BASHFUL still hasn't been buried. If my calculations are correct she lived to either 2 or 3 (time marches on!) I just don't remember... Roborovski hamsters are said to live slightly longer on average than ordinary hamsters, who will do 2 years standard, 3 if they're very lucky 3.5 extraordinarily. In exceptional cases Spherical and her ilk could (so I'm told) live past 4.By the way I just found out Itchy probably died of cancer. After she was dead I noticed a weird black lump apparently sticking out of her belly. Because it appeared to be furry I assumed it was mould and buried her quickly.
Now from examining Bashful's dead body I can see they actually have very short black underfur and this would have been left after the lump eroded her top coat. No wonder she died so suddenly. There was practically nothing left of her body. She was like a dead hummingbird.
2 other things I noted about Bashful. 1: her teeth were worn extremely short, which is a good sign as captive rodents sometimes have to be clipped, for lack of nibbling opportunity. & 2: her back legs are extremely long ~ nearly one inch long on an animal with a total body length of two inches. No wonder she ran so quickly!
Spherical Carrotnose is alive and well and hoping to live to four!
Desireless: Voyage Voyage
Very rare for a record from across la manche to chart here. But this one, made top 10...
This is 80s French synth pop at its best. I like her voice:
This is what the words mean in English:
Above the ancient volcanoes,
Wings gliding through the ruffling flags of the wind,
Voyage, voyage,
Eternally.
From clouds in swamps,
From the Spanish wind to the equatorial rain,
Voyage, voyage,
Fly in the highlands
Above the capitals,
Look upon the ocean…
Voyage, voyage
Farther than night and day, (voyage, voyage)
Voyage (voyage)
In the incredible feelings of love.
Voyage, voyage
Upon the holy water of an Indian river, (voyage voyage)
Voyage (voyage)
And never come back.
On the Ganges or the Amazon,
With Blacks, with Sikhs, with Asians
Voyage, voyage
In the whole kingdom.
Upon the dunes of the Sahara,
From the Islands of Fiji to Fujiyama,
Voyage, voyage,
Don’t stop.
Above the barbed wire fences,
Stricken hearts
Look upon the ocean.
Voyage, voyage
Farther than night and day, (voyage, voyage)
Voyage (voyage)
In the incredible feelings of love.
Voyage, voyage
Upon the holy water of an Indian river, (voyage voyage)
Voyage (voyage)
And never come back.
Above the capitals,
Deathly ideas
Look upon the ocean.
Voyage, voyage
Farther than night and day, (voyage, voyage)
Voyage (voyage)
In the incredible feelings of love.
Voyage, voyage
Upon the holy water of an Indian river, (voyage voyage)
Voyage (voyage)
And never come back.
Hey I can't believe I found this; here's a Gregorian Chants version of the above complete with Arthurian Knights of the Round Table video...
This kinda sums up all I find dodgy and delightful about France, their whimsical emotionality.
Don't write this version off until you hear the girl singer come in around 1min19...
PS NB the little scuttling mouse on the Round Table
And last this housed-up version. I don't like it as much. The singer's voice lacks the original's "primal" quality...
Hey Gled, sorry to hear about the hamsters.
ReplyDeleteAbout Berlin... by all means, visit. But, dude... no matter how hard you try- you can't run away from yourself...
I hope that Bashful gets a good burial. Maybe near Itchy. Such cute little ones. Interesting about their life span.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I could have a pet with such a short life span. Even dogs don't live long enough for my liking! Mine's 7 and already getting grey hairs around her muzzle, it's sad to watch her age so quickly.
ReplyDeleteWhitenoise: yeah I'm well aware of that, which is why I'm at pains not to make it sound like I believe it's some kinda promised land because I don't see it that way at all. The idea actually came to me as the only alternative I could think of to suicide ...
ReplyDeleteSyd: very short
Baino: I know. But the short lifespan does have some practical advantages, e.g. if you are on a foreign work placement. Or something.... I can't really think of many other +s
Oh dude, so sorry about your little furry friends.
ReplyDeleteMaybe going to Berlin might serve as a catalyst for real change in your life. Whatever you do, please don't consider suicide. That would be a real shame.
Keep on truckin my friend :)
Here's an idea that might work...
ReplyDeleteCome to Canada and we'll fly you way up to Hudson's Bay where you can't find a dealer for miles. We'll leave you up there till you heal and then release you. If I win the 49 mill, you've got a ticket :)
Surely Aunt Reeny's not serious! The blackflies would eat you alive - I don't think you could deal with withdrawal AND that!
ReplyDeleteDon't give up. Suicide might seem like a way out but really, once you go through the hell and come out the other side, I think life will be better.
Are there no facilities that will help you detox for a few weeks?
How many hammies do you have left now, Gleds? Itchy and Bashful must have been roughly the same age as they died only a little while apart. One thing about cats is that you don't have to replace them so often unless some trauma befalls them, as happened with my Oscar.
ReplyDeleteHope all is well with you and that the higher methadone dose is having the desired effect.
Maybe the black flies would serve as a distraction from heroin....not such a bad idea after all huh?
ReplyDeleteReeny: black flies? are they a local delicacy/pest? I would consider going to Baffin Island/where you said/somewhere else just to get clean. But I couldn't trust myself not to strip off and freeze self to death in icy wastes in a moment of despair. Hey but at least I'd die somewhere picturesque ..!
ReplyDeleteJeannie: I'm gonna give it one last try doing it on my own then would consider going to rehab. Why I can't go to a facility in Germany when we're in the supposedly united EU is beyond me. I think even Scottish Highlands were out of the question...
Pussinboots: one ~ Spherical. I always suspected she might be their Mum as she was so much bigger. Now I realize they were "runts" hence the early death. But when you look up "roborovski", Spherical looks just like the ones in the pictures
Black flies are THE WORST, i swear they have teeth coz when they bite you they remove flesh. The are also relentless tormentors. Sorry about the spelling had too much white wine last night and am now clock watching hoping that this day will be over soon so i can crawl under a blanket and feel sorry for myself.
ReplyDeleteGreat find that Gregorian Chants video Gleds. I do love a bit of whimsical emotionality and who knew King Arthur had a pet mouse ;)
ReplyDeleteDid you see/hear Estonia's entry for the Euro song contest ... something about nomads crossing a desert aparantly. I thought it quite classy and it should have won or at least come 2nd*!*