leafing through

As sad as I was to leave warm Florida, I was glad to get to see my babies again. The shipment of toys and water bottle arrived too so they’ve been chewing on their wooden log cabin and timothy hay since yesterday. The log cabin wound up being too small for them even though I’d ordered the bigger one. They’ve grown too big! So they’re wooden chew toys now. I’m hoping it’ll spare the wooden furniture but my guess is, I’ll still have to keep an eye on them.

And my other babies. At work. Yes. Alas, it’s back to my babysitting job once again. My life wouldn’t be the same without these kids.

The chinchillas can be such troublemakers. On their nightly supervised romps around their room, they run right for trouble just as soon as I let them loose. Marco thinks wires are the bomb. Nom, nom, bzzzt! Gina runs right under the computer desk into the nest of wires as I’m sitting there. They’ll run right out the door if I forget to shut it. Not to mention dismantling the container of fish supplies like the nets and cups. They are smart critters no doubt about it, pulling pranks knowing I’m outnumbered. Gina makes a beeline into the nest of wires and as I’m chasing after her, Marco takes off into the living room. Finally, last night, I decided screw it, function over aesthetics – I ginned up cardboard box barriers to keep them out of the computer wires.

Sometimes when I want to take a break on the computer I shoo them back to their huts. They’ve caused enough trouble for one night. Then poor Marco does one of these pitiful looking numbers, rattling his bars looking so forlorn. He knows I’m a sucker for sad eyes and they’ll come out for round two.




Or I counter with kibble. Take that! Ok, now I must go collect the presents they’ve left me.

No work today.  No jury duty either – courts closed due to inclement weather.  It’s 10:30 AM and I’ve had chili and cornbread for breakfast and now I’m working on a pear.  Boredom-eating for sure.

I’ve played with the chinchillas for a while now too and finally got some pictures of Gina that aren’t behind bars.  Aside from her curly tail, she (the one one the right) looks remarkably like her brother (the one on the left).

“Let me outta here!” – Gina

You’re tellin’ me!

Happy Winter Solstice!

It’s been snowing since 9 last night. We’re supposed to accumulate up to a foot of snow in some areas so I’m staying in, watching the chinchillas. Gina’s a lot more timid although she’s starting to come around slowly but Marco’s really getting more comfortable leaving his box and wandering about aaand leaving little presents everywhere.

Marco is a delicious chinchilla. If he weren’t so cute and affectionate, he would’ve been dinner by now. As it were, he and his sister Gina are too fluffy adorable to literally eat, even though every time I see them, I want to figuratively gobble them up. Their favorite food is a shriveled up grape. Given the alternative, pellets, I’d think raisins were the bomb too.