In the Summertime

What a weekend!

We planned with friends of ours to go to a Carols by Candlelight, with the Welsh Male Choir, at our local botanical gardens. It promised to be a wonderful day with only 20% chance of rain. We got all our picnic goodies (spare ribs, sausages, salad and for pudding - chocolate fudge with pistachios and Christmas mince pies) and found our perfect spot. Once we had settled, a few clouds started gathering and a light breeze started blowing. Thankfully we were sitting under a large thorn tree as the first of the rain drops started to fall, the optimist in me said "it will be over in a few minutes" - my famous last words. The sky opened up and down came the rain and then came the hail - we wrapped our children in picnic blankets, but we all looked like drowned rats. The whole event was cancelled and the children did so much want to see father Christmas. All was not lost as we were still able to hand in clothes and toys that the children do not use anymore for orphanages in the area.

Our friends went home and put on dry clothes and brought their picnic things to us and we all still had a good time. We put on Christmas carols and our girls put on a show of dancing for us. It didn't turn out too bad after all!

This morning I took these pictures of the garden, not a cloud in sight - but this is a good thing as I need to get my washing dry.

Can you spot Toffee in the picture (bottom left corner)?

I couldn't resist taking a pic of a "guinea pig window" in one of their tunnels!

Freedom at last

It has nearly been 3 months since our baby guinea pigs were born. Toffee (black and white) and Pepsi (black and brown) have become very tame in the last 2 weeks and have almost tripled in size.

They have been driving me crazy with their wheeting, wheeting, begging to get out of their house and on to the sweet grass. We have been cautious to let them out on their own as we live in a neighborhood with many cats.

Sasha, our oldest guinea pig, has been visiting them a few times a day and even spent the other night with them in their house. They all seem to get on very well together. Sasha seems to know that they are still babies and they seem to treat her like their mother as the first time they had contact with her, they were looking for milk.

So finally, we have let them run free. They are exploring all Sasha's tunnels and hiding places she has in the garden. It is wonderful to see how excited they are about life, running around and eating all the grass they want.

My neighbor said to me the other day "every home needs children and animals" - how true. I cannot count how many times I laugh or smile each and everyday because of these blessings that I have in my home.