My new apartment doesn’t have central air conditioning. One could install a “portable” a/c but I don’t like them. Swamp cooler is nice for close range cooling, but with the extreme temp, I have to worry about Grace. So we’ve decamped to my sister’s house, nephew’s bedroom. 🍀🏀

The most precious item in the house has now been relocated to the apartment. Two hideys to help ease the transitional anxiety.

My turn to share fun stuff arriving via post. The perks of being a @Hemisphericviews patron.

You had me at “guinea pig stamp”. ❤️ I didn’t even know about these!!

Why not try making a microcast? For example, I did a short series Guinea Pig Wheekly as proof of concept, using my iPhone and Wavelength. And we are offering a month trial of podcast hosting for everyone now. 🎙🎉

Manton Reece - Wavelength 1.1 and podcasting trial

For @jw: your friend could construct a human scale version of Grace’s favorite, the Crunchy Condo from Guinea Dad.

Guinea Pig Easter extravaganza, 2016. Now that Ada is gone, I haven’t had much enthusiasm to do more holiday tableaux. Ada was the sassy actor. With Grace the scaredy-pig, it’s sometimes hard to tell the difference between a still and a video. Freeze over fight or flight!

Grace, the guinea tortoise, comes out of her pigloo shell just far enough to capture her favorite prey.

Bonus Day 30 privacy photos—guinea pig edition. Grace rearranges her hideys for maximum privacy. The cardboard tunnel is like a porte-cochère for the pigloo.

Day 24: babies.

Not the best photo, but the best photo I have of my guinea piglets, when they were just 2 months old and could fit into one pigloo with room to spare.

Day 18 (belated): at home

Guinea pig home décor goals. I like elements spaced apart, maximizing open space. Grace likes her pigloo next to the food bowl, to minimize her time exposed in the open where I might catch and eat her. (Yeah, I t’s been 6+ years, but it could happen?)

A few photos of my guinea pig habitat supplies for @ericmwalk. This is just the tip of the iceberg of stuff I have purchased for them. 🤣

This morning at 5 am, I woke up with a panicked thought. “I totally forgot about the cat during this snowpocalypse. He must have run away! I’ve been too focused on the guinea pig.”

It took me a while to reach the logical conclusion that I must not have a cat, because I never buy cat food. (I haven’t had my own cat since 1994.)

Day 14: Compassion

Dr. Burgess of Southwest Animal Hospital loves guinea pigs…and ferrets, hedgehogs, rabbits, turtles, lizards. A true specialist in small and/or exotic pets. His care and compassion for little creatures always impresses me, even if the patients are skeptical.

The snow and/or freezing rain has started. I’m glad I had the sense to put in a grocery order for this morning, or else we’d be out of parsley.

Took a quick peek at my “on this day” tab and there was last year’s photo challenge entry for “sight.” In this case, the guinea pigs first sight of arugula…and now I’m sad missing my little piggie princess Ada. 😢

How to add On This Day code, h/t @cleverdevil

I don’t remember who suggested this last year, as an alternative to Instagram’s top liked photos.

Here’s my 2020 Fave Eight.

Last Christmas treats and cuddles with Grace. We hope everyone had a nice holiday. 🥬🥂🍰

God Rest Ye, Merry Guinea Pigs (2015) #tbt

Merry Christmas/Eve, Micro.blog. 🎄🥂 🌟

wheek wheek wheek (insert guinea pig here 😏)

I made the mistake yesterday of doing one more chore (guinea pig cage refresh, disproportionately strenuous to pet size) and tweaked my back. I’ve been laid up with my heating pad and that’s just depressing.

Then I open Micro.blog, and it made me happy. I’m grateful for this.

The elusive guinea turtle pokes it head out of its shell, hoping for a treat.

We got a new book! Well, it’s mostly for me. Grace is a big Tribble fan, and sadly, there are no Tribbles in Star Trek: Voyager. I had to bribe her with parsley to do this photo.

For completionist sake, I’m circling back to Day 4 of Microblogvember, near. It was the day I lost my little guinea pig, Ada, so near and dear to my heart, and I couldn’t bring myself to post about anything. 😢

Random unordered items arrive in my Instacart order. This combination of ingredients is so strange, I worry if it’s a secret message, perhaps a call for help?

Meanwhile they forgot the parsley, which I order every time. The essential guinea pig treat.😫

My dilemma is that guinea pigs are social animals who should have a friend or at least a frenemy, but I’m not sure I want to get another after having lost my pretty princess Ada. Grace and I are getting to know one another better, now that our sassy extroverted one is gone.

One of my nicknames for Grace is “sweet pea” which is short for “sweet potato.”

Happy thanksgiving! Enjoy your sweet things. 🧡

You know how Snoopy makes toast and popcorn for Thanksgiving dinner? At my house, it’s pie and lettuce. The lettuce is a feast for Grace the guinea pig. The mini pie is all for me. The big pie will be shared, though not with Grace (who would choose lettuce over pie any day).

The intrepid guinea pig captures its parsley prey.

Guinea pig humor.

I forced Grace on the scale today. I want to keep track so I avoid unintentionally overfeeding her or spoiling her with too many treats.

New emojis on iOS. 😑 One of my big disappointments this year is the rejection of my proposal for a guinea pig emoji.

When I got up this morning, I discovered that my little guinea pig Ada had passed away overnight. Respiratory infections are very hard on these little creatures. She was 6 years old, pretty good for a gp.

So I’m not up to being on online today, which is a blessing I think.

No surgery for Ada today. After they put her under, they couldn’t intubate her because she’s got a respiratory infection. So she needs a course of antibiotics first.

They sent her home, packed in hay for warmth. Dispensing oral meds and eye drops, I’m going to be unpopular.

Ada has surgery on Friday morning for the lump on her shoulder. The vet’s office just called to remind me no veggie treats for two days before. That’s 48 hours of shrieking deprived guinea pigs I have to endure. 😱

Manton will cover community management duties for me. And my neighbor will cover my guinea pig concierge responsibilities. 🙂

Have a nice weekend!

Checking out my On This Day page and it’s my guinea pigs, four years younger. They are now almost six years old. Click the link if you need a dose of cuteness.

For Day 21, a cavy cucumber crunchfest. You really need to see/hear the video to appreciate it.

Cuddly. (Day 17 of the Micro.blog August Photoblogging Challenge) #mbaug

Cuddle cup full of guinea pigs.

Me: Oooh, big package just dropped off. Maybe a very belated birthday gift? 🎁

:: opens it up ::

Me: Oh right, I ordered this.

Grace and Ada: Thank you for not running out of essentials. 🧻

When I first joined an online guinea pig community in 1997, we called ourselves “guinea pig slaves,” a joke about our demanding pets.

It was the protest against the tshirts worn by the cast of Suffragette that opened my eyes.

Now I’m a guinea pig concierge.

I just ordered pea flakes for Grace and Ada from GuineaDad. This site and the YouTube channel bring me much guinea pig info and joy. You will be amazed at his guinea pig architecture skills, too.

An short exerpt from the failed guinea pig playpen video this weekend. I tried setting up a little tripod to catch them at their eye level. It wasn’t long before Grace inadvertently shoved Ada out of the frame.

Day 7 of Micro.blog May Photo Challenge Sprint.

This is the best I can do for violet while self-isolating. (No guinea pigs were harmed in the making of this image.)

🤷‍♀️ 🌈📷

I would love to take the guinea pigs out to lunch today. But it’s a little damp and the temperature isn’t going to break 70F.

And check it out…

**Micro Meetup next Thurs. (Apr. 30), 5 pm - 6 pm PDT. **

@cheesemaker and I will be holding a virtual happy hour. Everyone is invited to be a guinea pig at what we intend to be a regular event.

Mark your calendars. Plan your backdrops. Details to come.

I knew it was a longshot, but I am sad that the Unicode Consortium rejected the guinea pig emoji proposal.

They probably won’t consider a crying guinea pig emoji either. That’s what I’d use here. 😭😿

(But I’m never using 🐹 for guinea pig!)

Why should bunnies have all the fun? Happy Easter!

More guinea pig cuteness. The instinct to stay in the cuddle cup is overridden by the instinct to eat fresh grass.

Today I’m thankful for my pals on The Incomparable Network. We had a lively chat today to wrap up Picard. A podcast a day keeps the blues away.

I look forward to another quiet night alone with the guinea girls.

Some people think this emoji:

🐹

could represent a guinea pig.

Never ever confuse hamsters and guinea pigs. That’s a common but serious faux paw.

I have been meaning to write up the process of submitting a guinea pig emoji to the Unicode Consortium for a few weeks now, but I’ve been distracted. 🤷‍♀️

I thought you all would enjoy seeing the proposed design too, by Neven Mrgan. I really hope it gets accepted!

I have more time to invent toys for the guinea pigs. 😇

I am thankful to have a cozy home with two guinea pigs for company.

I am looking forward to watching the latest season of Vera tonight. (I’m treating myself to a month of BritBox.)

Ada and I are in the new Cats & Netflix 2020 music video by The Doubleclicks!

The original was about being stuck inside in Portland during the rainy season. The new one features a guinea pig and a cat teleconferencing. (That’s Bandit and Erin on the other end.) 🤣

Here’s a fun thing to do: The Doubleclicks are updating their “Cats and Netflix” song and making a new video to go along with it. This one will be feature user videos of folks with their cats or otherwise self-isolating.

I’m sneaking guinea pigs into my submission.

The memo on plague survival has not reached the guinea pigs. They have been playing around with their water bottle today, and I’m going to have to add fresh bedding.

Today I am thankful for all my pals online, for commiseration, support, and entertainment. I look forward to another quiet night home alone with Grace and Ada. (I haven’t hoarded guinea pig treats, but I am well-stocked!)

Today I’m thankful for the new gas fireplace. It snowed today, a surprise for mid-March in Portland. The coziness is a welcome comfort.

I’m looking forward to another quiet night at home alone with guinea pigs.

Today I am thankful to be back home in Portland with my guinea girls. I’m looking forward to a day of rest with a little work sprinkled in.

Day 20 of the Micro.blog February Photoblogging Challenge: “scale.” My rodent of unusual size. ❤️

(Day 21 prompt reminder: “progress.”)

#mbfeb 📷⚖️

New thing I learned while researching my proposal for a guinea pig emoji: rabbits are not rodents. They are lagomorphs., an order that includes rabbits, hares, and pikas. 🐰🐇

I’ve found it hard to concentrate on anything besides Doctor Who today. So I’m pulling one from the archives for Day 15’s prompt “balance.”

This is Rosie, my previous guinea pig, balanced on my shoulders. #mbfeb 📷

Today I am thankful for the opening of the Green Zebra market only a block from my house—and they stock the Italian parsley that my guinea girls love.

I’m looking forward to hanging out at my sister’s house for dinner and family TV night, Survivor premiering. 🏝

Tonight’s soothing guinea pig munching sounds are brought to you by cucumber. Lo l P

New brain teaser for Grace and Ada: lettuce hidden under paper cups. It took them a while to figure it out, though they clearly sensed something desirable was under there.

Micro.blog February Photoblogging Challenge Day 6: “plant.” #mbfeb

(You were expecting another guinea pig, perhaps?)

Need something to help you chill out? The sound of guinea pigs munching on wheat grass is very soothing.

The chimney work has begun. The end result will be a shorter, rebuilt chimney and a gas fireplace.

(The guinea pigs need their own noise-cancelling headphones. They are a bit freaked out by all the commotion.)

“Optimistic and energetic, people born in the Rat year are likable by all. They are sensitive to other’s emotions but are stubborn with their opinion.”

I forgot to wish my fellow Rats a happy new year! I find rodents generally to be optimistic, energetic—and stubborn.

February photoblogging challenge Day 2: Sight

I love the sight of guinea pigs finding new treats. Their first arugula. #mbfeb

Today I am thankful that I’m doing the gratitude practice, even if I miss a day. I’m looking forward to having friends over tonight for guinea pig happy hour, i.e. radicchio fest with guests and drinks.

During guinea pig playtime, Grace got herself into a narrow paper bag and couldn’t get out. I really didn’t think she’d be brave enough to explore it. I had to rip the bag open, she’s traumatized, and Ada ate all the lettuce. Bad guinea pig mom!

Today, a few of my friends are having an especially rough day, and I assume there are others I don’t know about. I am holding a thought for you, with good wishes for better days ahead, and also I can offer emergency guinea pigs.

Today I am thankful for a cozy house on a cold, rainy Portland day. I am looking forward to guinea pig cuddles, even though I have to bribe them with wheat grass.

I decided to come back Flickr Pro. (I hope it can fulfill my need for guinea pig and other pet photos. And people, of course.) Follow me there so I can follow you back.

My first year off Instagram, so I assembled my own little retrospective. It is hard to narrow it down! (My Instagram faves, determined by votes, were 90% guinea pig pics anyway.)

Why has no one ever told me about this??? Wendleton Guinea Pig Village in New Zealand..

brb, making plane reservations…

Video: the making of the 2019 Christmas tableau with guinea pigs. This is one I could put a dialog track to, the way it looks like they are having a conversation. (But I know myself too well, and would spend way too much time on such a project.)

Christmas tableau with guinea pigs. Or, 2019: the year they discover the romanesco broccoli trees are edible. (This is not great, because cruciferous veggies are not great for guinea pigs.)

Micro.blog meetup with @Burk, @Alcedine and @guineapigs Ada and Grace. Radicchio fest!

Five years ago today. These two critters fit into one pigloo with room to spare. I had gone two years without a dog, and didn’t want to get another one. So I finally decided to get guinea pigs. Per ounce, they are the most lovable and entertaining companions I’ve ever had.

TGIF.

(This pedicure spa serves fresh radicchio.)

Impending radicchio fest for the guinea pigs.

I learned to love Feldsalat (aka mâche or lamb’s lettuce), when I was an exchange student in Germany. I like to treat myself to this pricey winter green very occasionally.

I feel guilty not sharing with the guinea pigs, but they could slurp down $10 worth in 20 mins.

Thank you @fiona! Between the YouTube RSS feed and the three-finger swipe, you are my Tip Hero for 2019. 😃

PS. Everyone should subscribe to Little Adventures for guinea pig squees.

For Throwback Thursday, I unearthed another photo of my first guinea pig, GP, held by my sister Judy, with sister Peggy and cousin Brian alongside.

GP was a fluffy Abyssinian. In my mind, GP and Ada are nearly identical. But from the old photos, I see GP was mostly white.

It’s a law in Switzerland that you must have a second guinea pig. Solo piggies are deprived of the interaction they need as social animals. Even if they like to annoy one another, it counts as socializing. #mbnov

I believe that Grace has been moonlighting as a plus-size guinea pig model.

I invented a new guinea pig treat today: lettucicles. They’re easy to make: place a bag of lettuce into the freezer by mistake. ❄️🥬🤦‍♀️

My star guinea pig, Ada. She is brave and seeks The Truth about whether it’s time for treats.

My scaredy-pig. Grace finds the world frightening. She is convinced that every time I approach her, I’m planning to eat her.

She’s also afraid she won’t get her share of all the treats. So she’s often frozen by competing instincts.

Cuddling in the new Cuddle Cups.

No Micro Monday podcast today. Sorry! Grace is not having the best day either…

Still finding gems from last spring’s family home declutter: my sister Peg with my original guinea pig, the creatively-named GP. #tbt #wheek

One of my nephew’s hamsters. 🐹

It was quite tame and adorable, but oh so tiny! I like a more substantial rodent pet.

(Insert guinea pig emoji here.)

I was reminded by Micro.blogger @philroy that today is the anniversary of the 1991 release of Nevermind by Nirvana, which made me want to share this awesome artwork from Piggie Parodies.

True friends = people who will watch a 15-minute guinea pig video on YouTube with you and do a plausible impression of actually enjoying it, e.g. @aleen and @violetpixel.

“Well I know I had it comin’
I know I can’t be free…”🎵

It’s been a while since I posted a guinea pig photo. Grace and Ada had a radicchio fest with @aleen and @violetpixel, who snapped this pic.

It’s Day 8 of the convalescent’s photoblogging challenge, the theme is happiness. Coincidentally it’s also the day I was reunited with my guinea pigs. 🥰

I enjoyed this whole interview with the creator of Fleabag, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, but skip ahead to 4:23 if you want to see the guinea pig headshots she received when casting for the true star of the show. #wheek

Grace and Ada are on their way to the guinea pig rescue’ boarding service. My best friend is coming from NYC to take care of me for a week. She’s not really a rodent fan. It will be easier for both of us to hand them off to the professionals.

I will still miss them!

FaceTime with the morski prašički. Grace came out to say “hello.” (Actually, my father took the pigloos out of the cage so Grace couldn’t hide.) They seemed to respond to me singing their favorite song, “Who Wants Parsley?” (sung to the tune of Frere Jacques) 🇸🇮🐹

FaceTime with Grace and Ada. Well, mostly Ada because Grace is a big scaredy-pig who hates technology.

Training the parental units in the art of the guinea pig radicchio fest.

If you haven’t met Paco and Coco, the guinea pigs from Down Under…, check out @martinfeld’s video.

And Friday got even better with Flock Friday from @dejus. The ducklings are just adorable and are reminding me of the guinea pigs with their big-eyes stares and focus on treats. Follow David and @yellowcottage to experience homesteading vicariously!

I organized a spelling bee competition for The Incomparable Network, which was a blast. Antony Johnston, Dan Moren, Monty Ashley, Steve Lutz and Quinn Rose were great sports to be guinea pigs–I mean contestants. 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝

It’s been a while since Grace and Ada have had a proper radicchio fest. 🥬🎉

A cuddle cup full of guinea piggies for your Saturday evening enjoyment.

If you need a smile today, here is a mega-adorable YouTube video of a golden retriever and a guinea pig who are totally best friends.

Emergency guinea pig Ada is checking on how you’re doing, @miraz and Sasha.

Last week’s Micro Monday episode featured @bsag, a specialist in animal intelligence. I restrained myself from talking about guinea pigs. But here’s exclusive raw aftershow audio, all about our pets…

First Micro.blog video for me!

Second guinea pig video on Micro.blog. @martinfeld was first.

Writing the latest “friendsletter” for folks who want to keep up with me as I divest social media presences.

Feel free to sign up for nephew and guinea pig photos, or just to test out Buttondown Email, which I am really liking!

I apologize for the lack of guinea pig updates lately. Here’s our latest homemade toy: tunnel of treats, with cucumber and parsley inside, which overcomes their neophobic instincts.

If I get back to Australia, I would seriously plan a trip to Wollongong so I could see guinea pigs Paco and Coco hang out with budgies Rogue and Rio at @martinfeld’s home menagerie.

Sorry for the late post of this week’s Micro Monday episode! It’s already Micro Tuesday where this week’s guest lives. I hope you enjoy listening to @martinfeld from Wollongong talk about microblogging with me.

(We also talk about guinea pigs, of course.)

Parsley curation is an important part of the guinea pig concierge job description.

There are 3 piles: large stems to be trimmed and put in a glass with water for later, wilted stems to be composted, and random small sprigs for immediate treats.

My clients are demanding.

This is Poppy. She was my loaner dog this weekend. She is one of two chihuahuas that changed my mind about chihuahuas. She is a total love bug who likes to snuggle up close. Her other advantage is being too short to get near the guinea pig cage.

I clicked “Delete” on my Facebook account. @aleen is here to witness and help celebrate.

I’m working on my first “friendsletter” now. If you are already following me on Micro.blog, no need to sign up. You’ll get guinea pig photos here too.

(photo credit: Aleen Simms)

Extreme guinea pig close-up, post/radicchio fest.

I can’t bring myself to say Happy Valentines Day, due to cynicism about the commercialism, but here are two cute guinea pigs in a cuddle cup for your viewing pleasure. 💘

Grace and Ada are afraid of their new fleece cage liner from GuineaDad. The level of their fear can be measured by how long these two frenemies have huddled together inside one pigloo. (45 minutes) Hashtag: neophobia.

I’m not sure I needed to get a week’s worth of supplies for me and the guinea pigs yesterday, but if I hadn’t, we would have no doubt gotten tons of snow. So you’re welcome, Portland.

During Snowpocalypse 2017, I ran out of guinea pig pellets. So I was motivated to make sure there is an ample supply of everything for the critters.

For @Gabz, an emergency guinea pig.

On this day: Ada And Grace

An extra large dose of guinea pigs I posted a year ago today to test out new Sunlit app features.

Extreme guinea pig closeup: Grace.

Radicchio snack break watching @mentour_pilot discuss maximum aircraft speeds. I told Grace and Ada they don’t have to worry about air disasters because guinea pigs are not allowed on commercial flights.

I’m working on a “goodbye, Facebook” blog post and strategy. One of the things I will miss the most there is the guinea pig group (Potatoes With Legs). Most of my feed now is guinea pig photos. But I’m happy there are at least 3 g.p. people here: @endonend @dan_hill @martinfeld

A nice photo from @dan_hill that illustrates why guinea pigs are lovingly referred to as potatoes with legs.

Who is using buttondown.email? I’m getting ready to break off of Facebook/Instagram and Twitter, and I will give people the option of getting a collection of blog posts and (guinea pig) photos via email or RSS. I’d like to see some other Buttondown email examples!

“Mom! She’s doing it again. Why can’t she stay in her own cuddle cup?” Radicchio fest ends predictably.

Not pictured: uncooperative guinea pig patient.

On my way to pick up my grumpy guinea pig Ada who is out of surgery and doing fine. I think Grace has actually been lonely today. I know I’ve been very distracted waiting for the 👍from the vet.

“Hooman, we felt a disturbance in the fridge. It’s as if there were a head of radicchio and a whole cucumber crying out. Those are the treats we are looking for.” - typical Jedi guinea pig mind trick cc: @alans @EddieHinkle

Not too enthusiastic about our annual checkup. Even though Dr. Mark Burgess is the best guinea pig vet.

Grace tried to discourage Ada, but Ada is determined to squeeze into Grace’s cuddle cup. I still don’t know why Ada does this! #guineapigs

Because they are so cute, and because I spent way more time on this year’s Cavy Halloween Tableau than I intended, here’s one more shot of my Hogwarts guinea pig witches. 🎃

Emergency guinea pigs.

For @dan_hill, my Grace and Ada. I started a little podcast @guineapigs, and also have videos at guineapig.pet.

@endoend’s girls adopted two earlier this year, but sadly, one of them died. It’s the worst thing about pets, and especially these vulnerable little critters.

I ordered a plush guinea pig, but it is not anatomically correct, and it is totally weirding me out. Guinea pig people will notice immediately, but does anyone else know what’s wrong?

Emergency guinea pig photo for @smokey: Ada, bearing up under the indignity of guinea pig “spa” day.

Grace got a bit of attention from the guinea pig rescue staff for her vocal resistance to getting a mani-pedi today. twitter.com/Pdxguinea…

A united front of resistance on guinea pig spa day. We are overdue for nail trims, professionally done by the kind volunteers of @pdxguineapigs!

If you like dogs AND guinea pigs, you might like a lovely Instagram account piggiesandapitty that I am a fan of.

I’ve posted the latest Micro @monday Microcast. It was a fun episode for me, because @collin and I share a love for dogs and guinea pigs, but we do manage to talk about what’s happening in social media. (And how pets can make it better!)

For @DazeEnd. (Oh, the indignity of having to be weighed…but it’s necessary when you are almost 2x the normal pet guinea pig size.)

A new episode of the @JonCast is out. My 5-year-old nephew and I squeal with delight over the new Guinea Pig Bridge game for iOS and Android. jonathanmacdonald.me/2018/08/1…

It had to happen. Guinea Pig Bridge, the best guinea pig video on YouTube, is now an adorable game for iOS and Android.

Back in Portland, and straightening out my podcast posting mixup from earlier. I apologize to the followers of @guineapigs. The special Micro Monday with @verso and me at Chicago-O’Hare is now where it belongs: monday.micro.blog/2018/07/2…

I posted an extra edition of Micro Monday Microcast, recorded with @verso at the airport, but accidentally uploaded it to the Guinea Pig Wheekly feed through Wavelength. guineapigs.micro.blog/2018/07/2…

This week on the Micro @monday Microcast, I talk to @endonend, aka Jason Dettbarn. Spoiler: we do chat about his daughters’ adopted guinea pigs for a few minutes at the end. Give it a listen!

This sighting is about a mile from my house. Keeping the guinea pigs inside…as always.

Cougar sighting in SE Portland neighborhood, people asked to keep small pets indoors

I’ve been remiss in posting guinea pig photos. #guineapigs

Ada enjoying some pets from her new favorite treat dispenser, I mean person, Dori. #guineapigs

My nieces Paige and Zion had fun recording Guinea Pig Wheekly with me. I had fun recording it on the iPhone and editing it with Wavelength while the guinea pigs finished up their lettuce treats. Listen to the latest episode.

Not sure what drama ensued overnight, but someone flipped their pigloo. #guineapigs

I might have gotten a bit strident about the lack of a guinea pig emoji. But it was fun chatting about WWDC with the founder of Emojipedia. Clockwise #245: Guinea Pig Hate Mail - Relay FM

Finished practicing for the James Dempsey and the Breakpoints show, and started playing the Buffy theme with full volume and pedal effects. The guinea pigs beat a hasty retreat to their pigloos.

WWDC Eve

Manton: “Rolled out a series of performance improvements tonight for posting on Micro.blog-hosted sites. Had to work through a few unexpected glitches.”

Me: “Returned library books. Picked up echinacea. Sorted the guinea pigs’ bedding.”

I figured out how to get work done while nephew wrangling: invite him to guest on all my podcasts, starting with Guinea Pig Wheekly. 😂❤️

I don’t know why, but every time, after their radicchio snack has been consumed, Ada crosses over into Grace’s territory and insists on getting into Grace’s cuddle cup. #guineapigs

My happy place. (When it’s not below 60 degrees and raining.) This is the Oregon I love. When it gets 5 degrees warmer, it will be time for guinea pig outdoor adventures with fresh grass.

WWCWF. (World Wide Cucumber Wrestling Federation.) #guineapigs

Who is enjoying microcasts? Which ones have you subscribed to? (Besides Guinea Pig Wheekly!) I’m building up my smart playlist in Overcast.

A new Guinea Pig Wheekly is out. I found myself overthinking what is suppose to be a little fun project, and finally just recorded it off the cuff. I have been trying to get good audio of Grace and Ada all week to no avail.

Grace and Ada say: “Have a Nice Wheekend!” #guineapigs

Doing a little doggie day care for my neighbors today. Poppy == 2 guinea pigs.

Great review of Wavelength by @mistercharlie on Cult of Mac. I admit that I love going totally minimal with no additional equipment for @guineapigs, but I have started eyeing nicer microphones to use with the iPhone. 🎙

Guinea Pig Wheekly: My first microcast with @wavelength! I did everything with the iPhone, including using Garage Band to make the intro/outro theme. No special microphone, though I’m eyeing some now! Follow @guineapigs for the latest microcasts plus photos. #wheek

Today’s Micro Monday microcast ran a teensy bit longer than planned because @kitt turned the tables and asked me a question about guinea pigs.

How to weigh a guinea pig. (Grace is twice the size of a standard pet guinea pig. She’s part cuy, bred for 🍽. 😱) #guineapig l

Guinea pig socks. Many thanks to my pal @cassifras47!

Grace and Ada get their nail trims and ear checks at @pdxguineapigs March Guinea Pig Spa event. (The look on their faces tell me that they wonder what the definition of “spa” is.)

Oops, I forgot that photos can’t go in a reply post, even if you try to trick the system by starting a new post. Anyway, the emergency guinea pigs you are looking for… cc: @collin

If you want to see the action version of guinea pigs running to get their vitamins as I sing the Spider-Man-inspired theme song, it’s now on YouTube.

Daily treat! Vitamin C tabs are like cookies to Grace and Ada. #guineapigs

The mosquito gets an emoji before the guinea pig. 🙍‍♀️ 157 New Emojis in the 2018 Emoji List (On the plus side, we nearly-elderly folks appreciate the addition of white hair for humans.)

The guinea pigs are jealous of all the doggies, and demand equal time plus treats.

The guinea pigs are jealous of all the doggies, and demand equal time plus treats.

There is already a petition for a Guinea Pig Emoji. I never sign stuff like this, as a rule, but how can I resist?

(If you noticed an upsurge in guinea pig photos, I’m testing the beta of the new photo blogging app Sunlit. WTG @manton and @cheesemaker. 📷)

Whenever I confine the piggies to one side of the cage while changing out their bedding, Ada stages a jailbreak. So far, she’s never been successful.

My first book recommendation with the new book emoji tag (thanks @manton!): Pride and Prejudice. I love this little book, which stays true to the text, except for the guinea pig part. 📚

Micro Monday: I recommend @modernlittleme, a designer who posts beautiful photos, interesting book recommendations, and dispatches from the exotic (to me) world of parenthood. She is apparently a hedgehog person, but appreciates guinea pigs. I’m glad I met her via Micro.blog.

“The @willametteweek #pdxpetpageant is going to the dogs, if we guinea pigs don’t get our humans to nominate us! As pacifist vegans, we are the most obvious the best pets in Portland!” - Ada & Grace #guineapig

Champagne and radicchio pairing for NYE. #guineapig #newyearseve

I thought this collection of #bestnine2017 would be mostly guinea pigs. But no! You liked me and @peggymacd at the Women’s March, the Mac sisters in Sisters, and my friend @negrino’s beloved Mac at his memorial service more than guinea pig photos! That is nice, actually. Happy New Year.

Snuggly end to Boxing Day. #guineapig

A gift to my littlest nephew. He’s still too young for social media (not a spoiler here), but never too young to be introduced to the classics! #guineapig

Top photo: how I imagined our holiday photo shoot (with GP salt & pepper shakers as stand-ins). Bottom: how it turned out with Grace and Ada. #christmascavycontest #guineapig

Top photo: how I imagined our holiday photo shoot (with GP salt & pepper shakers as stand-ins). Bottom: how it turned out with Grace and Ada. #christmascavycontest #guineapig

Merry Pigmas from Portland. #guineapig

Thanks for the nice “welcome back” notes. I realize that you all have been deprived of adorable guinea pig photos too! #wheek

Summertime🎵… and the livin’ is easy. Fresh grass for guinea pigs.

A visit from @maia_olson before App Camp next week. She needed some quality guinea pig time.

Somehow I made it through this entire podcast appeared without talking about guinea pigs: Random Trek: Trials and Tribble-ations

I’m going to see Wonder Woman today! (But it’s probably too scary for guinea pigs, so Ada stays home.)

So fun to talk to my friend @collindonnell on The Run Loop. We covered a lot of topics, but not guinea pigs. www.therunloop.com/6

Will cuddle for radicchio.

I am not adverse to bribing guinea pigs with radicchio for affection.

I dare you to resist the treat entreaties of these most adorable guinea pigs. #wheek

Random guinea pig photo for testing purposes. #microblog

Grace thinks she’s hiding. In her mind she’s a little 2 lb. pet, not a 4 lb. cuy mix (i.e. livestock piggies bred for bulk…) #wheek

I thought I heard a rat in the kitchen. Turned out one of the house rodents liberated herself. 😮

Grey offers Ada Lovebug an after-dinner cucumber.

Table flip (guinea pig version). Which is a problem because they can’t fit into one pigloo.

Hay delivery day! Hard to believe these little creatures will chow down 10 lbs of hay in 6 weeks. #guineapig

Sorry I was out sick and have been deficient in posting guinea pig pics. Rest assured that Ada and Grace did get all their usual treats. (Can’t ignore the little wheekers, no matter how ill I am.)

When Grace and Ada could fit in one pigloo with room to spare. #tbt #guineapigs #guineapigsofinstagram #meerschweinchen #cochondinde #cuteguineapigs #mylittlebabies

We went to Guinea Pig Spa Day for a nail trim. Thanks @pdxguineapigs Rescue folks! (Grace is wondering if we have the same definition of “spa.”)

Happy New Year’s Eve. Whether your tastes run to champagne and chocolate cake or radicchio and parsley, indulge! #guineapig #guineapigsofinstagram #champagne #happynewyearseve

Merry merry from Grace And Ada. #guineapig #wheek #guineapigsofinstagram

“Paging the guinea pig concierge. Emergency! The food bowl is EMPTY.”

Some folks have minions I have elves. (And guinea pigs.) Christmas cards or bust!

Radicchio drama. #guineapig

My first cosplay attempt ever. #guineapig #cosplay #wonderwoman

Halloween video shoot. Lettuce, parsley, cakes > Reese ‘a peanut butter cups. #iographer #guineapigs

I’m on the road. In place of our regularly scheduled guinea pigs… #sonomacounty #lizardsofinstagram

We had a few days quarantine so Ada could recover from a vet procedure. Reunited and it feels so good? Grace immediately monopolizes the two pigloos. Sigh. #guineapig

Greetings from the pigloo. #guineapig

During nail trimming at the vet’s, someone’s quick got nicked at the vet’s. Which means she gets all the radicchio she can eat. #guineapig #spoiled

Filing away last year’s guinea pigs. (j/k! Transportation to the vet for a checkup.)

Last chance for outdoor grass snack time. That’s my calf above them. Prey animals, Grace & Ada to scootch up under my legs in their enclosure. #guineapig (PS. If you like GPs and The Office, follow @dundermifflinpigcompany!)

It’s 88 degrees and dry: time for outdoor grass snack time. #guineapig #meerschweinchen #cochondinde #porcellinodindia

The job of the guinea pig concierge: separate out the acceptable sprigs of parsley from the dregs. #guineapig

Sonoma wildlife, cont’d: Lambs! At my sister’s friend’s place. They rival guinea pigs in cuteness.

Another guinea pig portrait, using Paper and the Pencil on my petite iPad Pro, this time with my complicated gp. #wheek #guineapig

If you are going to start drawing guinea pigs with your new iPad Pro and Pencil, start with the one who resembles a sweet potato. #guineapig #ipadpro #paper53 #wheek

First fresh grass of the season. A guinea pig gourmet treat. #guineapig #porcellinodindia #cochindinde #meerschweinchen #морскаясвинка #wheek

Grace and Ada wish you a Happy Easter weekend. #guineapig #meerschweinchen #porcellinodindia #cochindinde #морскаясвинка #wheek #easter

Ada can’t decide which is her best side: brown or orange? #guineapig #wheek #meerschweinchen #porcellinodindia #cochindinde #морскаясвинка

Grace and Ada: masters of the pigloo flip. (╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻ #guineapig #wheek

Using the flash to mess with Ada. And get that satanic guinea pig look. #guineapig #wheek

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Grace, Ada, and me. Hope Santa brings you all the veggies on your list. #guineapigs #guineapig #wheek #cavies #cochondinde #meerschweinchen #morskayasvinka #морскаясвинка

In honor of my pal @redqueencoder’s birthday, I treated Grace and Ada to a radicchio birthday cake. #guineapig #wheek

Picking up supplies, and having a quick look at the little piggies. I remember when Grace & Ada could fit into one pigloo. #guineapig #wheek

Parsley tug-of-war. #guineapig #wheek