Happy New Year from Agents Butterloaf, Rudder Rump, and Cannonball

Happy New Year to all people and peegies! Cheers!

New Years Eve Cage

Since J will not be staying with us tonight, so she made us a New Years Eve Cage to distract us from the loud bangs and flashes;

New Years Eve Cage, phase I

Remove all hard and sharp objects from the cage and replace them with softer things (In our case; a cardboardbox to feel safe, a snugglesafe to feel warm and a basket to lie in something soft).

MOST IMPORTANT STEP: Sprinkle veggies around the cage! (parsley and chicory)

New Years Eve Cage, phase II

Put in lots and lots and lots of HAY!!!

New Years Eve Cage, phase III

Insert Piggies!  

 

Nomnomnomnom..

That is what we call festive decoration!

Happy New Year!

Agent I and Agent Piggy Galore

My Crib: Where do I live?

Hi there,

We think it is time for a new series, as we have shown you lots of available veggies around here now
in the 'Veggie of the Wheek' series. Of course if you have any suggestions or entries in that category you are very welcome to send in your posts or emails...

Our new series will be My crib, and for this we will need your pigticipation!
Some of your slaves might know the My crib tv programme which we think is on MTV, with celebrities who show your slaves their homes.
Of course, we can do the same and show you our cage!
So you are all invited to send us pigtures and some info about your cages, like what's your bedding, interior of your cage, favorite toy in it, maybe your view...
If you have a Do-It-Yourself cage, we are very interested how it was made. Then we can also do a series about C&C and other DIY cages.

Well, for the kick off we will show you our cage made by mommy and daddy.

Well, this is our crib! We have a cage with drybed (like vetbed) on the floor, which is nice and soft. We usually have an assortment of houses, soft baskets, tunnels and/or cuddle cups in it. At the moment we have two hammocks, which are nice to hang in!
Things that are always in our cage are the wooden hayrack (we sent one to our friends the Surrey Squeakers, us being their secret santas), and a hanging hayrack, which actually comes from the kitchen department at Ikea (thanks, auntie Janneke for that idea ;), water bottles (three actually!) and of course our selections of pellets (three kinds as well). Are we spoiled or what!?
Latest addition to our cage is the extra floor, with a very cool brick staircase our mom built

All of the girlz know how to use this, but Chico would rather stay safely on the ground level...

Our cage was made by our mom and dad, and is made out of hobby glass (in holland also known as Plexiglass), glued together with white plastic corner strips. The front glass can easily be lifted out of it for cleaning. It measures 150x50x50 cm (approx. 59x19.7x19.7 inch). Mom and dad are planning on making a bigger one, but they been talking about that since getting Lily and Daisy, and they've been here for half a year now, so that could take some time... We will ask mom to devote a post to the construction of our cage in a Do-it-Yourself (DIY) section.

Wheekz,
the Guinygirlz and Agent Valentino

Puppy the Guinea pig wins the Christmas mouse crown!

Our beloved twitterfriend @puppyaguineapig, has won this years Christmas mouse competition!
It was a head to head race featuring Puppy, Dobbie Jones and Cedric this year...
Congratulations, Puppy!!!

Look here for the results

Merry Pigmas from the Puffs

Agent Ghost, the Puffs asked me to send this to you to wish everyone a very Merry Pigmas. Hope that you and the hamster have a great day!

Agent DJ

Merry pigmas from the Guinygirlz and Agent Valentino

And a special thanks to our secret santas Amelia Biscuit. Weasel and their slave Elizabeth! We love the noms, and the piggy size post card (on bottom right) and slave likes the guinea pig towel and purse a lot. Snow bites are almost finished...

Merry Pigmas from the Piggyfriends

We can't all be in the Pigmas Pigture so Agent Thorntons was chosen as he will sit still and not eat the tinsel.

As her friend, Agent Butterloaf is in a Pigmas pigture, Agent Flower had to be as well so here she is too. 

Merry Pigmas everyone and everypig from the Piggyfriends.

Merry Pigmas from the Surrey Squeakers

Stella Squeaker the newest addition

Merry Pigmas from Agents Cannonball, Butterloaf, and RudderRump!

Weeee all wish everyone and everypig a happy holiday! We will be celebrating Pigmas by eating a lot and loafying around. It is a grand holiday. Here Agent Butterloaf is eating and thinking about all his presents!

Best wishes to all,

Agent Cannonball, Butterloaf, Rudderrump

Merry Pigmas from the Winky Team's Archives

We didn't make Pigmas pigtures this year, but we sure have a lovely archive with pigtures from the past.

1. Auntie Lotje in the 'snow'
2. Snowflake Susie (when she was really young) in the 'snow'
3. Suus dreaming of a white Christmas with chicory (which is Witlof in Dutch; literally white-leafage)
4. Aunties Guiny and Lotje on a Christmas/move house-card
5. Yaya wishes you a Pawsome Christmas
6. Igor sends his love and kisses as Santa Paws

Merry Pigmas!

Igor and Yaya

Bobtails Win £1000

Thank you to everyone who voted, Bobtails did not win the £3000 first prize but they did win £1000 runners up prize and thats not to be wheeked at.

Well done Bobtails

Piggy Snap Black and White the Girls

Charlies Angels




Mystery Agent Venezia

I was rescued with three other piggies, one of whom is already an agent. She chose the name Firenze for her secret name so I have decided to pick the name Agent Venezia. There is a reason for this and will leave it to you to figure it out.

My favourite food is fresh grass too. I think that most of the piggies that live here would pick that as their favourite. I eat everything that is on offer but am particularly partial to cucumbers. When we first came here, we did not know about veggies and it took us a while to realise that they are edible and tasty but we saw all the other piggies munching away and decided to join in.

My hobby is running through pipes and I also anjoy tearing up cardboard boxes.

Agent Venezia's real name is the same as the heroine in Shakespeares the Merchant of Venice, get guessing ............


Mystery Agent Mouse

The next agent is Agent "Mouse"
She gets her name as she is the most quiet piggie we have. She never speaks.. or squeaks...
She came from a horrible breeder that was going to use her for snake food.. she was thrown in a cage with the other piggies he thought were unworthy to sell... She had her ears chewed off and she was so tiny and small like a mouse... We didnt know it at the time when we brought her home but she was pg as well. She is the mom of Agent Chaplin!
Her favorite food is broccoli.
She really doesn't have a favorite toy or item she likes to play with.

Agent Mouses real name is latin and means to strive, excel or rival, she shares her name with a very famous female aviator

Get guessing.......


Mystery Agents Ice Cream and Pizza

Hi Agent Ghost

We would like to play Piggy Snap for the Black-and-White team please!

I am the one who is more white than black, and I would like to become Agent Ice Cream. Another clue to my real name is that there is "Just One..." of me.

I am the one who is more black than white. I got my real name BECAUSE I am black and white, but another clue to my real name is that I would like to become Agent Pizza.

Do you know who we are?

We dont think you need another clue to Agent Ice Creams real name but Agent Pizza's real name is also a game involving rectangles with spots or rectangles that are lined up and then knocked down.

Get Guessing.............

Piggy Snap Black and White the Boys

Agent Badger



Mystery Agent Brock

My dad is already an agent and is known to you as Agent Badger so I was delighted to be asked to join up too.

I have chosen the agent name of Brock to follow in the family tradition.

My favourite food is fresh grass but dad and I enjoy eveything that is on the menu.

We are not the youngest of agents and do not play very much but we enjoy eating and sleeping whilst keeping a watchful eye for any food that may be approaching.

We are part of a family of five that was rescued from a horrible hutch 5 years ago and have enjoyed living here with many other piggies.

Agent Brocks real name is the same as a town in East Sussex and a grain used to make flour, beer, some whiskies and some vodkas, get guessing .......


Mystery Agent Rudder Rump

I am going to pick the Agent name “Rudder Rump” because I have a tuft of fur on my big bottom. I live with Agent Butterloaf and Agent Cannonball.

I love green pepper, it is my favorite snack.

My specialty in human watching is moving pigloos around so they can’t see me. Most of the time I put the pigloos in a corner next to Agent Butterloaf, but sometimes I move one over the foodbowl.

Agent Cannonball is like my little brother. One time Agent Cannonball poked me in the bottom and ran away, so I had to get him back. I saw him eating in the hay pile so I got in my pigloo, starting driving and tried to get him. He moved before I got him, so once I hit the wall I ran out, saw where he was, turned the pigloo around, and started going for him. This time I bopped him in the bottom with the pigloo! That showed him.

Agent Rudder Rump

Agent Rudder Rump's real name is a tough one to think of clues for so we have broken it into 2 words like the human game charades, so first word clue is lightning does this its also the name of a cleaning product in the UK, second word clue guns make this noise. Now put the 2 words together and you have his name.

Put your thinking caps on ...........



Mystery Agents Nervous *** and Chaplin

Agent "Nervous ***"
His name is chosen because he is the most nervous piggie ever! He had belonged to a family that had kids that would take him out and put him in moving toy cars! he was used as their "live" toy... so needless to say he has earned his name due to his past.

His favorite toy is his wooden house.. he loves to hide in it and peak out the windows at the world.

Favorite food is Apples

Agent Nervous *** (cant give him his full name until you have had a guess at it) your clues his name is the same as a famous Australian outlaw with the surname Kelly.

Get guessing............

Agent Chaplin

He got his name due to the only two colors on him are black and white!Like the old time movies.
His favorite food is strawberries.
His favorite toy is his chewy tube.

Agent Chaplins real name is almost the same as a famous type of quilt minus the work part.

Get thinking..............

Rodent-run Power

Read about a farm and home being powered with...
guinea pig poo (!) here...

Agents Milk Tray and Gingerbread reporting

Helloooooo ladies! I have chosen the alias Agent Milk Tray because all the ladies love Milk Tray *winks* and my lovely chocolate fur.
I live with my brother who will be introducing himself shortly. Our human is best friends with Mopsy, slave of Dido, Agent Lettuce. I like sitting with my brother on my Mummy or Daddy and eating my favourite treats such as sweetcorn, spinach and the odd bit of carrot.
My actual name is the same as a well known fictional bear and I share his love of pic-a-nic baskets.

Misfits Thanks Giving

In the United States, Thanksgiving is on the fourth Thursday of November. On this holiday, a Thanksgiving meal is prepared with all the trimmings; families gather together and talk,laugh, eat, while others watch a game or a parade filled with pilgrims, Indians and other colonial figures. Some families may even have their own yearly Thanksgiving traditions.

What is the history of Thanksgiving in United States? The initial "Thanksgiving" feast, held in 1621, was really a traditional English harvest celebration. The Pilgrims shared it with the Native Americans because they had taught the colonists to plant crops and hunt wild game. Without the Native Americans, the Pilgrims may not have survived the harsh winter and been able to celebrate their first harvest of plentiful crops in the New World. The colonists' first harvest feast lasted for three days. Food was served all at once, instead of in courses, so people ate whatever they pleased in the order that they desired. The more important members at the feast were given the best pieces of meat, while the rest of the diners ate whatever was closest to them. The history of Thanksgiving demonstrates that feasts like the one at Plymouth were held throughout the colonies after fall harvests. However, all thirteen colonies did not celebrate Thanksgiving at the same time. In 1789, George Washington became the first president to declare Thanksgiving a holiday. By the mid-1800s, many states observed the Thanksgiving holiday. Meanwhile, the poet and editor, Sarah J. Hale, had begun lobbying for a national Thanksgiving holiday. During the Civil War President Abraham Lincoln looking for ways to unite the nation, discussed the subject with Hale. In 1863 he gave his Thanksgiving Proclamation declaring the last Thursday in November a day of Thanksgiving.

In 1939, 1940, and 1941 Franklin D. Roosevelt, seeking to lengthen the Christmas shopping season, proclaimed Thanksgiving the third Thursday in November. Controversy ensued, and Congress passed a joint resolution in 1941 decreeing that Thanksgiving should fall on the fourth Thursday of November, where it remains. What is Thanksgiving today? At its heart, it's a holiday where family and friends congregate to catch up, reminisce, tell jokes, share scrumptious food and generally give thanks for all the good things in life-exactly what they did at the very first Thanksgiving.

Happy Thanksgiving All!

Misfits (Patches our spokespig)

Thanksgiving Report from Agent Butterloaf

Agent Butterloaf reporting in about Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is a day where human beans get together with family, relax, and eat a lot (I'm an expert in relaxing and eating.) It originated back in 1691, when the Pilgrims set a day to celebrate harvest bounty after a successful growing season. The harvest was helped by advice from Native Americans, who taught the settlers how to grow crops in the new land.

Turkey is the main meat at the Thanksgiving dinner. Other common foodstuffs include: gravy for the turkey, green beans, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, stuffing, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin pie. One of my human beans bought a butternut squash for Thanksgiving and said it looked like me (not true, I'm much more pleasing.)

Happy Thanksgiving to all agents and their human beans!

It worked: Endive feast!!

Hi there,

The recipe for endive our aunts Yaya and Janneke posted worked!
Daddy slave didn't want to eat endive for another day,
so we got the leftovers:

Yummie!

P.S. Can you see how big Lily'explorer (top right) and Lil'wheeker (top left) have gotten?

Interviewing Caplin Rous using Twitter

Hi All,

We asked Caplin Rous the Capybara the first questions that were asked on the blog.

Below a copy of our Questions and Caplin's answers send using twitter.

We are @Guinygirlz (it means caplin said something to us), and @caplinrous (is us talking to caplin) is our friend Caplin.

We, Guinygirlz, said:
@caplinrous Okay first questions for the interview came in on our blog. http://bit.ly/b235ip
@caplinrous The piggyfriends, little piggy sanctuary in the UK, say they love you and wish they had a capybara friend! 9:44 AM Oct 11th via Echofon  
@caplinrous The piggyfriends adore the video that shows your cousins being tickled and falling over. (Do we have link of that?) 9:45 AM Oct 11th via Echofon

Caplin answers:
@Guinygirlz Here's the link to best capybara video EVER: http://youtu.be/3A2s70Z_LTg


Guinygirlz:
@caplinrous First question from Ghost, a piggy living with the Hamster in UK: What is the weirdest website you have found about capybaras? 9:46 AM Oct 11th via Echofon

Caplin:
@Guinygirlz: Gosh, I don't think I've ever found a weird capybara website! There aren't that many of them.
 

Guinygirlz:
@caplinrous Surrey squeakers, UK, think they eat a lot, they want to know what sort of quantity of food you munch your way through in a day? 9:48 AM Oct 11th via Echofon

Caplin:
@Guinygirlz I don't know how much I eat since mostly graze. Reports say 5 lbs of grass per day but I don't know. Plus 4 popsicles, 4 yogurts

Guinygirlz:
@caplinrous Last one now, Ghost again: Mummy is making us new bedding tomorrow so we would like to know what sort of bedding a capybara has? 9:49 AM Oct 11th via Echofon

Caplin:
@Guinygirlz I don't use bedding. I have dog beds around the house and on the porches. I urinate/defecate in a bowl of water in the bathroom 





If you have more questions for Caplin, please comment here.

Endive; the Recipe

Hi all,

Since the veggie of the week is endive, I thought I'd write down a recipe for endive, so here we go:

Ingredients:

- (Broad-leafed) Endive

Directions

As soon as the endive is dropped into your cage, it is important to start slicing and dicing right away since endive is at it's best while it is still crunchy. Endive is always a tasty veggie, but at it's best when fresh.
Eat whatever is left after you're done slicing and dicing.

Enjoy!
Yaya

The Leftovers

A crop of endive is kinda big, so it is okay to share a bit with your humans for the following traditional Dutch recipe:

Andijvie Stamppot
(endive 'mash pot')

Ingredients (serves 4 humans)
- 400 gr. broad-leafed endive
- 1200 gr. potatoes (preferably floury)
- 80 gr. butter
- 4 cups of water (500 ml)
- pepper, salt and nutmeg
- warm milk
- Rookworst (Dutch smoked sausage)
- mustard
Variation tip: stir little pieces of bacon and Dutch cheese into the stamppot. My human likes old dutch cheese, but it has a strong taste so if you're not sure a young dutch cheese might be better.

Directions
Put the potatoes into the water and boil them until they are soft (about 30 minutes). Cut up the endive into small strips. Boil the rookworst. Drain the water from the potatoes. Mash the potatoes with a bit of warm milk, butter, a pinch of salt, pepper and nutmeg. Stir in the raw endive and serve with the rookworst and a bit of mustard.

For the non-dutchies: rookworst and dutch cheese (e.g. Old Amsterdam)