The New Nest

Aside from all of that, we have a really nice large storage area just outside the apartment. We'll probably store our bikes in here.

 And I love our balcony. It's a lot smaller than the one at our apartment now, but it's nice, too - and the view is a lot prettier, what with a big flowering tree right outside.

Spring Rain

It's a cool, rainy March day today, and I figured what better time to get my plants out-of-doors!

(It is also the best type of day for a day of writing, reading, and hot chocolate, but that is beside the point.)

A couple of weeks ago I decided that I wanted to have some plants around the apartment. I like having green growing things - and supposedly having such things helps the air quality.

So here are the plants in my family, since all of them have begun to grow.

First we've got some dwarf sunflowers and lavender. I had begun to think that the lavender wasn't going to grow, but a sprout has finally appeared, just this morning!

The sunflowers were the first to sprout - and they've grown quite prolifically since.

Next up are the sweet peas (which get taller by the day, I swear they're the fastest growing!) and my favorite flower of all - daisies. I'm hoping that I'll eventually be able to grow some Gerbera daisies, but for now these normal ones will do. They have sprouted, they're just small. The picture is blurry for some reason - even though it's plenty bright outside, I had to turn off the flash (the pictures kept coming out really dark with the flash on), and I guess I was shaking a tiny bit while the shutter was open.

And then we have my difficult-to-kill plant (I'm prone to killing plants, so I decided to get a succulent that would be more difficult to kill). He is named Ghostie - which is what the label on the pot he came in said was his type. I made the mini umbrella to keep him dry (I don't want to over water him, you know).

And then the plant that I'm most excited for - my everbearing strawberries.

So far they've not done much, but you can see a tiny blossom - one of two that have grown on one of the plants. I'm thinking I'll end up separating the plants into two containers after the move - something I think will be better for them.

So, there are my plants, all of them growing well and brightening my day.

More pictures after the jump!

Tonight's Dinner

Tonight's dinner is chicken that I cooked in the crockpot (I love my crockpot) and a salad!

The chicken is the same as last time, so tasty Crockpot Rotisserie Chicken. As the only side for tonight I made a Strawberry Salad - really the first salad I've ever really put together (I've traditionally not been a big fan of leafy greens).

This was a tasty meal, and again I'm proud of it.

Updates on the Fuzzfront

A veritable pile of rats. Freya (she was moving when I took this), Lilith, Midna, Anise, Ai's behind, and Absinthe. I don't know why they're all piled on one another like that - there are four other hammocks available to them, including the lower level of the hammock they are on (which is a lot larger). But, they seem to be comfortable, I suppose.

I've bought them a new cage, a Critter Nation, which on one hand will be much larger than their current living space, and on the other hand will be much easier to clean. I'm going to make liners for their new home, and hopefully I'll be able to move them in the day the new cage gets here - hopefully by March 10. I'm really excited to not have to deal with this cage anymore. It's become a hassle to clean.

I've also received some information on spaying the older girls. Through North Star Rescue I learned about a spay and neuter clinic in Fremont, called For Paws. They're a lot less expensive than what the vet was asking, although I'm still not completely certain how much they're going to ask for (I had been told by the rescue that it would probably be around 80$ per rat, but it seems like it might be more than that). I'm also uncertain if the vet has successfully spayed a rat before, or if she has just read the literature on doing so.

I'll probably have all the information I need about that next week.