Happy New Year!

Happy New Year. I hope you all had a lovely Christmas. I don't think I have ever had a more sociable Christmas and New Year, we were out and about all over the place. I didn't even have time to do my Christmas jigsaw! On New Year's Eve I went up to the London Palladium to see Scrooge, it was a great show and Tommy Steel was amazing (he's 76). I really enjoyed doing Auld Lang Syne in the theatre after the show.

Anyway back to work - it was great to have a break and take stock. I have had a brainstorm, how does the saying go? Adapt or Die? Anyway I need to face changes even though I hate them. We have decided to move the bugs into the house and my hubby will have the log cabin at the bottom of the garden as his workshop. Currently his workshop is the room next to my office, it is considerably smaller than my current bug house but it will have huge benefits. The main one being our electricity bill! The bug house costs a fortune to heat, especially during the winter and with the current economic climate I cannot justify the outlay. Orders were low last year so I need to adjust or "get a proper job". I think moving the bugs indoors will have huge advantages to my business, now that we have made the decision I am really excited about it. There will be no more traipsing up and down the muddy garden path, everything will be to hand. Although the workshop is smaller my office is quite large. I just need to disperse all the 'stuff' in my office around the house (or god forbid throw it out) and then I will have room for all the things in my current bug house that are not alive and don't need excessive heat. I would estimate that at least 25% of the things in my bug house are necessary but don't need warmth e.g. packaging equipment, cardboard boxes, plastic boxes, spare containers etc. A huge plus with the workshop is that there is a door from the front of the house leading directly into it. The workshop and my office are actually behind the garage but connected to the house by a door into the kitchen. I will therefore be able to have visitors at last. It is so impractical to have people call at the moment as they have to go through the house and right down the garden. It is awkward when the family are around and impossible in the dark.

There will be a lot of work to make the room into my bug house, goodness knows how long it will take. The first thing is to relocate some kitchen appliances as the workshop doubles as a utility / laundry room. Once that is done it will be a case of hubby sealing everything, making cupboards around the boiler and alarm system and filling in any holes, before decorating the entire room. It is so exciting!

The bugs have had an uneventful festive period, I have been constantly feeding and maintaining them but lots of the larger cages need a proper clean out. I will be away visiting my elderly aunty and cousin over from Australia this weekend but I will get onto it next week. I started back on Wednesday and spent the entire day catching up with emails and paperwork. Yesterday I had plenty of orders to send off and today I need to prepare everything so that I can get off early tomorrow morning for the trip to Somerset. Although the family will be staying behind they will only venture out to the bugs for specific tasks i.e. pulling the curtains and spraying the cages with water. The cages certainly dry out quickly with all the heaters on constantly. I had better get a move on as all the smaller spiders need feeding and as usual I need to collect bramble and top up the stick insect cages. I love stick insects, they are where it all started but there is little market for them now, so I will continue to cut down on the species that I keep. I actually had an enquiry yesterday from a guy who wanted 40 adult Indian stick insects. I had to explain that I had a huge number before Christmas and had trouble even giving them away.

I am still trying to find a good home for my male Crested Gecko, Harry. He is lovely but his dad won't tolerate him. I have had several offers but not from anyone living near enough to collect him.