New Friends

I've just had a chance to update our blogroll, and we have some new friends if you'd like more "rattie reads".

Thanks to all our interweb friends who have visited, linked or commented to us.

For Riff

Sham, we are thinking of you and sending you many healing thoughts.

Over at the Vermin Realm, Sham and her boys are going through a very tough time. Riff has passed on suddenly due to a virus, and the other boys are struggling with it too.

I wish there was more that I could do.

No Clever Titles

Today Rat Rat and Coda are going to the vet.

Rat Rat has tremors and stiffness in her hind legs, so I'd like to see her on something to help her move more comfortably. Cosequin or something.

Coda is in dire need of a lumpectomy. She's got 4 biggie tumors, but the two by her back leg are by far the biggest and the worst.

Anyway, we'll see what the vet has to say.

And please visit our friends Rat In A Box because they just lost their Valentine boy, Jim. He was a cute Albino.

Pleasant Tuesday, All.

Crossin' The Rainbow Bridge

It's been a tough time for so many of us rattie lovers. We keep losing so many of our sweet little friends.

Please go visit Poi Rats & Cats. They just came home from a 2 week vacation to find their little man, Pip, had crossed the Rainbow Bridge.

Hugs to you guys. xx

Blogging Buddies

I just wanted to let everyone out there know that even if I haven't been commenting lately, I have been visiting. I do read you guys often, and I will try to comment more regularly. Have a great week and weekend!

Misto

Our friends over at Rat In A Box have just lost their boy Misto. He hung on for quite awhile, blue feet and all.

We're thinking of you guys and wishing you peace to fill the gap Misto left.

*Incidentally, they're bringing round a young buck named "Bandit". Adorable boy. Hopefully, more updates to come.*

Wednesday Fun

Well, it's been an exciting week. J is over his food poisoning now, but last night we opened a tube of ground beef we bought just a few days ago and it smelled like sulfur! *shakes head*

Run, hop, squeak or fly over to Diva Kitty and The Fluffies and take part in the "Secret Paws". It's a great way to spread a little holiday cheer.

Our friend Sham had a sad experience this week. Her little Hobbes went traumatically.

And we're nursing a slow Halfie along. She's not able to walk very well. I say she's "got a hitch in her giddyup." She limps really badly, so I'm sure there's arthritis at work in her little hips. She's lost a lot of weight, so I spend my free time feeding her. She can't eat anything except soft foods, and even then she makes a huge mess, so it's an ordeal. But then she snuggles up to me and it's like she's the happiest rat in the world.

She loves to be out of the cage and snoozin' on the couch next to me while I work online. Last night she was so pathetic I considered making her a nest next to our bed, but I decided it was way warmer in her room.

Poor little rat. I don't know how much longer she's got. She's got a great disposition, but she's at the stage where she just likes to sleep and eats a little. She doesn't like to drink anymore, so I mix pedialyte into her food to help hydrate her.

If you guys have any suggestions how to help my aging girl feel better, please leave them in the comments. And have a wonderful mid-week day.



When Halfie falls onto her back, she can't right herself anymore. It's funny and sad at the same time.





While my sister was here for Thanksgiving, she spent a lot of time cuddling Halfie. They were both happy with the arrangement.

New Friends

Hi again! I just wanted to note that we've added some new friends that our regular readers might enjoy visiting.

View From The Cage Bastya the hamster tells all.

Diva Kitty & Bunny Friends Diva Kitty and her 2 bunny friends Fiona and Orlando Bun.

Cat Tales by Mia and Ghost Sister cats who don't always get along.

And of course, don't forget the cute piccies below!

Our Friends

Poor Abita and Victor at Rat in a box are having a tough month. They lost another of their older girls, Ohana, on Saturday.

We know how you're feeling.

(((hugs)))

Remembering Leather

If you have a moment, please stop by Rat In A Box and leave your thoughts.

Leather, nearly 3 years old, died Saturday. She is the end of an era for Victor and Abita.

We're thinking of you guys.

xxx

Back To The Vet

But not what you think. They charged me for antibiotics yesterday and forgot to give them to me, so I've got to go pick them up. :)

And I need to clarify- Our rats aren't going on a high-protein diet. They have always had a minimal amount of protein- around 15% because Rat Rat can get itchy if it goes very high. They are now on an increased protein diet- putting them at about 21% protein. Not high enough to bother Rat Rat, but to give them a little edge if their muscles decide to degenerate.

Thanks to everyone fo their comments lately. We certainly appreciate all the kindness out there. xxx

And please think of Ratty tonight- She's lost her beloved Louie very quickly and of course, very painfully. Send her peace and comfort while she deals with this.

Thank You

I just wanted to tell everyone that has taken the time to send us well-wishes

THANK YOU!!!!

It means so much to us that you would care enough to say so. Not too many folks are keen on rats, especially sick ones, so it is a real blessing to have our web-buddies who understand and are so generous with their knowledge and love.

Thanks again everyone. :)

PS-Pics of Cleo's eye coming soon

Congratulations To Theo

And Casey and Chester (who may not feel too happy right now) on the new additions to their family.

Dylan and Mink came home July 31 and seem to be settling in.

Rats are like potato chips. You can't have just one. (It just wouldn't be right!)

Hope the boys are doing well, Theo. Give us an update sometime. :)

Nature...Naturally

I'm tired. My bones are tired. 6 miles of wading through thigh-deep water on slippery sharp rocks trying to avoid sinkholes and climbing straight uphill have worn me out.

The story of how I came to find this out goes:
I suggested we (me, my hubby, my sis and our friends) go camping for my birthday. After all, we had this great tent, propane stove, cookware, etc. that we got for our wedding 2 years ago, but had never even taken out of the boxes to make sure we had actually gotten the items.

The powers that be decided otherwise. For 6 weeks, each weekend has had one reason or another that we couldn't go- rain, fires, no fires allowed, working, etc. There just came a point last week where I gave up, threw my hands in the air and said, "Forget it! We're going to the woods this weekend, rain or shine, dead or alive." And that was that.

This morning we headed out for a day in the wilderness. We decided to make it a day trip, as camping was still out of the question. I packed sandwiches, water and our friend brought chips. We piled in his truck (J, me, my sister and him) and headed out to Jemez, about an hour and a half away.

We got there and trekked down the steep hills to the river, crossed the river and had lunch under a tree. That was great. Then we started on our hike to the cliff diving spot that Jemez is well known for. It's about a 3 mile one way hike.

The thing is, you have to go through the river. You actually have to make part of your hike in water only! I did not know this. I had to sacrifice my tennies for the good of the team. Off we went, me slugging along in my favorite shoes.

It wasn't bad though. The water was refreshing, and the day was glorious. Warm, but cloudy so our skin didn't feel like it was buring off our bodies. However, I did find one thing out. If you walk in your shoes in a river, you're gonna get sand in your socks.

Boy! Does that ever hurt! Ouch! I was constantly rinsing my shoes and socks out so I could move comfortably.

We finally got to the cliff-diving spot. I chose not to go, because I hadn't known this was part of the plan before we left. Otherwise, I would have brought an extra set of clothes. Our friend was the only one to jump. He had a great time, and so did we watching him.

Finally, it started to rain. We figured we'd better head back. My legs were the consistency of Jell-O and this point. I was carrying the camera, and I just prayed that I wouldn't collapse in the water. The rocks are not only slick but they move around too! Staying upright is a real feat. I was just exhausted by the day.

My husband likened my pace to "Sloshing along. Wherever your foot lands is where you go." And you know what? He was right! I staggered back all three miles, not once stopping to rinse my socks and shoes for fear that if I ever sat down I wouldn't get up again.

Upon reaching the truck, I dumped about a pound of river rock out of my shoes, and doggedly climbed into the truck. I slept most of the way home, and then slept some more once I got home. I'm still tired. Just thinking about it makes me tired.

I'm going back to bed!

Update...

I just read everyone's blogs, and it seems all my friends are safe, but not necessarily out of harm's way.

Glad that Sham and Si are ok. I thought Ratty was in the same vicinity, but I guess not, and she sounds ok too.

We're praying for your total safe return back to the lives you know.

For All The Londoners

I just read about the subway and bus bombings in London. Yikes! I'm so sorry about it. I hope all the UK folks that are reading this are ok and that their loved ones are ok too.

Terrorist attacks are no fun. When the 9-11 bombing happened here, I continued on through my university classes like nothing happened. They didn't close school until 3 p.m. My classes ended at 2:30. It was surreal, but life went on, so it was doubly surreal.

I heard about the attacks on the radio as I dropped my sister off at school and headed over to my boyfriend's house so we could go get breakfast, as was our habit. I thought it was a weird joke or something. When we got to the restaurant, everyone was crowded around the TV watching the mess unfold.

It was so weird knowing all the tragedy going on in NY, but I still had to carry on my life like nothing happened. To say the least, we weren't effected out here nearly as much as those back east. My aunt works near the Pentagon, so that was really our only tie. She was fine.

I hope you guys are fine and that your government makes good decisions how to handle this. Otherwise, you can wind up in the war that never ends...

Double Stick

I went for my diabetes test today. After a 30 minute wait at the first place, I got seen right away the second place. I also saw my dad there! :-0

They couldn't get any blood out of my left arm, so I got stuck in my right arm. Thankfully, they got blood out of that one. Otherwise, I don't know where they would have gone next. lol

So sorry for poor Sham. Two ratties lost in one night is unfair and cruel. :*(
Send her all the good thoughts you've got...I'm sure she needs them.

Off To See The Wizard...

I'm heading out to visit my best friend, who is living in Bernalillo right now. We're going to get some lunch and hit some of the antique stores down there. I'm tired, but it should be fun.

I also have a semi-icky story about Halfie to relate to you, but I don't have the time right now. I'll post it tonight.:)

I hope your day goes just great. No irate coworkers or bosses, no mounds of chores, no frustrating traffic.

Jammin' Out

That's right...the hubby and some of our neighbors are out on the landing having and impromptu jam session on their guitars.

Pink Floyd is the music of choice tonight..."Wish you were here." It sounds really good, but then, I'm biased. I think my hubby is awesome on the guitar, and he is by far the best player out there.

He's giving lessons on how to play the rest of the song. Makes me proud. :)

I, on the other hand, am busy at work trying to keep the rats from eating my plants while they free-range. Mostly, actually all, of it is Rat Rat.

I'm off to keep a closer eye on them.

Hot, Hot, Hot!

Gad, it's so hot today! 90 degrees or so! And it's only going to get hotter as the summer wears on.

If anyone had any sense, they wouldn't live in the desert, in a concrete house lacking decent cooling. So, it turns out, we're roasting. This is summer #2 for me, summer #4 for my hubby in this apt. *sigh*

I've gotta move the ratties to the coolest part of the place today. Their room is absolutely unbearable. I'm going to do it as soon as I'm done here.

Went to the dentist today, and had 5 seals done. Cost $65! Not bad, but still. I'm gonna take my best friend out for dinner tomorrow, and we're going out with our bud Justin on Sat. I'm looking forward to that.

That's about it for Thursday for me.