On a more personal note...

So a few days, a week ago (I've lost track of time, I blame this damn flu bug) I read this post from Clover over at Fluttering Butterflies, which was a little about another aspect of her life, outside books. She mentioned how she thought it was nice to see other sides of book bloggers, not just the book tastes. And I happen to agree. So for a change today I shall share something of the rest of me. I could talk about CFS/ME, and maybe try and help others understand what living with that is like, and maybe I will at some point, but this time I think I will share the other beings that are responsible for keeping me sane alongside books. I am a Christian, and my faith is what gives me hope, keeps me going and these guys are my gifts from God as a physical reminder. So let me introduce to you my four legged family.

Sunny - 5 year old dwarf French lop.

This is my totally nuts little man! After I lost my previous rabbit (Fudge) I went looking at rabbits from a woman who runs a rabbit rescue center and also breeds show bunnies, selling some of the babies. Sunny was one of the babies, and he was very friendly and outgoing, sniffing my hands and looking for attention. He was about 11 weeks when I brought him home. He's completely bonkers! He doesn't do sitting still, he clamors for attention and follows me around the garden when I've got him out loose with me.

Ashey at about 13 weeks

Ashey (Ash technically, but I rarely seem to call her that) - 1 year old dwarf lop

To explain a little of Ashey's story, I gotta go back. Last March I lost my baby, Bracken, a dwarf lop mix. Brax was my angel, a snappy madam who took chunks out of everyone, except me. Well, she tried a few times. Left the odd mark, but mostly I was her safety net and she trusted me only. She got sick and I had to make that hellish decision to have her put down and I was devastated. Later that night my mom mentioned that when she'd been in the little flower shop where she bought hay for the bunnies that they had some very cute tiny baby bunnies in. Now, my mom loves my bunnies, and loves cute babies too. But she doesn't normally mention seeing the babies they sell there. And even rarer still to mention them with the affection she did that night.

So the next morning, having gone outside and put Sunny out in his run and tried like hell not to brake down over Brax's empty hutch, I head out to take a look. I was heart broken, I was driving along thinking what the hell am I doing? I just lost my baby and I can barely breath past the pain and I couldn't talk about it. So why the hell was I going to look at these guys? I got there. Sat in the car for a minute and then took a deep breath and went in. I was there so I may as well right? Three hutches on top of each other, all with cute babies in them. One has 2 black and white dwarf lops in, one has 2 brindled babies in (couldn't look too long, too close to Brax's color), and the other has 3 tri-colored dwarf lops in it. All completely different colorings and markings, but they all reminded me of my first bunny, Flopsy. I put my fingers to the mesh, let them sniff, trying not to cry cause dammit I wanted my baby back! And one of them licked my finger. Reason we picked Flops from the litter? She licked my finger. So that was it, that babe was coming home with me. So Ashey joined the family. My tiny baby girl with ridiculously long legs, a wiry body and half her face light, half dark. She still loves to lick everything, very cute! And she's bonkers too, races around the garden at top speed, jumping over anything.

I've also got Honey, who is a gerbil, but I don't have any decent pics of her to share. Damn creatures are FAST! Trying to get non-blurry pics is a little tricky. Anyway, I've got Honey and she's a friendly little gem. She's old now, but she used to love running around my floor and hiding under my bed. In the house my sister also has a mouse (who is very cute and sweet) and a very evil rat (who is not at all sweet, seriously, he stares at you and lunges trying to take chunks out of you through the bars. I sort of love him anyways). They complete my 'at home' four legged family.

I may have mentioned this already, but I'm a total horse nut as well as a book worm. I can't ride at the moment as I'm too ill (generally speaking I mean, not just with this flu bug) but I do help out for a couple hours at the Riding for the Disabled Centre near me once a week. Obviously none of the horses there are mine, but I love them as if they were. I've got my three angels there too:

Poppy is my baby girl, she's the one I ride when I am well enough. She can be very lazy, but she's also very strong and speedy if it suits her. Poppy also doesn't really like being groomed or tacked up, but the rest of the time she's a total sweet heart! She'll fall asleep with her head resting on my shoulder if she can. She loves being fussed.

Jake, one of 'my' boys, was the first horse I started riding when I started at the center (I'd been riding for years before that). He's a softy, nothing much fazes him. Takes a bit of waking up under saddle, but otherwise is a gem. Stubborn yes, but a gem ;)

Barney is the other of my boys there. I rode him for a while as well. Had a bad accident off him a couple years back, damaged my shoulder, but oh well! Saddle slipped, it happens occasionally. Probably the sweetest natured of the three, occasionally a bit spooky, but mostly just a very loving, willing horse.

Poppy & Jake watching me clean tack

 So that's my four legged family, at home and otherwise!! What about you guys. What four legged family do you have? Would love to hear about them!