As you'll know if you visit here regularly, the little white Lilie dog decided to invite some of her doggy friends over to the blog for a visit while the Mummy human went to that hospital place again. We really don't understand why the Mummy human keeps going there, especially since she doesn't really like going there, but the human caretakers do a lot we don't understand, and mostly we just let them get on with it. The thing is though, as the Lilie dog pointed out, it meant we were left alone with the Daddy human. He's great. In fact, I like him best most of the time, and I know the Lilie dog likes Daddy best for everything except play time. But he's not the Mummy human, so does things different to how we like them. He tries, and we always get looked after when the Mummy human can't be here with us, which is the most important thing. Although, I'm not sure my chinchilla sister, Mollie, agrees... She gets really cranky when it's not the Mummy human feeding and petting her. But She'll just have to put up with it, just like me and the little white Lilie dog, even if she doesn't like Daddy best, like me and the Lilie dog do.
Anyway, I didn't think it was fair that the Lilie dog got to have friends over and I didn't, so I wanted to invite some friends over too. The Mummy human thought it was a great idea, so that's just what I did.
Except, between me and the little white Lilie dog, there were lots of friends we wanted to invite over, and they were all happy to come for a visit. So this is going to be more than just something for while Mummy is going to the hospital place again. In fact, Mummy says we can do it now that she's home too, if there are any writers' pets who want to come over for a visit. Although, because we'll need to be able to do our regular "Furkid Friday" posts some weeks too, there will only be one spot a month available as from March. Well, as from April really, since March's spot is already booked.
So, if you're a writer's pet - regardless of species - and you want to come over and talk to me, the Lilie dog, or our chinchilla sister, Mollie, you can get in touch with us, and we'll send you the questions you need to answer to do it. Send us an email to keroberous2004@gmail.com with the subject "Friends of Furkid Friday" (you have to do that bit, or the Mummy human might think it's junk and delete it by accident). Just be patient with Mummy while she gets better from dealing with the hospital thing, because it's making her slow doing things on the computer, and sometimes off it too.
Today though, I'm going to introduce you to my friend, Roscoe.
Hello there, Roscoe. Now, I know we often end up known by more than just the one name. I get called "Joshua" and "Buddy" myself - sometimes "Joshy-Buddy" too. So, since you don't just get called Roscoe, tell everyone what you said when I asked you what your name was.
Roscoe. Also known on the Internet as Geordie Roscoe because of my accent. I think that’s why, anyhow.
I did notice your accent in some of your blog posts. I know some people find it hard to read. Me and the Mummy human don't though. Anyway, what species and breed are you?
I’m a guinea pig (cavy). I’m a fabulous mix of breeds - a little pink-eyed white (although I haven’t got pink eyes), a little ginger dutch (although I only have a ginger patch), a little sheltie, as I have slightly long hair, which is longer at the back, and a bit of Dalmatian, according to my Auntie Doris, as I have a black spot in just the right place.
That's quite a mixture. Describe your appearance in more detail. I know you sent a photo (which I'll share in a moment) but please describe yourself too, for the benefit of those who can’t see the photo.
I’m mainly white with a ginger patch over my left eye. Very dashing! I’ve got a lovely smooth coat which gets longer the further you go back as you stroke me. It sometimes gets so long I have a little bit of a tail but Mummy trims it when it gets long enough to get dirty. If you look closely you’ll discover I have one dark blue eye on my right/white side, and a brown one on my left side, in the ginger patch. But I just look handsome.
I'm sure everyone will agree that you do. So, here's a photo of you so they can see that for themselves:
By the way, what sort of place do you live in? Who do you share it with?
I live in a nice run with my mate Neville, who’s very very hairy. So hairy half the time you can’t see his eyes, even. The run is upstairs in my Mam’s house, next to where she does all her work. She’s shown us how to blog, so it’s easy to do from here. Next door to us is Bertie, who’s a bit of a scoundrel if you ask me, and Biggles is in the loft space above us, and he’s a bit of a softie.
Sounds like a nice set-up you guys have there. By the way, here's a photo of Roscoe with his friend, Neville, for anyone who might want to see it, which I'm sure is all of you:
Anyway, Roscoe, what’s your favourite thing to do?
Eat grass. Run around. Do things that make a noise like gnawing on the grassy tunnel or the nice hay-filled box we got for Christmas. Stare at Mam long enough for her to notice and come over and give me a head scratch. Mmm head scratches are great!
Sounds lovely! Do you have a favourite toy? If yes, what is it?
At the moment it’s the box filled with herby hay we got for Christmas. I think Bertie’s jealous because it’s much better than what he got for Christmas.
I can see why you'd love that so much. Nibbly things are always great, aren't they? Speaking of which, what’s your favourite food?
Hay, parsley, kale and grass. You can’t go wrong with grass. Cucumber’s pretty good too.
Yummy! Sounds tasty. Speaking of favourite things, what’s the one thing your human does that you love most?
Hmm. I like morning cuddles, but not for long. Not nearly as long as Neville. I like running around in the kitchen afterwards best, that’s great. I love it when Mam puts us out in the garden in summer, too. But I like most things Mam does, really.
That's great! I bet you don't like everything she does though, so what’s the one thing your human does that you hate most?
Cut my nails. She’s pretty good at it, but I hate all that holding and fiddling while she gets the clippers right. I can’t bear to wait for her to do it.
I can understand that.
Changing the subject on you though, I happen to know your human is a writer. Has she written anything about you? If yes, can you tell us about it? If no, do you think she will in the future?
I think that’s Neville and me in her last short story about Dylan and the Lights of Ulva. Neville seems to be steering a ship into harbour and I’m there telling him what to do. But that’s only based on the descriptions (I’m a fine handsome fellow, of course). Apparently Neville looks just like Dylan and Dougall who star in lots of Mam’s stories, nearly as many as Fred and George, Mam’s original pigs.
Oh - stop press! Mam says we’re important in the ninth book of the Princelings of the East series, the one she’s writing now. We’re privateers. That’s pirates who are sometimes helpful. Sounds good to me!
Nice! So, what do you do while your human writes?
Eat grass or hay, mostly. Or sleep. She writes a lot, so sleep is a good way to pass the time.
Yes. Sleep is always a good way to pass the time. Speaking of time, it's time for us to wrap things up here, but first... Is there anything else you’d like people to know about you?
I was born in Newcastle, in the north of England, and now I live in Norfolk, which is the east. We had a long train journey to move here. Nev and I are very well travelled, as we’ve also been for a holiday in Hampshire which is in the south, where we went by car. Perhaps we should go west some time.
I write on our blog George’s Guinea Pig World every other week, so people can come and see me there.
And unlike most of the other guinea pigs here, I’m very welcoming and would love to meet you!
WOW! That's a lot of travelling. I've had some car rides too, but ony short ones, and I didn't think much of them.
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Author bio, links, etc:
Jemima Pett has been living in a world of her own for many years. Day-dreaming in class, writing stories since she was eight, drawing maps of fantasy islands with train systems and timetables at ten. Unfortunately no-one wanted a fantasy island designer, so she tried a few careers, getting great experiences in business, environmental research and social work. She finally got back to building her own worlds, and wrote about them. Her business background enabled her to become an independent author, responsible for her own publications.
Her first series, the Princelings of the East, mystery adventures for advanced readers set in a world of tunnels and castles entirely populated by guinea pigs, now has eight books online and in print. Jemima does chapter illustrations for these. She has also edited two volumes of Christmas stories for young readers, the BookElves Anthologies, and her father's memoirs White Water Landings, about the Imperial Airways flying boat service in Africa. She is now writing the third in her science fiction series set in the Viridian System, in which the aliens include sentient trees.
Find Jemima on her blog, on Facebook, Twitter, Amazon or Goodreads
Dylan and the Lights of Ulva
Dylan and the Lights of Ulva is the third novella starring Dylan and Dougall set prior to their entry into the Princelings of the East series in book eight.
Dylan is a princeling at a castle on the Isle of Mull. His job, as shown in the first Dylan novella, is to run messages for the castle.
On the way back from one assignment, he notices strange lights on the island of Ulva, just a few miles south of their own home. What causes these lights? His uncle warns him to keep his curiosity under control, but how likely is that? Will Dylan’s quest for adventure lead him into hot water? Find out in this 7,000 word ebook for 8 to 10 year olds.
Chapter illustrations by the author.
Available at Smashwords, and iTunes for just 99c. And while you’re there - get the first one, Dylan’s Yuletide Journey - it’s free!
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I hope you enjoyed meeting my friend, Roscoe, and learning more about him and his human, Jemima.
Squeak soon,
Joshua
