I hope everyone’s summer is going well!  We have been dealing with plumbing issues, car issues, and a dog with a severely injured leg… but as they say, there’s no way but UP from here!

Overall, the rats are doing well; we have several joining the Two Year Club this summer: EKO Chlotile Van Dankelein, WLLW Macy, and COVE Tequila Sunrise of WLLW.  SGR Little Spice Bear will be 2-1/2 on 9/2/09.

WLLW Harald Fairhair and WLLW Ingrid Ragnvaldsdotter welcomed their litter of 14 babes — 8 boys and 6 girls on 5/31!  I think this was my favorite litter to date: temperaments were outstanding, and colors were varied and fun to watch develop.  There were three hoodies in the litter, one stayed here at Willow Creek (a fawn rex) and two went to Blaze Craze Rattery to help with a marked breeding program there.  One of the mink boys will be staying here as well (breeding to an agouti girl whose dam is mink, to produce more cinnamons!), as well as their sister who was the lone cinnamon in the litter.

Another litter of ten has been born here to WLLW Finnegan and SGR Sky Lark; 4 girls and 6 boys.  We have the expected black, agouti, mink, fawn, and four “to be determined” colors — at this point, we believe them to be platinum agouti.  Going to get a 2nd opinion before making our “official” call on that, they are still young.    The interesting thing about this litter is that coat type has been separated along gender lines: the four girls are standard coats, and the six boys are all rex!  We are looking forward to seeing which of the girls will be staying here at WLLW!

We did say “good-bye” to SGR Fortunato, who had just turned two years of age in July, but had been battling a respiratory illness and just couldn’t shake it.  We tried several antibiotics and supplementing his food with good immune-building formulas, but he took a sudden turn for the worse and died in his sleep.  We are, as usual, deeply indebted to Sweet Genes Rodentry for another sweet boy and are saddened by the loss.  We are, however, comforted by the fact that we have his son, WLLW Love Is Blue, who is pretty much a carbon copy of his daddy.

Looking towards mid/late August, we are looking forward to Finnegan and Toasty’s litter.  Stay tuned!