Furry Squeaker

I'm down to one guinea pig.

I've not had just one guinea pig since I was ten years old.

It's a very strange thing.

I've kept guinea pigs for twenty-six years. I must have had at least thirty over the years, not including babies that were born and rehomed. They're perfect little pets. They're clean, they don't bite or scratch, they live thrice as long as hamsters and each one has their own little personality. I adore them. 

I had to say goodbye to Jemima last week. She was six which is quite old for a guinea pig. This left me with Ruth. (That's Ruth up there. She's named after Ruth Goodman.) It also left me with a decision to make; get more guinea pigs or make Ruth my last one. I could get a pair of guinea piglets but something is telling me not to. I'm a big believer in gut instinct and for some reason the idea of getting baby pigs just doesn't feel right.

I know that guinea pigs are not solitary animals and because of this I've spoken to a couple of guinea pig owners who have single pigs and they all gave me the same advice; make Ruth an indoor pig, give her lots of attention and cuddle her daily. So that's what I'm doing and so far she seems fine. She goes in her outdoor run during the day and in the evening she comes inside, has her dinner and a bit later on she settles on my lap and we watch whatever soap is on (she likes EastEnders) and then she goes in her indoor cage for the night.

I'm keeping an eye on Gumtree and the like in case anyone has a three year old guinea pig lady that needs a home because I would jump at that. I'd be more than happy to adopt one for Ruth as long as she's about the same age as her. So if, on the off chance, you know anyone in the Cambridge area who is trying to rehome a three-ish year old female guinea pig, please send them my way.

Nigel is intrigued by Ruth and I'm careful to keep them apart because I don't trust Nigel. He's murdered waaaaay too many birds, you see.

So yes, it's very strange to open the back door and not be greeted by a chorus of squeaks but at the same time it's kind of nice to have Ruth indoors with us. I'll just see how it goes ...

New Guinea Piglets

Meet Lisa and Ruth, my two new guinea piglets.

These little ruby-red-eyed furry squeakers are sisters and they are about ten or eleven weeks old. They're unbelievably cute but very timid at the moment.  It might look like they're on the grass in these photographs that Chris took but they're actually on our living room rug.  Lisa (on the left) is a beautiful mink colour and she has one white back leg and a splodge of ginger on her back.  She is named in honour of the wonderful and inspirational Lisa Lynch. Ruth (on the right) is a mix of brown and ginger, is a little smaller than her sister and is named after Ruth Goodman from Edwardian Farm and Victorian Farm.  (You know how much I admire Ruth Goodman!) 

Lisa and Ruth haven't met Brenda, Edith, Jemima and Martha yet.  The two piglets are currently in the indoor cage and when it's a nice sunny day I shall let them out on the grass for a little while and I'll gradually introduce them to the older guineas.  By the time the warmer weather comes they'll all be out mowing the grass in guinea pig unison.  Utter cuteness!

Edwardian Farm

Last night saw the end of Edwardian Farm on BBC2.  I was sad to see the series end and I won't lie - I was a little bit misty-eyed when they went off in the boat at the end.  The programme was filmed over a year at Morwellham Quay in Devon and showed the trials and tribulations of life on a farm at the turn of the 20th Century.

I loved every minute of Edwardian Farm.  It was beautifully shot and Ruth Goodman, Alex Langlands and Peter Ginn did a wonderful job, just as they did in the equally brilliant Victorian Farm.  I have learned so much from both series.  Ruth Goodman's historical knowledge is vast and she somehow manages to make the most grim tasks seem appealing, be it tarting up an outdoor loo, making a brown paper duvet, sewing long johns, charring a dead pig or spraying crops with antique machinery.  She has a wonderful way of making it all utterly captivating.

I first watched Ruth, Alex and Peter in Tales From The Green Valley a few years back.  That series - also marvellous - saw them running a 1600s farm.  Then between Victorian Farm and Edwardian Farm there was Victorian Pharmacy which was absolutely fascinating.



Peter and his goose.  And his sideburns.  His lovely sideburns.

I will admit that seeing Peter Ginn in his period costume has been a weekly highlight for the past twelve weeks and I am going to miss that but I do have the DVDs of Victorian Farm and Tales From The Green Valley if I find myself in need of a Peter historical fix. There isn't long to wait for the the DVD of Edwardian Farm which is out in February.

Apart from enjoying learning about all the farming, cooking, clothes, daily routines and old machinery I was also gripped by all the old crafts such as basket weaving, lacemaking, thatching, hedging and blacksmithing.  In last night's episode they had an expert called Simon Summers making a beautiful copper and iron weather vane.  It was just amazing to watch and the finished item was gobsmackingly beautiful. Such skill.

Inspired by Ruth Goodman I bought myself a copy, albeit a modern one, of Mrs Beeton's Book Of Household Management.  I have been dipping in and out of it and it's wonderful - a real glimpse into the past.  I'm quite surprised at how relevant a lot of the book's advice and information still is today.  Some of the recipes look good although I have had to research some of the ingredients.  Mrs Beeton had a bit of a thing for isinglass and that was something I'd never heard of before.  If you've got a Kindle or a Kindle app you might like to know that you can download the book for free from Amazon.

I'll stop waffling about historical things now.  I just wanted to write a little post about my love for the wonder that was Edwardian Farm.  If you enjoyed it too you'll understand.