Happy Birthday to me!

Happy Birthday to me! Yes, it is my birthday today and I'm 21 again. It's been a good week, very busy, due to all the new bugs and spiders that I got from the show last weekend and the end of the month pay day. It was a great show, the second South of England Arachnid show, organised by the Invicta arachnid club. They really are a very friendly bunch, if I lived a bit nearer I would certainly join their club but unfortunately they are about 80 miles from me, in Ashford, Kent. The venue too is brilliant, a lovely hotel. I really think we may make a weekend of it next year and stay in the hotel, perhaps on the Friday and Saturday night (planning ahead for next year's birthday). It would of course depend on our daughter being around for all the animals, honestly just going out for a day with all this lot is a major event. I was very pleased to actually make it to the show, after moaning last week about my stinking cold I woke up on Saturday with a tummy bug. I felt so sick all day that I could barely get off the sofa but I'm feeling well again now. We are off to Richmond park for lunch today, it is a very special place for me and always reminds me of my mum. This afternoon we have the family descending on us after school. I thought we could all go to McDonalds but the kids wanted to come to Aunty Ginny's for pasta bake and sausages! I love it really, it's great to have all the family around.

Back to the show, because Ashford is so close to the Euro Star there were quite a few European dealers, which was good. I spent far too much as usual but I was sensible and didn't get too many new spiders, just sought after ones. There is no point picking up 'bargain' spiders that I then have to care for over many months (years!) before they eventually sell. I got a good deal on some Gooty Ornamental spiderlings, they were still expensive, hence only buying four. I really wish I had got more as I have already sold three. It is so difficult to know what will sell and what won't. I got several new millipede species, some Vinegaroons, scorpions, nice beetles etc. It was great to chat to other dealers and find out how they were doing in the current economic slump. It made me realise how lucky I am that I don't have the overheads of a shop, staff, rent etc. Some weeks I do feel like I am working for nothing but at least I am at home and people are not relying on me for their jobs. I was very sad to see that my local pet shop has closed. I only heard last Friday that it was closing the next day. I didn't even know that they were in trouble, it is so sad. If you have a local pet shop that you like support it now before it is too late!

I was very pleased to pick up a used Exo Terre vivarium at the show, I was about to buy a new one but they are so expensive. It came with a hood, lights and all. It just needed a good clean (what else is a husband for) and now my Horse-head grasshoppers have a nice new home. I needed to move them out of their cage because the first adults have just matured and I didn't want them to lay eggs in the old substrate. It didn't work out that well though as the next morning a pod of grasshopper eggs had hatched in the old tank and I then had to catch them all up and put them in the new tank. Now I have to think what I should put in the old vivarium, it will have to be something that also feeds on bramble and isn't at the egg laying stage. I'm thinking my Jungle Nymphs or perhaps Leaf insects? I sold my last baby Crested gecko last weekend, I was quite attached to her but I couldn't keep them all. I was sent some stunning photos of her a couple of days ago so I'm sure she went to a good home.

I had better get a move on, we used to live quite close to Richmond park but it is about an hour away from where we live now. I suppose we will have to take Teddi, I can't really leave her behind but I don't want to end up on You Tube like that poor guy with his dog Fenton. I gather over a million people have viewed this guy chasing his dog around Richmond park as the dog flies after the deer and across a road. When I viewed it I just thought, "**** that could be me"!