Virginia Cheeseman - Latest News Blog
I regularly post to my news blog when the number of readers hits a certain target and I get the time to do so :) I have been writing my blog for many years now and some of my posts have been read over 3,000 times! Feel free to check back every now and again to see what's happening at VirginiaCheeseman.co.uk
A cold and wet start to Spring here
A cold and wet start to Spring here. I can’t wait for our trip to Cyprus in a couple of weeks, I’m really busy preparing everything. We are going for 10 days rather than the usual 6-7 days. Although my daughter and friend will be here looking after things I don’t let anyone else touch the spiders and scorpions so they will all need to be set up to look after themselves before I go. Hence my major tarantula sale! Things are going well but I still have many more than I would like, if you see a spider that you want but it is too expensive please do ask if I can reduce it. I certainly will if I can. I am doing my best to improve the information on my website and I do feel that it is getting better and better. My poor web guy Simon has a lot to put up with, I seem to be constantly on the phone to him. I have a list of about five questions to put to him today. He always answers the phone with “Hi Virginia” in a cheery voice, I’d hate to know what he really thinks, probably “oh no, it’s her again”.
Spring at last!
Spring at last! The bramble is beginning to grow again (very important if you keep stick insects), the birds are visiting my camera nesting box (on a tree in front of my window, linked to a screen in my office) and the pond in the garden is full of frogspawn. All wonderful but I’m still waiting for the good weather, I think Easter was a wash out for most of us and there was a frost here this morning.
Out most of yesterday
Out most of yesterday so lots to catch up on today. It’s been another busy week, lots of creatures going out, thankfully making room for more animals to fill their empty cages. Spring officially starts tomorrow and everything seems to be in an amorous state. My two male Corn snakes are constantly thrashing around their vivarium but I’m not letting them near my females. It was lovely to have beautiful baby snakes but I had a nightmare trying to find homes, nobody wanted them, I’m definitely sticking with the bugs!
Animals everywhere!
Animals everywhere! I received lots of new bugs and spiders from various places this week, they are now listed on the website but I haven’t got all the photos sorted yet. Hopefully I will get it done today. I am staying in and have a huge list of things to be done. Only problem is that I’m not sure the day will be long enough!
What a busy week
What a busy week, I don’t seem to have stopped and when I look around my office and bug room I don’t seem to have got very far! My office desk is covered in paperwork and the bug room looks like a tornado has hit. I am staying indoors today to clear things up before the weekend (I was going to say everything but it won’t be everything).
Website changes to the tarantula section
Website changes to the tarantula section are almost complete. I just need to get to grips with it now. I did try yesterday but there were a few problems that needed ironing out and I got very confused. My super website guy is just so patient and calm with me (I don’t know how he does it). I am such a visual person, if I can’t see it, I can’t understand it but I will concentrate today and hopefully learn the basics of what I need to do to work the new system. It is really necessary as since the update to the tarantula section some time ago I have been unable to discount individual spiders and had to resort to setting up a separate “tarantulas special offer page”. The new system will be great once I get my head around it and can work it! I have way too many tarantulas and need to sort them out properly and sell off some stock. It is crazy the amount of time I spend feeding them each week and the amount I spend on crickets.
Soon to be Spring!
Soon to be Spring! Well it is only a month and the sun is shining this morning (I know it is freezing cold – I had to take Teddi out for a walk earlier). I keep coming into the house and going straight into my bug room to warm up. It is so nice and ‘hot’ in there.
No Blog this week, funeral to attend today.
No blog this week, funeral to attend today. Will write a blog next Friday. I have lots to say (as usual) but no time to say it. It's been a busy week, lots of sales so the bug room is looking a little less packed and a bit tidier than of late. My tarantula section of the website is being upgraded and I will once again be able to show special offers on individual spiders without needing the separate "Special Offers Tarantula" page. It will make things simpler for you and for me!
What an eventful time
What an eventful time I have had since writing my last blog. I’m thinking “where should I start”? Last weekend hubby and I went to SEAS (the South of England Arachnid Show). This is always my favourite show of the year, the venue is great and the organisers (the Invicta tarantula club) are a super friendly bunch. It is held in a lovely spa hotel in Kent, as it was my birthday this week we booked a couple of nights in the hotel. Unfortunately, hubby had to work late on the Friday so we didn’t arrive until almost bedtime and then Saturday flew by so I didn’t get to use the spa/gym but we went for dinner with the spider club in the evening and had a great time. We got up and took a leisurely breakfast the next day and then walked into the halls and chatted while everyone set up their tables. I then did what I said I wouldn’t do, I got totally carried away with myself, spent a fortune and have practically doubled my stock. I have been kicking myself ever since but it was fun! Consequently, I have been run off my feet this week, housing, feeding, labelling and adding the new stock to my website. I would like to say that I have almost finished but that would be a lie. I have fed everything and they are tucked up warm in my bug room but there are many, many creatures ‘queuing’ for a new home. I have received lots of orders this week and each time I sell something it gives me a cage to instantly fill with a new inhabitant (after I have cleaned it out). I have done an awful lot of washing up this week and the family have had to put up with dirty tanks on one side of the breakfast bar and clean tanks that need to dry out on the other.
Sales are picking up now
Sales are picking up now (thank goodness). Pre-Christmas is an awful time for my work, the orders dry up and I’m left looking after a multitude of animals that are reproducing but going nowhere! This week I have received several orders from schools and from people who visit schools with their animals. I’m a day late with the blog as the week has been very difficult on a personal level. I can honestly say that this is the saddest January I have ever experienced. All around me seems to be ill health and friends and family needing my help. I haven’t even had time to go in the gym and that is pretty desperate as it is my sanctuary where I generally retreat to at least every other day. I even got a call from the gym yesterday asking where I was!