Texan Tales (& Tails) - by TinysMom

[TinysMom]

Mercury is on the front and then on the back you have...arg - I can't tell the difference right off between Sophia and Athena - I'll have to look at the big picture later.

But that was a photo I took when I was trying to show off Mercury's body type.

He's a really nice buck. I love him.

I tried the card in different colors (they had like 60 colors?) but I kept coming back to the blue. I really liked it with the silver.

 

[Myia09]

I am just stopping by to tell you I read your blog but sometimes I feel so lost in it I don't know how to reply!!!

I love the business cards

 

[wabbitmom12]

Awesome business cards! Who could resist those big, beautiful bunnies?

BTW, Dave and I were talking last night about your upcoming litters, so thanks for the update! We couldn't quite remember the girls' due date.

Good to hear that you're getting your funds around for the state show. I know that you're going to have a great time

 

[wabbitmom12]

TinysMom wrote:

How true Karen - it isn't all fun and easy and boy - you better have good spelling and be able to write in complete sentences (no text speak).

Yep! Sometimes people forget that after the fun...comes the report.

 

[TinysMom]

wabbitmom12 wrote:

Awesome business cards! Who could resist those big, beautiful bunnies?

BTW, Dave and I were talking last night about your upcoming litters, so thanks for the update! We couldn't quite remember the girls' due date.

Good to hear that you're getting your funds around for the state show. I know that you're going to have a great time

Well - I gotta say that I'm losing my excitement for the state show - I could almost sit down and cry.

I wanted (selfishly) to go compete against Jack with his own stock that I've had all these months - plus my girls from Juan.

I emailed Jack about the state show and flemish nationals...he's not going to the state show - but he is going to flemish nationals (which Juan is NOT going to).

I could try and go to the nationals for flemish - its only a few hours more than driving to the state show. But it is two weeks later - and I don't know if I want to take the rabbits out for two long trips that close together.

Also - I think a part of me wants to be showing "MY" lines the very first time I show at Nationals.

But I did want to go up against Jack and see how I'd do - and I wanted Juan's rabbits to go up against Jack's rabbits.

Oh well.

I am sure that Sophia is pregnant - but with Nyx....its hard to tell. Sophia is getting huge and is grumpy and needy and very moody. Nyx is so large already its hard to see if she's getting bigger plus she's in her normal playful and mostly loving (but somewhat diva) mood.

Meanwhile - Athena is trying to break into the boys' cages on a daily basis...she's even willing to settle for a California boy if need be (which of course they're not loving as they both want her).

 

[TinysMom]

I've decided to break down and order the fair kit from ARBA and have the brochures, etc. available to give people who want to buy from me here locally.

http://www.fortune3.com/ARBA2007/Publications-FAIR_KIT.html

I'm hoping I'll like it...I figure its worth giving it a shot.

 

[wabbitmom12]

Looks like a lot of good material! Will you stamp your name on them, or staple a card, so that people will have your contact info along with the pamphlet (which they will probably save)?

 

[TinysMom]

I'm not sure - I only ordered 250 business cards - but there are 1200 brochures and I know a lot of them are about showing vs. pet ownership. I'll wait and see when they come.

I was offered the chance to buy a stamper thing that had the same information as my business card ... but I passed on it. Maybe I'll order it next time.

I had really hoped to have Minda's drawing on the cards so last night I was sorta down - knowing I needed to get them made and stop procrastinating....

But the more I look at them - the more I really REALLY like them and think it looks better to have a picture on there of Mercury - he just looks so good on the card.

Of course - I love the picture of the girls on the back. Yeah - its strange for a business card...but I'm strange anyway!

BTW - Nyx is having a rough day today. She can't seem to settle down...she's gotten into trouble three times for chewing on things - got stuck in a new collapse-able hamper I'd tossed in the recliner (she tried to jump in the recliner and landed in the hamper)...

She didn't have out time yesterday so that might be part of why.

 

[TinysMom]

Karen - I'm sure you'll understand this...

"Oh....break my heart....offer me a mystery shop at one of my favorite clothing stores (Cato) - better yet - offer me a mystery shop at all three of them in the towns I visit weekly....pay me $10 to go in and look around plus $5 towards a purchase of my choice..."

I'm so heartbroken. Totally devastated..to HAVE to go to Cato again...(NOT!)

And if Dave is reading this and is like Art...he's going "oh no...she can't only spend $5 in there....there goes the budget.."

 

[Fynnagin]

Use address labels for the brochures, then you can type what you want on them, use the font, color and size you want and then just peel and paste into the brochures.

 

[paul2641]

I'm not really understanding what these Mystery shops are can you explain them?

 

[TinysMom]

I've talked about mystery shopping in the past on the forum - too lazy to go looking for it.

Here is a link that explains it pretty well:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mystery_shopping

I've done banks, post offices, UPS, fast food stores, family restaurants, pizza shops, steakhouse shops, even a college cafeteria shop, eyeglass shops, gas station shops, convenience store shops and so much more. I've done retail stores too - a lot.

The information needed for each shop depends upon what the company wants to know. It can be how friendly employees are, how clean the bathrooms are, how long it took to get service, etc. etc.

 

[irishbunny]

My sister does them too

 

[TinysMom]

I'm seriously considering going to Flemish Giant nationals and I've posted about it in the rabbitry area. For those who believe in prayer - I could use some prayers for it.

Also - Nyx almost got hurt today pretty badly. Art was baking apples in the oven and Robin opened the oven to take them out and Nyx tried to JUMP IN the oven. Robin yelled at her a bit and I got the impression she tried to jump in more than once.

She went off to sulk and I tried to explain to her that we didn't want her to hurt herself but I think she really got her feelings hurt. In fact, I'm going to go find her in a minute and pet her a bit.

Its funny - she's such a big girl and such a diva bun....but she can get her feelings hurt pretty easily.

 

[TinysMom]

To help me remember - the information for the National show...

http://www.arba.net/Sanction Files/MIDWEST FLEMISH GIANT RC1.pdf

 

[TinysMom]

First of all - my current mood..

:banghead:banghead:banghead:banghead:banghead:banghead:banghead:banghead

and

:crash:crash:crash:crash:crash

I'm going to try to go back to Farmville in a bit and hope it cooperates to destress me. I just blew up at Art over what is bothering me (not him)....and he sorta laughed it off - not to make light of it - but to tell me that in the grand scheme of things - it doesn't matter.

I hate it when he's right.

Anyway - first the sad update.

I spoke to Cathy (BlueGiants) today and I will not be getting a doe from her in the immediate future. Penelope didn't make it through weaning. In fact, that litter had some issues at weaning time. I'm heartbroken - but we agreed that at some point in the future, I will be getting a doe from her. I told her that since her "real life" is busy right now - to not worry about it. When I do get a doe from her - it will be named Penelope.

Secondly - the scary part. Some of the babies (the first litters) have a bit of diaherrea and smell bad. A couple of them have distended tummies. This is NOT good. It doesn't help that a couple of them are some of the best in the litter for show (although they are all important).

Cathy gave me some advice on the phone and I'm being proactive about dealing with this. I didn't invest all these hours into these babies to lose them now....but I have to admit - I'm scared.

I know of one breeder who recently had a litter of six - lost five of them and the one that survived was non-showable (more of a pet quality rabbit). The ones they lost were a bit older than mine are now.

I really can use some prayers and encouragement. Also - remind me to share a photo tomorrow - of a baby in Mercury's cage with daddy. I took a couple of photos - basically - Mercury was having playtime (as were the babies) when Art opened the back door to air out the house. Mercury got locked up and the two babies that wanted to stay in his cage...stayed. I almost pictured the baby going, "Look at me and my daddy...". Mercury was so good with the babies (at this age). He reminds me of Tiny and how Tiny was fascinated by babies.

I guess that is it for now. I think I"ll go do my headbanging and yelling (expression of my frustration) elsewhere...for now.

Then I'll do this...

:bed:

Fortunately - Zeus loves to sleep beside me and get pets.

 

[JimD]

Sending prayers and good thoughts!!

ray::hug:

 

[juliew19673]

Your All in my prayers tonight - hope it all works out.

 

[massie777]

hey don't know if you remember but I asked a little while ago how big your baby flemish where well here are some pictures of my baby flemish next to a can so you can see how big she is. let me know what you think of her, she is not purebreed or anything and is just going to be my pet.

Blondie 11 weeks old

 

[TinysMom]

I just got done working with the older litters. Three bunnies have some issues - and got butt baths. Two of the three are the most showable bucks I was eyeing - one is CJ (Calamity Jane).

None of them seem lethargic although two have stomachs that look distended (CJ doesn't look as bad).

I took a bottle of water and treated it with cocci medication and also pro-bios and everyone got some of it (a minimum of 1 cc - one pig came back and kept getting more and more and I made him stop at a certain point because I didn't want him getting too much of the meds - even though I used the amount you'd use to treat their water for five days for prevention).

For the next week their water will have the meds in it for prevention and I'll be watching them closely. I'm pushing hay and some pellets and I have some ideas from Cathy too.

At this point I am a bit discouraged and concerned - but not fretting too much. All of the rabbits are very active and none are lethargic.

Off to do some things here - like play Farmville to try and "destress" a bit.

I have an idea I want to talk to everyone about...but I need to mull it over first. I'm not sure this is the right time to present it to y'all.

PLUS....I may even work on my brochure today and want to get your opinions.