puppy marketing news:

Three now spoken for! Just one girl and one boy left. Now I feel sorry for the ones not chosen!!!

owlie update

I phoned my neighbour to ask if I could have a bag of frozen mice or frozen chicks to feed owlie. He keeps plenty in stock for his many and varied raptors, snakes and monitors. He called over with a bulging sack of the necessaries and took a look at Owlie. Lifted him out of the box. Checked his breastbone, wings, legs and feet for breaks. Felt his crop and realised owlie was very empty. I concluded that these were very experienced hands. And that indeed, they might be better hands than mine to look after owlie. Therefore the offer was made..... and after some diplomatic exchanges my neighbour has kindly carried Owlie away to rehabilitate in his vivarium where it is warm, be fed a more appropriate diet by a non scaredy-cat carer, and hopefully achieve release condition in double quick time. The relief is considerable and I do think that owlie has the best shot at normal life in the Snake-keeper's care. Good luck Owlie. Will keep you posted.

owlie

My nephew came to visit at tea time yesterday. One minute after his departure he telephoned to say there was a baby owl sitting in the middle of the road, and he had only just managed not to run over it. We thought we would pop out and have a look. By the time we arrived it had shuffled into a nettlebed. Nephew was carefully keeping an eye on it. It looked very woebegone. Scrunched up, cold and its feet all curled up into little fists. The farmer, who had the foresight to pick up his work gloves, gathered the lonesome stranger into his hands. It looked pretty sad. We think it has fallen out of the HUGE ash tree which is close by. No sign of a parent. No sound from the infant. The newphew, his good deed done for the day, rushed off to work. The farmer and I brought the infant home in a small box. I googled Raptor Rescue. Nearest rescue is over 40 miles away. I telephoned for advice. Nice man said babe needed to be kept at 70 degrees, tried with worms, and if it survived the night might be releaseable on Saturday. Babe wouldn't eat any worms which the Farmer manfully dug from our parched and solid earth. I popped the owl box inside the chick box, thus sharing the heat lamp. Crossed fingers.

This morning Owlie is looking really perky. Still won't eat any live worms. I searched my drawers! Found an old syringe. Loaded it up with puppy boiled chicken and rice from my fridge. Topped up with water. Tapped the infant beak. His eyes opened wide! He opened his beak, made some quite cute noises, and stuck the syringe down his own throat. I pressed the plunger, slowly, and Bobs your Uncle, he fed beautifully!

Now all I need to know is how much, how often, and how can I stop Owlie becoming tame? Questions, questions.

The Auntie of the puppies is causing some management problems with the pack. She is trying to take complete possession of the puppies. She jumps into the box and won't let mum in to feed them. She would also lick them bald if she could. She absolutely adores the puppies. She shivers with excitement at the prospect of being near them. It has been a hard decision but she has spent the last two days completely seperated from them. She knows they are in here, and its all she can do to survive without a sight of them. She has stopped eating. She whines and howls for them. Gods, its driving me ROUND THE BEND! Mum is putting up a brave fight to keep on feeding and licking them herself. Women. If only Auntie had done the deed with one of her swains she would have her own puppies. I guess she doesn't completely understand that!

And secondly we also have trouble with a neighbour. The farmer has sold 4 loads of straw to a commercial straw buyer, who has sent a lorry and trailer for same. The farm is on a very, very narrow country lane. The lane is overhung with native trees, of considerable height and antiquity. The high stacked bales of straw on the back of the lorry and trailer, and the long branches of the trees, have come into contact with each other on the lane. A little straw has been brushed onto the road. Its breezy. It will blow around and away, eventually! However, the neighbour "is NOT complaining, but would like the straw to stop, or be netted, because its blowing into his drive"! How dare it! I am ashamed to say that I laughed when he phoned to complain earlier today. Oops.

owlishly excellent

6.45am. Dog walking duties. Barn owl searching field we are walking in. Then, out of an empty blue sky comes..... a little owl! Going home to bed I think. Owlingly marvellous.

day 19

Today they pups have lapped up some real food, and are racing in a wobbly way up and down their box. Looks like they all had too much vino collapso!

eyes open, wide awake!

Fat and gorgeous! Two weeks old today. This little girl is called Molly and is going to live near Nottingham in 6 weeks time. Her two brothers and to sisters hoping for equally lovely families to come and choose them.