what i do in my spare time...

i would like to introduce you to my newest orphans. sven and simon, the chinchillas.
their sad story started the day they were born. unfortunately their mom, veda had a severe bout of stress induced drooling (come to find out is a BAD thing for a chinchilla) which led to a severe mystery illness and then a very untimely death. she didnt seem to recover even when taken to the "exotic vet" and given all sorts of remedies which she eagerly accepted. when i was caring for her and her two newborns during her final days, i noticed her devoted love to her little ones. she defended them and cared for them as best as she could...even though she was dying.
i knew the evening before she passed that she would die that night. there was a look in her eye as if she knew. i knew too. i tucked them to bed in her "hospital" cage, and silently gazed into her eyes a final goodbye, promising her i would care for her babies as best i could. when i uncovered the lonely home the next morning, i found two little chins huddled together on her, grasping the very last minute of warmth from her body. i wondered if they knew her fate. i wondered if they understood the sacrifice she had made for them. i wondered if they would miss her. i cradled them in my hands and promised them and veda that i would care for them.
i quickly found a formula to feed them and got to work trying to care for them the way veda would. i failed miserably, but they were patient with me. they eagerly drank the milk from hard, impersonal glass vials, and huddled together on an artificial, sterile heating pad. but they were good sports. i wondered if they missed the smell of their mom-the sweet noises she would make when nuzzling them beneath the soft fur of her chest. these chins were solely dependent on me now. a daunting task. feeding took place every 2-3 hours and before i knew it, i was on round the clock duty. eden, the night owl she is, took on the late night feedings, thank goodness.
our hawaii trip was approaching too, and i was faced with having to find an appropriate nanny for my new little chins. i had no idea where to look or who even to look for. i was so lucky to find kimberly, a woman with a heart of gold. she lovingly embraced my boys and took them into her home, caring for them like her own (she has quite a few chin children). come to find out, my boys hardly weighed what they should, and were lucky to be alive. with her chin expertise and advise, she helped me turn their fate around. thank you kimberly and mercedes.

my boys are now happy living with their dad, jack-i am sure all of them missing their girl, veda.