Tag Archives: Guinea Pigs

Paradise Piggies: Dark and Ominous Beginnings.

Munchkin.Wind.Long.HairThis morning, due to heavy rains, the maternity wing of the Paradise Pastures guinea-pig gated community was not inspected. Early afternoon, the maternity ward was found wet and sodden due to a leakage from a faulty water bottle.

All bedding was wet and most importantly, one baby was lying in the wet  grass suffering from hypothermia. The piggie was found by Dr. Munchkin (DRCOG), who had come to the facility to conduct a ward round.

Dr. Munchkin
Dr. Munchkin

Baby Rogelio was rushed to SCPU (Special Care Piggie Unit) for intensive care.

Hypothermic Piggie in Paisley Suite.
Hypothermic Piggie in Douglas (SCPU) Suite.

Despite all due care and attention, the baby was not able to be resuscitated and died at 3pm this afternoon. Mother Matilda must now be brave and strong to give her best to her remaining two babes.

Matilda Piggie with Babies.
Matilda Piggie with Babies.

When asked to comment, Mayor Gnome declined. Apparently, he was out of office and is currently on the road starting his re-election campaign.

Mayor Gnome Declined To Comment.
Mayor Gnome Declined To Comment.

This sad event brings ominous dark tones to the beginnings of the Mayor Election Campaign.

Grandma Stumpy on the right.
Grandma Stumpy on the right.

What does Grandma Stumpy have to say about all this?

Stumpy: We’ll get through this…we always have.  Since I was knee-high to a grass-hopper Mayor Gnome has always pulled us through.  He won’t let us down this time…

We hope for her sake and the community of Paradise Pastures, that she is right.

New Look Gnome.  New Look Campaign.
New Look Gnome. New Look Campaign.

The Paradise Piggies must soldier on despite the unbearable loss…what does the future hold for Paradise Pastures?

Paradise Piggies: Close Call For Mayor Gnome!

Munchkin.in.the.WindOn Wednesday morning of this week, Mayor Gnome called an urgent meeting to discuss a serious maternity issue.  After the last blunder with the homeless baby piggies, he has been extra cautious with decision making for the gated guinea-pig community of Paradise Pastures.

Mayor Gnome: Unsure.
Mayor Gnome: Unsure.

The problem was this mother piggie…look at the size of her!  A young teenager, in her first pregnancy, 10 days past her estimated delivery date.

Post Dates Matilda Piggie.
Post Dates Matilda Piggie.

Mayor Gnome called in the Dr. Munchkin DRCOG (member of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists) for her expert opinion on the matter.

Dr. Munchkin
Dr. Munchkin

This is what Dr. Munchkin said:

Here in Toledo, Belize there are no facilities available for induction of labour simply because of the small population of this area. The council would have insufficient funds to maintain such a facility.  I have examined the young mother and she has an unfavourable, unripe cervix and three foetuses can be felt high up in the uterus and at present, there are no signs of her going into labour.  Since this is the first pregnancy for this mother, she would be categorised at high risk so I would recommend an urgent elective c-section.

Mother Matilda was admitted into the Susan B Anthony Maternity wing for observation with a view to a c-section scheduled for Thursday morning.

I tell you what…Mayor Gnome must have been praying ALL night for a miracle because…

This morning, Matilda had a normal labour and gave birth to three sprightly new babies.  Cor Blimey…it’s a Piggie Miracle!!  As soon as the babies’ bums were licked, Mayor Gnome whisked the babes off into the Paisley Suite for a photo shoot:

Three Little Piggies.
Three Little Piggies.

Dr. Munchkin was seen shaking her fist at Mayor Gnome! How dare he snatch these babies away from the mother at such a critical bonding time!

She marched into the middle of the photo shoot to take the babies back to their mother!  What a scene…angry Dr. Munchkin with her bulging eyes and Mayor Gnome with his “Devil-May-Care” attitude!

Mum Reunited with Babies.
Mum Reunited with Babies.

What’s Mayor Gnome up to?  Swiping these babies so quickly to get a picture?

TRYING TO WIN VOTES FOR….

THE MAYOR ELECTION 21st SEPTEMBER 2015!!!  BE THERE OR BE SQUARE.

We have a sneaky suspicion that Mayor Gnome would rather not be square…

He Wants Piggie Votes...at any cost!
He Wants Piggie Votes…at any cost!

Is there a dark side to Mayor Gnome?

Paradise Piggies: Baby Blunder and Condo Cock-up!

Munchkin.in.the.WindIt’s not all paradise for the piggies at Paradise Pastures presently.  Mayor Gnome has found himself in the piggie line-of-fire as a rogue guinea-pig mother gave birth to babies outside of the maternity suite in the late hours of Monday night.  In his defence, Gnome says that this mother has had a poor attendance record and had failed to book into the ante-natal clinic.  As a result of this, two shivering little piggies were found wandering the streets of Paradise Pastures this morning.

Two New Girls: Addy and Issy.
Two New Girls: Addy and Issy.

In attempt to quell trouble and potential piggie up-rising, Mayor Gnome improvised immediately by putting the two homeless babies in a quickly constructed Special Care Piggie Unit (SCPU).  The Douglas Suite:

Baby Piggies in SCPU.
Baby Piggies in SCPU.

Upon release from SCPU, the babies were re-united with their mother in the The Susan B Anthony Maternity Wing:

Piggies in Maternity Ward.
Piggies in Maternity Ward.

Mayor Gnome acted quickly.  But was it quick enough?  There is trouble brewing and this could be the start of something bigger.  Mayor Gnome better watch out…there’s a condo shortage and we have an exclusive picture right here:

Condo Shortage!!
Condo Shortage!!

Not enough condos to house the piggies!!  What does Mayor Gnome have to say about this?  Destitution in Paradise Pastures…what next??

Not Looking Good for Mayor Gnome!
Not Looking Good for Mayor Gnome!
Mayor Gnome: The End of The Road??
Mayor Gnome: The End of The Road??

Mayor Gnome: We need a solution…or YOU ARE OUT!!

Animal Farm.

Munchkin.Hair.FlowingHere are some pictures of “animals in action” on our farm.  First of all, I would like to say that our cat is back on track after his traumatic event.  He rather enjoyed being fed three times a day and the intensive heavy petting.  No more nightmares for Kitty and by the way, he is sleeping well.  This is the cat “not in action.”

Doing Well.
Doing Well.

Tarantula in the house…this one might actually be a resident but we don’t mind because he does the night shift so only comes out after dark.  I used to be terrified of spiders when I lived in Scotland (and they were tiny compared to the ones here).  Anyway, I actually think that the furriness makes the tarantula look cute and cuddly.

Resident Tarantula.
Resident Tarantula.

I am pleased to tell you that The Gnome Mark III Stingless Bee Beehive has been a success and the little troopers are doing their thing.

Gnome Mark 3 Beehive.
Gnome Mark 3 Beehive.

And, of course, our beloved piggies residing at the famous gated community of Paradise Pastures are doing their piggie thing…eating.  The population is now 15 with 4 expecting mothers.  The maternity wing is ready to receive them!  A few days ago, Mayor Gnome presented each of them with a gift of a personal wax apple.  They were very happy but somewhat confused over personal ownership and so they ended up playing a popular piggie game called “snatch and grab.”

Three Piggies Eating One Apple.
Three Piggies Eating One Apple.

Doing a photo shoot with guinea pigs is actually really difficult because they tend to be camera-shy.  As soon as they see a camera pointing at them they usually scurry off into the corners.  So, you have to realise that I took about 30 camera clicks to get these photos.  I have to say that Stumpy (the Grandmother of all the piggies so-called because she has one stumped leg due to an unfortunate accident in the past) is a real champion with photos because she has bilateral cataracts so she can’t spot the camera.  She’s a real natural, very photogenic:

Grandma Stumpy on the right.  What a Cutey!
Grandma Stumpy on the right. What a Cutey!

Another piggie picture:

Guinea Pigs Eating Wax Apples.
Guinea Pigs Eating Wax Apples.

This is a huge caterpillar (the size of a finger) feasting on our fig plant.  We eventually had to flick it off because it ate up all the foliage.

Bird Shit Caterpillar.
Bird Shit Caterpillar.

And, last but not least.  This frog jumped onto Gnome’s shoulder and promptly fell asleep.

Froggie on Shoulder.
Froggie on Shoulder.

Gnome is much loved by the frog community for continuing the breeding program in various buckets of water on the farm.

Home is Where the Heart Is!!

Together.from.FrontThis whole week we have been running back and forth to another farm because we were asked to do tests on the grapes. It has been a real organisational week trying to fit in the tight schedule on our farm with driving out at designated times and days.  I have learned more about grapes in one week than I have ever in my entire life; the tests that we did were Brix or Specific Gravity which is sugar level, pH which is a measurement of acidity or alkalinity and TA (Titratable Acidity) which is a measurement of all acid, even in the bound form.  All these tests are helpful in determining an ideal picking time for grapes in order to make wine.

Ripening Grapes.
Ripening Grapes.

We had to conduct the tests all week so that we could determine a trend and then consider the perfect harvest day, the last test date was Friday morning…what a day!!

Together.Griffon.Head.UpWe got up early in the morning to brush-mow, do coconuts and all our usual stuff.  The heat was on…by 9am we were in the car zooming off to collect grapes and then back to our farm to do the tests.  After that, we were on the road again…to Placencia this time for a Birthday party.  Phew…it was just non-stop!!  We gave our friend a gift of Gnome’s Home-made Mead with Happy Birthday Commemorative labels!

After the Birthday party, it was another two hour drive back to Toledo.  By that time it was getting dark so we had to get back to the thinking about the grape picking again.  From our results we had determined Sunday as the harvest date and so we wrote a schedule up en-route back to Toledo.  We were so tired, on the road, and did not feel up to it but nonetheless we organised a run down of events.  Gnome said that it was important to make a  schedule because it involved so many different jobs which had to be co-ordinated at the same time.  To Gnome, it was about efficiency of time and so he didn’t want all of us sloppily trudging about with buckets of grapes in an aimless, meandering sort of way.

Anyway after a whole week of running around and testing grapes, the harvest was cancelled.  We kind of felt a bit of an anti-climax after all the energy we channelled into it.  Partly because of that, we lost our momentum and fell crashing into a heap of exhausted tiredness today.  We slept all day…I was so tired, I was blowing bubbles!!

Munchkin.Another.Silly.Shot

We feel a bit more human now and have recovered some of our energy.  Glad to have spent the whole day on the farm without needing to leave.

“Home is where the Heart is” …this was affirmed by the birth of two new piggies in the maternity ward; this morning we were greeted by mother-piggy licking and cleaning up her brand new babies!  Mayor Gnome gave the mother and new piggies his blessings and then promptly fell asleep…with a smile on his face!

Mayor Gnome Exhausted.
Mayor Gnome Exhausted.

Sunday Harvest, Ripe New Piggies:

Blanc du Bois and Cab-Sav.
Blanc du Bois and Cab-Sav.

Brix level 24 = super sweet!! (wine joke).

Mayor Gnome gave a gift of grass; triple grass like “triple salad.”  All Paradise Piggies were rejoicing and weeweeing in unison.  Mayor Gnome is well on his way to another term.

Mayor Gnome.  Harvest Time. Reaping the Rewards of his Hard Work!
Mayor Gnome. Harvest Time. Reaping the Rewards of his Hard Work!

Paradise Piggies: It’s Raining Bananas, Hallelujah!

Together.PointingIt was a really, really hot day today…so hot that it felt like we were walking in painfully slow motion, trying to wade through heat.  And so, after miso making duties this morning, I had more munchkin duties to attend with.  One of the main things was to process (cut and dip in lime juice solution) a whole bunch of ripe bananas and sun-dry them.  Phew…I couldn’t take the thought of cutting about fifty bananas in the baking heat!  I bleated in despair through a sweaty head of hair at Gnome and as usual, he managed to turn the situation into a positive one.  And, so Gnome declared, “Let the bananas rain down on my piggies!”

Today has been officially named National Piggie Day in Belize.  To commemorate this day, a gift of sweet bananas was given to the community of Paradise Pastures.

Yay!! Bananas!! Chomp, Chomp.
Yay!! Bananas!! Chomp, Chomp.

In addition, Gnome personally made a Pom Toy (courtesy of Piggieworld) with 5 pieces of coloured yarn and a fork.

Mayor Gnome Loves His Piggies!!
Mayor Gnome Loves His Piggies!!
Piggie Pom Toy Made By Mayor Gnome.
Piggie Pom Toy Made By Mayor Gnome.

Official inspection of Pom Toy.  Our rural piggies are not sure what to make of it…can you eat it?!

Piggie Inspection.
Piggie Inspection.

Remember to mark on your calendar: 24th of March is now officially National Piggie Day in Belize.  We might get them to wear national costume next year!!

Paradise Piggies: What New Beauties!!

TogetherEverything is pretty peachy at Paradise Pastures presently.  Last night, our first mother was admitted into the brand new maternity ward with cervical dilatation and contractions.  Later on this afternoon, the proud first time mother gave birth to two beautiful female babes:

Baby Dehlia-Piggie. Oh, what a beauty!!
Baby Dehlia-Piggie. Oh, what a beauty!!
Dehlia-Piggie Frolicking.  Moving all four limbs!!
Dehlia-Piggie Frolicking. Moving all four limbs!!
Juanita-Piggie.  Perfect Poise.
Juanita-Piggie. Perfect Poise.

All Piggies are happy and making their happy noises; their hearts sing out to Mayor Gnome for providing the Maternity Ward.

The Susan B Anthony Maternity Wing.
The Susan B Anthony Maternity Wing.

The Susan B Anthony Maternity Ward comes fully equipped with water, biscuits (Cachorros) on tap, plenty of leafy greens, cabbage and a Midwife!!  Mayor Gnome has certainly pulled out all the stops for this spacious facility.

Mayor Gnome:

Looking Good!!
Looking Good!!

Back on Track…Mayor Gnome Does it Again!!

Paradise Piggies: Mayor Gnome Restores Confidence.

TogetherAfter last week’s tragic case in which three young guinea pigs were snatched from the gated community, life has not been the same for the citizens of Paradise Pastures.

Mayor Gnome offered his condolences for the two lost babies.  A gift of fresh grass was given to the community:

A Gift of Grass For The Piggies.
A Gift of Grass For The Piggies.

This was not enough to sweeten the Piggies as all hell broke loose soon after with squabbling, squeaking, squealing and general mis-conduct.  Two days ago, the surviving baby guinea pig tragically passed away:

Piggy Chloe.
Piggy Chloe.

Mayor Gnome’s attempt at a Filibuster was met by angry Piggie wild fire.  The community of Paradise Piggies demanded immediate action and resolution.

Our Mayor Gnome has come good and restored confidence to the Paradise Piggies!  He has built 4 new luxury condominiums and one of them is the maternity ward:

Piggie Maternity Ward.
Piggie Maternity Ward.
Official Piggie Inspection of Condos.
Official Piggie Inspection of Condos.

The Piggies are absolutely delighted by this new and hurried construction and they feel that they can “re-build” the community from here.  There was a heart-felt gurgle of pleasure when they inspected the facility.  And, in addition to this, Mayor Gnome has installed a delinquent “time out” area to house hooligan piggies.  This is called Southpointe:

Southpointe Delinquent Suite.
Southpointe Delinquent Suite.

Hooray for Mayor Gnome!!  Our Hero!!

He Gets Things Done.
He Gets Things Done.

Piggie Paradise: Tragedy and Fortune in One Day.

Munchkin.in.the.WindIn the early hours of Thursday morning, on the 19th of February, foul play was afoot and a heinous crime was committed at Paradise Pastures, the gated community for Guinea Pigs.  A one foot deep hole was dug beneath the cage and three newly born piggies were snatched from their cradle.

Paradise Piggies.
Paradise Piggies.

Gnome was at the Scene of the Crime a few hours later; the scene was one of devastation and distress.

Scene of the Crime.
Scene of the Crime.

Paradise Pastures was quickly secured and placed in a protected area.  Gnome and Munchkin combed the surrounding land looking for the remains of the three missing baby piggies.  And, alas the diligence was paid off as one live piggie was found, unharmed and safe.

One Baby Piggy Found Alive and Well.
One Baby Piggy Found Alive and Well.

Tragedy and fortune came hand in hand on this fateful day.  Meanwhile, the criminal has been apprehended and remanded to custody with bail set at $500.

Shaneeka-Doggy, Guilty as Charged.
Shaneeka-Doggy, Guilty as Charged.

The piggies at Paradise Pastures are up in arms over this crime.  They have petitioned Mayor Gnome to build a secure “Mother and Baby” facility.

Gnome.at.DeskMayor Gnome must concede to their demands or else he might find himself bang in the middle of a Piggy Riot.  And we don’t want that, do we?!

Guinea Pigs Cooked in Mead.

Munchkin.Eating.Bun.SmileHello Everyone.  This is a fantastic recipe to start the New Year.  This is Guinea Pigs stuffed with Pork and Passion Fruit and cooked in Mead.  The Mead is wine made from honey and is of course home-made by Gnome.  The passion-fruit adds a tropical twist and the passion-fruit seeds lends a nutty crunch to the entire gastronomic experience.

In keeping with the self-sustainable philosophy on our farm, we do have to face the practical reality of eating the animals which we look after.  The best way to show our appreciation for the food on our plates and honouring our piggies is by cooking a scrumptious meal with them!

Here are some pictures:

Three Stuffed Piggies. Raw.
Three Stuffed Piggies. Raw.
Three Piggies Cooking in Mead.
Three Piggies Cooking in Mead.
Stuffed Guinea Pig Parcel with Passion Fruit.
Stuffed Guinea Pig Parcel with Passion Fruit.

For a detailed recipe with more pictures, check out the link on Piggies Cooked in Mead. If you don’t have Guinea Pigs, try Goose Neck instead.  And if you don’t have Mead, I guess White Wine will do.  Guinea Pigs taste like miniature suckling pig and duck rolled into one…wonderful!