Goodbye Wolfey

I never thought I could be so entertained and attached to such a small animal like you and with a name like Wolverine, you were always destined to be a legend with your go-faster strips and cute little face.  You were the sweetest, most gentle little hamster who never bit anyone or showed any kind of aggression, even when we woke you up from a deep slumber in your cosy bed.  

You showed your mischievous side by hatching plans to escape from your cage and had adventures inside the wall of the living room where you spent a couple of nights hiding from us!  Your persistence to get out of your cage was legendary and you often entertained our friends with your acrobatic tricks like climbing upside down in your cage like Spiderman!  You were spoilt with all the fresh fruit, veg, nuts and your very favourite...pasta!

Even when you passed the age of two, you were still running and jumping around your cage like a young thing.  When you got thinner and your coat went patchy, you weren't quite as cute to other people but we always loved you regardless.

When you started having funny turns about a week ago at the age of 2 and a half, I knew it was the beginning of the end.  You battled through two near-death experiences when your breathing slowed  and you couldn't move.  You gave me a scare and I couldn't believe it when you were back to running around your cage only hours later.

But yesterday morning at 8am when we found you in your cage hardly moving and too weak to lift your head, we knew this was it.  So we took you through to the bedroom and wrapped you in a blanket and stayed with you until the end.  Your breathing slowed, as did your heart and you were struggling to hold on, squeaking with every exhaled breath.  We stroked you gently as our hearts broke watching you helpless, slip away.

To some people you may have been just a hamster but after two and a half years of watching your daily antics, your personality and all the things you got up to, we can't help but miss you terribly.

You were the sweetest and most lovely little soul and we hope you like the little spot we picked out for you in our garden.  There's a lovely plant there that will bloom every year and remind us of you.

Bye little Wolfey xxx

Where Have I Been?

Indeed I have been MIA for almost a month from my wee blog but as you know, there are a couple of very good reasons behind it.  After harping on for weeks on end about moving to our new housey in the country, the moving day has been and past.  The whole time between then and now we have been beavering away trying to get as much decorating done as possible before we entertain our first guests next weekend.  So what have we been up to?

Well, first off, we have been enjoying the views around our house which are stunning with a capital S...

There is a really special time at dusk when the sun is low in the sky and the river gets really sparkly.  It makes me feel so lucky to live somewhere like this and this may sound silly, but I feel totally at peace here.  It's like a piece of heaven being surrounded by nature like that.

We have already done a huge amount in the house which has resulted in:

a) Bedtime moving forward to 10pm and the alarm being set for 6:30am every day

b) Breaking so many nails that I (shock horror) had to cut them right down to nothing

c) Cramps in my hands from painting

d) My glam clothes/high heels being packed away and temporarily swapped for paint stained gear

e) Our vision for our house coming to life!

I will definitely be doing an in-depth before and after post for each main room in the house to let you in on all the decor and little details.  So for now, here are a couple of teasers...

And what of Decky? We have had him for just under 3 weeks now and he is settling in really well.  His confidence is growing and he is super smart so he learns very quickly.  He follows me everywhere at the moment, even waiting outside the toilet for me! ha ha.  He's like my shadow but I feel lucky that he trusts me so much and sees me as his mummy.  He is a lot of work and having a rescue dog requires a lot of patience and perseverance, but he is so worth it.

We were told by the dog rescue charity that he will be very insecure and clingy for a while until he realises that we aren't going to leave him (bless).  His two favourite places are the balcony in the sitting room which is where he watches the world go by...

Or in his bed snoozing and snuggling with his teddy bears...

Things have been mental busy trying to get the house sorted AND run the business at the same time.  However, I really will try to start posting more regularly soon and I am also planning a complete makeover for the blog which is very exciting!!!