Big Events

Weather forecast for today:
High of 93F
Low of 79F
Current temp 102F

I took this snap of Munchkin #1 looking down into a canal with sea turtles in it a while back (sorry, my camera doesn't do so well at night shots). Munchkin #1 had been invited to huge bash at a private/exclusive restaurant. We took a little boat (an abra) to get him to and from the event. Along the way, we saw this enclosure full of sea turtles being rehabilitated. A few of them were greens but most were hawksbills (here they call them arrow heads). It was really a night to remember for us.

Munchkin #1 has really been wanting a little critter/pet in his room. Before moving here, he had 'Blackie' the gerbil for almost 3 years. Blackie passed away from old age under the loving care of the grandparents back in the home country almost a year ago. And, we've all been missing have a dog to love on and cuddle.

Well, since we live in a flat and not a lovely big house with a garden, a dog is not a good idea. The local pet stores here are not nice places to buy little mammals (I've seen 2 dead hamsters and one very sick one in the last two days at 2 different shops). And I will not have cats again - they were hard on every bit of furniture.

We decided to go to our vet clinic (run by vets from the Netherlands and South Africa - lovely ladies). People move in and out so much, there are always animals in need of homes, even little rodents. No one had hamsters or gerbils, but the lady who works at the front desk has two guinea pigs (cavies) needing a good home.

So, here's the deal. The clinic knows us. So....we get the cavies, the cage, the food, everything for free. Just give them a good home. IF they are too much for us, then they go back 'up for adoption.' And since we're getting them via the vet clinic, they'll be healthy. And, we don't have to give a slimy pet shop business.

The munchkins are very excited. Guinea pigs (we call them 'reehreehs' because of the sounds they make) are animals you can hold and cuddle. The hall leading to the children's bedrooms is tile and rather large. You can close it off from the bedrooms and the main living area. I don't think it will take the munchkins long to figure out that they can sit in the hall with 'the pigs' loose and play. So, hopefully, the new pets will be a good thing. Daisy Rat is, really, Mum's pet. So, these will be more for the kids, but I'm sure Mum will doing a good bit of cage cleaning/maintenance.

I did some grocery shopping this morning. The front page of The Gulf News had a VERY inappropriate photo of Senator McCain on the front with the headline the was something like 'What's Wrong with McCain?'. The website has the photo (it's pic #7):
http://www.gulfnews.com/world/U.S._Election/10252302.html
Why did this particular paper choose this photo for it's front page? I don't know. It was just inappropriate and unkind. Senator McCain is a good man, and does not deserve that kind of treatment. Do I agree with him politically, no. But, the photo was in poor taste.