a sunny weekend!

Baby Fairy!

Fairy was born on June 11th 2009. Brillo, her mum, was among five guinea pigs we rescued from an intolerable situation. She gave birth to 3 babies, Fairy, Flash and Jiff, a little boy piggy. It didn’t take long to realise Fairy was blind and a few days after that it was apparent she had no sense of hearing either. She had problems eating too, and no wonder! Her top incisors were non existent and her lower ones projected forward. All her food had to be sliced up into bite sized nibbles and we hand fed her many times throughout the day, every day for probably the first 6 months of her life. For the first week or so it was difficult to encourage her to eat anything at all but gradually she realised how tasty fresh salad and vegetables were, and also how scrumptious fresh picked grass was. Then she discovered hay! Not only could you eat it but you could play in it too!

Her siblings were thriving but Fairy remained around half the weight of them. Her little head with its large pink ear flaps, seemed very narrow and was often tilted to one side. Then there were the occasional ‘seizures’ or ‘fits’. I wasn’t sure what was wrong, and I took her to the vet. After a cursory glance she suggested we ‘put her out her misery’. She wasn’t in pain and it didn’t seem right to end the life of such a beautiful creature without at least understanding what was wrong with her. It was only by trawling the internet after a friend mentioned the term ‘Lethal’ that I discovered exactly what was the problem was.

Fairy is what is known as a ‘Lethal White’ Guinea Pig.  She has a genetic condition due to certain ‘Roan’ genes present in both parents. ‘Lethals’ can often have short, difficult lives and are a lesson to us all that we should never, ever breed from our Guinea Pigs. You can read more about Lethals by searching the Guinea Lynx Forum. This article is very informative too. Casper is a very special Lethal White, her story is also on the Forum.

Careful nurturing, regular trips to a trained Rodentologist for tooth correction, the best food possible, lots of patience and even more important, lots of love, Fairy is now a happy, healthy, wilful, loving and very special guinea pig – she is magic!

Looking back, we didn’t take many photographs of Fairy during the first few weeks of her life. Jiff and Flash, her siblings, were due to go to their new forever home in July, along with their Mum, Brillo. We knew it would be hard saying ‘goodbye’ to this beautiful little family and were reluctant to become too attached to them.

3 days old, Fairy facing the wrong way, with her brother, Jiff.

Brillo and babies 140609 (1)c

4 days old – Flash, Jiff and Fairy.

Piglets 4 days old

In a different order – Fairy always seemed to be facing the wrong way!

Piglets 4 days old (3)

And here she is aged about 4 weeks.

Fairy being cute

She was very shy!

Fairy 6 weeks old (11)

Getting the hang of nibbling some lettuce at 6 weeks of age!

Fairy 6 wheeks old today (16)

Going for a romp!

Fairy, Mati & Mari on lawn (6)

This was a favourite photo from that time.

Piglets on the lawn 10 days old b

Spring Is In The Fur!

Like most guineas Fairy likes to feel the warm sun on her fur!

Bed testing in the sun (11)

Front AND back!

Bed testing in the sun (10)

It’s lovely!

Bed testing in the sun (9)

It is nice to sit out with your friends too.

Sunny Seat (3)

Even if you can’t go out, it is good to know the sun is shining!

Sunny Fairy 090210 (4)

It warms your whiskers . . .

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. . . and makes you feel . . . sleepy . . . zzzzz

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A Romp In The Park!

A glorious Spring day and Fairy and her pals are off on a picnic!

Pignic time (23)

C’mon you lot, it’s time to get out!

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Well, it seems Pandora and Peregrine, Minty’s Brother, are getting along fine and dandy.

Pignic time (10)

It’s nice here, isn’t it?

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Lovely place to enjoy a spot of sunbathing.

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What a marvellous hat, Monty! I love your scarf too, Minty!

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The grass is scrumptious.

Pignic time (6)

What do you reckon to that Church over there, Mariella? I wonder if they do weddings!

Pignic time (8)

Maybe we should pay a visit to see how to book one!!

Busy Baking!

Now then you two, I’m glad you could come over today – we are going to bake a cake. I like your pinny, Minty, just the job! Let’s get on then, it will be a certain person’s Birthday soon, so you need to know what to do.

Baking class (1)

This IS going to be fun!

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Now, where did I put my rolling pin?

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Oh! Here it is! Give that a good mix, Minty!

Baking class (3)

Let me check . . .

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. . . . yes, it’s very flourery!

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Careful, Monty, the oven will be very hot . . . . it is ready for . . .

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. . . the cake to go in now.

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Just time for a quick nap!

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Ooooooo! Can I smell burning?

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No! It is alright – look, your cake is perfect.

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What a productive day we have had – well done!

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That tomato looks tasty!

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Now then, can you guess what comes next? The washing up! You should always leave your kitchen clean and tidy.

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I think we have earned a well deserved nap . . . . . zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Baking class (43)

Furnishing the mouse house!

Although Minty and Monty have a comprehensive Wedding Gift List, they have anjoyed going on a spending spree recently. Selecting home furnishings has been a thoroughly exciting experience for the trio!

Nice cooker, Minty!

New cooker (4)

Snazzy carpet, it will be just right.

Carpet (6)

A lovely bed!

Mouse beds (10)

A little door mat to wipe my paws on!

Doormat (8)

Some nifty cups and saucers.

Finding cups and things (3)

A Rag Rug, but hurry . . . . there’s more to see yet!

Rag rug (5)

What’s this? A table?

Little table (1)

Oh and some cute little chairs!

Little stools (4)

And MY dish. It will do as a bath, I suppose.

Finding cups and things (6)

This has been great fun!

Mouse house – the search is on!

Now that Minty and Monty are engaged they are eagerly looking for a mouse house to start their married life in. Fairy has located a helpful Estate Agent to show them some suitable – or should that be UNsuitable – homes!

Hello! It looks as though there are plenty of homes for sale!

1 First viewings (9)b

I don’t think Minty and Monty want to live in a TENT, Pandora!

Oh, it’s a TEEPEE! Why didn’t you say? Anyway, it isn’t suitable.

2 Teepee (1)

A BOX! No, this isn’t any good at all.

Mouse house moves box (4)

Nice tin, and I fit in it quite nicely. There isn’t much room for a bed though!

Biscuit tin house (8)

Yes, I suppose they could build their own, but it would take ages.

Nesters self build (6)

Now this is lovely, you get a good view up here!

Thatched cottage (12)

This is jolly good too – not enough room for when I stay over though.

Hamper Homes (15)

What do you reckon? I’m not keen!

Tailor made homes (35)

I am not thrilled about this one either!

Pantry Home (15)

Nice for Spring!

Egg Homes (10)

This is quite good, the roof isn’t going to be much use though.

Drawer-ing Rooms (19)

Say no more . . . .

Right hole (1)

What the . . . . . NO! You can not move in with ME!

Fairy's house invasion (10)

Now then, what’s this?

Dun Moving (82)

What’s it like inside?

Dun Moving (65)

Very cosy! I like the doorbell too.

Dun Moving (58)

Great view!

Dun Moving (57)

SOLD!! We’ll take it!

Dun Moving (23)

It’s a lovely little home and once we’ve ‘built on’ it will be perfect for us!