Panda Pig's Peace Sanctuary: Way of the Guinea Pig!

BAVARIAN MEERIS! WOWEE!

2012-02-19T04:55:00.000-08:00

OH MY GOSH, LOOK WHO INGRID
AND HELMUT SENT TO CHEER US UP!
IT'S SUNNY, MEERI-BOY (NOT SUNNY, BUT IT'S 5 a.m. so...) SPITZMAUS,
AND A VIEW OF SOME MIGHTY COZY
LIVING QUARTERS.

IS IT WRONG TO FALL IN LOVE WITH A FAVORITE OR TWO OR THREE AND WANT TO PET AND BRUSH AND GROOM AND FEED THEM TREATS, AND HEAR THEM PURR ON MY LAP AND WATCH THEM POPCORN TOGETHER AND SEE HOW
DIFFERENT THEIR PERSONALITIES ARE
AND REMEMBER, THESE ARE ONLY THREE OUT OF A TOTAL OF EIGHT!

DON'T YOU LOVE THEIR NAMES?
SPITZMAUS? IT'S NOT OUR FAULT
IF WE FALL IN LOVE, THEY
ARE SO BEAUTIFUL,
WHO WOULDN'T?

THANK YOU INGRID AND HELMUT
FOR SHARING YOUR BAVARIAN
BUNDLES OF JOY! FAIRY SAID YOU
WERE SPECIAL AND FAIRY KNOWS
THESE THINGS AND SHE IS ALWAYS
RIGHT AND THIS TIMES SHE OUTDID
HERSELF WITH RIGHT-NESS AND
WE ARE SO HAPPY GETTING TO KNOW
OUR NEW COUSINS IN BAVARIA
JUST IN CASE OUR VOLCANO GETS...
WELL, YOU KNOW, THE STEAM AND THE
LAVA, THE MUDSLIDES, AND THE EXPLOSIONS AND WHAT-NOTS...
YOUR MOUNTAINS DON'T DO THAT,
DO THEY? WE SHALL BEGIN TEACHING
VINNY-GUINEA, YUM-YUM, AND BHINDI
BAVARIAN-GUINEA-WHEEK...YOU KNOW, JUST IN CASE...

THANK YOU FOR GIVING US A SERVING
OF YOUR JOY! NOW WE CAN IMAGINE
LOVING THEM AS OUR VERY OWN...

WITH FAIRY AND MARIGOLD BRINGING
BALLOONS AND MAGIC CARROTS
AND SPECIAL TOADSTOOLS.
OOOOH, THIS JUST GETS BETTER AND BETTER! THANK YOU!

FRIENDSHIP DRAWN

2012-02-19T04:07:00.000-08:00

FRIENDSHIP IN MY IMAGINATION.
DRAWN FOR ARTISAN'S GALLERY.
TIGHTLY WOVEN TAPESTRY OF LOVE.
YOU ARE ALL IN EVERY BREATH
I TAKE NOW, INSEPARABLE.
AND IT IS GOOD.
IT IS HOLY.
I HAVE BEEN BLESSED BY
A TRAGEDY WITH LOVE INFINITE.
THIS IS ONE OF MY DRAWINGS
ILLUSTRATING HOW I PERCEIVE LOVE.
YOU ARE IN IT.
WHEREVER YOU WANT TO BE.
THIS IS FOR YOU.

GRIEF: SIX WORDS

2012-02-19T03:20:00.000-08:00

Hair Washed:
Inhale.
Exhale.
Repeat.
Smile?

Found...

2012-02-19T01:52:00.000-08:00

A few summers ago, when I could still walk,
Edwin and I spent a long, long day hiking the lakes
and high trails around Mount Baker.
We picked wild blueberries, prayed by ponds
of glacial melt, and languished in the altitude where
I always seem to forget I have ever been ill...

We came across a number of free-standing rock sculptures
to which Edwin added his own touches.

This one really spoke to me.
If we had our way, it is where we would like to have
spread the guinea pigs' ashes but under the circumstances
I am still trying to find strength to wash the bird's nest
out of my hair! They know this is where we will go
to remember them. They also know everywhere we
go we will remember them. They also know we cannot
ever stop remembering them, nor would we
ever want to, for we are all better for their
having been in our lives, our Little Buddhas!

As each one died, I wrapped him or her in my favorite
pillowcase to take to the vet for cremation and have
come up with another 6 word short story:

"For Sale:
Pillowcases.
Broken heart included."

love,
Chana

LOVE FROM AROUND THE WORLD

2012-02-18T14:04:00.000-08:00

WE FEEL QUITE SURE
THAT INGRID, HELMUT, AND
THEIR 8 MEERIS WOULD
BE HUMBLED IF WE ACCEPTED
THEIR PRECIOUS GIFT OF LOVE
AS COMING FROM EACH AND
EVERY ONE OF YOU WHO HAVE
BEEN THERE AND CONTINUE
TO SUPPORT US THROUGH THIS
DIFFICULT TIME...

YOUR CONDOLENCES...WE MUST
NOW TURN INTO PRAYERS FOR
YUM-YUM, VINNY-GUINEA,
AND BHINDI'S LIVES, PLEASE.

PLEASE...

YumYum, Move Your Butt! We're Squooshed!

2012-02-18T12:36:00.000-08:00

The other day mom took all three of us to the vet to have
her head examined. We all got checked out, cleared, and showed
no symptoms of the killer pneumonia, so were given a round
of "pre-emptive" antibiotics that we are not enjoying.
Once mom actually FINDS OUR MOUTHS then finds
the place between our front chompers and our molars
and gives it a good squirt, it's actually quite tasty,
but make no mistake, we put her through it!
How dare she?

And what have we gotten for all this? Killer YumYum
has returned to his old self. While he (and everyone) continues
to adore that wee scamp VinnyGuinea, I am now being
attacked by YumYum and being blamed for everything,
LIKE, HELLO?! I JUST GOT HERE!
So now I have to live ALONE in a separate cage,
although it is adjacent to theirs and Vinny goes
back and forth to play with me, to play with YumYum,
but he lives with YumYum and - check THIS OUT -
YumYum keeps coming to the bars of his cage,
acting like he misses me so, shoving his bossy snout
out to touch mine in a show of loneliness, the cad!
THANKS A LOT, MOM.
(except for yeah, if the antibiotics save our lives, then I'll really mean it.)

Now for the bad news.
Mom didn't do well without Raj next to her bed or in her bed
last night.

Now for the worst news:
When she took him to the vet to be cremated with his brother and
friends yesterday she found out what she feared most.
Whatever type of pneumonia the herd caught presents symptoms
which can remain dormant for weeks, but once they become
active they are antibiotic resistant and the disease is fatal
in one to three days. There is no cure. Period. For no stone
has been left unturned and all who began showing symptoms
have died.

Now for the worst of the worst news (about me):
When mom got me to befriend Raj after Coconut died, he was
not presenting any symptoms at all. She did not yet understand
the nature of this killer pneumonia and naively placed me
with him to give him comfort and a reason to live through
the grief, and not give up. Therefore, I was exposed to the disease.

Now for worse news:
When he began displaying symptoms, she was not thinking
clearly and immediately place me with YumYum and VinnyGuinea, thus exposing whatever killed Raj and Coconut
and everybody else to all three of us. Now, we have all
been exposed. We are all taking "pre-emptive"
antibiotics and have one thing going for us, which is
none of us were housed in the same areas at Parkers
where our brothers and Coconut originally caught
the fatal viral or bacterial infection leading to
this killer pneumonia...so, while we have the best
survival chances, mom CANNOT get any more
guinea pigs and she now lives knowing that
once one of US gets sick...

You know the rest.
What we all went through, AGAIN.

What's more disgusting to us is that she has
not even washed her hair in two weeks.

love,
Bhindi

P.S. Please feel free to leave comments. We simply need
to moderate them now due to the presence of some num-nut.
Thank you.

Love From Bavaria...

2012-02-17T19:16:00.000-08:00

Our Little Fairy, who was secretly engaged to Raj Mahal, introduced us to her dear friends, Ingrid and Helmut and their 8 meeris (guinea pigs) in Bavaria a few months ago. We think we would really, really like Bavaria because it sounds like Bellingham with more mountains,
just without the islands and the whales.

That little Fairy is so well-connected can you imagine the wedding?!
It would have made Kate Middleton's look so...so humble, we are sure of it, for Fairy is nothing if not a social butterfly!

ALAS.

HOLINESS

2012-02-17T08:04:00.000-08:00

~February 17, 2012~

Last night the cab never showed
up so I took it as a sign of hope.
Raj endured his hydrated food mixture and super-charged antibiotics like a real trooper. And he was in pain. A lot of pain. The vet at the 24 Hour Emergency Clinic remembered me from Calvin and suggested I have pain meds on hand for times like these.
For when the cab doesn't show up.

Then I "got" to give those other three scoundrels their antibiotics.
Bhindi's mouth was nearly impossible to even find beneath
his swirly-fur face and he kept wiggling and shaking his head
back and forth. VinnyGuinea simply slithered effortlessly out
from between my hands and made his escape, running around
looking for Bhindi to play with him. YumYum was grumpy
from his trip to the vet with those two earlier in the day.

By 4:30 a.m. Raj was doing so poorly I still wanted to take
him to the vet but clearly he was not going to last the night.
So, once the little Pirates had all been caught, given their
antibiotics in different doses according to their weight,
all syringes washed thoroughly and laid out to dry,
I tucked Raj beneath the covers next to me for the night.
By this time he was having frequent, painful seizures
but I felt that the two of us all cozy and warm together
in my bed was the best place and way for him to
spend his last night and this morning when I awoke
only a few hours later, he had mercifully gone to
join his brother, Taj, and the rest of the herd.

Nothing remains now but to keep the Pirates from
even getting sick in the first place.

And figuring out how to post your comments here since
a few of my close friends and I have attracted the
undesired attention of a rogue person when we
least need it.

If your comment does not appear here, please re-send it
until I figure it out because even the space between the
letters of every word you write brings us comfort.
And our gratitude dwells in an inexpressible place.

Love,
Chana

The Cab That Never Came...

2012-02-17T01:23:00.001-08:00

The same time I called for a cab, a shuttle flight from Seattle had arrived at the airport so no one ever came for us. And now it is so
late I am too sleepy.

Tried force-feeding Raj the wet food mixture version of his pellets
and dry treats but he threw up. His breathing is worse, he seems to

be in pain, and he is moaning. He keeps coming to the edge of my bed to be picked up and I have stopped life-saving interventions other than going down to the car where I left their antibiotics, which I will give him. Other than that, he is being combed, petted, and we are just hanging out. Then he gets up once he is worn out so I place him back on the floor and he finds a place to lie down, his breathing rapid and shallow. It appears doubtful he will survive the night but at least he will be home.

And YumYum has decided that after being packed into a tunnel with Bhindi today, that it was all Bhindi's fault and the "old" YumYum began his familiar saber-rattling, teeth chattering, and lunging, so dear, innocent Bhindi is now in a separate cage adjacent to Vinny and YumYum, with Vinny being shared between them. Vinny misses Bhindi so much I had to pile up a bunch of Tunnel Floors so he could get high enough to at least see Bhindi and touch noses! Those two! Would really have been nice for the three of them to have been able to live peacefully together but Bhindi and Vinny are certain to have many happy adventures in the future.

Must go down to give and administer their antibiotics now; keep looking at Raj to see if he is still breathing. Can this get any harder? I don't want to know...

KD Lang sings "Hallelujah" LIVE at the Winter Olympics 2010 - YouTube

2012-02-16T23:38:00.000-08:00

KD Lang sings "Hallelujah" LIVE at the Winter Olympics 2010 - YouTube

HALLELUJAH

2012-02-16T23:14:00.000-08:00

Raj is doing his best to climb onto the bed and into my lap. I am listening to kd lang sing "Hallelujah" LIVE from the 2010 Opening Ceremonies of the Vancouver, B.C. Winter Olympics because it best embodies the moment but I have posted it here many times before and they removed the video anyway.

Edwin waltzed in that afternoon without a ticket and got in. He actually heard her sing it. LIVE.

I am choking back tears.

And the meds are all in the car. I forgot to bring
them up.
And Raj chokes now and again, as if there are
goldfish swimming in his lungs...

Hallelujah.

Thank you, kd, you express what I will never
be able to. Tonight will be a long night after a
long day following a long week in the beginning
of a new year. Is he asking to be taken to the vet
now? Because he climbs on my lap for awhile,
waits, chokes, then slides off the bed returning
to his pigloo only to continue struggling to breathe.
I want to be sure these aren't social visits, that they
are his pleas to be released from more suffering...
One thing's for sure. I am not capable of listening
to him choke all night, perhaps not even for five
more minutes. Hallelujah. We are but imperfect mortals trying to love divinely. May that be our
worst flaw.

Anita, I am surviving on your hand-made marmalade, sent to us from England. On english
muffins and soy milk.

And the love of you all.

Now we must go to the vet.

Good bye, Fairy. Raj loves you.

We ALL Visit The Vet: Our Last Hope For RAj

2012-02-16T21:03:00.000-08:00

Three of us are packed into our Fancy Fleece Dinosaur Tunnel
and we are not happy about it because we have a feeling something we do not like is about to happen...although we do not know what.
Just that it is Not Good.

O.K. Now we have gone inside the elevator and we know that is not a good thing. So we have Clue #1 of the Not Good Thing.

Now our carrier is being seatbelted into the front seat of mom's
car and we have Clue #2 of the Not Good Thing. VinnyGuinea,
our little rocket scientist, is squealing "VERY NOT GOOD! VERY NOT GOOD!" We agree and he melts in between me and Bhindi,
pretending to be invisible. We realize that is his plan and he is going to stick to it during the Very Not Good Thing because both Bhindi and I are Abyssinian with swirly fur. Raj has been at the vet all day receiving treatment...he was doing well until early last night when symptoms of severe pneumonia presented and his breathing became rapid, shallow, his eyes became crusty, and he refused his carrot juice. Mom asked him why? Did he miss his brother too much? Did he miss his herdmates too much? Had his will to live simply succumbed to his grief? He just let her hold him. He was physically the strongest he had been...he even scrambled off her bed and back into the pigloo he had shared with Taj for so long!
But his breathing was labored, and she became unsure he would last the night...so they communed as he asked her to let him go and she listened, crying. So, today, he went to the vet for an exam and
X-Rays confirmed the worst, he was given a cocktail of the strongest possible antibiotics and some dried food to mix with water which - if he was unwilling to begin eating tonight - would cause him to die of malnutrition, for while the carrot juice had indeed kept him hydrated and alive this long he HAD to get food or would not have the strength to survive what the vet saw in his lungs and even now mom hears him struggling to breathe and may need to take him to the 24 Hour Emergency Vet by cab...

We are really, really scared for Raj...Vinny is hiding between us.

Just because I'm the new kid on the block doesn't mean I deserve
to be squooshed! But it's O.K. if this is how we "cuddle" when we are scared for Raj and one another. And we are today.

YumYum, you can give me "the eye" all you like but I'm a
boy, so...you know...

Today there was an unusual ad in the Bellingham Herald
classifieds that read: "LOST. MY MIND. LAST SEEN
SPONTANEOUSLY COMBUSTING AT FAIRHAVEN
VETERINARY HOSPITAL." So far, no one has found it.
Mom just...poofed!

Now that we're home I'm going "free range" and nothing
gonna fence me in.

THE RAJ REPORT: FEB. 16, 2012

2012-02-16T10:20:00.000-08:00

Today brings mixed news: the good news is
how much strength he has gained. He can
scurry and walk across my bed and around
his new floor area. Not to play, though,
just to get from wherever I put him down
back into the Pigloo he once shared with
his beloved brother, Taj.

The other news is worrisome. His breathing
is rapid and shallow. He is now refusing to
be bottle-fed, and despite a quiet evening
cozying up with Bhindi (which I will not
do again as I can see now that it places
not only Bhindi, but the entire herd at
risk) he still showed no interest in
anything. I hoped watching Bhindi
chow down on the many types of
food place in his new area,
particularly the pulp from his
carrot and wheatgrass juice,
would pique his interest and he
might join him...nada.

He is now strong enough to be taken
to the vet to have his mouth and teeth
inspected for possible malocclusion
and we need to find the reason
for his rapid, irregular heartbeat.
He is well enough now that the
trip itself would not kill him
but if I cannot feed him or
diagnose his heart disease...

Hopefully, they can squeeze him
in today. I have yet to take a piggie in
to the vet and walked out whistling.

The good news is that Bhindi showed no
signs of having caught whatever Raj has,
thank God, and I pray he won't!
That wasn't the best call in the world,
it was a desperate attempt on my part
but not a wise one by any means
and not one that anyone - myself included -
should ever do.

Your prayers...

Many gracious thanks,
Chana

Anita, we have the buttons you made us out
and your box arrived yesterday! Will open
tonight during quiet time unless weeping.
Thank you so much, Fairy, we have never
needed your Magic more!

What You Can Do For National Adopt A Rescued Guinea Pig Month - Guinea Pig Today

2012-02-15T20:18:00.000-08:00

What You Can Do For National Adopt A Rescued Guinea Pig Month - Guinea Pig Today

Dear Friends,
One of the saddest things we see at so-called "pet stores"
is going to make you mad: small cages with the following
notes written on them as sales incentives:

"FREE GUINEA PIG WITH
PURCHASE OF CAGE!"

Would you buy a teddy bear that came
with a free child?

The person to whom I entrusted my guinea pigs while in hospital works at this store. I had hoped that by partnering with them
(adopting unwanted, neglected, sick, dying, and "unsellable" piggies that people dumped there) and selling photo cards

including links to resources on compassionate guinea pig care,
we could educate the public and them about the humane
treatment of these precious darlings. I have discovered
a huge gap between the way farm people view animals
(food = profit) and the way the rest of us view them,
not only as "pets" or even as "members of the family"
but as holy brothers and sisters as entitled to our
humanity, respect, love, compassion, and mercy,
as any human. My friend Kestra nailed it the time
she urged me to consider thinking of them as
my "little Buddhas" and if ever there was a time
of spiritual communion with them (and there have
actually been many which I have simply kept
private) Raj's Journey now is the most
extraordinary because nothing we are doing
is anything I have ever heard of before and yet
he is still with us tonight and if/when he chooses
to join Taj it will be his choice how, when, and
where, all because when it sounded like he was
having a seizure last night, had I been strong
enough to take him to the 24-Hour Emergency Vet
to have him euthanized, it would have been a
terrible mistake! Now, I listen and he tells me.
It is time to turn off the computer, feed him, and
for the two of us to spend the night together.

Please know I could not do this alone.

You want to know how I do this?

You. Each one of you.

Because I could not do this alone.

I love you. We all do.

Yours,
Chana

Further, for every store like that, there are a thousand
more. Please consider, if you are able and have the desire,
reading this link published by Guinea Pig Today and
advocating in any way you are inspired on their behalf so
they are not "the treat that comes in a box of cereal." No one should advertise a free live guinea pig as incentive to buy
an inhumanely undersized cage which only imprisons one

or more of our little brothers or sisters.

Thank you,
love,
Chana

P.S.
Raj has decided he wants to live on the floor in his new arrangement and that's just fine. HE ALSO MADE HIS FIRST POOP SINCE
MY RETURN HOME FROM THE HOSPITAL! WHICH MEANS
HE IS METABOLIZING HIS JUICE AND DERIVING NUTRITION...I hope to interest him in the pulp but so far he only
wants to be dropper-fed and he is not particularly active. The worst
is not over but it is definitely on hold! And when YumYum, Bhindi, and VinnyGuinea got a taste of the carrot juice and
wheatgrass through a baby sippy-bottle OH MY GOODNESS!
SO I MAY CONTINUE TO SUPPLEMENT EVERYONE'S
DIET WITH THAT BECAUSE OF THE HIGH NUTRITIONAL
CONTENT.

YOUR PRAYERS ARE SAVING THEIR LIVES, DEAR ONES,
MAKE NO MISTAKE! I am quite exhausted and hope to begin
answering your emails early next week but know how dear to me they are, how much hope the appearance of each one in my INBOX means to all of us here, and how much faith we DO HAVE IN THE POWER OF LOVE.

LOVE,
Chana

Raj Lives!

2012-02-15T12:51:00.000-08:00

Every morning I wake up wondering
whether or not to approach Raj with
a pillowcase in my hand, just in case...
because once I feel him, going to get
a pillowcase may become impossible
in my grief. So it was another morning
awaking with the pillowcase and I am
beginning to loathe pillowcases.

Last night he fell asleep under the covers
with me until I placed him back on the
floor in the new home created for him
so he could go under the nightstand
where he once frolicked with his brother.

To my astonishment, he was stronger and walked -
not to hide in the darkness to die, but to his sleeping bag
and sniff it, to his wheatgrass to sniff it, to his hay trough
to sniff it; to sniff all the fragrances of his deceased friends
whose aromas comforted him before retiring to his
pigloo for the night where I found him alive this morning
and gave him his carrot juice before tucking him in,
waiting for a new social worker to arrive and
"assess" my own in-home health care needs.
(For Raj to live: Could she do that, please?)
I liked her. I like all the people who have come here,
in fact. And my neighbors have also pitched in to
check on me and carry out trash and recycle,
visit, listen, and care.

So...Raj is still with us and today will receive a shot of
wheat grass with his fresh, organic carrot juice.
I am now beginning to wonder if he is getting spoiled
with these dropper feedings and will have any
interest in eating on his own but who cares?
He's alive!

MIRACLE #2?
YUM-YUM HAS ACCEPTED BHINDI INTO
THE NEW JUMBO PEN HE NOW SHARES WITH
THE INIMITABLE VINNY-GUINEA!

(possibly because Bhindi's chasing-to-hump tiny
Vinny keeps Vinny from waking Yum-Yum all
night like he used to by continuously jumping
over him in their small, shared sleeping bag?
Vinny's kinda "occupied" now: GO BHINDI!)

WHO CARES WHEN YOU HAVE 4 GUINEA PIGS?

AT LEAST AT 1 p.m. Pacific Time...

thank you for so much precious love.
We are almost ready to become hopeful.

love,
Chana

WHERE EARTH AND HEAVEN MEET

2012-02-14T23:28:00.000-08:00

TOOK this photograph of Mt. Baker or from Mt. Baker one day
when you could barely tell where the mountain-top ended shrouded
by pearly clouds and the glistening blue sky began...while our bodies
remain confined to sea level, our spirits dwell in this region between earth and Heaven. Teetering, surrendered to "what is" trying to balance, knowing that ultimately what will be, will be.

HAPPIER DAYS...

2012-02-14T21:16:00.000-08:00

RAJ AND TAJ USED TO LOVE RUNABOUTS WHERE
THEY WOULD SNATCH ONE ANOTHER'S LETTUCE
LEAVES OR CARROTS THEN SCURRY BENEATH MY
NIGHTSTAND TO HIDE AND EAT THEM IN "SECRECY!"
SEE THE LOOK OF CONTENTMENT ON TAJ'S FACE,
HIS EYES HALF-CLOSED, READY FOR HIS NAP AFTER
A PARTICULARLY "BIG SNATCH?"

THIS IS WHERE RAJ HAS GONE TONIGHT TO DIE.
BENEATH THIS NIGHT STAND. WITH ITS MEMORIES OF
TIMES SPENT ROMPING WITH HIS BROTHER. HE SPENT HIS ENTIRE LIFE WITH HIS BROTHER AND NOW WANTS ONLY TO SPEND HIS LAST LIVING MOMENTS WITH HIM, TOO. YES, READERS, GUINEA PIGS ARE THAT SENSITIVE.

GODSPEED, MAHALS, YOU ARE SO MISSED!
FAIRY, HIS TAIL-FEATHERS USED TO BE SO CLEAN...
SEE? JUST FOR YOU -

BHINDI'S SMILE

2012-02-14T21:02:00.000-08:00

See the little piece of litter stuck to Bhindi's nose?
So precious and adorable.
Happy Valentines Day, Dear Friends.
There's No Love Like Cavy Love.

BHINDI TRIES TO SAVE RAJ'S LIFE ON VALENTINES DAY...

2012-02-14T20:26:00.000-08:00

Meet "Bhindi" the newest member of our herd. In India, Bhindi is
the red dot worn primarily by married women between their eyes.
But it also signifies the place where one can go into deep meditation and is regarded as the meeting place between life and death...a holy place where saints can come and go at will...I hoped
Raj would not want to die and Bhindi's name would be enough.
At least he's a happy lad, just look at that smile! Not everything
has to be serious and Bhindi and VinnyGuinea sure aren't!

Still, today Bhindi knew he came in with an important job to do:
give Raj love, smiles, playfulness, and hope: a reason to live again.
He really did his best, too! He is asking "Mom, why isn't this working? I don't seem to be enough?"

I assured him he was quite enough, that Raj was just worn out by grief and Bhindi's playful joy was no less lovely for it.

Bhindi continued trying! He did everything he could think of
to connect with the holes in Raj's heart: he made such heroic
efforts, knowing completely from the "get-go" why he had been
brought into our household, taking his mission seriously and
giving it 100% then more! "Raj? Raj? I love you, Raj, do you
love me? Can you love me?" he seemed to ask. Perhaps Raj
wasn't ready to love and lose again...Either way, Bhindi knew
his part and carried it out heart and soul. But, to no avail.

"Mom...he's not listening...he's already gone...his body is alive but
he is no longer in it...what is happening? How can I help? Please
tell me? I tried? Now what? Mom, now what?"

Mom, they say you are going into the woods on a mountain,
smear mud on your face with tears, and howl like a wolf...
I have only been here two hours and already feel the pain...
but I am a cheerful lad and wonder if you'd let me go into
that other cage for they sound like they're having a lot
of fun and I could use some right about now.

And so, on Valentines Day, Bhindi did his best, then moved in
with YumYum and VinnyGuinea who, with much chattering and chasing
and circling and jockeying for position,
did accept him,
and the three of them are happy together.

I brought Raj to bed for his carrot juice but he
crawled off my lap, onto the bed and kept crawling...
I asked where he wanted to go and he asked to be
placed on the floor. I gave him that. He walked to
my night stand, a place he and Taj used to play
hide-and-seek with stolen lettuce leaves, a place
where he can still smell his brother...a dark
place where he can die alone remembering
the times he spent with his beloved brother.

And as terrified as I am of having to pull
his stiff, cold body out from beneath that place,
it's the least I can give him.

My new social worker is coming here in the
morning and I have already warned her
what I will be like when she arrives, not
to mention what the apartment will look like.
So I won't be alone.
But I will be curled up into a pillow sobbing
and she will have to write everything down
for all I will remember is the grief I feel no longer
able to forget.

We Are Losing Our Raj On Valentines Day

2012-02-14T18:37:00.000-08:00

Today I got Raj a wonderful new friend, Bhindi. When I returned home it appeared he had already passed. I had also dropped CoconutPie off at the vet to be cremated with her friends and released into an apple orchard, hoping to magically eat the apples
from that orchard this coming fall...Raj was barely alive. Bhindi
only seemed to stress him out, so he is now with YumYum and VinnyGuinea playing chase and working out their herd "pecking order" with lots of running about and circling, racing through tunnels...I don't feel safe leaving Bhindi in for the night or unsupervised, but we'll see...perhaps over time and once their two large "pens" are connected, doubling their space, the may be
able to all live happily together. Bhindi lived with two other males.

What I am trying not to say is that I may not even stress Raj tonight by force-feeding him his carrot juice. And I will not take him to be euthanized. But this Valentine's Day he will receive the Gift of Holding him in my arms on my lap with all of you present as he passes.

And now my tears are fogging up my reading glasses.

Thank you all and Good Night.

love,

Chana

2012-02-14T14:11:00.000-08:00

It is 2 p.m. on Valentine's Day and Raj's broken heart remains inconsolable and he is now embracing death, no longer even
wanting his carrot juice. He is on the other side of the living room
from Vinny and YumYum and has been placed into a new cage
with a newly laundered cuddle cup but to no avail. I am going to
get him an active, curious, adorable one-year-old male guinea pig
as a last attempt to save his life. It is the only thing left to do and
he is displaying no symptoms of pneumonia, only lethargy and
grief. If he responds to his new friend the way he responded to
Vinny Guinea and begins to take food and drink, he will live, I am
certain of it. If not, this will be remembered as the Valentine's Day
Guinea Pig Massacre. And when strong enough, I will go to my
mountain and scream and howl until I am too hoarse for any more
sounds to come out and too dehydrated for any more tears to fall
and will rub mud on my face and go all tribal and cover myself
with leaves and lie down and watch clouds go by to remind myself
of the impermanence of Life and why we must invest in being as
completely present in the moment because it is the Moment Itself
that is actually the PRESENT we are Gifted.

You are all so much more than I have a right to ask for, each appearing in your own special ways at the exactly right times,
it has been too perfect to have been orchestrated by anyone
less than God, which Itself deepens my Faith that all the Little
Buddhas rest blissfully in the Lap of the Incarnation of Compassion
Himself...

Happy Valentines Day and at no time in my 55 years on planet
Earth have I felt more loved than on this day, this week, this
month, this year: YOU ARE THE PRESENCE BLESSING
ME WITH YOUR PRESENCE AND THE SHEDDING OF
YOUR OWN TEARS WHICH RUN INTO THE OCEAN OF
DIVINE LOVE FOR ALL LIVING BEINGS, OUR LITTLE BROTHERS AND SISTERS, AND ONE ANOTHER.

I do fear for Raj today...

Love,

Chana

Hanging On By A Thread

2012-02-14T11:23:00.000-08:00

Late last night when I finally succumbed to sleep
and placed Raj back into his cage, the first thing
he did was walk weakly to the spot where his
beloved CocoNutPie had gone to die. He stayed
there awhile which made me think he was going
to die there, too.
So, I stayed awake, crying.
After awhile, he walked weakly back into their
snowflake hut, also searching for her.
She was not there, either. I thought he would die.
Upon waking this morning, I thought he was dead.
But he stirred just a little.
He is the weakest I have seen him.
He has been separated from Vinny,
lost his brother from whom he had never been
apart his entire life then lost CocoNutPie.
If anyone had a fighting chance to survive,
it was Raj Mahal, but now his heart is broken
and his will to live broken, as well.
Antibiotics will not fix that.
As he is not presenting signs of pneumonia,
the only chance of survival available to
him is placing him in the living room
on the opposite side of the room from
Vinny and YumYum where he can at
least hear them.
I can't in good conscience bring him
a healthy new baby to befriend him...not yet.
But once the vet gives him a clean bill of health,
Raj is getting a new friend.
Since Vinny is the first and ONLY PIGGIE
YumYum has EVER taken to, I must leave
Vinny to YumYum, but it is almost spring
and there will be a bumper crop of new
guinea babies looking for good homes
and broken hearts to mend...
If only we can keep Raj alive long enough.

To each and every one of you who have offered
support in every form from comments, to emails,
offering to pay our vet bills, sending marmalade,
cyberhugs...phone calls, more than I can mention
because my physical therapist is almost hear
and I am still in my nightgown...

the tears I shed for you are tears of gratitude,
not tears of grief.

Love,
Chana

2012-02-14T01:24:00.000-08:00

Who comprehends

the ways of Life and Death

but Rivers and Sky,

Mountains and Seas...

Lose five piggies in 2012,

Adopt six.

Hearts heal,

Their need for love

Endures forever.

(o.k. maybe be happy with

what I have while this ill,

but know that if health

returns, the need will always

exist for more stewardship

and a reason to feel needed
which will keep me connected
forever to my near and dear
friends...you know who you
are for you have meeries
and a Fairy and your own
special little Buddhas...
and now you have me
forever!)

Good-Bye?

2012-02-14T01:00:00.000-08:00

Raj Mahal drank fresh wheatgrass and carrot juice tonight,
sleeping with me until I placed him back into his cage
just now at 1 a.m. He immediately went to the spot where
CoconutPie had gone to die and dwelt there awhile
before settling alone in their shared hut, not moving.
I do not think he has the will to live anymore and
would be surprised to find him alive in the morning
despite all efforts to save his life. Without Coconut,
he has lost the will to live and going first off to her
designated dying place to find her and not finding
her was heartbreaking. It appears he has chosen
to join her, his brother Taj, and the rest of the herd.
My sleep is sad already.
Good night, dear friends.
I have given myself permission to fall
apart tomorrow.
Thank you for your support, love, and compassion.
love,
Chana

OUR LAST NIGHT-VIGIL OR A NEW BEGINNING?

2012-02-13T20:23:00.000-08:00

Today Raj has grieved, been still and silent, scurried about
on my lap drinking his carrot juice, and then succumbed to sadness,
asking to be placed back into the extra-large light blue snowflake
hut he shared with Coconut, where he grieved.
The vet never returned my plea for his Baytril but antibiotics
don't cure heartbreak so no big deal and I preferred having the time
to be with Raj anyway.

Last night we didn't have a good feeling about Coconut, staying up past one p.m. watching "Boston Legal" on Netflix until I couldn't keep my eyes open anymore, but she was relaxed on my tummy,
getting petted, combed, and hydrated with her carrot juice.

It just wasn't enough.

I can barely keep my eyes open and it's 8:30 p.m. Pacific Time
but Raj needs more feedings and I think I've watched all the episodes of "Boston Legal" so maybe I can find some of
"HOUSE" on HULU. And my psychic friend from India who contacts me every time a piggy passes also asked today were
they breathing O.K...I cannot remember which post from the
site I know him from but he always senses each time we lose
a pig and has never been wrong.

Today, Lashes and Janie both called. Both times, Raj was
listless intially but by the end of each call, he was perky and
moving about, which brings the MOD HEALINGS TO 4.

And our dear friends Fairy and her family in England;
dear Ingrid, Helmut
and their eight
meeris in Bavaria... so much love...

It is Amazing Grace to find oneself in the
heart of loving consolation
while inconsolable.

If I wake up and Raj is gone tomorrow...
It is possible I will not be O.K.

Then I will take Raj and CoconutPie to a nearby
smallish mountain with a view of the San Juan Islands
and bury them together in the soft, velvety pillowcase
CoconutPie is in instead of having them cremated and
spread in the apple orchard with the others.
I love this place in the nearby Chuckanut Mountains
you can drive up to it on a rough, dirt road but I have
all-wheel drive and after windstorms it resembles
Mt. St. Helens, which is what I am beginning
to resemble now.

And perhaps when I howl and scream - which I will - no one will hear "MY BABIES! MY BABIES! MY BABIES!"
Because it is rising rapidly to the surface,
grief gathering into a perfect storm,

a very loud scream
that will resemble
a pack of wolves,
inconsolable wolves
beneath a full moon in the
woods on a mountain
with a view of islands
where killer whales
blow before spyhopping
and bears begin waking from hibernation
from all the noise as eagles
watch from safe, soaring heights and
clouds gather dark screams of grief
meant for no one else to hear.

"My BABIES!"

January 1, 2012
6 Dancing Piggies.
February, 2012,
Screams of Sorrow.
Cushioned by
Love of Friends.

LOOKING FOR COCONUT...

2012-02-13T14:47:00.000-08:00

Having lost Coconut overnight, Raj appears
to have given up his own fight.
I have gotten more freshly squeezed, organic
carrot juice along with another cup including
spinach and parsley plus the pulp from each
juicing to entice him to begin even tasting
solid food, yet he remains uninterested.
Nor have I eaten, so once I have, I will
spend the afternoon feeding and loving Raj.
The vet never called back about the Baytril
but who cares? They take it, they die.
They don't take it, they die.
They just die.
Raj was the one whose prospects were
brightest but since grief can kill the
hardiest pig, and I cannot put a new
baby of any kind in with a sick one,
there is no way to comfort him with
a new friend...I will be carrying him
around in the pouch of a thick, fleece
half-zip anorak like a kangaroo with
her little joey. But if losing Coconut
impacts him hard enough...?

5 Words

"Breathe in Pain.
Exhale Grief."

Love,
Chana

GOOD-BYE, BELOVED ONE

2012-02-13T10:22:00.000-08:00

Why you, too?
We love you so...
FEBRUARY 13, 2012

Where IS Everybody?!

2012-02-13T00:42:00.000-08:00

I may be little
and my name may be VinnyGuinea
but I know somebody is missing
and it too quiet so I be driving YumYum crazy.
We wee, widdle winkles live to play
and make friends and I may not count good
but something is too quiet around here...
What is it?
Will YOU play with me?
Mom does!

SUNDAY UPDATE

2012-02-12T19:18:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,
Tonight we are still holding on to Raj and CocoNutPie
with feedings of organic carrot juice. Tomorrow we
will add a shot of wheatgrass, hoping they will get
more nutrition since wheatgrass is their favorite food
yet they continue to refuse hard food. CocoNutPie's
breathing can still be rapid and shallow at times,
although she is enjoying her carrot juice and being held.
So does Raj. Tomorrow I will ask the vet for Baytril,
an antibiotic used to treat pneumonia. She actually did
examine them along with Taj and MacNutPie since all
four had been housed together and exposed to other animals
but Raj and Coconut did not present symptoms until
later in the day, which saved their lives, for being at the
hospital (even the vet admitted) so stressed Taj that he
succumbed shortly after his dear CocoNutPie.
Keeping them home, warm, cozy, held often, hydrated,
and somehow well-nourished with antibiotics appears
to be the most we can do and they are in quarantine
from YumYum and VinnieGuinea, who now have their
own, super-large play pen through which to run, play
chase, eat, drink, explore tunnels, huts, pigloos,
cuddle-cups... and since it has no top,
petting and picking them up for frequent
snuggles is easy and fun for all of us.

It remains to be seen whether or not we will lose
two more pigs. They have a fighting chance, but
guinea pigs are funny...once they take sick,
cavies are one of the most difficult species to save.
They are unspeakably sensitive: emotionally, spiritually,
and physically. With no natural defenses, when they
still lived in the wild before being entirely domesticated,
they would hide symptoms of illness so as not to appear
vulnerable to predators...they still do that.
Which is why we often never find out they are
ill until it is already too late.

We love you all. Your emails mean so much,
I just can't answer them right now because once I start
crying I can't stop and know you all understand.

Fairy, your mum's marmalade is the sweetest thing!
Second only to the fact that Raj and CocoNutPie
are still alive...with YumYum and VinnyGuinea!
love,
Chana

Moment of PRAYER dedicated to all in World of Animal Rescue and Friends

2012-02-12T15:10:00.000-08:00

That is awfully suspicious looking...not sure I'm gonna like this.

Oh, wait a minute! Nom-nom, slurp-slurp...mmmm! Me likes it!

Ooooh! More! More! I want More! Give me more! More!

Oooooh, I haven't felt this way since I was a wee, suckling piglet.

Except now that I'm big, Drippage can be an issue so need more.

Once she realized it was freshly squeezed, organic carrot juice,
CoconutPie loved her feedings...and Raj tried to suck up so
much at one time it dripped all over him and his amounts
had to be carefully dosed!

MMMM...that carrot juice sure was good.

We will do our best to live. We are not out of the woods yet by a long-shot and so ill mom will not risk stressing us more by taking
us to the vet, but will call requesting antibiotics for our pneumonia.
All we have eaten is our carrot juice, no solid food. We are very
weak and limp so still sleep with mom until right before she
falls asleep then puts us back into our large, new pen without
a top adjacent to her bed (which we hope she stops falling
out of...but that's another story.)

We had written a poem/prayer to thank you.

Then mom erased it because she is in
shock and grief, doing strange things.
Stranger than "normal" strange
things we are already accustomed to...
Like learning how to say "watermelon" in Hindi.
(It's "tarbooz" in case you wondered.)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ernest Hemingway once wrote the shortest
short story in six words:
"For sale: Baby shoes, never worn."

Mom replaced our poem/prayer with one for
Calvin, MacNutPie, and Taj Mahal.

"Laughing eyes:
Ashes fertilize
Apple orchard."

We cannot express how deeply grateful we are to
each and every one of you for each and every
thought, word, prayer, deed,
shipped-overseas jar of awesome, homemade marmalade,
and breath of love you have and continue sending us.
Which is why we wrote you the poem/prayer
mom erased for no reason.

She said the best thing we could do
to show our gratitude to you is LIVE.

"We agree.
Breathe deeply:
Stand up."

(Six words.)

"Love You.
Two words.
Mean more."

JOURNEY OF "THE ENDURANCE"

2012-02-12T00:25:00.000-08:00

Today we ate a little, drank fresh-squeezed, organic carrot
juice from a syringe squirter, and mom even caught us walking
around our cage instead of lying on our sides breathing rapidly,
too weak to move, unable to stand, eyes glazed over.

YumYum and GuineaVinny get to be in the living room but
we get to sleep with mom next to her bed! We sure hope the
worst is over...

Although once we defrost from so much loss (half the herd
since January 2nd, 2012) another "worst" may commence.
But we will have those of us who have survived to console
one another and we will be in your world-wide loving embrace.

For the first time this year, we have hope we shall endure.

If we make it though the night...

love you all.

THE GOOD, THE LOVE, AND THE HEALING

2012-02-11T16:38:00.000-08:00

Today we woke up with CocoNutPie and Raj still fighting
for their lives. Coconut's breathing was rapid and shallow,
her entire body so weak she was still rolling over
instead of lifting herself up, capable only of looking
into my eyes, not comprehending.

Raj was slightly stronger, but neither had eaten or taken liquid.

Last night, Coconut was dying in my arms until Connie and
I got on the phone together and somehow, inexplicably, she
began moving about a little bit, giving us hope.

Today, Marifan called when, again, Coconut was in my
arms breathing heavily and also having mild seizures that
we first noticed last night...My intention was to force-feed
her freshly-squeezed, raw, organic carrot juice but with
her breathing and weakness, I wanted to hold her.

While talking with Marifan, the same thing happened as
last night! Coconut rallied, began ambulating on all fours
in her blanket, and showed interest in life, moving around
despite her breathing problems. By the time Marifan and I
got off the phone, Coconut was a different piggie!

Two nights in a row.

Taking advantage of MAGIC phone
calls coupled with
YOUR KIND, SUPPORTIVE,
LOVING, COMPASSIONATE,
EMAILS AND COMMENTS, I decided to take
advantage of the situation to force-feed her!

She is a big girl and even finding her mouth was
difficult as her "dew lap" (double chin) is so thick
and pronounced...but, using a needle-free, narrow
syringe, one squirt found its way between her
four front beaver teeth and back molars...

She tasted and tasted and tasted, taking her time
before making the Ultimate Decision: Yes, I will ask mom for more.

After that, she would take her little squirts, savoring the taste and
enjoyment of the carrots' sweetness, before holding out her
snout for another squirt until she was full.

IS THIS THE TURN-AROUND POINT, IS THE
WORST OVER, IS SHE OUT OF THE WOODS?

While I do not know the answer, I have one thing to share,
and you already know what it is:
They would not be alive if not for ALL of you.
They were "dead pigs walking" yesterday...
They lived the night.
They lived the morning.
It is now 5 p.m. Pacific Time and
I am going to give Raj his carrot juice.
Both of them are snuggled together in
their large, blue snowflake hut.

Just for the record, every single cuddle-cup, hut, tunnel,
bright orange carrot pillow, giant new run-around
enclosure they will share once well enough and
out of quarantine, are all gifts bestowed upon
us through YOUR generosity! So many loved ones
have sent the Sanctuary special items which enable
the piggies to enjoy the highest quality of life
possible and every one of you, from your loving
comments on this blog (especially from lurkers
bold enough to "out" themselves) to boxes
of Fairy Magic from England...to cash
donations and gifts from Jen's Custom Crafts
and CD3's and Millie Bea's Gigantic Cuddle Cup...
You all share this Sanctuary, it is yours to savor with us,
our joys as well as sorrows. We thank you.

P.S. GOOD NEWS!
Today Parker returned YumYum and VinnyGuinea
who appear healthy (although Vinny does have a
runny nose) as they 1) were kept in a location
separate from the animals with pneumonia,
(Thank God!) and 2) were the only animals
who went to Parker's with their sleeping
bag, so they were able to stay warm.
It may have made a difference had the others
been able to sleep in their cuddle-cups, sleeping bags,
and huts but for reasons I don't understand, Parker
chose not to take them and I was in hospital and
unable to make those decisions. He did love
them very much and is also feeling upset...

So! Our Commander-in-Chief-of-Mayhem has found
his Doppelganger twin in young VinnyGuinea...
and is training him in all ways Mischievous.
To wit: When their new fabric hay trough was
installed (not sure how much, if any, hay they
were fed) Yoda YumYum and his youthful
VinnySkywalker were ecstatic!
As YumYum shoved his snout into the hole
at the bottom of the trough, Vinny told him,
"AH, GET OUTTA HEAH ALREADY!"
before leaping approximately eight inches
into the air and over the top of the trough like
a pole-vaulter, sticking his landing amidst
his very own Hay "Field of Dreams" where
he ate and ate until, full, hopped out before
scurrying back into their sleeping bag,
as if no one noticed what he had just done!

We pray neither of them present any symptoms of
illness and we have a quarantine going and
each cage contains two piggies consoling
one another in their grief so - exhausted -
we hope to soon exhale!

YOU WILL ALL BE THE FIRST TO KNOW
BECAUSE WHEN WE ARE ABLE TO EXHALE,
IT WILL BE IN A WHISPER AND,
IF YOU LISTEN VERY CLOSELY,
YOU WILL HEAR YOUR NAME
IN OUR PRAYER OF GRATITUDE.

love,
Chana

STILL WITH US THANKS TO YOUR PRAYERS...

2012-02-11T07:59:00.000-08:00

DEAR ANGEL-FRIENDS AMONG US,
Should anyone ever doubt the power of prayer and love
that we have the capacity to gift one another,
just accept our gratitude that, while not better,
Raj and CoconutPie have survived the night.
They are back in their hut snuggled together
not moving and I am going to get their
wheat grass and perhaps some fresh
carrot juice and begin force-feeding
them today for hydration as they
still have not had anything to eat, drink,
pee, or poop. But they are alive!
AND WE HAVE YOU.
NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS
THEY ARE STILL ALIVE.
AND WE HAVE YOU.
Today YumYum and VinnyGuinea come
home and will be placed in the living room
quarantined for as long as they appear healthy,
assuming they are...
I am writing large because of the severity
and frequency of the migraines, the pain
of which is now dwarfed by the grief in
my heart. But a Grace of sorts has begun
comforting us from Within...there is
a glimpse of inner calmness and peace,
as if we are in the Presence of Angels,
and that would be all you, and how
we feel your love.
It is palpable. It is real. It gives us comfort.
We no longer feel alone.
And we have no way to thank you...

Yours,
Chana

NIGHT HOSPICE VIGIL

2012-02-10T22:58:00.000-08:00

Late this afternoon we were able to
pick up CocoNutPie and Raj,
both grieving for their friends
and cagemates...
Tomorrow we will get YumYum and his
VinnyGuinea.
But all has not gone well.
The vet could not definitively diagnose
the cause of Taj and MacNutPie's
illness but both Coconut and Raj
began presenting the same
symptoms early this evening...
At one point, CoconutPie could barely
lift her head...too weak to move any other
part of her body and had rolled
heartbreakingly over on her side,
her big eyes pleading into mine.
Raj did not move at all. Coconut Pie's breathing
became shallow and labored.
Neither have eaten, taken water,
peed, or pooped; both stopped moving
and had taken refuge inside their big
Snowflake Hut, cuddled side
by side...dying...

A vet once told me that guinea pigs
can die of grief and pain, and if all
else fails, to bring them into bed
and sleep with them.

Since the vet's life-saving attempts to force
feed and hydrate Taj and MacNutPie, give them
antibiotics, and the best care
possible - and failed to save their lives,
I brought them into bed with me. At
least they would die in a loving embrace.

ConniEeeeeee was exhausted from her
own Lucy (her basset hound) having
surgery today but stayed up late
(East Coast time) and kept us
all company as I expected both
piggies to pass within hours and
praying only deepened my shock and despair.
So we all went to bed together
for their last hours while Connie kept
us company and from feeling alone.

As Connie and I talked, the piggies began
slowly moving about and became a little
more active.

I have moved their cage with no top adjacent
to my bed so I can pet them throughout
the night, although it is doubtful they will
live without a Miracle...although I will
bring them into bed as often as possible.

At least by morning, whatever happens,
they will know that they were loved.

I hope that YumYum and VinnyGuinea
will be returned in good health tomorrow...

The losses are devastating and we still
miss Calvin, who passed January 2nd.

Thank you all for your love and
prayers for us as we endure the
Dark Night of our Souls, Raj and Coconut
still grieving for their loved ones as they lie dying.
It would be more than anyone has a right
to ask to wake up with Raj and
CoconutPie both alive in the morning,
Yet shall sleep tonight meditating
with that prayer which I know all of you share:
YOU: who are now the wind beneath our
broken wings...and hearts.

Love and Need you all,
Chana
and thank you...LOVE
is the only thing that can save us now.

TAJ MAHAL ON THE COVER OF GUINEA PIG MAGAZINE

2012-02-10T16:44:00.000-08:00

Dear New Friends,
For those of you not familiar with
the world of guinea pigs,
Guinea Pig Magazine is the only
International Guinea Pig magazine
of its kind in the world.
Published by our dear friend,
Alison, in England, she picked
our very own Taj Mahal to kick
off her first issue for 2012!
His wonderfulness traveled to many
countries throughout the world
and he is still on the cover until the
next issue comes out.
He was an orphan adopted from
the Whatcom Humane Society
with his brother, Raj Mahal.
An orphan made International
Stardom in the guinea pig world!
Even if he hadn't, he would have
been no less special to us.
He made us laugh, loved to
be picked up and petted,
was a rapscallion whose
favorite trick was to steal Raj's
fresh, organic veggie treats,
run into his Hut to hide them,
then run back out begging for
more, get his own, hide them,
then run back out and steal
his brother's...that was his
idea of Great Guinea Pig FUN!
And he also had a special gift for dragging
all of his toys and heavy ceramic food
bown into his Pigloo, no matter how
difficult it was to move...how he
did it remains a mystery.
But every morning, all that had
been scattered throughout his cage
was missing and one lift of his
Pigloo revealed a trove of Taj's
precious treasures.
And he was sweet.
Just look at that smile.
He was so proud of his tongue
and bi-colored lower lip, too...
To our new friends in India
who may be visiting our site
for the very first time,
many pranams for coming,
and for your love.
To our old friends, we need
not speak, for you already
know anything and everything
we could possibly say...
Love,
Chana

TWO ANGELS IN SMALL PACKAGES: WE MISS YOU...

2012-02-10T15:35:00.000-08:00

BROKEN HEARTS TODAY...

MacNutPie
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2012

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Taj Mahal
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2012
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

YOU ARE LOVED.
YOU ARE MISSED.
WE WERE BLESSED BY YOU,
OUR PRECIOUS GIFTS FROM GOD.
OUR LIVES WERE BETTER FOR
YOUR PRESENCE IN THEM...
WE WILL NEVER BE THE
SAME AGAIN.

Guinea pigs can die of grief.
While living at Parker's farm,
MacNutPie and Taj Mahal
took sick
and both passed
away today.

CoconutPie is living with Raj.
I have brought them home.
Tomorrow, Parker will bring
YumYum and VinnyGuinea home
to us.

I am doing my best to stay out of the hospital
utilizing a variety of in-home health-care
providers who are coming here to enable
me to avoid inpatient care.

I knew guinea pigs could die of grief
when they lose their friends,
But never realized or imagined they
would or could die without their "person"
and Home here. Now we know just
how sensitive their precious hearts are.

While in hospital, it was necessary
for them to live with Parker's animals.
He said they loved their mini-bunny and
slept and snuggled with him.

Originally, it did not appear
that I would become strong enough
to take them back and
care for them (physically) but have
and will
do so for the remainder of our
lives together and never part with them
again until Their Angel Comes.

As I am completely inconsolable
and in too much migraine pain to
read and respond to emails,
your love and prayers
are appreciated with
profound gratitude
even if I am unable to
thank you personally.
Right now I am just in shock
and grief
that they are both gone
never to return home again to
PandaPig's Sanctuary.

Love,
Chana

Turn, Turn, Turn Part 1

2012-02-08T01:02:00.000-08:00

In the Beginning...it was just PandaPig and me.

Now, it's time to repay his kindness by
giving VinnyGuinea what Panda gave me...

And the Circle remains unbroken.

And it is GOOD.

THERE IS A SEASON, TURN, TURN, TURN...Part 2

2012-02-08T00:40:00.000-08:00

Once upon a time, in a faraway place, a long, long time ago...

I was just a wee lad and PandaPig took me in as his very own.

And mom snuggled me every chance she got! Then, I grew up
and PandaPig died of cancer. Although it has been years, I remained inconsolable and became an attack-pig, waiting for
the return of my beloved Panda Pig. But after awhile, all the
other guinea pigs were having fun together and I began to feel
lonely. Still, mom was afraid I would hurt the others and I only
let her snuggle with me. She didn't know that my loneliness
was beginning to overcome my "attack anything that moves"
ways of yore.

Then Calvin died. And nobody was getting over THAT,
not a one among us...especially mom. So, she did what
she promised she would not do...brought home a little
tyke named VinnyGuinea, a big New York Giants fan!

At first he clung to his look-alike, Raj, who adored him the minute
he laid eyes on the cutest baby-pig he had ever seen because it reminded him of...well, himself!

And it was Good.

It was very, very good. And watching them,
I began to remember what happiness felt like,
what it felt like when PandaPig did for me
what Raj was giving VinnyGuinea.
And we all knew from the get-go that Vinny
was a Very Special Piglet!
When mom got sick, and we moved to the Farm,
Parker the farm-boy-animal-whisperer did
an amazing thing: he put Vinny in with me.
And I forgot what loneliness felt like.
So now we are together,
and Raj has Taj,
And MacNutPie has CocoNutPie,
and I have Vinny
and we all have a bunny.

AND IT IS GOOD.
love,
YumYum and the Herd from the farm
officially known as "Parker's Ark."

WE LOVE YOU ALL.

I'M NOT A GERBIL - YouTube

2012-02-06T16:13:00.000-08:00

I'M NOT A GERBIL - YouTube
^^^^^IT'S BING!^^^
PRESS I'M NOT A GERBIL YouTube
PREPARE FOR LAUGHTER!

He says: "I'm Bing. I am not a gerbil."
Then he takes us there...(Madonna)

...oh, Bing, HYSTERICALLY SUBTLE -

ESPLAININ' TO US HE AIN'T NO GERBIL...
OR DONALD TRUMP!
OR DONALD TRUMP'S HAIR!
OOPS, WE MEANT "THE DONALD!"

(Bing, we never thought you were a gerbil!)

LET'S DANCE!

2012-02-06T16:06:00.000-08:00

The Guinea pig song - YouTube

^^^Press You Tube!
WHY? CUZ...
IT BE BING!
AGAIN, YOU ASK?

Yeah, BABY, so mebbe you have seen dis posted a half dozen times already.
WHY? YOU ASK WHY??? STILL???
(seriously, you still asking why?!)

BECAUSE WE LOVE BING and his song and perky-piggy-dance cheer us up and we know mom misses us and is afraid we'Z growin' bunny ears and bunny tails, so we need her (and YOU!) to watch Bing and, hey baby, remember that we ARE
GUINEA PIGS FOREVER TOGETHER!

DID SOMEONE SAY:
BUNNY-PARTY-IS-SO-ON?!!!

MY NEW FRIEND: YUM-YUM IS NOT ALONE ANYMORE!

2012-02-05T21:57:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,
I am writing from Parker's little farm with
news that mom can hardly believe!
Parker put lil'VinnyGuinea in with me
because, well, maybe Parker knows
stuff...and I am alone and Raj has Taj
and Mac and CoconutPies have one another
it is just that I have been, well, missing
PandaPig for years and...I LOVE it when
the others visit me and we sniff and chatter
while they or I are on Runabout, but put
me in with other piggies and...
Mum's hand gets stuck in the middle.
So, Parker and Edwin got some kinda
"guy thing" cuz he won't call mom
so Edwin called him for mom cuz she
misses us so bad and GUESS WHAT?
I GOT VINNY-GUINEA!
HEH-HEH-HEH!
AIN'T THAT A KICK IN THE PANTS, RAJ?!
WOW!
It's wonderful. I'm not alone anymore
and nobody knows more tricks to teach Vinny than me plus it turns out Vinny got a very high
I.Q. so he will be one wily PiratePig!!!

The not so good news: mom not well enough
for us to come home. Not even me and Vinny.
And she's sad.
But we are all doing great and still hoping
to keep our bunny ears so in the spring
if we aren't home (which may be Seattle)
we hope to go "free range" in the farmyard
with his other piggies, bunnies, turkeys,
and all such what-nots!

Until then, have to admit we miss mom,
she misses us,
and we'll blog when we have some news.
Love you all and
thanks for taking such good care of us!

HEH-HEH-I GOT A GENIUS PIRATE PRODIGY!
CAN YOU IMAGINE US GOING FREE-RANGE
ON THIS WORLD?! WHEEEEEEEK!

NEW YORK GOES ALL "HEAVEN" ON THE PATS!

2012-02-05T19:32:00.000-08:00

{Jamie Squire photo}

'Lil L.J. Gettin' Jiggy Wid It!

2012-02-05T16:30:00.000-08:00

Oh, Connie, you got a fan in Lil'L.J. fo'Sho! GO GIANTS!

{PHOTO COURTESY OF CONNIEEEEEEEEE!}

LJ, OFFICAL MASCOT OF THE NEW YORK GIANTS!

2012-02-05T13:42:00.000-08:00

It's hard being a mascot when you're a MINI-DACHSHUND
but I'm not just ANY MINI-DACHSHUND!!!!!
I am L.J. and with my mom, ConnieEEEEEEEEEEEE, she gonna feed me BIG TREATS
after game while we watch:

"ESPN: WHAT THE *** THE PATRIOTS DID WRONG" Analysis!
Actually, might not be so hard to figure out what they did wrong, considering
Tom Brady thinks it "The Stupor Bowel." Oh, Tom makes me laugh so much!

{Photo courtesy of Connieeeeeeeeeee, NY Giants cheerleader}

UH-OH!

2012-02-04T21:51:00.000-08:00

As you all know, since mom has been in
the hospital three times already and remains
unstable and at risk, Parker our friend from the Farm Store
who "Gifts Us" to mom is taking care of us at his own farm full of Nigerian dwarf goats, exotic turkeys, Heritage chickens, rooster(s) and lots of other animals but he put us inside with a little bunny
because he thinks mom spoiled us so he isn't letting us run
free-range in his back yard with all the other animals
and guinea pigs! Says we're not acclimated to the cold. BAH!
Life with our rabbit has been "different"...
As we have been "inducted" into the BUNNY HALL OF FAME
which came with exclusively special bunny-ears!
Thing is, we like them and nibble on one another's
ears and try to rip them off one another's heads to cuddle
with them since farm-boy Parker didn't take even ONE of our cuddle-cups or huts, saying that mom spoils us and treats us like her very own babies: HOW DARE HE!
We know mom remains way too sick to take us back yet
(although she is bereft without us) leaving us to adopt a policy of blending in, hoping maybe Parker will let us roam free once the sun shines with rays of spring-like warmth (ya, right...) but we ALL wanna experience for ourselves what life as free-range
GuineaBuns feels like! We think this looks authentic, don't you?
We know (because each one of us FEELS) mom missing us terribly. But she don't know'bout our bunny-ears...her concern is missing out on Vinny's "formative WHEEKS" where he had already begun snuggling, eating, and napping contentedly in the palm of her warm hand: BabyVinny, cuddle-pig...
velvety, therapeutic, soul-healing...he is mom's Happy Place
as are every one of us; WE have simply had more time.
uh, and, hmmmmmmmmm...
(NOW he thinks he a bunny: How WE gonna 'splain THAT?)
UH-OH: Mom, better get well soon or we may start growing longer, furrier, thumper-feet & hop about like jack-a-lopes, especially VinnyGuinea, being so young and impressionable & all.

We love you. ALL OF YOU!
And thank you with ALL "our bunny-pig" (don't tell mom)
HEARTS for YOUR prayers, well-wishes, and kind thoughts...
We love you, friends, we seriously do love AND FEEL You.
As does mom: hugged in the sweet peace of your kind warmth: softly protected by you, allowing her to repose in Peace...
Peace gifted to us by YOU.
OUR HEARTS MELT IN THE CARE OF EACH AND EVERY one of our precious friends with gratitude only a Bunny-Pig
can feel...
love you sincerely, you bring us all hope, comfort, and calmness
in the midst of these profoundly challenging times.
Sincerely,
Your very own GuineaRabbits of BunnyPigFarm Sanctuary.

(OOOOH, Mom gonna get Parker for this!)

SUPERBOWL CHAMPS, 2012!

2012-02-04T21:31:00.000-08:00

As predicted by Nostradamus and the Mayans.
Can't change it: What Is, Is.
Patriots fans, we feel your pain.
HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!
OH, GOOD ONE!
WOW, HA-HA, YA SURE, HA!
We crack ourselves UP we are so funny!

NEW YORK GIANTS TOTALLY RULE!

2012-02-04T21:24:00.000-08:00

'NUFF SAID!

WHO'S YOUR DADDY?

2012-02-04T21:03:00.000-08:00

YEAH! WE LOST!
NOW I CAN GET ON
"DANCING WITH THE STARS"
AND MAKE GUEST APPEARANCES
ON...ON...UH...
"DANCING WITH THE STARS!"
AND I DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER THAT
INSANE QUESTION THAT SECRETLY
DRIVES ME C.R.A.Z.Y.
"SO, NOW THAT YOU'VE WON
THE SUPER BOWL, WHAT ARE
YOU GOING TO DO NEXT?"
SERIOUSLY?
SERIOUSLY!
LIKE...WHY WOULD A HALF-GROWN QUARTERBACK WITH A FULL-BLOWN
EGO WANNA GO TO DISNEYLAND!?!
THAT BIG MOUSE TERRIFIES ME.
WOW, I AM SO AWED BY THE
RELIEF OF LOSING...
MY AGENT IS ALREADY FIELDING
CALLS FROM COMPANIES WANTING
PERSONAL ENDORSEMENTS FOR MEDICINE TO RELIEVE
CONSTIPATION, INCONTINENCE,
BURPING IN PUBLIC, PASSING GAS
(THANK GOODNESS FOR GAS-X IS ALL
I CAN SAY! WHEW!)
WOW, I'M GONNA BE A STAR,
A BIG, BRIGHT SHINY SUPERNOVA.
(in my dreams, can't wait for bedtime! where's my Gas-X?
OMG! IT STINKS IN HERE,
MOMMY, HELP!)

A Brain Forever Changed - Guinea Pig Today

2012-02-03T15:36:00.000-08:00

A Brain Forever Changed - Guinea Pig Today
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^Check THIS Out!
FINALLY, a DIAGNOSIS
THEY ALL AGREE UPON!

hmmmmmmm....
PiggieBrainDisorderSyndrome
sounds awfully, dreadfully,
mortifyingly
familiar.

no cure in sight! no immunity. unpreventable.

wouldn't want my brain
any other way!

P.S. it could even happen to YOU!

BETTER DAYS AHEAD...

2012-02-03T15:07:00.000-08:00

It's me again because the piggies are still having way too much fun at their little farm playing with their bunny...just wanted to share that today a physical therapist who has worked with me in the past came over and is ordering lots of in-home healthcare support certain to get this party started! Missing the piggies, OH my Goodness, so much, and now going to sleep but thank YOU EVERY ONE and please know today is the first hopeful one I have enjoyed since the New Year...and no doubt because of your love, prayers, kind wishes, and cyber-hugs which I absorb and cherish...perhaps Day 1 of Progress that brings the Piggies one step closer to returning Home, although it does not feel like "home" without their wheeking, squeaking, popcorning, and playful chatter and pranks on one another filling the apartment with laughter and glee...Thank you, thank you, thank you. Love you, love you, love you each and every one.

YOU, MY DEAR ONES, ARE THE WIND BENEATH MY BROKEN WINGS, LIFTING ME BACK UP TOWARDS THE SKY WHERE A WARM SUN AWAITS FIRST FLIGHT!

Yours,
Chana

Being Little When Life Gets Big

2012-02-02T21:58:00.000-08:00

I may be just a wee bitty Guinea named Vinny
but miss being held
and miss being giggly
and miss being "home"
and now I know what Raj
means when he "misses Fairy"
and what Taj means when
he "misses FAME"
and what MacNutPie means
when he "misses his man-bits"
and what CocoNutPie means
when she misses her
big sister, Erica...
and what YumYum means
when he tells me
The Epic Story of PandaPig,
who took him in and taught
him how to cuddle and popcorn and
hide and chase and "steal the smackeral"
from Bear the Beaver Pig (who YumYum misses, too)
and what missing feels like...
because I didn't think missing could happen
to one as little as me.
And it will be at least one more week
at the farm with our bunny,
who is a nice bunny,
but cannot hold me in her warm hand and
stroke my velvety fur and giggle
over my big, Dumbo ears
when they bobble up & down
while I play chase with Raj...
even a little heart like
mine can miss Big.
I just didn't know it
until now.
Mom used to say that missing
means to have a big heart
but she left out the part
about how it feels
when that big heart breaks.
Now I know why.
And I'm just a baby piglet.

Come Home Soon!

2012-02-01T20:31:00.000-08:00

In Germany, we are called "meeries" and our friend Ingrid has
eight of us! My Fairy Princess has her big sister, Marigold. Now I
have VinnyGuinea, or "mini-me" but he is teaching me more
than I am teaching him! What a seriously intelligent little
meerie he is turning out to be!
This is how PandaPig and YumYum were...
together...inseparable!
Meeries are special.
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR PRAYERS FOR MOM!

FRIENDSHIP

2012-02-01T00:51:00.000-08:00

WHAT'S A BUNNY AND DO I HAVE TO SHARE MY CARROT?

2012-02-01T00:17:00.000-08:00

I'm sure bunnies are nice and all...

I just hope carrots aren't their favorite food...
Because I am nothing if not generous.

But, the ears. They confuse me.

VinnyGuinea and Raj Mahal

2012-01-31T23:29:00.000-08:00

Please press collage for enlargement! Mom in hospital again this week and Vinny, Raj, and the Gang all joining me at Parker's place where he has a big herd of piggies and we get our very own bunny rabbit until mom is able to go home! Mom asked me to tell you all she loves receiving emails if you don't mind that she isn't able to write back until she is stronger. We are all happy with our bunny and love you all, and Raj insisted on showing off him and Vinny hangin' out on their new, Big Plushy Carrot that our very own Fairy sent us!

Fairy, can you tell we love it?!

We love you each and every one! Mom is so grateful for your kind wishes and we'll do our best to keep you

up to date on our new lives for the right-now-unusual moment!!!

Love,
YumYum and my Rowdy Band of PiratePigs (and our little bunny rabbit!)

My Happy Life by VinnyGuineaPig

2012-01-29T15:06:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my Happy New Life! This is my sleep
sack, also my Clubhouse, also where Raj told me I have to snatch & scoot to keep Taj from stealing back the food he already stole from Raj...I don't understand but I am so little I don't have to, and maybe I never will! Ha-Ha-Ha, a merry boy am I!

Check out Taj giving me "the eye" HA-HA! Raj said
it's because he hasn't figured out what I am yet! And he also told me that when Taj gives me "that look" I need to shout: "GO GIANTS!" since he won't admit it
publicly, but we think Raj might be a closet Patriots fan. OH! AND TODAY MUM NOTICED FOR THE FIRST TIME THAT I HAVE WHITE FUR,TOO, JUST LIKE RAJ!

I know I told you all this before, but sometimes I just like to be quiet and meditate in my WhEEkGrass on things like "Will I grow up to be a race horse?"

Raj is teaching me GuineaPigYoga! See how his tail feathers and his entire body bend with such grace?
Look how flexible he is! What does "Namaste" mean?

So, now you know everything about me.
I wake up in my sleep sack.
Or Taj's sleep sack.
Or Raj's sleep sack.
Then once everybody hears mom wake up,
We all rush to the bars of our Habitats and
stand on our hind legs WHEEKING!
like we have never been fed, EVER!
Mom always says, "Let me make my coffee,
you squeaker-wheekers, c'mon! Please?"
But we don't.
Cuz that's just how we roll.
Right now mom is pretty weak so we gave her
a break but not before we had her feed
us breakfast, refill all our fabric hay-troughs,
refill all our food bowls (since I take up
all the room in the Mahals, they have to
eat out of my weensy-bowl!) Ha-Ha!
Then we nap.
Today mom had enough energy to
share my life with you and she is SO EXCITED
she told us I am already receiving fan-mail!
When her migraine goes away she is going
to bring me into her bed all soft and cozy
and read it to me. I feel so special!
(Cuz I am, hee-hee, little me.)

Taj: "Raj, are you going to include your latest
adventure with "mini-you?"

Raj: "No."

Taj: "Guess you don't want anyone to know that mini-you tried to hump you but he was so little he couldn't even reach his front paws..."

SQUEEEE! SQUEEEEEEEE! SQUEEEEE!

WHAT?

2012-01-29T03:04:00.000-08:00

WHAT? Like YOU don't eat hay?
Oh, Puh-LEASE!

See Vinny Eat

2012-01-29T01:45:00.000-08:00

I love sitting in Raj and Taj's food bowl to eat.

Sometimes Taj wheeks: "Whadda-Whadda-Whadda?"
and it makes me laugh as we stumble and tumble
all over ourselves in a 3-Pig-Feeding Frenzy! Raj
adored me at first sight and is teaching me every-thing he knows while Taj still doesn't know what I am. Our HABITAT is really MUCH BIGGER than it looks in the picture plus we STILL get to go on runabouts and I race like a speeding bullet, turning corners like a short-track Olympic speedskater. I love being me and I love living in my Forever Home with Raj, Taj, and mom. It makes me happier than I ever felt possible!

But sometimes I just like quiet.
To eat out of their bowl, not mine.
My bowl is little, like me.
But theirs has more food to make
me BIG! I'm just a baby boar now,
but watch how fast I grow!
I love you.

(for close-ups, just press my photos, but I am still
going to be little...for now...and the best pics are yet to come!)

SMILE!

2012-01-28T20:58:00.000-08:00

Really cute animals! - YouTube

^^^There's even guinea pigs!

Concealed in Darkness, Raj Hatches a PLAN!

2012-01-28T17:14:00.000-08:00

My beloved Fairy has been emailing more about Taj being on the magazine cover than about my beautiful, bi-colored lower lip, the stunning coronet atop my head that I wear like a Royal Crown when mom combs it, and my beautiful long, flowing tail-feathers...What would it take to win Fairy back 100% I wonder?

OH! I know, I'll consult with Herd Chieftain YumYum, the Elder! He knows EVERYTHING.

We'll get Taj, and I'll win my Fairy's heart back 200%! Yes, sounds like a plan! Now, to emerge from the shadows into broad daylight whistling like a cavy in a ripe, resplendant, organic vegetable garden...appearing as if nothing is wrong. Yeah, sounds like a plan!

VinnyGuinea: The Littlest PiratePigPrankster There Ever Was!

2012-01-28T17:01:00.000-08:00

That Taj! Feeling so hot since he been on the cover
of Guinea Pig Magazine...now that Raj had brought it to my attention that Taj is squeezing in on his romance with Fairy, I must take ACTION! And everybody knows that YumYum is NOTHING if not ACTION!
(heh-heh! and mayhem, and trickery...)
PIRATE PIG EXTRAORDINAIRE, THAT'S ME!
Action, Chaos, Frightful pranks on uppity herdmates...all with love, mind you,
all with - mu-AH-ha-HAAAAAH: love! (honest)

Er...what's this in my food bowl? Anybody?
Hello? Uh, it's moving...my food bowl's moving and...

I am not happy!
My Breakfast is ALIVE! WHEEK-WHEEK!
HELP!

I know my assignment is important...just too small to remember exactly what...I...am supposed to do...
Right-O! To blend into the camoflage of Taj's sleeping tunnel so he never suspects I am here.

Can you see me? No? Perfect! It's easy when you're a wee scamp like me, colored with soft, velvety fur like my Best Friend Raj who looks just like me...I AM SO HAPpy....shhhhh.......can't see me, right? Right? Can't see me, right? Right? This is lonely, though. I need my Raj. Baby-Vinny-Guinea lonely...

Although that was so much fun eating and playing in Taj's food bowl.
Hope my next assignment is even better! I like it here very, very, very much!
(Cuz these is some CrAzY *** PigZ!) You didn't hear that. You don't even
see me. Crazy *** PigZ, hee-hee...

Raj takes me, VinnyGuinea, to the herd Chief, Commander of our Pirate Ship "MAYHEM" to receive my first real orders, so Raj comes along since
I am his Mini-Raj and this was His and YumYum's Idea to begin with...we convene a "Joint Session of NONSENSE" guaranteed not to serve EVEN ONE
of our constituents. SQUEEEEE! I so love politics!

WHAT HAPPENED? One minute all fame and
fortune and even - kinda - had Fairy's attention.
Now things are different & I don't understand.
Something keep'n me awake at night, racing through my tunnel here, hoppin' & poppin' with glee

as I try getting my beauty sleep... And what on EARTH is that thing I found this morning moving about, munching & crunching in my breakfast FOOD BOWL!? Holy Owl-Hork!

i miss fame.
fleeting, fickle, fame.

(Raj, YumYum, & VinnyGuinea giggle together...
Quietly. Very, very quietly.)

p.s. TO SEE PICTURES FULL SIZE SIMPLY CLICK ONE! VINNY IS TOO CUTE TO BE LEGAL! (as if any of us are legal...hee-hee)

RAJ'S "MINI-ME" CRASHES SUPERBOWL TAILGATE PARTY!

2012-01-28T00:00:00.000-08:00

We've been getting the place ready...
GO GIANTS! GO LITTLE PIG!

Super-Bowl just over a WHEEK! away...
AND MOM BROKE THE COMPUTER SO WE ARE KEEPING HER IN BED...WAS LUCKY TO GET IN THIS POST OF...
MINI-ME!!!! (Who conveniently fits quite
nicely in the palm of her hand, snuggles her to sleep, puts his front feet on top of her hand to sniff the wind, and lets her pet him until they are both so calm you can here a Baby-Wheek snoring.)
YOU DID NOT SEE THIS. GOOD NIGHT.
(his name is VinnyGuinea but you didn't see that either, or the part about him looking like me, following me everywhere, imitating everything I do, playing hide and seek, popcorning, and scooting like a streak of lightning through our tunnels whilst we nap: he driving Taj crazy wanting to cuddle with the famous Cover Boy...ALL THE TIME! (hee-hee, got ya Taj, got ya GOOD, DIDN'T I?)
love,
Raj
WE WERE NOT HERE.
YOU DID NOT SEE THIS.

SEE YA IN MINNEAPOLIS! oops - meant INDIANAPOLIS!

2012-01-25T22:41:00.000-08:00

PRESS COLLAGE ^^^ FOR UP-CLOSE-AND-PERSONAL RIVALRY OF THE PIGULAS!
WHEEK! WHEEK! SQUEEEEEEEEEEEE GIANTS!

Guinea Pigs Cause Massive Solar Flare

2012-01-23T20:27:00.000-08:00

Solar flare could briefly disrupt communications

Oops, think we rowed in the wrong direction...

If your computers go down tomorrow, at least

take a look of this spectacular picture of WHY

before your jaw drops in awe at our Cosmic Powers!

THIS IS SOME SERIOUSLY COOL STUFF!

And "YES WE DID!" but it's a secret only

we can share...let the scientists argue all they

want, once we learned to "row" and generate

power, we began to recognize the massive

potential for MAYHEM and so...

Let the Games Begin and:

GO GIANTS! WHEEEK!

SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

WHY MOM GOES TO INDIA

2012-01-23T00:48:00.000-08:00

We realize you can't really see the faces or names of some of our new friends (mom in orange cap second from bottom row) in India, but when mom is stuck (and we really mean STUCK-STUCK in bed) and needs to remember that instead of falling into a depressive state of hopeless despair (i.e. needing hugs and lap time and affection from every single one of us > NOT A LOW MAINTENANCE MOM, SEE?) we encourage her to visit a site, called The Speaking Tree, where other, like-minded seeking souls are asking questions like:

*Why am I here?
*What is the purpose of life?
*Why do good people suffer? (laughing: that's her BIG favorite...oh, HELP US, we're gonna pee! Why mom suffer > She so good? OH NOW WE IS REALLY GONNA PEE, WAAAAH, CAN'T STOP GIGGLING! SOMEBODY help us!)
*Why is Oprah in India? (huh? apparently she is, as someone - oh, right, Deepak Chopra, wrote a blog interviewing her)
*Why am I on the same site as Oprah (now we are all getting lost) "MOM, TAKE YOUR MEDICINE, EAT, ST!AY HYDRATED, IS YOUR HEART MONITOR TURNED ON? HEY, GO TO BED! IT'S WAY PAST BEDTIME!

Anyway, here are some of her friends, we don't know everyone here, but those we do know we enjoy very, very much... and have actually learned much from!
Some are serious.
Some are fun and funny.
All seem quite sensitive.
Some are young, modern, and challenging cultural traditions.
Some are traditional but understand the questions and even offer answers.
Some are quite mischievous - but you always know that once they switch from English to Hindi, mom's in BIG TROUBLE! QUITE A LOT OF TEASING GOES ON IN SEARCH FOR LIFE'S BIG ANSWERS! ELSE A SEEKER COULD GO QUITE MAD! (not anyone we know or live with, of course, just anonymous people could go mad, anonymous people we don't know and never will meet.)

No one believes mom's a girl. No make-up. No sari. Not noticeably "fem."

Many have offered a dizzying, dazzling array of "what Chana means in Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu, Sanskrit, and in cooking and military language"...(seriously, WHO KNEW?) but at least this past week while we enjoyed having "company" dismantle the apartment and life as we once knew it, mom had a place to go and friends to be with whom to discuss the T.V. Show "Lost" so she announced the new show by J.J. Abrams called "Alcatraz" which promises to be less confusing...please don't make us pee because we laugh too hard, it's not dignified.
Indeed, mom has contributed profound wisdom here...dispensing "knowledge of the ages" selflessly, such as what night "Alcatraz" debuts, info on the cast (one was on "Lost") and things that answer THE IMPORTANT QUESTIONS...
Do you readers know what the expression "Epic FAIL" means? You need to!

Mom, we know you really, really miss Calvin and so do we... but MUST we spend THIS MUCH TIME comforting you when we all know LIFE IS REALLY ALL ABOUT US, WHAT YOU NEED TO GO TO INDIA FOR? WHEEK and DOUBLE - SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEE (what say ye NOW Oprah?)
MOM, WOULD YOU LIKE A NEW, BABY GUINEA PIG TO CUDDLE?

Uh-Oh! See, now THAT question: even THINKING IT > EXCELLENT EXAMPLE OF A DESPERATE GUINEA PIG'S

EPIC FAIL!
RUN! YOU NEVER SAW THIS, WE WERE NEVER HERE AND IF YOU TELL ON US WE MAY NEVER BE BACK! LOVE YOU, GOOD BYE, BEHAVE, WOMBAT, WE'RE IN FOR IT NOW!

TAJ UNPHASED BY INTERNATIONAL STARDOM!

2012-01-22T03:05:00.000-08:00

Thanks to his humble, quiet nature (epic description FAIL!) our very own Taj Mahal demonstrates that he remains the same now as he always was...unphased and unchanged by his sudden rise to International SuperStardom, content to steal his brother Raj's fresh treats, stash 'em, and do it all over again. We love you, Taj, congratulations!

REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE RICK PERRY DROPS OUT OF RACE FOLLOWING PUBLIC DISCLOSURE OF HIS DISLIKE FOR GUINEA PIGS

2012-01-20T01:14:00.000-08:00

Rick Perry drops out of

Republican bid for

Presidential Nomination

following reports

he loves all

animals except

guinea pigs.

Rick, can't say we didn't

warn you...just that you

Texans only listen

to Big things...

And now, YOU DROPPING OUT

IS THE BIG THING.

Tsk. Tsk. Maybe next time

before you go trying to

throw us off the Noah's ARK

of your love...you think

twice about it, eh, cowpie?

"The downfall is in

the details."

REPUBLICANS: WATCH YOUR BACK!

2012-01-19T02:15:00.000-08:00

Read on to see how Republicans REALLY FEEL ABOUT GUINEA PIGS and why they must be defeated in the Super Bowl, preferably by the New York Giants!
CONFOOZLED? READ ON, my friends, read on!

Primary Collars: Pets Get Political: Pet News

2012-01-19T01:55:00.000-08:00

Texas Governor Rick Perry states FOR THE RECORD

that although he "loves all animals" he has conceded that he

is "not so partial to guinea pigs." (Paragraph #4, can't miss it!)

Excuse YOU?! We are voting for someone who IS not only
partial to us, but will make us the first FIRST GUINEA PIGS
in PRESIDENTIAL White House pet history, so take that,
Texas Governor Rick Perry, how dare you single us out like that?

We are deeply VEXED!

Our votes now hang on chads, Rick, so mind yourself!

For INGRID...To Summer...in Seattle

2012-01-18T19:32:00.000-08:00

A song for Seattle's 3,323 minutes of summer | Weather Blog | Seattle News, Weather, Sports, Breaking News | KOMO News

^^^FOR INGRID, with love...memories of Summer^^^tap above, please...
THEN SCROLL DOWN BELOW COSMO CAT AND PRESS PLAY-BUTTON! then wait...and wait...we have waited years...YEARS!

Yes, we HAVE
posted this before...but while enjoying our Arctic-Snow-Freeze
NORTH OF SEATTLE, we wanted to share memories of...our NOT-SUMMERs?

FOR INGRID: Gratitude for the "Snow Poem" you gifted our Comments Section...

Just nuts? A painting squirrel

2012-01-18T17:53:00.000-08:00

Just nuts? A painting squirrel

EVERYBODY's an artist! Winkleheimer!

SPEAKING TREE picks mom today

2012-01-18T15:55:00.000-08:00

(IF you find it, her blog where blue arrow is, above-left,
and good luck with that!)

Introducing SPEAKING TREE, the place we send mom when
she "wants to talk" and we want to eat, play, popcorn,
chew our cardboard boxes, play chase, steal one another's
food, toss hay-bales, and have FUN!

We send her to a place far, far away so while
she thinks she is here with us,
(OH STOP IT, YOU WOULD, TOO,
ESPECIALLY IF YOU LIVED WITH HER)
in reality we hath banished her half-way
across the world for them to deal with!

SANCTIMONIOUS REBUKES ADDRESSED TO US
WILL NOT BE OPENED, READ, OR ANSWERED.
WE HAVE A NEW CAVIARY AND ARE WAITING
FOR OUR NEW COPY OF GUINEA PIG MAGAZINE
AND CocoNutPie said (with no small amount
of uncharacteristic sarcasm...)

"Just tell them we're waiting
for our tails to grow in!"

OH NO SHE IS-N'T!

2012-01-18T12:56:00.000-08:00

WHEEEK! SNOW! LOTS & LOTS & LOTS & LOTS...NOT TO MENTION impending windstorm with gusts from 60 - 80 mph and windchill ALREADY 5 degrees BELOW ZERO, AIN'T NOTHIN' mom loves MORE than an exciting POST-OP SNOWSHOEING
ADVENTURE! SQUEEEEEEEEEEE! WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEK! Who let her out?!

On the flip side, may as well get used to the cold in case arctic windstorm knocks out our power >

GO MAMA!

(not really. photograph by John Lok of The Seattle Times...mom in bed where she belongs.)

BUT EDWIN MADE US A NEW CAVIARY IN LIVING ROOM, WAY COOL cuz even he can't get back go Seattle: too much snow, wind, ice and he would become stranded at Seattle train station downtown unable to get back home. Our 2 Kitties cozy as kittens at their favorite vet, boarding down the street from Edwin's apartment where they get lots and lots of love as vet tech who spoils them lives only 2 blocks away so can walk there. Chai and Sami actually safer there than anywhere during this epic storm...sooooo, Edwin is still here...goin' with mom to cardiologist to make sure she don't pull off her heart monitor and "accidentally" flush it down the toilet since it's a pain-in-the-# to wear for a month...
But waaaaay TOO COLD to leave apartment today, just gaze longingly out the window dreaming of Urban Arctic Adventures in and around the Downtown Corridors of Mt. Bellingham...
There was one Michelin Man siting: walking his dog outside...brrrrrr......EVEN THE CAFES ARE CLOSED! THE TOWN IS CLOSED!

IF YOU REALLY LOVE US SEND COFFEE! WE GOT OUR FRESH FOOD, HAY, AND SUPPLIES BUT MUM AND EDWIN, WELL...
WE SAY: PLAY-TIME, WAKE UP AND LET US OUT AND WATCH US PLAY AND FEED US AND LET'S GET THIS PIGGIE PARTAY STARTED AS WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED OUR MAGAZINE BUT ONCE WE DO TAJ GONNA GO AFTER THE FICKLE LITTLE FAIRY PIGGIE...SO THIS MAY BE OUR LAST CHANCE FOR FRATERNAL FESTIVITIES BEFORE THE WOOING GETS...WELL...
(to be continued after magazine arrives...and it may not be pretty, not pretty.)

UH-OH! EPISODE 1 of "As The Cavy Sleeps"

2012-01-17T14:18:00.000-08:00

Raj sleeps with his eyes open, dreaming of his Fairy Princess, while before his sleeping eyes...

Taj is comparing the pinkness of his tongue with the pinkness of Fairy's tongue...
What will happen when Raj wakes up?
TO BE CONTINUED...STAY TUNED!

{Photo of Fairy by Fairy's mum, used with(out) permission, as usual...}

Fairy, Is There Room For...

2012-01-16T23:01:00.000-08:00

Dear Fairy,

It's your very own true love, Raj, here...tonight we have a poorly mum and a blizzard, too, and it's cold and we were wondering, Fairy...Oh, and we have our Mr. Mouse, too...but, would you maybe have room for one more, that would be mum...and then room for one more, that would be me, of course...then maybe have room for CocoNutPie (you could trade beauty secrets!) and MacNutPie...and, oh well, TAJ MAHAL, of course, he of international Guinea Pig Magazine Cover Pin-Up fame...and, YumYum...hmmm, we might need to put him with your miceys...have I forgotten anybody? Well, see, they told mum when she got out of the hospital to "take it easy" and we are POSITIVE she was! Seriously, quiet as Mr. Mouse and in bed resting...most of the time, Honest!

Now, maybeeeeeee, well, not QUITE ENOUGH...so, what I am trying to ask is, is...Fairy, could we ALL CRAWL IN THERE WITH YOU TONIGHT? We're cold and still miss Calvin and Mariella, you know how it is to have "one of those days" well, it's turning into "many of those days - and nights, too!" so, um, would you have room for...us...ALL in there with you and your miceys? Thank you for your kind, gracious consideration, Fairy.

We would bring our own snickety-snackety baskets to share!?

{Sweet Beautiful Photo of Fairy courtesy of her mum or dad? Not sure since we swiped it...oopsie!}

MOM HOME? WHERE SHE?

2012-01-14T19:40:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,

From every one of us at Panda Pig's Peace Sanctuary, thank you for your love, prayers, kind wishes, and wrapping us up in the nooks and crannies of your generous hearts to comfort us through one heck of a New Year! Mom is now home and Edwin is helping us make her behave and we have only hearts full of gratitude for so many wonderful, amazing, crazy-awesome friends willing to be the Wind Beneath our Ear-Flaps...thank you: We love you, each and every one... for although we have lost our precious Calvin, we still have our Mom. And it took miracles and we received miracles. We love living and we love loving and we love YOU!

YOURS,

MacNutPie, CocoNutPie, YumYum, Raj and the infamous, internationally famous Taj Mahal

2012-01-09T10:50:00.000-08:00

WHO'S YOUR DADDY?

2012-01-09T10:43:00.000-08:00

Taj Mahal strikes it BIG on the cover of the next international Guinea Pig Magazine! Demands more food, scritchy-scratches,

and to be praised continually for his amazing tongue...has already retained an agent in Hollywood to tell his life story in indie film biopic showing him eat, sleep, play chase with Raj, popcorn, wheek, and shamelessly snitch food from his brother, EVEN moving his Extra-Large Pigloo

(with its heavy, ceramic food bowl, wooden chew toy, mini-hay-bale, and other accoutrements) over to his bright, new orange fabric hay trough, so instead of eating out of the holes at the bottom like the commoners, he leaps atop his tall pigloo, shoving front paws and snout into the open top, pigging out head-first! Guess that qualifies him for Cover Pig: He outsmarted Jen, the trough designer, passing on her well-planned design to HAVE IT HIS WAY... Imagine that swirly-chocolate head and bright pink tongue plunging into as much hay as he can eat and you have this month's dashingly handsome, humble Cover Pig!

(Houston, we may have a problem.)

A wonderful problem that brings much needed joy at this time.

Not to rain on his parade...but we discovered that THREE OTHER GIRL PIGGIES, ONE FROM EACH SISTER SANCTUARY passed away last week after Calvin, a total of four piggies the first week of the year. Apparently, Calvin now has his own harem to teach him how to popcorn and run and do all the things he never could do in his boneless body...We extend our deepest sympathy and condolences to Fairy, Ingrid, and Jen of Jen's Custom Crafts. We have never experienced so much loss in such a short time and each from a sanctuary or family with whom we feel dearly close.

So we shall rejoice with Taj as we also give thanks to all the girls who are watching over Calvin in heaven and teaching him how much fun a piggie can have once free of suffering.

We also wish to thank each and every one of our friends from America, England, and India for the support and love we have received during this difficult time...

Taj is now on the phone with his "agent" - oops, apparently he now has an iPAD and is ordering custom Robin Hood apparel for himself and the herd, having pulled a credit card out of nowhere...this is definitely gonna get interesting!

P.S. Although the magazine contents are not available online, he is also featured with his very own interview inside while MacNutPie sports his personal collection of products through the magazine store...dem pigs done gone HOG WILD!

HOW WE ALL FEEL

2012-01-08T02:02:00.000-08:00

MAC-NUT-PIE: GRIEF IS PERSONAL.
NOT READY TO COME OUT YET.
WE ARE TAKING A TIME OUT.
WE ARE GOING OFFLINE
TO SPEND TIME
TOGETHER
WITH ONE ANOTHER.
WE LOVE YOU ALL.
PLEASE FEEL FREE TO EMAIL US.
WE NEED SOME TIME...KNOW YOU UNDERSTAND.

MARIELLA & CALVIN

2012-01-07T12:06:00.000-08:00

FAREWELL, MARIELLA...JANUARY 6, 2012

2012-01-06T23:31:00.000-08:00

Meet Mariella, one of Fairy's 2 big sisters, having fun in a snuggly turtle!

Fairy brought so much love and light into Mariella's life...and Mariella
loved Fairy and brought so much love and light into Fairy's life...just
look at her under her terrapin, all warm and cozy!

Mariella made her mum and dad laugh, too!

Today we received word she had a problem with her jaw...
that she had gone to their vet in England.
Calvin's visit to the vet was for a problem with his jaw...
He went to our vet here in Bellingham.

Tonight we noticed a tiny email...
We hadn't seen it, it was so tiny, to be kind to us in our grief.

You see, Mariella passed away - unexpectedly- today.

We hope she and Calvin are happy together
making everyone in Heaven as happy as they both made all of us.

Our deepest sympathy...for Fairy, Marigold, and especially
Fairy's mum and dad.
Please include us all as One in your kind prayers for Calvin.
As we are all one Family who have just
lost two of our precious babies suddenly
within days of one another.

Our heads are bowed in prayer and shock.
Words fail us.

And The Meek Shall Inherit the Earth

2012-01-03T00:47:00.000-08:00

Farewell, our Beloved, Calvin the small,

January 2, 2011.

You will be forever loved, forever missed, forever cherished, forever kissed.

For all you endured we never once heard a complaint, nor were we aware of the pain and suffering you silently endured while smiling at us through those shiny, yearning-to-love-and-be-loved eyes...How blessed were we by your love! Fly free, little dove, without the weight and heaviness of a disintegrating body, fly free, little dove. For, one day, we shall all fly together to that Timeless, Eternal Place where only Love dwells. You were already There before you left this world...so fly, little dove, and smile down at us, comforting us in our grief.
Who will tuck mom in now?