Virginia Cheeseman Blog

Panic time, I'm at that stage of trying to get everything organised for the holiday but being freaked out about leaving all my little friends. I'm really looking forward to a break but I wish my husband hadn't talked me into going for ten days, our usual one week is quite long enough to leave everything. Obviously it is the biggest problem with my business, it doesn't carry on without me! I know my daughter will do her best with the animals but she wants day by day instructions to follow. I do everything on instinct, I don't know what will need feeding and watering when I can't see it but I will try to be as exact as possible with my instructions. Her boyfriend is more than happy to be in charge of watering the garden if it means he doesn't have to go near any bugs or snakes. It's been a crazy week, I know I shouldn't moan (I am very grateful of each and every order) but so many people left ordering until the last moment that yesterday was crazy...

A week of sunshine, I love it and the bugs love it but I have had to keep most of the blinds pulled down in my bug room as direct sunlight is certainly not good news for animals if they can't move away from it. I have been working hard this week getting everything ready for my holiday. It is a mammoth task but I'm delighted to have had so many orders, there won't be quite as many creatures for my daughter to look after. Her boyfriend will be staying here while we are away, I'm sure he will keep her company but he grew up in South Africa and seems to be scared of everything creepy crawly. I don't anticipate him being any help at all with the bugs. Let's hope he is good at watering because I am also panicking about leaving my lovely garden! All is looking good in the bug room. I was delighted to see baby Vietnam Rainbow millipedes a few days ago. I have never heard of them being bred in captivity before. I have kept them for years and seen them mate many time...

All alone and it's Friday 13th and I'm going to the dentist - woe is me. My hubby is on his annual motorbike trip in Spain with his friends, my daughter has gone camping in France to watch the Le Mans race and even my nephew and brother are abroad this week. I intend to spend my time trying to catch up on everything before our holiday to Cyprus at the beginning of July. I am doing my best to sell, sell, sell. I have way too much stock and really don't want to leave all my little friends in my daughter's capable (not so capable) hands. I hope some more people will decide to pop in this weekend but as I write this I only have a couple of visitors coming tomorrow. Sales have been good but not quite good enough this week. I am putting lots of items on 'super special offer' and I certainly think (hope) it will help shift stock next week. I have had a number of millipedes arrive this week but that's it now. I absolutely must stop buying! Only yesterday I was ...

What happened to summer? It has been rain, rain, rain this week. Rain is the bad news but the good news is that my wonderful hubby spent last weekend fixing the roof of my office and bug room. Although it was pouring and like a tropical monsoon here on Wednesday, not a drop fell inside! We have lived here for 11 years this month and in all that time it has leaked to varying degrees. We have had the roof redone twice but it was the drainage gully that caused so many problems. My hubby bought long lengths of plastic and made a completely new gully. My house resembles a builders yard at the moment, hubby bought way too many plastic lengths which are lying in the lounge until we can work out what to do with them and he has plans to build wardrobes in the bedroom so the wood for that is taking up most of the hall. It is difficult to get in the front door at the moment. I really hope he will move some of it this weekend as next week he is deserting me for his annual European motorbike ...