Bits & pieces of news (all jumbled together, of course)

The Alaska State Convention was this last weekend, and I splurged by buying myself a ticket and going. I'm so glad I did. Several other breeders flew out from the Seattle/B.C. area - myself, Sheryl Newland (Spiritridge Farms), Kelly Gilmore (Majestic Caviary), and Jen & Jim Lord (Megan's Menagerie). We all stayed at the home of Samantha Marlin of KarMar Caviary and had such a great time. Sheryl and I flew in together on Thursday night, and on Friday we saw Independence Mine and a glacier I've forgotten the name of for the moment (it is 3:30 a.m. on Tuesday and I am waiting for my flight to load - it is currently an hour late).

Saturday and Sunday were full of shows - 3 each day! Randy Shumaker, George Long, and Cliff Dick judged. Kelsey got one BOB leg (and was beaten in the other 5 shows by a lovely sow her age shown by Sam). Kara! was my pride and joy of the weekend - she took home 4 honorable mentions and 6 G.C. legs (4 BOB, 2 BOS). She got excellent comments and I am just in love with her more all the time. Christopher took 2 BOBs and went on to take RIS for both BOBs. He is an awesome boar but unfortunately his side density has gone away with age (a.k.a., Megan's June vacation to the Oregon coast kind of blew out his good grooming streak).

Kara has turned out so lovely that she has convinced me to go to ARBA Nationals in Dallas Ft. Worth, Texas, in October. I think I will be able to go for Sunday - Thursday, depending upon my classes this semester; they are fairly flexible so I believe it will work out. I will be able to transport pre-sold animals to Dallas. I will probably show Kara and Erica - that will be it. I am very excited.

Lastly, I am venturing out in the world of cavies - a brand new breed has made its way into G&CC, and I hate to betray all you all-longhair breeders, but here goes - Solid Silver Americans! Sam has awesome silvers and she has been so great to set me up with 5 (3 solid silver sows, 1 silver agouti sow, and 1 solid silver boar) beautiful animals. She gave me several long lessons on silvers this weekend - I am bound and determined to learn all about them! I'm very, very excited about this new venture.

That's all for now - my plane is finally here - so perhaps we will load soon so I can go back to Seattle and see the poor pigs I left behind for the weekend!

You Can't Please Everyone (but you can sure try!)

Since I'm in Seattle and working a 9 - 5 job rather than going to classes and work 9 - 5 and studying from about 6 - midnight, I've had a lot of extra time lately. What've I been doing with it, you ask? Well! I'm happy (and quite proud of myself) to say that I've been very productive. I spend a lot of time with my cat (though she still, of course, thinks she's neglected). I've had some time to get to know my NC roommate (and best friend), Sabrina, even better than I already did, and some time to appreciate the many people in my life. I've had time to enjoy poking my fingers in cages and seeing which breeders are curious enough (and friendly and tame enough!) to come forward and lick the finger or let it scratch their noses (Penguin and Lil' Ava took the cake this morning). I've had time to groom pigs and really appreciate their personalities, and I could swear that the three pigs I have in (near) full show coat - Kara, Kelsey, and Christopher - are tamer than any cavy I've had in coat before. They sit quietly and let me groom them, and when I'm done they love cuddling and having their ears & chin scratched. I've had time to get to know other breeders and to enjoy their company. The other day I got an email from a breeder I'm arranging a shipment with, and the email said, "I always love the animals I get from you." Maybe it seemed like a simple statement, but I was incredibly flattered, and I had to remember to let myself appreciate that.

Because I've also had time to reflect on something negative, and that is the fact that I have certainly not been perfect when it comes to this cavy breeding thing. I've been breeding for almost 12 years now, and I've made a lot of mistakes along the way. I try to answer all questions in a timely manner, I try to let other breeders (longhairs, shorthairs, customers, everyone!) know how much I appreciate them, and I try not to let that busyness get the best of me when I'm in the middle of the hecticness back in North Carolina. But sometimes I fail at that, and I'm aware that I have not done everything perfectly. I've forgotten to answer emails (almost everyone has experienced that - I'm HORRIBLE at email communication, much better at phone - although -), forgotten to return phone calls, forgotten to answer questions, and I've done my share of taking a long time to get pedigrees to a breeder who has purchased animals. I've learned that in some ways, this is like a retail business in that if you don't please your customers, they won't come back. That means I become pickier, with every shipment and every buyer, about which animals are breeder/show quality and which animals are not - my standards are always becoming higher. I try to use my experience for what it is - an opportunity to teach others and to answer questions, to offer my opinions and give gentle advice. But I do not always succeed; I am aware of that, although I continue to try to improve. I learn, I learn, and I learn some more; with every mistake, every missed opportunity, I learn.

My summer is more than halfway over now, and I know that before long I will be back into the hustle and bustle that is Gardner-Webb University, that school (and schoolwork) which I love, but which keeps me so busy that sometimes I forget to appreciate the little things. Still, I'm looking forward to getting back; I just hope I don't forget to remember what I have learned with the relaxation that has been my summer. It's been a good one.

WA State Convention - June 24/25 2006

I've been wanting to post about the WSRBA show because it was just so much fun, but I've been so busy that this is going to have to be short.

WSRBA takes place every year in Ellensburg, WA. In the last several years they've expanded to holding 4 shows over 2 days, which makes for an incredibly busy atmosphere, but also incredibly fun! It's great being able to spend two days with the PNW breeders, chatting, catching up, and seeing absolutely lovely animals on the table.

Sam of KarMar Cavies flew in from Alaska on Friday morning and by Friday afternoon, the two of us were leaving my house to head to Ellensburg - about a 2 hour drive. We stopped at Sheryl's since her pigs were going with us, and we were on our way! We had dinner with some friends in Ellensburg, then settled down in our hotel room - 5 of us in total. At six the next morning, we were up, and at the show grounds by seven - taking entry money, making changes, adding day-of-show entries, and otherwise saving the day ;o)

Having been away from the NW show circuit for so long, I forget both how much I miss everyone here and how different our shows are here! Entries for all four shows were nearly 300. I served as ramrod both days - Saturday for Carol Sandler, Sunday for Don Peterson. Busy, busy, busy!

Saturday night, we all had dinner at a BBQ restaurant in town - last I heard, there were 53 people on the list that went! It was a full house and again, great visiting with everyone. We headed back to the hotel and slept that night, then spent Sunday at the show grounds again! Both shows went faster on Sunday, and Sam and I were back on the road to head home by about 3 p.m.

The whole weekend was so much fun I've already begun trying to figure out how I can find a way to get out here next year so I can come again ;)

The fated cross-country trip (or, A Bedtime Story)

Hello!

I apologize for the complete lack of posting these last six weeks. I have been busier than I imagined, and I haven't had a lot of ideas for posts. However, after our State Convention this weekend, I have some ideas, so hopefully I'll get to posting a bunch soon.

I have been asked by a few people to post the story of our trip from North Carolina to Washington - so, here goes!

I left the evening of Wednesday, May 17th with my car literally stacked to the ceiling and completely packed; I should have taken a picture, but I forgot to. The cavy carriers fit in the backseat of my 2000 Saturn SL2; they stacked 3 high, side by side. In the front seat, I had an 18x24 4-hole bunny carrier, and an 18x24 cavy cage which actually served as a cat carrier all week (and, when I arrived in Seattle, it doubled as a show pig's cage!). In my trunk were 2 50# bags of feed, one 25# bag of cat food, meds, water, grooming supplies, etc. - plus everything I needed for the entire summer.

I won't lie: the trip was incredibly stressful. I had a blind spot I literally couldn't compensate for, since I looked over my shoulder right into Skittles' cage and couldn't see past it through the window. Luckily, I didn't get pulled over! That trip was fast, and entirely uneventful - until I stopped at a rest stop just over the TN border and my cat was so concerned when I got out of the car that she tipped her entire litter box over and splashed in her water, spilling it into her food. Clean the dish, fill the food and water, change the litter - crisis averted, back on our way!

On the first night, I only drove about 3.5 hours and stopped at my good friend Lydia's house in Knoxville, Tennessee. She lives at a college, so all of the animals had to stay in the car, but I wasn't concerned since I had only just left.

I left at 7:15 a.m. on Day #2 to drive to my uncle Joe's apartment in Kansas City, KS. I enjoyed seeing him and his older son, my cousin Allen, who is 17. I also met Joe's girlfriend, Deanna, and her 10-year-old son, Ryan. They took me out to a fantastic Mexican restaurant and then to ice cream. Unfortunately, the animals needed to be taken care of. This is when I learned that 6-hole carriers was not the way I should have gone. The carriers are great, but they were wedged into the car, and getting them out was a task. They were heavy, so I then had to lift them out and move them around one by one while I fed and watered everyone. I spent awhile getting them back into the car. By the time all of this was done I had spent nearly 2 hours with the rabbits and cavies, the cat was crying like a baby, and I was exhausted. I collapsed about 11:30.

7:30 the next morning I was back on my way! Joe sent me with 6 bagles from Panera Bread - I had never been there before, but they were amazing!!! Little did he know, those 6 bagles fed me breakfast and lunch for the rest of the trip! I drove that day to Kearney, NE to see my sister, Megan; her sister, Lacey; her husband, Nate; and their 21-month-old son, Evan. I had a great time visiting with Evan, and Megan had set up her leftover cavy/rabbit cages (she used to be half of G&CC!) so that my pigs and rabbits could have some room to stretch out. It was fantastic for them!! I also was able to clean out the carry cages. They fed me great, fresh Nebraska-grown steak for dinner, and I got another good night's rest.

The next day was my longest: 17 hours to Butte, Montana. It was also my favorite day - mostly. I loved the sights, as the drive was peaceful, deserted, and beautiful. About 4 hours in, my coolant levels became low, so I had a tiny bit of a scare with that. Pull over, top off the coolant tank with water, and on my way again! Then, in Billings, my gas and oil became low, so I pulled off. The second I arrived at a gas station, a storm had pulled in, and rain was coming down literally in blankets. It was 7 p.m. by now, so I found a restaurant and grabbed fast food. I drove off again, but the drive took longer than usual, since I had the wrong directions to my hotel in Butte.

But everything turned out well. The next day, I drove 9 hours to my parents' house. I was worried about the cavies by now, and in Spokane, Washington, I was rear-ended. Luckily, the damage was minor. I arrived at my parents' about 3:00 p.m.

Cavies and rabbits were, luckily, all in fine form! No show coats were damaged, no pregnant sows were stressed out, and everyone was happy and hydrated, not to mention thrilled to be in normal cages again.

On that note, a huge THANK YOU to Anne MacEwan, a newer Peruvian and Texel breeder in the PNW. She loaned me 4 30"x30" Quality Cages for the summer. They make a great difference in how much room I have.

That's it for now! Hope it wasn't too long.

Transporting 30 pigs - a tricky task

I am going to Seattle for the summer - just 10 weeks. Like most of us, I'm sure, I don't have someone who can take care of my animals that long - so they're coming with me.

This means:

• 2 moody female cats - Ash and Chloe
• 30 cavies
• about 10 bunnies
• 4-5 days of driving, 2-3 nights of hotels, and 1 night with my sister Megan.

What are the logistics? Well, honestly I have planned it all in HOPES that my plans will work. I have been thinking about this for a long time. Basically, I'm hoping I can fit six 6-hole cavy carriers, stacked 3 high, 2 side by side, in my back seat; and add 2 4-hole rabbit carriers to the top of the stack. Will it happen?

Well, I'm sort of afraid to try it for fear that it won't work. Not the best approach, but hey, it keeps the stress levels down!

4 of the pigs are going to visit Jen Bykowicz in Atlanta for the summer. Jen was absolutely wonderful to be willing to keep Lil' Ava, Chimalis, Dream On, and Nyles for me! About 4 - Jillian, who's heavily pregnant, and Lucy and Litter - are staying here with my roommate, who's also my backup plan if I can't get rabbit carriers in the car. She's also bringing home 3 rabbits with litters - we had 16 babies born yesterday! 13 are viable. They were born to 4 does, but the 4th had a very hard time delivering and ended up with only 1 kit, which was fostered to Doe #1. Bri (roommate) isn't coming home until June 10th, so they'll be 4 weeks old, safe travel age.

I ordered 30 Critter Canteens last month, so on top of the water bottles I already have, I'm set.

My carry cages are coming from Superior Rabbits and Equipment. I found the best deal there, and they are also willing to make and send them quickly (a plus!).

The cats are going in my front seat, in respective (large) carriers from Wal-Mart. They'll come in to the hotel rooms with me each night. I still need to call hotels and find out which ones will accept cats - no easy feat, I'm sure.

I'm bringing about 100 pounds of feed with me and will probably end up feeding Purina Mazuri while I'm home, since Kleenmama unfortunately moved to Idaho last year.

I keep a cooler in the car with me equipped with small blue ice packs, in case the animals get overwhelmed during the day. I'm also makeshifting window sunshields, with towels and velcro.

Nightly, I'll find a grocery store and fill them up on cucumbers, romaine, spinach, and other good stuff. This seems to help with stress. They'll also have unlimited hay.

I spent today bathing show pigs, and I think I'm going to cut Ellie down before we leave. Finals week at GWU has taken a serious toll on her coat - I didn't have time to groom her much this week. The others did okay, but I'm afraid to see what's happened to Miss Ellie. Most likely I'll cut her down tomorrow. I'm going to breed her to Laz, and after bathing Christopher today, I really feel like he's ready to take her place on the showtables, so it's probably time.

I think I've got all my bases covered! I leave late next week.

Frequently Asked Questions --- Round One

A rather liberal mix of personal and animal questions, I figured I'd do these in sets of 10 once in awhile. Got any questions? Email me! gloryandcocavies@yahoo.com.

1. How old are you?
22.

2. How long have you had cavies?
Since I was 9 - it'll be thirteen years this July. Our first litter was born in May of 1995.

3. Do you have other pets?
Oh yes. All the breeder cavies and rabbits and my three rats are inside; however, we have 3 cats, a dog, two guinea pigs (our special girls Nattie 'n Ellen), and a rabbit (my roommate's) indoors.

4. What are you studying in college?
American Sign Language. I'm technically a double major with ASL and English, but my main focus is ASL.

5. When are you graduating?
May of 2007 - only a year away now!

6. What are you going to do when you graduate?
Right now the 80% plan is to move to New Mexico and get my Masters' in ASL Linguistics. So, y'all in Arizona, Western TX, and whatever else is near there might get me in your area for awhile ;)

7. Will you ever sell the cavies?
Tough question. I would like to say no, but life is very unpredictable.

8. How many pigs do you have?
Right now, according to my handy dandy Inventory list on Microsoft Excel, there are 44. That includes 6 nursing babies, all for sale/sold animals, and mine and a friend of mine's pets - Natalie, Ellen, Alyx, and Annabelle.

9. What about rabbits?
Just 16, including 6 for sale. I am incredibly picky about what I keep - I have to be.

10. Where do you live?
North Carolina.


Well, I hope everyone enjoyed that - I figured since I am posting on here it is only fair that I post some information about myself.

Getting rid of bugs

I have mentioned to a few people lately that I have a once-a-month regimen for getting rid of bugs (lice are pretty much the only thing we worry about, mites once in awhile) and here I am to explain it! It is pretty simple, y'all, and I don't want to be criticized for it - it works, and it's cheaper than most alternatives that people are using these days. So - without further ado -

8 in 1 Pro Ultra-Care Flea and Tick Spray for Small Animals

Really - that's it. I spray them all once a month. It works better than other things I have found and doesn't cost nearly as much. If I find bugs on the cavies it's because I forgot to do a month of it.

Where do the bugs come from? Well, for us, it's hay. I have VERY few "outside" animals come in to the barn as our line is pretty well established. So in *my opinion* there is really not much prevention I can do for them. I have tried Advantage, Frontline, and the other one (boy, I feel dumb - I can't remember the name) and it didn't do much for prevention.

That's it for now!