Halleluiah, I’m back, no flu and plenty to say 😁

Last month I realise that I had precious little to say as I had been laid up on the sofa for most of it!

At the end of January, SEAS was super (South East Arachnid Show), I was a little nervous about going as I thought it might be sad seeing all the bugs and people and not being part of it anymore. However, I realised that I will always be part of it and I had a fun time, no pressure to buy, lots of great friends to hug and a really lovely relaxed day. Yes, I did buy Milo a juvenile Costa Rican Curly Hair tarantula for his birthday next week. It seemed like a good spider to get, I love anything Costa Rican and I have always said that Curly Hairs are very under-rated, they are pretty and generally very calm. He will enjoy watching “it” grow, I don’t care what sex it is 😂

It was my birthday last week and I had plenty of bug themed presents as usual. I haven’t yet had time to sit and watch the USB package (Andrew Smith’s Tarantulas of Costa Rica) but I know it will be brilliant and also useful as we are hoping to go back to Costa Rica next year when it will be our Golden Wedding anniversary! It is actually our 49th anniversary tomorrow. No Costa Rica this year but we have just booked a week in Cyprus, back to our favourite hotel. We will hopefully escape the rain when we go next month but looking at the weather in Cyprus now, it is pretty wet there too. We will probably have rain in Cyprus while it is sunny and warm here 😄 Whatever will be will be, at least it will be relaxing and I will be out looking for snakes in any weather. When we had rain before in Cyprus all the bugs and spiders came out. I might have been the only person who was delighted to see several Cyprus tarantulas around the hotel area. I’m hoping for good weather and plenty of beautiful Whip snakes coming out of hibernation and if I don’t see either, it will be all our daughter’s fault. It is most selfish of her to be due to have a baby in May 🤣🤣 I’m hoping to still go along to the BTS show and bring Milo with us but as it is Georgie’s due date that may not be possible.

When at SEAS, I saw all the tarantula stands with so many little tubs and just thought “what a lot of work”. I’m still adjusting to retirement, I’m never bored and I’m still always looking after everyone and everything. Sadly, my mother in-law fell and broke her hip recently, she is in hospital and although receiving pretty good care, she is not cooperating and therefore not mobile. It is quite depressing so what did I do? I volunteered to help a friend with his new puppy! His doggy day care fell through and he was stuck this week so I have the most gorgeous, cuddly, bonkers puppy here with me. I could write a whole blog about his antics but I will just put a photo on here to show the sight that met me when I turned around a little while ago. I was obviously ignoring him and he was fed up, he is now snoring loudly under my desk.

When I had my huge selection of tarantulas I was often asked by various customers, which tarantula they should get. I could only tell them which ones I preferred and always said that choosing a pet tarantula was like choosing a dog. What suits one person doesn’t suit another. I was thinking about that this week and it is true, I stand by it. I like big, furry dogs, preferably with a curly tail and sticking up ears, I really like Spitz type dogs. My tarantula choice is again for pretty, furry spiders, I like them to be docile and sit out most of the time. I like the Mexican Red Knee, Curly Hair, Zebra etc. Well this cutie that I’m looking after is a Staffy, a Staffordshire Bull terrier, really not my choice of dog. They are very popular and I know that they are generally friendly with people but I am really fearful of dogs fighting and in my experience they are often reactive around other dogs. I just thought it was interesting and relevant to my blog but please don’t take offence if you have a Staffy or for that matter an OBT tarantula. I do enjoy puppy training and being so food orientated little Bobby is proving very trainable, he is only 13 weeks and he sits on command and is getting there with the toilet training. He really responds to the clicker and lots of praise, I love him to bits but I can’t see me walking him as an adult (I’m glad he has a loving owner and this is a very temporary situation), it is fun having him around. Thankfully my husband can work from home tomorrow as Thursday is Milo day and I really don’t think I could cope with both ‘babies’ on my own (the puppy has teeth like needles).

Doggy day care or puppy training might be my new career? Or is it just another of my great ideas (probably). I had better speed this up (not easy when you can only type with one finger). My old bug room is almost finished, my husband has been great, cleaning and decorating everything. I can’t believe how much needed doing but fingers crossed the carpet that we ordered will arrive before Saturday and then he can fit it and then we can move my things in, hurray. I always used to escape into my bug room and soon it will be my own little sanctuary. If you know me at all you will know that it won’t be girly but it will be organised chaos, plants, bugs, gym, telly, yoga mat – I can’t wait.

We had a letter though the door about ten days ago, informing us that the electricity would be switched off for an entire day next week. The letter made me go cold until I realised that I don’t give a damn, I don’t have a tropical room full of bugs to heat anymore 😜