Spiders, spiders everywhere!
Spiders, spiders everywhere! The South East Arachnid Show (SEAS) was excellent as usual, a lovely venue in a plush hotel, two large halls and everything was extremely well organised throughout the day. There were many European traders, with plenty of less common species of tarantula. I went mad as usual and have practically doubled my spider stock this week. I think I have all the spiders entered on my website now but I still haven't had time to sort out the lovely desert scorpions that I purchased there. I need to get some photos organised but that is a 'blue' job and my hubby isn't back from his training week until this evening. I hope he can get back ok as he is up in Manchester and they have snow. We just have rain here!
I haven't managed to house up all the new spiderlings yet but I expect to get them all sorted by Monday. I have had plenty of orders this week so 'homes' are being vacated all the time. As always with shows, there is a lot of pressure on the day working out what I should and shouldn't buy and I nearly always think "if only I had bought more of so and so" but I think I did quite well. My shopping list was very useful and I managed to get a lot of the spiders that I wanted and that my customers had asked for. It was worth pre-ordering stock but I did have to keep thinking where I had left some of the spiders for safe keeping (I certainly didn't want to leave any behind). After lunch hubby had had enough and retreated to the car to watch Netflix. This was fine as I just carried on with my buying and chatting. Lots of people came up to me and said hello which is nice and of course after all these years I know most of the stall holders so it was a very enjoyable show. I did contemplate buying a pair of adult Australian Rhinoceros cockroaches to go with Brutus (my pet Rhino cockroach) but at £150 I thought hubby would go nuts (or at least think I had gone more nuts than usual). Talking of nuts, I love to see all the eccentric people at the shows, I think life would be very boring if we were all the same. I hope I'm allowed to say that as I would count myself among them! My hubby is always saying to people " well at least she looks normal".
Monday was of course the day that panic set in and everything needed care and attention. I didn't get a chance to send off any orders, quite honestly I didn't have the room to pack anything anyway, every available space was taken (oh how I wish my bug room were larger). I ended up sending orders on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday but I am hoping to stick with just Monday and Thursday next week. It really depends how many orders come in. I have been worried about the weather but the heat packs are great and everything has arrived fine. I have had some lovely comments from customers this week. I had to dash out to Pets At Home on Monday morning (after walking the dog) as I didn't manage to get any crickets at the show. Luckily they had the smaller sizes that I needed for the spiderlings. It was most odd that only one guy was selling crickets and of course he sold out quickly. I expected there to be plenty of live food available. I will make sure I am better prepared the next time that I attend a show and get all my crickets beforehand.
As usual I need to dash, have to walk the hairy monster (I have her booked in for a groom at Pets At Home on Monday, £56!) and then take mother in-law for pre-op checks at the hospital. I must admit though I do have a facial and massage booked this afternoon (an early birthday present). It isn't my birthday until Tuesday but I won't have time then. Friday is always my 'floating day' i.e. floating here and there. Thankfully my daughter's boyfriend (who lives with us and doesn't yet drive) has changed his dentist appointment due to work commitments so I am not needed to ferry him around this morning. Never a dull moment but in all honesty I would hate to be bored and that's good because I never am!
Lastly and quickly - I noticed that this month's issue of Practical Reptile Keeping will have an article all about tarantulas (comes out on Feb 6th). It's a great magazine, I get it on subscription but I'm sure it is available in newsagents and WH Smith.
I have introduced another three of my female tarantulas to male suitors this week. Two of the males survived the encounter but I can see no sign of one, he is either hiding in her burrow or she has gobbled him up (being a baboon spider I fear it is the latter).
I MUST get my Facebook sorted out and up and running, everyone is telling me how important it is and I know you are all right!