Introducing Jynx

February 8th, 2010

So I only started this post three days ago. o_O My attention span seems to be getting shorter and shorter as the winter drags on.

Jynx
Jynx

After we did what we needed to do with Mochi, we stopped by the pet shop in town and picked up a (probably 4-5 week old) baby agouti hooded dumbo fancy rat. We’d already picked out a name for her, Jynx. She’s settled in pretty good now, although she hasn’t yet met the gerbils because they say in Rhia’s room unless one or the other is in the ball. For a couple of nights, she stayed in Care’s room beside Soy-the-african soft-furred-rat’s cage. He stole some of her bedding tissues, so I’m pretty sure they’ve made acquaintance. She probably likes him about as much as I do.

He’s cute, but vicious and feral except with Care.

Anyway, the cats and dogs occasionally freak her out, so we’ve been trying to keep them away from her when she’s out. She did manage to get a hold on Doomageddon’s tail and groomed him while we watched closely. He seemed to terrified-slash-hungry to move. I could see it in his eyes – he couldn’t understand why what should be lunch was bathing him. T.S. kitty, she’s not food.

Jynx spends a lot of time either riding Care’s shoulder or tucking herself into Care’s ponytail, or somewhere else I promised I wouldn’t say publicly but it starts with a b and ends in a and has a r in the middle. ;) (I said nothing about spelling it out)

Yep, she tucks herself into the middle and pokes her head out to see what’s going on. Or she ducks back under and curls up to sleep. I told her she was the wrong rodent type to be so at home in there. ;) And yes I know the titmouse is a bird. Oops, have I said too much? mwahahaha

So far she seems to spend about 60 percent of her time in her sweetie-orange box house. She’s pulled in a few the nesting strips, has food and a toy tucked away into a corner, and curls up to either watch me work (when she’s in here) or sleep.

Although she’s alone now, we’re going to be getting her a cage-mate as soon as we find a female around the same age, or maybe a bit younger.

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Across the Rainbow Bridge

February 2nd, 2010


Mochi 10/02 – 01/10

 

After a month of soul-searching and long goodbyes, our guinea pig, Mochi, crossed the Rainbow Bridge Saturday afternoon.

We made the decision Friday night, after he looked a little worse for wear – again – and was having trouble using his hindquarters – again. We knew it was coming, but I think we’d been hoping he would go on his own. That little guy had a heart of steel, though, and no number of strokes were going to keep him down. Since Christmas though, he’d been less and less inclined to leave the vicinity of his water bottle, and would become impacted almost every other day. He was still eating (so long as his dish was within stretching distance) and drinking, but when I held him I could feel his little bones.

Early Saturday, Care woke up and held him for a while, cleaned out yet another impaction, fed him treats, gave him a bath (how he loved his baths!), cleaned his ears and trimmed what she could of his toenails. Once he was nearly completely dry, we made the phone call and set up the appointment.

We were with him while the vet anesthetized him into a peaceful sleep with the gas, but opted to leave the room while she injected the final intra-cardial shot. After a moment we returned to the room and she checked for the heartbeat. He was gone. We wrapped him in his towels and placed him in his orange box, and in spring he’ll be buried with Beulah under the apple tree in my mom’s back yard.

I’m sure the vet thought we were crazy, behaving like we did over a guinea pig, but he had been a very major part of our lives since Christmas of 2002. He was 7 and a half in our years, which apparently translates to something close to 100 in guinea pig years. He’d outlived his playmate (Jordan’s piggie, Beulah) by 2 years. He’d outlived every other piggie any of us could think of. I understand it’s rare for piggies to make it to his age, and I know he had a wonderfully happy life (except for that round of bumble foot and the constantly buggered up toenails) because even two weeks ago he was popcorning* when we’d talk to him. Well… trying to popcorn, anyway. We’re going to miss that little guy more than even we thought. Care went to feed him before school, and I nearly hollered at her for leaving the top door open on the cage. Rhia used to say goodnight and good morning to him every day (his cage is right by her bedroom door) and I caught her doing that this morning.


Mochi RIP

 

We’ll miss you, Mochi – aka Chinese Food aka Stroki. The house is so much quieter without your wheeks, chirrs and whistles*.

I will write about our new addition later on, once we have pictures to share.

*Popcorn – the twisty jump/hop that piggies do when they’re happy and playful. Wheeks, chirrs and whistles – the noises piggies make, of which Mochi seemed most fond of whistles. This video isn’t of Mochi, but the piggie does make noise and popcorn. Very cute!

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Another spirit in the mirror

January 25th, 2010

Last Monday I received a call from S., a dear friend and writing partner, one of the four who make up ‘Rhada McKai.’ He had what was probably the saddest news I’ve had in a very, very long time. One of our own, one of our four, had crossed the veil.

J2 – James – and I met a long time ago, through a mutual friend. We sorta had a thing very briefly, before I introduced him to Mel. He in turn introduced me to S. and it all became very intertwined for a while. In the end, except for Mel and J2 hiking out for parts western and getting combined (their words, not mine), we were all just damn good friends. Ours was a blend of brief in-person friendships/relationships fading into enduring long-distance chats and email sessions. While none of them were seeking a professional writing career, we threw in together and created Rhada McKai. The four of us had a snark blog (it’s still there, just no one ever snarks anymore – we’re just too damn busy!) and then the three of them supported my move into the ‘zine (and Belfire as well) by being our first investors.

I wanted to wait until I better knew the situation before I posted this, and it’s even harder now, than it would have been earlier on when I was still in shock. And really, I don’t know anything more yet.

Mel came home from work early Monday morning and discovered that James hadn’t left for work, and indeed hadn’t woken up. At this point all I know is that he was sleeping when he died. I don’t know if Mel has received any autopsy information or not yet, and I know she’ll let me know when she does.

Because really, how does a seemingly healthy 41 yr. old just die in his sleep? :(

I don’t know how Mel is holding up now, I only talked to her briefly on Monday and then again on Wednesday. At the time she was more worried about their commitments than herself or anything else. I did talk to S. on Friday and he’ll be there tomorrow for the service. James wanted to be cremated, and I assume that’s being done. I wish like hell I was out there with them, but financially and otherwise, I just can’t. I’m late with this, but as Watership Down was his favorite, I think this is appropriate:

My heart has joined the Thousand, for my friend stopped running today.

Rest in peace, sweetheart. Feel free to come visit through the mirror.

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