Periods...

Before & After

BEFORE

AFTER

New Obsession

Lately I have spent a lot of hours looking at how to care for Guinea Pigs! We recently found out that although the pet rent ($25 per month, per pet)/pet deposit ($125)/pet fee ($100) applies to cats and dogs, there is no rent/deposit/or fee for guinea pigs!

I have looked up proper care for guinea pigs and am excited because apparently wood shavings aren't the best option for guinea pigs. I am glad because that is one of the things we were thinking was a downside. For one, I think I am allergic. For two, it makes a mess. And for three, it is sort of a waste. Whereas the new way is to have a "C&C" cage. "Cube & Coroplast" cage. Cube, meaning just the wire sides, and coroplast, which is plastic cardboard, essentially. It is was small campaign signs are made out of.

Anyway, then instead of shavings, people put down just a fleece blanket. That way you just take out the blanket and wash it with the rest of your laundry. Apparently guinea pigs have respiratory problems with shavings, also.

I've also been looking at diets, and what foods you should give them daily and what foods you should give them sparingly. It's been a lot of fun, actually. My favorite kind of guinea pigs are the ones with smooth coats. I think this is because my guinea pig Gus was a smooth coat. Also, I loved my grandma's guinea pig, Brownie (smooth coat). I've also found helpful hints on how to help tame your guinea pig.

I actually miss this...

Birds of Indiana

One of the things I have liked here is seeing birds that I don't see at home. Recently we saw some new birds and I wanted to post pictures so you can enjoy them too. (Although, sadly, I didn't take any of these pictures, haha)

Northern Cardinal

We for certain saw the cardinal. What we aren't certain of is what little yellow bird we saw on campus. We bought a Birds of Indiana book at the Barnes and Noble and these are the ones we have narrowed it down to:

The Common Yellowthroat

American Goldfinch

Yellow Warbler

Prairie Warbler

Part of the difficulty of identifying it was that it was chasing another bird and was darting in and out of foliage. But hopefully we'll see it again and be able to identify it!

We also found a nature preserve where we sat on a bench and looked out into a marshy lake bed. We hadn't planned on going to the nature preserve, it was just on the GPS and we decided to be impulsive, so we weren't equipped to go on a hike. Instead we decided to sit and look around. We didn't really recognize any of the trees or plants, so we also bought a Trees of Indiana book. This is a plant that I thought was very distinctive and so when we got the book I was able to find it quickly:

Sassafras! Such a fun name to say.

Napoleon!

Our apartment has a floor to ceiling shelf and I have dedicated a corner of one of the shelves to Napoleon! (I had to put that union jack behind there. I couldn't help it. I am much more of an anglophile than a francophile, but I have a certain weakness for Napoleon Bonaparte, as you may have guessed by now...)

Bar Harbor & Boston

Bloomington

Feeling emotionally and physically exhausted.