Amber has been pestering me for a hamster for ages, despite her having two rabbits already and my dislike of small rodents...I've got enough of those in my chicken run. We looked after our neighbour Camilla's hamster when they were away last year - he was called Point, presumably as he didn't have one otherwise. He spent the time gnawing the bars of his cage and smelled of rather pongy feet so my opinion has not improved since I was bitten on the thumb by somebody's hamster when I was about 8. Amber however appropriated a box and made a nest in it and after a couple of failed attempts, I managed to come up with this:

I know, it doesn't exactly look like a hamster, more like an Ewok, but Amber is thrilled and has called it Pippa.

Rosie's guinea pigs needed cleaning out so I gave them to her to look after while I did their hutch. I knew she had taken them into her room, but hmm...

I'm sure there are a lot of health reasons why the guinea pigs should not be allowed in her bed but they all looked so happy :-)

It's no worse than the dog sleeping in my bed surely? My poor children, they have such a schizo life as when they are with their dad there is no mess, no mud, no animals and lots of white clothes. I don't know how they cope with the extremes!

Charles came over to help me sort out my upturned pots and trays in the greenhouse as I felt too despondent to tackle it on my own. It has been cold today and it's pretty squishy underfoot but at least it wasn't raining. We managed to salvage most of the sweet peas and 3 of my lupin seedlings. I also finally got round to eviscerating my gro-bags and putting the contents on my plant-less border where the ducks were. We also planted up lots of bulbs and I Sarah Ravened my semperviviums and put them in a shallow terracotta dish. Rescuing some fallen Scots Pine branches from the woods, I was able to prettify my new candle, although I need some holly berries for contrast. So I now have 15 hyacinth bulbs on the go and 5 more paperwhite narcissi. The house should smell lovely once that lot comes in to flower.

It was so lovely to spend some time outside in the garden, very therapeutic. We also mended the cold frame so that is now stocked to the brim; I hope the slugs don't find it.

Ooh Strictly Final Results!! Seeya!