TODAY, I can officially announce my 'behind the scenes'-project!
It all started quite a while ago by an email...
I was asked the question: "Have you ever concidered writing a book?"
Simple question; with great consequences:
It was the start of a most wonderful adventure!
" Isn't that INSANLY-COOL? " - Mathijs
Many, many (enjoyable) hours went into this GEM of a project.
Ranging from learning about (the process of) writing a book (it's a great 'ritual' to experience!),
(international) laws,
enjoying working with a publisher, Chroniclebooks.com, on the other side of the globe as well as
working with Lucy, while creating 'book-exclusive' recipes, for her to enjoy!
Please allow me to intoduce:
"HAPPY HAMSTER" (the BOOK)
by Mathijs van der Paauw !
A little while ago I recieved two copies of the book,
WOW, what a great experience!
All that work (on screen) finally on paper :-)
" The DESIGN, by Molly Baker is amazing! " - Mathijs
I couldn't wait for Lucy's approval:
" Can you please help me flip some pages, Dude ? " - Lucy
I helped Lucy a little and she LOVES it!
Maybe that's because she is featured as the first hamster INSIDE the book :-) !
Unfortunatly, I can't flip this book for everyone in person,
therefore we have this wonderfull bit of web-delight book preview for you to enjoy:
Happy Hamster
" Lucy3.0 and her Spaghetti on the cover! " - Mathijs
Frequent visitors know, that the HamsterTracker™-Photography Dept,
has been trying out the new camera...
In three weeks + one day, this camera shot a staggering: 1.125 (!) photographs.
Fortunately, the HamsterTracker™-Photography Department, also gave me a go ... ;-)
This photoshoot, involves the 'BEST-Front-faced'-photographs of Lucy,
in her daily attempt accomplishment:
" DUUUUUUUUUUDE ....
You there ??? " - Lucy
" I just KNOW! You're there !!!
Since only YOU have the key to my mansions front-door! " - Lucy
" Uuhhh ... " - Mathijs
" Ahhhh!
I've seem to have grabbed your attention!
You where behind that camera all the time, right? " - Lucy
" HAND TAXI, DUDE! ...
It's time for some serious Recreation & Relaxation on the couch! " - Lucy
After a 'one-pine-seed-drive' Lucy starts to explore the couch,
as a true Sherlock Holmes...
( She loves to examine the part between my back and the couch...
Giving me a nice tickle along the way... )
" Works EVERY TIME!
You just need to TICKLE them on a daily basis,
dear all & fellow hamster's!
TRAIN YOUR CARE-TAKER!
(Like I did ;-) " - Lucy
" Excuse me Lucy,
I didn't hear that last part,
can you repeat that,
Please? " - Mathijs
Lucy was developing a(n [bit] annoyingly) habit of gnawing on her mansion…
When guests at the HamsterTracker™-Office started to make remarks about it,
it got me thinking…
Wooden carrot… is what sprung to mind!
" Placed it ...
Now I am waiting for Lucy to wake up... " - Mathijs
" What's that orange thing, Dude? " - Lucy
I explained that it's good for Lucy ...
" I now know what you mean, Dude! " - Lucy
" Bedroom material ... " - Lucy
" Retry number ...
(sorry I lost count) ... " - Lucy
Lucy devours TP-rolls faster than I can 'produce' them.
So every time Lucy gets one, it's special:
" Dude, look what I found ! " - Lucy
" It's tough to carry though ... " - Lucy
" I think I've got it !!! " - Lucy
" It just slipped ... " - Lucy
" I have to re-think this one ... " - Lucy
A few minutes later:
" It does take some effort ... " - Lucy
" I love this ... Dude !!! " - Lucy
P.s.:Frequent visitors might have noticed the new slightly wider (standard) photo-size,
as being in effect since today's post ! Yeeeeeahhh, etc. and such, to the new camera!
It's been a while since I've observed Lucy in her Meditation room.
After a long climb as well as digging through two piles of food to get to her Meditation room:
" It does take Lucy quite a while to digg through these two obsticals... " - Mathijs
" Once there, there was the (ritual?) cleansing ... " - Mathijs
Not long after (see article below) Lucy started to inspect her mansion,
criticism came up:
" Duuuuuude... We need to talk... !
The HamsterTracker™-Cage Cleaning Dept. has been slackin' it to tha max, Dude ! " - Lucy
" Look at that;
Stairway is sort-a OK,
But it's still a mess upstairs! " - Lucy
" Please pass on my 'Pffffffffrrrrt'
to the HamsterTracker™-Cleaning Dept.!
Will you, Dude? " - Lucy
I then explained that I have personally been taking care of this.
The HamsterTracker™-Cleaning-Dept. is always not there when they where needed,
therefore I tried to give you the same level of service, Lucy!
" How was I supposed to know ??? " - Lucy
" Anyway, let's get back to the IMPORTANT BUSINESS! " - Lucy
Lucy was extremely sweet and understanding as we sat on the couch that evening
:-)
I've stated it before and I still need to state it again;
Please excuse the Slow-HamsterTracker™-Updates lately:
It's currently all very (enjoyably although a bit) hectic in my life! :-)
Hence the slow updates... (Sorry!)
I didn't want to sacrifice 'Quality-Lucy-Time', as you'll (hopefully) understand.
We did spent quite some moments together, almost on a daily basis!
It's my fail that I didn't have my camera on hand all the time.
So here's yesterday's shoot of our precious time on the couch together:
" You finished reading this fishing-tackle folder, right Dude ? " - Lucy
" B'cause, it doesn't taste like FISH at all ! ... " - Lucy
" It's been a few years ago since I went fly-fishing!
Although I never caught a lot, the few I did catch while fly-fishing where released without injury or anything,
I always enjoyed being out in nature, near a water stream, trying to cast that 'perfect cast' " - Mathijs
- Above info is there on a need to know base ... -
" Lucy does take everything very seriously, giving her all she's got ! " - Mathijs
" This front page is wonderful, Dude ! " - Lucy
" Pouches are (over-)full, need to start thinking on transportation back to my mansion! " - Lucy
" Hand Taxi, Please, Dude! " - Lucy
It didn't take long for the taxi to arrive.
On arrival in Lucy's mansion; Lucy un-pouched immediately in her bedroom!
I guess that this has been the (unfortunately) longest non-post in HamsterTracker™-History...
Believe me when I say that "Quite a lot of stuff has been going on here, behind the scenes!" !
Fortunately I didn't cut back on "Lucy Time", every day.
Although I didn't have my camera at hand on all our meets,
here's the last (documented, as well as), very special Lucy-moment:
" A fresh new bowl of Pine-Seeds & Walnuts,
grabbed Lucy's immediate attention! " - Mathijs
" I count THREE, Dude ! " - Lucy
" There were FOUR, Lucy ! " - Mathijs
" Now, I count TWO ... " - Lucy
" That makes ONE ! " - Lucy
" Minus ONE equals ... ZERO! (unfortunately!) " - Lucy
" Here's a 'pinky-kiss' Dude ... " - Lucy
" Lucy was extremely gentle ! " - Mathijs
You'll probably guess what Lucy's next question was...
Something about Explorer Ball is a [general] hint !
As explained, things are busy here in front of, as well as behind, the scenes.
Lucy can be a wonderfull reminder, on chores to be done:
" Dude, I know that the HamsterTracker™-Backyard-gardeners are on a break,
but what's the state of our mansions-backyard? " - Lucy
" It CAN'T be bad to the environment,
Because: It's GREEN !!! ... Isn't it? " - Mathijs
" After an hour and a half, it still seems green ... " - Mathijs
" Another one hour and a half later ...
two thirds done ... still <Please challenge yourself to do the math> to go :-)
The green in the bottom of the photograph is actually a two foot high stack of green-waste! " - Mathijs
" Many hours later,
I think I got it cleared,
I even managed to almost clear all waste...
The green 'fluff', on the left, is wild Parsley!!! " - Mathijs
" As you can see, there is a (small) pile left.
This does include the 1.5 foot tall 'gras and undefinable stuff'-cut of my 'lawn'... :-)
(see next pic...) " - Mathijs
" The 'Beauty' shot...
The brown patch on the center south west, is due to ... I am not really sure ... " - Mathijs
After I done all this,
the birds started Tweeting about it:
We are (probably) overspending on our multi-media budget
Please allow me to present THE HamsterTracker™-Mansion Garden Sounds:
Hamstertracker™ Rss Stream
Lucy's Tweets
