It is snowing! Big fluffy balls of snow are falling fast and furious outside the window of my office. Oh, how I hate the cold - snow may be pretty but it is damn cold. Luckily it is Friday so I don't have any parcels to get off, hopefully the weather will have improved by Monday.
I am not feeling at all happy today anyway. Yesterday I lost my beloved pussy cat Bimbo. I took her to the vets at 7.30am to have diabetes tests carried out but the vet called me an hour later and told me there were complications. I returned to the vets immediately and made the heart breaking decision to let her go. I thought she was coming up for 17 years old but the vet records showed that she would have been 18 tomorrow. My office is a quieter place this morning, her bed was under my desk (complete with reptile heat mat of course). She was the most vocal cat I have ever had and Teddi (our dog) is looking everywhere for her (and her food bowls, which Teddi always finished off when I wasn't looking).
Operation 'bugs on the move' is going well. My hubby had a few days off work and has made great progress, clearing the workshop and making cupboards. Unfortunately he miscalculated the size of the doors on the cupboard for the heating boiler and will have to 'adapt' the ones he has made. He is working this weekend so won't get a chance to do anything in the workshop until next week. I am closely looking at my stock and thinking what I will need to cut down on. The new bug house will be so much more practical but it is considerably smaller. I fed all the scorpions yesterday and realised how few of them I sell compared to tarantulas. I may need to cut their numbers. I always keep some back for breeding but more often than not it is a complete waste of time. I don't know how obviously pregnant scorpions, hang on until they feel things are right to have their young (regularly after I have given up and posted them off to someone). I have been known to take a scorpion out in the car for a drive just to try and induce the birth! I often move them around from one shelf to another, hoping that they will get on with it. I do like scorpions, they are fascinating creatures. My hubby bought me a UV lamp for Christmas, the large 'black' scorpions glow beautiful colours under UV. He also bought me a digital photographic studio to take better pictures of the bugs. It is a box studio with lights. I haven't opened it yet but it looks good. I'm just not sure how I am going to keep the bugs from wandering off once they are warmed up by the lights. I hope to try it out soon as I have several new bugs that need photographing for the website. The photos on the packaging show jewellery and little models, neither of which are likely to scuttle off. My niece has recently started up a photographic business. She mostly does children but I'm sure she would have a go with the bugs and she can then use them in her portfolio.
Just this morning we have had a quote from the kitchen fitter which is affordable, so the kitchen appliances should be moved out of my 'soon to be bug house' in approximately two weeks. I am looking forward to the tarantula show coming up soon. I think I am ok to re-stock everything at the moment as I won't be moving indoors until probably Easter time at the earliest. Although I run a postal business I far prefer to choose my spiders and bugs in person. I have received some very sickly stock through the post in the past, not everyone is as fussy or careful as me. I like everything to have the correct number of legs, antennae etc.
It has been a relatively good week for sales but we are at that mid-month time when people are waiting for their next pay day. I cannot believe that I am still receiving orders from outside the UK. When asked, I always point out that I would wait until the warmer weather before placing an order. However I sent two orders to Finland and a very large order to a zoo in Portugal last week and was informed that all arrived in perfect condition. I think, as I have said before that the parcels are never far from people and people like to be warm!
Well I'm off now, due to all the upset yesterday I got very little done and of course I had my nephew's three children in the afternoon. It is their mum's 40th birthday today so we made banners, blew up balloons and visited the party shop for party supplies. The party will be held here this afternoon, lots to do in the bug house and 'real' house. No, I don't feel much like a party but as the hostess, I will do my very best to make sure everyone has a lovely time and we will do a little toast to Bimbo.
Since writing this about 4cm of snow has settled. The birthday party could be quite small if only people able to walk here can make it. My nephew's family are around the corner but everyone else is coming by car and with the hills in HIGH Wycombe, I'm not sure they will make it (may need to invite the neighbours in). I just hope hubby can get home from work, our daughter set off but then got a call from her boss telling her to work from home today.
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