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Thursday, December 31, 2009

I guess Puff will wake up some time next year!

Puff's hibernation continues.He is still sleeping in his hide.I keep checking on him and I have not caught him with his eyes open, but he has moved about 1 inch and his head is facing a different direction.It is New Year's Eve and neither Puff or I will be celebrating. Just a quiet night at home.I guess Puff will wake up some time next year.I hope the new year is a better year than the last one!Puff The Golden Bearded Dragon,to be continued..................

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Puff woke up very late

Puff woke up at about 5:00pm and meandered out of his hide. He climbed up on his basking log.I decided to try feeding him.I was afraid he might go back to sleep and miss his dinner.He ate 2 worms, 1 cricket and 10 peas.I am having some friends over to my house for dinner tonight. I am so glad he was awake so my friend Leah, from California and my friend Carla could see him.Leah was amazed at how big Puff was. She thought he was so cute.We watched a movie called "Nim's Island" while we ate dinner. There was a bearded dragon named Fred in the movie. It was a really cute movie and we all enjoyed it.As soon as Leah and Carla left, Puff climbed down from his perch, went into his hide,and went to sleep.It was like Puff read my mind. He knew I wanted him to be awake when my friends arrived, so that Leah could meet him. He knew that when they left he could go back to sleep again. Puff and I have a very special connection with each other. I seem to know what he wants and he seems to know what I want.Puff is indeed,a very special Dragon. Puff The Golden Bearded Dragon,to be continued.................

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

I am still wondering if Dragons dream?

Puff is still sleeping. He does move from time to time, but only about 2 to 3 inches. When I check on him,sometimes I catch him with his eyes open,but they don't stay open long.Back to sleep again. At least he doesn't snore!I wonder if he is dreaming and if so, what he is dreaming about?I miss my beautiful Dragon.Please Spring,come early this year.Puff The Golden Dragon,to be continued.....................

Sunday, December 27, 2009

Puff is hibernating again

Puff has slept the entire day today. I checked on him through out the day and at one point,he did have his eyes open but soon closed them again.He is still in his hide and will probably stay there for the next several days.I hope spring comes early this year. I miss Puff when he is hibernating.At least he did eat yesterday. Puff The golden Bearded Dragon,to be continued.........................

Saturday, December 26, 2009

Puff woke up and was hungry

Puff slept all day.I checked on him after I fed the dogs and he was awake. I decided to see if he was hungry enough to eat. I offered him the wax worm I got him for a special Christmas meal.He ate the 3 wax worms,2 super worms and 2 crickets. The last cricket, he ate half of and I did not think he was going to eat the other half, but at the last minute he opened his mouth and scarfed it down.I have a new basking log for Puff, but I have to prepare it first before I can put it in his tank. I want to make sure it is safe for him.After he ate his meal, he climbed down from his log and dug down into the hide and went to sleep for the night.I turned out the lights. I am so happy that Puff enjoyed his Christmas diner,even if it was a little late.Puff The Golden Bearded Dragon, to be continued............................

Pictures on the blog

I have finally gotten some pictures of bearded dragons on my blog. Thanks to Nick of Jansen Technologies for the help, and Leah for her encouragement and knowledge.The pictures are not of my beautiful Puff , but the dragons in these pictures are also very beautiful, and are very similar to Puff. I will eventually be putting some pictures of Puff on this blog as soon as I can borrow a camera.Puff The Golden Bearded Dragon,to be continued.................

Puff slept through Christmas

Puff is hibernating again. The weather is pretty cold now so Puff has dug down in his hide.He slept through Christmas day. I will have to wait until he wakes up to give him his Christmas present.I miss him.But it is important that he goes through his winter shut down period. He will be healthier because of it. Puff The Golden Bearded Dragon,to be continued................

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Puff was on hunger strike yesterday

Puff woke up about 10:00AM yesterday morning. I offered him some crickets before I left to go help Carla get her house ready for Christmas. He was not hungry.I left him on his perch. When I returned home at 2:30, he was still on his perch.I tried feeding him again.He refused every thing. I held him for several hours and stroked him. He seemed quite contented.I finally put him back as I had to cook dinner and start my Christmas baking.Puff climbed down from his log and left me a poop mess on top of his hide again.I cleaned it up and disinfected it. I don't know why he does it there. It is much harder to clean there. It would be so much easier to clean if he did it in the dirt. I could just scoop it out.Puff went into his hide and dug in for the night. Puff The Golden Bearded Dragon, to be continued................

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Puff only ate 3 crickets on Tuesday

Puff has been eating a lot less these days. He only ate 3 crickets to day. I think he has gotten tired of eating peas.I have to find another type of green that he will eat.He stayed on his perch all day and basked. It is going to get very cold tonight.Puff will probably hibernate again.I went to PetsMart today to get more super worms and crickets for Puff. The price has gone up.When I got home, I cleaned the cricket container and the worm container before I put the insects in. I fed them also. There are 2 crickets running loose in Puff's tank as I dropped them and could not catch them.I put a dish with some cricket food and water in the tank so when they come out to eat,I can catch them. I want to get them before Puff does as he usually gets a mouth full of substrate with the crickets when he grabs them. The substrate is digestable but I would rather he did not eat it.I sang to Puff and said "good night" to him and turned out the lights for the night. Puff closed his eyes and went to sleep.When I sing to him, He looks at me and cocks his head. He is so cute! I just love him! Puff The Golden Bearded Dragon, to be continued...................

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Sunday and Monday update

Sunday morning, Puff slept in. He woke up at noon. I held him for a while and he also had a bath which he enjoyed as usual.He did not eat any thing. He went to sleep early on his log at 4:00PM. On Monday, Puff woke up about 10:00AM.He stayed on his log,basking most of the morning, I left the house at Noon to run some errands and returned at 2:00PM.Puff was still on his perch. I took him out of his tank and held him for awhile. He did not want to go back into the tank, but I needed to go grocery shopping, so I left him on his log, basking.When I returned, I fed him. He only ate 3 worms, but at least he ate. I was starting to get worried. He went to sleep after I turned out the lights at 8:00PM.I sang to him and he closed his eyes and went to sleep. Puff The Golden Bearded Dragon,to be continued..................

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Puff was awake very early this morning

Puff was awake 7:30 AM this morning.He was pretty active. I did not handle him as I was busy making a grave marker for Carla's dog, Spirit.I wanted to get it done in time to put it on his grave, before the former owner of the pet cemetery takes it over again. It is really to bad that the new owners lost the court case and had to give the cemetery back to Darla.A lot of people are going to be very upset by this situation. Any way I tried to feed Puff at 2:00PM, but he was not hungry.He pooped again on top of the hide. I don't know why he has to do it there. It makes it harder to clean up. If he would go in the dirt,I would be able to just scoop it out. But such is life. I was going to give him a warm bath but he went into his hide and went to sleep at 4:00PM. He missed out on dinner. I guess he just wasn't hungry. I will try again tomorrow. I did sing to him before he went to sleep. Or may be that is why he went to sleep.I just love my Puff! Puff The Golden Bearded Dragon,to be continued..................

Puff update for Thursday and Friday

Puff was awake before I turned the lights on Thursday morning. I left the house early as I had to take Nala, my retired guide dog to the vet for emergency surgery. When I returned around 4:00PM in the afternoon, Puff was just digging in for the night.He was already in his hide.He went to sleep right away.I felt bad as I had not been home to feed him. But I know he will be ok as they don't eat every day in the wild and they survive.Nala will be alright, but now I have a $500.00 vet bill.That pretty much wipes out Christmas for me. I will have to make gifts this year.At least I will be eating Christmas dinner at Carla's this year.Puff slept in on Friday.he did not come out of his hide until 6:00 PM.I offered him some dinner and he ate 4 crickets,1 worm and 11 peas. he basked for awhile and then went to sleep about 7:50PM. I turned out the lights for the night. To be continued..............

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Puff is wearing Raspberry Red lipstick

Puff awoke before I turned on the lights.When I did turn on the lights, He was being very active,and was all over the tank. I had raspberries on my breakfast cereal this morning so I decided to see if Puff might like some, Raspberries that is. I offered him a raspberry and he ate it. I offered him more and he ate 3 of them. He refused any more. It left red marks on his mouth and looked like he was wearing lipstick.LOL I had to laugh when I saw that. I took him out of his tank and he sat on my shoulder while I watched TV for a while.He did not want to go back but today is garbage day and I had to get the garbage container out on time.When I checked on him later he was on his log basking.He is still wearing his "lipstick". I fed him diner and he ate 4 crickets, 1 worm,and 11 peas. He would have had another worm, but he dropped one and I could not get it before it burrowed into the substrate.He basked on his log for awhile and then climbed down on to the top of the hide and went to sleep. I turned out the lights and he is still sleeping there. Puff The Golden Bearded Dragon, to be continued.............

Puff woke up for dinner !

I was busy with Christmas stuff and for got to turn out Puff's lights on time.I still can't figure out how to get the timer to work.I went to turn them out and discovered that Puff was wide awake! I offered him a cricket and he scarfed it down and was looking for more,so I went into the fish room and got him some more.He ate 5 crickets,1 worm,and 29 peas. I guess after sleeping for all those days,he was a little hungry.He did not appear to be ready to go back to sleep so I left his lights on for awhile. When he finally went back in to the hide it was 9:00PM.I then turned out the lights for the night.I wonder if Puff will be awake tomorrow?It is supposed to be warmer this week.I am so glad that Puff was awake to night. I miss him when he is hibernating. Puff The Golden Bearded Dragon, to be continued.......................

Monday, December 14, 2009

Still in hibernation............

Puff is still sleeping. He does move though. During the day his head is just slightly out of the hide . Then upon sundown he turns around and goes back in to the hide. His tail is sticking out of the hide now. At least I know he is alright, because is is moving some what each day. I really do miss Puff... Puff The Golden Bearded Dragon, to be continued.............

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Puff is still hibernating

Puff is still sleeping. He did wake long enough to move slightly. When I returned from taking one of the rescue dogs to her new home, I checked on Puff. His head was just slightly out of the hide.The dogs did not wake him tonight as they were quieter when I fed them. When I turned out the lights, he moved back into the hide.I really miss Puff.I hope Spring comes early. Puff The Golden Bearded Dragon, to be continued...................

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Puff awoke long enough to eat his dinner

Puff hibernated again today.Shaman, my guide dog and I went to the 4th Avenue Street fair, and I found a dragon pendant, for $20. The weather was warm,about 70 degrees. When I got home it was dark, just after 6:00Pm. Puff was still sleeping but he had poked his head out of the hide at some point and had gone to sleep again.I did not think he would wake up for his dinner but the dogs were barking as I was feeding them and Puff woke up. I decided to offer him some crickets to see if he was hungry.He ate 2 crickets and then I offered him some peas. He ate 9 peas. He stayed awake for a while but about 8:00, he went back into his hide and went back to sleep. I had already turned out the lights.It is supposed to rain tomorrow so I think Puff will continue to hibernate. I miss Puff. Puff The Golden Bearded Dragon, to be continued.................

Puff is hibernating again

Puff was still dug down in his hide this morning. He stayed that way all day. He never even came out to eat. I think this behavior has more to do with barometric pressure rather than cold or hot weather. Puff will probably stay hunkered down for several more days. Puff The Golden Bearded Dragon, to be continued............

Friday, December 11, 2009

Puff left his perch and dug into his hide

I turned the lights on late this morning, and Puff was already awake. He was still on his log.I was busy most of the morning so I did not handle Puff. I did sing to him. I think I have sung this song (Puff the magic dragon) so much that I have finally got the right key.Any way I am getting better. Puff doesn't seem to mind if I'm a little off key sometimes. Maybe when I can afford to buy my new guitar, I will be pretty good at it.I left the house to go do some Christmas shopping and to get some crickets for Puff. It was dark when I got home.I fed Puff and he ate 3 crickets,1 worm,and 10 peas.He has decided he does not like cilantro and won't touch it at all. Puff left his perch and went into his hide. He really dug in.I turned off the lights and said good night to Puff. Puff The Golden Bearded Dragon. to be continued...................

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Puff got scared of something and "puffed "up himself and his beard

This morning after I had turned on the lights, I checked on Puff after I had taken care of the dogs. He was all "puffed"up. His beard was fully enlarged and black. His body was twice his normal size.The only thing I can think of that may have scared him was that the dogs were all barking loudly this morning.I have never seen him like this before.I once saw him "puff"up his beard slightly, the first day I went to see him,before I adopted him.I am not really sure what scared him.It may have been the barking dogs or not.He has heard them bark before.I stroked him and his beard deflated but it took a while before his body deflated. He finally relaxed. I discovered that he likes to have his chin rubbed.I decided to leave him alone today, and not handle him.I did not want to stress him any more after his scare this morning.I checked on him through out the day and he seemed fine. I sang to him and played my flute for him. That seemed to relax him.I fed him late afternoon and he ate 2 crickets, 2 worms and 20 peas.Later in the evening,I spotted the dogs going after something. It was a cricket. It was probably the one that escaped several days ago.This batch of crickets are high jumpers.Any way, I grabbed it and gave it to Puff and he scarfed it down in a flash. I turned off the lights and said "good night" to Puff. Puff The Golden Bearded Dragon, to be continued............

A few words from Puff

Well, finally I get to say something! I am Puff, The Golden Dragon. My mom,Mardi takes real good care of me. She tells me she loves me all the time. She also sings to me. Some times it's a little off key, but I don't mind. No one else has ever sang to me before. She also plays her Native American flute for me. The music is so soft and peaceful, I just close my eyes and enjoy it.My mom adopted me from D and D Reptile Rescue.My former owners did not really know how to care for me. They did not feed me properly and their cat attacked me. I was injured and scared! They left me at the rescue. The guys at D and D, took excellent care of me. They healed my wounds and got me over being scared.They had a lot of other needy reptiles, so they could not keep me. They put me up for adoption and my mom saw my picture on their website and fell in love with me. She came to see me one day and I also fell in love with her. She held me and stroked my head and back and it felt so good, I closed my eyes and almost fell asleep. I stayed with D and D until she was able to get everything needed to care for me. The day finally arrived and she came and took me home with her. My forever home!My mom can't see too well but well enough to be able to care for me and all the other animals she has rescued.She took me to the vet to get a check up. She wanted to make sure I was in good health."new mother syndrome" you know.She thought I was healthy, but wanted to make sure because she loves me.The vet said I was in excellent health. My mom is very in tune with me and seems to know just what I want and need. She feeds me lots of crickets and worms and she has tried to find other foods that I like.I don't really like cilantro, but some times I will eat a little bit just for her.She feeds me Peas! I love Peas! She is still experimenting with other foods but next to crickets and worms, peas are a favorite. Once I refused to eat for 3 days in a row. I wanted crickets! I was tired of eating worms. She got the message and went to the store and got me some crickets! I think I have her pretty well trained. She tells me that I am a Magnificent Dragon! she tells me, I am the most Beautiful Dragon in the whole world. I guess I am pretty "snazzy" with my orange flame color. She calls me her Golden Dragon. I love my mom. She knows when I want to be handled and when I don't feel like being handled, she leaves me alone.She strokes me and it puts me to sleep, it feels so good.I like to sit on her shoulder.I also like to watch TV.Sometimes I watch from my perch on her shoulder, or I can climb up on the top of the hide in my glass house and watch through the glass. When I get bored with that I climb up on my log and bask. I love to bask! There are 2 hides in my glass house. One on either side so ,I can pick which one I want to sleep in. Some times I prefer to sleep on my log.My mom keeps my house very clean for me. I think I am the luckiest Dragon in the whole world. Hmmm, I wonder what my mom will get me for Christmas? I know she has gotten some dog and cat toys and she even got toys for the rats. I know she will get me something special. I am a very happy Dragon. Well, I think I will go to sleep now as I am very tired.Yawn, so long for now.Puff signing out.......................

Monday, December 7, 2009

Puff was very active today

Puff was awake before I turned on the lights this morning. He was on his perch as usual. I had a lot of things to do this morning as this is housekeeper day. I finally had time to sit down and take a break before the housekeeper came. I decided to take Puff out of his tank for a while. He climbed right up on to my hand. He was eager for me to take him out. I was holding him when the Housekeeper came. I covered him with a warm towel so he wouldn't get cold when I went out to open the gate to let her in. She thinks Puff is just wonderful. I asked her if she wanted to pet him and she did. I held him while she did her work.He went to sleep while I was stroking him. I put him back in the tank to feed him, but he tried to climb up my arm. He did not want to go back. I fed him and the house keeper watched. She thought it was "way cool". He refused the cilantro.Not even one bite. He loves his peas! He ate 2 crickets and 2 worms and 22 peas. That's right!22 peas! His belly is so fat now.I had dropped one of the crickets and Puff came down off his perch to hunt for it.He went from one end of the tank to the other and finally got it.He then climbed up on top of the cool end hide and and positioned himself up against the glass and watched TV for a while. Then he climbed down and went into the hide and came out and went to to the other side of the tank, and into that hide. I guess he was not ready to go to sleep yet as he then climbed up on that hide and left a very LARGE poop mess. I cleaned up the mess as he climbed up on his log to bask.I think all that "traveling" was done, looking for the right place to poop. He stayed on his perch,basking until he fell asleep for the night. I turned out the lights and said "good night" to Puff. Puff The Golden Bearded Dragon,to be continued..............

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Today was Bath day

Puff was awake before I turned on the lights this morning. I started singing to Puff and I was stroking him and he started climbing up on my hand. I let him climb up and I held him and stroked him for 3 hours as I watched TV and Puff went to sleep on my shoulder.I decided to give Puff a bath. I got the warm water ready and put him in his bath tub. He relaxed and went to sleep in the water. I washed his water dish and filled it with fresh water. I also cleaned his basking log as he had pooped on it several days ago. I tried to clean it as best as I could with him still on the log, but did not get it clean enough.It was now much easier to clean with him not on it.The water was cooling off so I took Puff out and dried him with a towel. I tried to put him back into the tank but he did not want to go back. He clung to me and tried to climb back up my arm. I held him for a little while longer and stroked him.I finally put him back in the tank even though he did not want to go back. I got his food together and fed him. He ate only 1 bite of cilantro and refused any more of it. He ate 16 peas and 2 crickets and 2 worms. He settled back on is log to bask. He is still there basking now. He will probably sleep on his perch again tonight. Puff The Golden Bearded Dragon, to be continued.....................

Puff prefers peas to cilantro

Puff awoke still on his perch and never left it through out the day.I wonder if he will stay on his log until Spring? That is a long time to stay in one place on a log.I did not interact with him to much other than singing to him and playing my flute for him, and stroking him. He made no attempt to climb up on my hand so I did not bother him further. He basked most of the day with his eyes closed. He was awake at 4:30 PM so I decided to feed him. I offered the cilantro first,and he ate one bite of it. He refused any more so I gave him 2 crickets and a worm. I then offered him the peas. He ate 9 peas. I dropped one and could not find it, so I gave him 2 more crickets.I would have to say, at this time his favorite foods are crickets and peas.He is asleep on his log again. I turned out the lights for the night and left him alone. Puff The Golden Bearded Dragon, to be continued.................

Friday, December 4, 2009

Puff has not left his perch in 4 days

Puff was awake when I turned on the lights on.This is the forth day that he has not left the basking log.I only had time to sing to him and feed him his breakfast of the last 3 worms before I left the house. I returned home at 6:00PM, with dog food,cat food,rat food,fish food and dragon food as well as My food.I took care of the dogs and then fed Puff. I gave him some cilantro and he ate it!He also ate 3 crickets. I then fed my self.When I checked on Puff, he was already asleep,still on the basking log. He looks like he is in another uncomfortable position.I don't see how he can sleep like that.I turned off the lights for the night. Puff The Golden Bearded Dragon,to be continued...................

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Puff is still inactive

Puff awoke late this morning. He was still on his perch. He was still their when I left the house to go to the bank at noon.When I returned home ,it was after 6:00PM. Puff was still on his basking log. I fed him and he ate 2 crickets and 6 peas. He went to sleep on his perch again.I turned of the lights for the night. Puff The Golden Bearded Dragon, to be continued......

Another inactive day for Puff

Puff awoke at 10:30AM and he was still on his perch. He dozed on and off through out the day. I sang to him and Played my flute. Who would have thought that a lizard could have an expressive face? He really does and he is so cute.I did not disturb him as he was not active and only moved to get closer to the light or move a way from it.He never left his log.I fed him at 6:00PM and he ate 10 peas and 1 cricket.He really likes those peas! My friend Carla was here and she watched me feeding him.She thinks he is cute,but I have not convinced her to pet him yet. We were waiting for some one to bring us a rescue dog from Sierra Vista. The dog arrived and we put up the crate and Carla Left. I checked on Puff and he was asleep for the night. He looked a little more comfortable on his perch this time. Puff The Golden Bearded Dragon, to be continued..................

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Puff was perched on his log and inactive today

Puff awoke late this morning. I did not turn on the lights until his eyes opened. He was still on his basking log.He was not active at all. He stayed on his perch the entire day. At one point, he moved up closer to the basking light. Then he moved slightly away from the light. He moved all of 3 or 4 inches all day.I talked to him softly and sang to him and he seemed to enjoy it. I also played my flute for him and he seemed to enjoy that also. I did not want to disturb him by taking him out of his tank as he made no attempt to climb on up my hand this time. I just stroked him and we went through the usual ritual of eyes closing and then opening every time I stopped stroking him. I decided to see if he was hungry. I offered him the insects first. He ate 1 cricket and 2 worms. Then I offered him some peas.I thought he would probably would not eat them,but he ate 7 peas. He really seems to like peas a lot! I left him alone for a while as he took a nap.I checked on him through out the day. He went to sleep about 6:30PM on his perch in the same uncomfortable position, with his front legs sort of hanging down and his hind legs supporting his body with his tail touching the ground. I turned out the lights at 7:00PM and left him for the night. I just don't know how he can sleep like that. It looks so uncomfortable. Puff the Golden Bearded Dragon, to be continued...................

Monday, November 30, 2009

Puff likes flute music

Puff awoke early today. He was still on his perch. When I turn on the lights every morning I say good morning to Puff. Some times I talk to him softly. I noticed that he always looks at me when I am talking to him, cocking his head.Some times he walks towards me.This morning I was singing softly to him, "Puff the magic dragon". He really seems to like it when I talk to him or sing to him.I decided to see if he liked flute music as my dogs and cats like to listen when I play my Native American flute. I played my flute and he climbed down from the log and came right up close to the glass where I was sitting. He was trying to climb the glass and he was cocking his head.He was trying to get close to me . I think he enjoyed the music. I know he doesn't understand the words when I talk and sing to him but I think he does enjoy it. I put my hand into the tank and he climbed right up.I held him for a while and I know he enjoyed being stroked. The dogs seem to like him. They come up and sniff him and some times they walk away and some times they watch him. I am always careful that they don't get too close. Even the cats are interested in him, but I am careful because I know he was attacked by a former owners cat. He does not seem to be afraid of the dogs or the cats. I will never let them get close with out supervision. If I put him down and let him walk around on the bed, the dogs are in their crates and the cats are put in another room.My dogs and cats do not even bother my pet rats. I fed Puff and I offered him the peas first this time . He ate 10 peas and 1 cricket.I guess he likes peas. These are the first greens that he has liked so far. I did get him to eat 2 small pieces of mustard greens once,but I have not gotten him to eat it again. He has eaten grapes and kiwi before,but not a lot. I have to keep experimenting to see what greens and fruits he will eat. I noticed that Puff's color really brightened when I was singing to him and playing my flute.He went to sleep on his baking log again to night.I don't know how he can sleep that way, he looks so uncomfortable.I just love Puff so much. Puff The Golden Bearded Dragon, to be continued....................

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Puff ate Peas Today!

I fully expected Puff to continue to sleep as the weather is cooler than yesterday. It was also rainy on and off all day. Puff was awake early, before I turned on the lights. He was surprisingly active for such a cool day.When he saw me turn on the lights, his head was up and he was following me with his eyes. I put my hand into the tank to pet him and he started to climb on to my hand. I decided to let him climb up on my hand and picked him up to hold him. I stroked him for awhile.Every time I stopped stroking him he would open his eyes as if he were saying "don't stop", so I continued stroking him and his eyes closed again.I held him for over an hour and I enjoyed this as much as he did.I just love this little dragon! He is so sweet.I feel sorry for the people that don't like reptiles as they really are missing something very special. I had to put Puff back in his tank as I needed to eat breakfast and take my morning meds so I would be able to function through out the day. This weather makes my arthritis hurt. Puff did not want to go back in to the tank. He tried to climb up my arm and stay clinging to me. I hated to put him down but I needed to get my breakfast and I had to wash the dog dishes and sweep up the dog hair ect,ect. When I was done with all the stuff I had to do,I came back to watch Puff. He was on his basking log and his eyes were still open.I decided to try feeding him. He ate 4 crickets and 2 worms.I decided to see if he would eat some defrosted green peas. He ate 3 peas! I should have offered him the peas first and he probably would have eaten more of them. Next time.But he ate peas!He stayed on his basking log for the day and went to sleep there. He looks so uncomfortable. He was still sleeping on his perch when I turned out the lights for the night. I just love Puff. Puff The Golden Bearded Dragon, to be continued.........................

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Puff hibernated all day today

The weather is cooler to day and is going to cool off even more in the next several days. Puff was still in the same position this morning when I turned on the lights. The next time I looked over at the tank, he had moved into the hide where he stayed all day. He slept the entire day and is still sleeping. I expect he will sleep for the next several days because of the cool weather.I miss my beautiful Dragon! I will be very happy when Spring rolls around.He will then be more active and I will be able to interact with him more.Puff The Golden Dragon, to be continued.......................

Puff came out of hibernation for a while

Puff awoke and was moving about on Friday morning.The weather was warmer. He did not move far from the hide but his whole body was out, not just his head. Every time I passed by the tank he moved his head to watch me. He was not very active but he was awake. I offered him some crickets and he ate 3 of them. He then positioned himself up against the glass on the side of the tank to watch TV. His tail was soaking in the water dish, which is good as he still has some skin to shed off the last 2 inches of his tail. He fell asleep with his chin resting on a rock and his left front leg in a twisted position. It amazes me that he can sleep in these very uncomfortable looking positions.Puff the Golden Dragon, to be continued..............

Friday, November 27, 2009

Puff is still hibernating

Puff was still in his hide when I left to go have Thanksgiving Diner at Carla's house. When I returned home,he was still in the hide but he had turned around.His head is now sticking slightly out of the hide and he is sleeping again in one of those not so comfortable looking positions. I am so full of turkey that I also feel like hibernating. I miss Puff. I can still watch him, but I don't want to disturb his Brumation by waking him or handling him.This is a natural process and it will keep him healthy. I have often wondered if my Yellow Rat Snake and My Black Racer would have lived longer if I had allowed them to hibernate.I got Daisy as a captive born and bred hatchling and she lived for 10 years. Lucifer was an adult wild caught snake and I don't know how old he was when I caught him.He lived almost 8 years.Both were very tame and loved to be handled. Lucifer would sit up to have his chin rubbed. He was a magnificent 5 1/2 foot Black Racer.To be continued....................

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Puff hibernated all day

Puff was awake when I turned on the lights at 10:00AM.His eyes were open but he did not move out of the hide.I decided to let him be as the weather has cooled off in the last couple of days and I think he is in full winter shut down now.I checked on him several times throughout the day. His eyes were closed most of the time. The way the hide is set up,you can see him through the glass at the end of the tank. I put a piece of cardboard against it at night so the room lights don't bother him. The hide at the other end of the tank is set up the same way. Puff did not eat today, but he did eat yesterday.The weather is supposed to warm up some at the end of the week and then it is supposed to get cooler again.The night temp in the tank at the cool end goes down to 75 degrees. That is where Puff is now. The warm end temp goes down to 78 degrees.The day time temp on the warm side is about 90 degrees and at the cool end about 80 degrees.Come Spring, I will change the lighting back to the regular basking lamp. For now the basking light is a 60 watt incandescent bulb.I also have a fluorescent UVA and a fluorescent UVB light. they don't put out much heat.I am going to get a combination UVB and UVA basking bulb in the Spring. I think this lighting combination will be a better set up. More natural. I miss Puff.....I wonder if he is dreaming? I watched a program on Public TV channel 6 last night about rats dreaming. Scientists have discovered that rats dream by watching their brain waves. The brainwaves of the rats when they were sleeping were the same as when they were awake and going through a maze, only faster. So the rats were dreaming about their experience going through the maze.I found this program fascinating. If rats dream, I think that dragons must also dream. Maybe Puff is dreaming about munching on crickets.Puff The Golden Dragon, to be continued..................

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

I was right !

I went up to the pet store and got 20 crickets. Got home and Puff was still on his basking log. I cleaned the cricket and worm containers and washed Puff's water dish. I took him out and held him for a while. We went through the "don't stop" routine every time I stopped stroking him. I put him back into his tank and he climbed back up on his log. I decided to try feeding him. He ate 4 crickets! I was right, he was holding out for crickets. I guess he got tired of the worms when I ran out of crickets.After he ate, he promptly climbed down from his perch and went into the hide and went to sleep. People think animals are dumb? I think it is the humans that are the not so intelligent ones. Animals always let you know what they want,with out ever uttering a single word in English. Puff wanted Crickets. He let me know by refusing to eat worms. It took me 3 days to get the message, but I am learning. When I am petting Puff, He is telling me that he is enjoying it when he closes his eyes and relaxes. When I stop petting him, he opens his eyes. He is telling me he doesn't want me to stop petting him.So I start petting him again and again he closes his eyes and relaxes. He is training me well. Puff is indeed one very intelligent Dragon!Puff the Golden Dragon, to be continued...................

I think Puff may be holding out for chickets

Puff did not eat again yesterday. That is 3 days in a row he has not eaten. I am out of crickets and he won't eat greens or worms.I am going up to the pet store to pick up some crickets now. I hope he eats today. I am getting worried. He slept on his basking log last night, where he was most of the day yesterday. He was awake when I turned on the lights at 9:35AM this morning. He is still on his log Basking.Puff The Golden Dragon, to be continued...............

Monday, November 23, 2009

Puff did not eat again today

Puff awoke about 10:00 AM.I turned the lights on for him and he climbed up on his basking log. He stayed there most of the day just basking. I tried to feed him but he refused to eat. I am out of crickets, and he just won't eat the worms.I left him alone most of the afternoon and then tried to feed him again. He refused. I know he is going through Brumation and some times they don't eat, but I can't help worrying about him. "new mother syndrome". He started to climb down from his log so I picked him up and held him for a while. He enjoyed my stroking him and he closed his eyes. When I stopped, he opened his eyes and gave me that "don't stop look". I needed to feed the dogs and my self so I went to put him back in the tank, but he did not want to go back in. He kept climbing up higher on my shoulder and clinging to me. I kept him out with me, while I dished out the dog food. The dogs started getting excited and were barking and whining because they were about to get fed. Puff got a little nervous and started climbing higher. I was afraid he would fall so I put him back in the tank. I watched him as he crawled over to the end of the tank to watched TV. He really does watch it. He finally fell asleep after "Legend of the of the Seeker". I turned out the lights and let him be for the night. He fell asleep in a very uncomfortable looking position again. I hope he eats soon. Puff The Golden Dragon,to be continued.....................

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Puff was still on his perch this morning

Puff was still perched on his Log this morning in the same position.He was waking up when I turned the lights on at 10:00 AM. He already had one eye open.He climbed up closer to the light to bask. He stayed there most of the day. I held him for a while and he enjoyed being stroked.I put him back into his tank and he climbed back up on his log. I tried to feed him but he did not eat. I left him alone and tried again later but he still refused to eat.Puff basked until about 6:00 PM and then climbed down and watched TV for a while until he fell asleep. I guess he is asleep for the night. He sleeps in such uncomfortable looking positions. I turned off the lights and let him be. I still wonder if dragons dream? Puff the Golden Dragon, to be continued.................

Friday, November 20, 2009

Puff went to sleep on his basking log tonight

I turned the lights on at 10:45 AM this morning. Puff did not come out of his hide until almost 2:00 PM. He was rather slow to move and when he finally did get on the move, he climbed up on his basking log and stayed there all day. I fed him about 4:00 PM and he ate 2 crickets and 3 worms. He stayed on the basking log and at 8:30PM, I turned out the lights figuring that he would move into the hide for the night. He fooled me as he went to sleep on the log and he is still there. I guess he decided to try something different for a change. I wonder if dragons dream? He doesn't look very comfortable, I hope he doesn't fall off during the night!Puff the Golden Dragon, to be continued...........

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Creature Comforts

Puff woke up 9:00 AM to day. He came out of his hide and climbed up on his basking log. He stayed there most of the morning. When I got finished taking care of the dogs, cats, Fish and rats, I cleaned the cricket and worm containers. Some where in between all that,I managed to get my own breakfast. I noticed that Puff had pooped on the basking log.He climbed down and was watching me as I wiped down the log and scooped out the mess. I cleaned his water dish as he had gotten dirt in it. I then took Puff outside to bask in the sun on my shoulder. He really likes this. He sat up on my shoulder and watched the world around him. When we came back in to the house, I gave Puff a quick bath as he was a little stinky from walking through the poop earlier. He was anxious to get back into his tank and basked while I got his food ready. He only ate 2 worms and refused to eat any thing more. I let him bask the rest of the afternoon and he finally climbed down and went in to his hide about 5:00 PM. I turned out the lights and Puff went to sleep for the night. Puff is a Magnificent Dragon and I just love him. I want to give him the best life that I can.Puff the Golden Dragon, to be continued..........

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Puff's color was magnificent today !

Puff was out and about at 10:30 this morning. I picked him up and he felt really cold. I held him close to me to help warm him. He was still pretty cool even after an hour,so I took him out side with me when I put the dogs out. We sat in the sun for about 1 hour and he was warm by then. He really enjoyed sitting on my shoulder in the sun. He looked around and seemed interested in watching several birds in the yard. Both of his eyes were open today. I brought him in the house and put him in his bath tub. I am trying to loosen the last bit of skin on the last 2 inches of his tail that has not shed off yet. He enjoyed his bath. I then put him back in the tank and he climbed up on his basking log. I fed him while he was basking. He ate 6 worms. Number 7 got a reprieve as Puff was too full to eat it. He Basked on his log for several hours. I noticed that his color was magnificent. I think his time in the sun this morning had a lot to do with his color being so bright. Some one came to look at one of the rescue dogs so I left him basking. When I returned to watch him, he opened his mouth wide and yawned. He looked so cute, I just had to laugh. He went into his hide at 6:00 PM.I turned out the lights and Puff went to sleep for the night. I am really enjoying my dragon!Puff the golden Dragon, to be continued.........................

Puff was very hungry today

I turned the lights on for Puff at 10:00 AM. Puff was still sleeping when I left the house for my doctor's appointment at 12:45 PM. I had several errands to run after my appointment. I got home just after 5:00PM, and Puff was out and about. I put the cold groceries away, and went and got Puff's food for him. He was very hungry!He ate 10 big fat juicy worms. He basked for a while and then he went back in to his hide for the night. I was worried,because he kept one eye closed while I was feeding him. He did finally open it,but I will keep an "eye" on it. If this should persist, I will take him to the vet and have it checked.Puff the Golden Dragon, to be continued..............

Monday, November 16, 2009

Puff refused to eat today

Puff slept most of the day. He poked his head out of the hide for 10 minutes and then went back into the hide.It was another cool day.Puff poked his head out again about 6:00 PM, and I went and got his food together but he refused to eat anything. I put the worms back in their container and left puff alone.Even though his head was out of the hide,his eyes closed and he did not come out any further.I shut off the lights and he went back into his hide for the night.It is supposed to be cool all week.I don't know if he will eat at all.The vet said this is normal when Beardies are going through Brumation.(winter shutdown) I miss Puff when he does not come out. Puff The Golden Dragon, to be continued..............

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Trouble with the link to D and D Reptile Rescue

I find that the link I posted to D and D Reptile Rescue does not find them. Try this link from Craig's List. http://www.d-dreptilerescue.com/ email bbu68@msn.com phone (520)312-1001 They have been very helpful and have many wonderful reptiles that need forever homes. They take excellent care of their rescues and their own animals. This is where I adopted Puff from. I fixed the link. You do not need to google it, just click on it and the web page will come right up. Puff the golden Dragon, to be continued.............

The weather is cool and so is my dragon

The weather is cool now and Puff is sleeping longer. He does wake up and come out of his hide to eat, but he is not eating as much as normal.He came out of the hide at about noon and basked for a while. Then he went back into his hide and took a nap. He awoke at 5:00 PM. I was getting Puff's food together when B from Second Chance, came by with dog food for the rescue dogs.I put feeding Puff on hold to bring the dog food in.I was afraid he might go to sleep again and miss his dinner , but he was still out and about when I came back in the house. I fed him 2 crickets and 6 worms. He took his time about eating the last worm. I thought it was going to get a reprieve,but he finally opened his mouth and scarfed it up. He refused to eat any thing more. I changed the water in his water dish for the second time today as he got dirt in it when going after the first cricket that I dropped. He did get it. He basked for a short time and then went back into his hide for the night. I turned off the lights and let him be for the night. Puff is one "Cool Dragon" and I love him! There are some people that will never understand that some one could love a snake or a lizard,but there are also some people that do understand love. I love Puff just as much as I love my cats and dogs. I have been feeding and cleaning up after the worms and crickets,and making sure that the crickets have fresh food and water. I find that there are quite a few dead ones in their cage every day.I wonder if this is normal? If I am making sure that their cage is clean and am feeding them, should that many be dying? I hope I am not doing some thing wrong. I do see them eat and drink when I put the food in at night.I have empty TP and paper towel rolls in there so they can hide during the day. I do watch when they come out to eat at night. I don't know why so many should be dying.I keep them in the fish room which is warm and humid.I will have to check into this.Puff The Golden Dragon, to be continued..............

Saturday, November 14, 2009

I got Puff to eat some mustard greens

Puff slept very late today. He meandered out of the hide at 1:47 PM. I was beginning to think he would sleep the whole day away.He climbed up on his basking log and stayed there while I hand fed him 5 crickets and 2 worms.He did not want any more "bugs", so I decided to try feeding him some mustard greens. I got him to eat 2 pieces of it. This is a good start for getting him to eat his veggies.I just have to keep experimenting with food to see what he will eat. He watched TV for a while. The new version of "Godzilla" was on. I watched it but Puff lost interest in it. I guess he did not like the way "Godzilla" was being treated. He crawled into his hide and stayed there. He did not go to sleep until later. He went to sleep about 4:00 PM. I shut the lights off at 5:00 PM and left him alone for the night.Puff The Golden Dragon, to be continued................

Friday, November 13, 2009

Puff ate very well today

Puff fell asleep watching TV last night. He stayed in the same position all night on top of the hide with his nose up against the glass.It looked like a very uncomfortable position. I had to get up very early as I was supposed to go with Carla to Wilcox to pick up a rescue dog. She called and told me , we did not have to go after all. The people decided to keep the dog. Puff awoke early also at 7:00 AM. He was pretty active.After I took care of the dogs and cats, I decided to give Puff a bath. I filled his tub with luke warm water and put him in it.He totally relaxed and soaked for about half an hour.His eyes were closed and I think he enjoyed his bath. Some of the skin that had not been shed on his tail became soft and started to come off. I rubbed it and all of it came off. I dried him with a towel and held him for a while. Again he closed his eyes as I was stroking him and when I stopped,he opened his eyes.He had that don't stop look again,so I continued to stroke him. I put him back in his tank and fed him. He really ate a lot today. More than he has eaten since I got him. He ate 5 crickets and 6 worms and he even ate some of the commercial food. I don't like feeding him this stuff but he will not eat his veggies and this food has veggie matter in it.He discovered his log and climbed up on it and basked for several hours. He looked very contented. I left the house to go pay some bills and it was 5:30 PM when I got home. Puff was in the hide sleeping. He is still there so I guess he is asleep for the night.I turned out the lights and let him be. I just love this wonderful golden dragon.Puff The Golden Dragon, to be continued...............

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Puff watches T V

Puff awoke late this morning.About 11:30 AM. He seems pretty active today. After I got done with all my morning work, I took Puff out to hold him and pet him.I watched some TV while I had him out of his tank. He was enjoying my stroking his head and back. I noticed he would close his eyes while I was stroking him. When I would stop, he would open his eyes and look at me as if to say, "don't stop".So I continued stroking him for about an hour. One of my cats sniffed his tail and then laid down beside us and went to sleep. My cats don't even react to my pet hairless rats. Puff did not react to the cat at all. I thought he might be frightened after the cat attack he suffered at one of his prior homes. Even the dogs were interested in him. They watched him but made no effort to go after him. Nala, my retired guide dog,loves to watch small critters, like the rats, and birds and ferrets. I put Puff back in his tank as I had other things I had to do.Nala watched him most of the morning and he watched her. They both seemed fascinated with each other. I fed Puff and then settled down to watch "Days of Our Lives", and noticed that Puff had climbed up on top of the hide and was watching TV through the glass. He watched the soap until it ended. His eyes were open the whole time so I know he wasn't sleeping. When the Dr. Phil show came on, Puff lost interest and climbed down and started basking on his flat river rock. Sorry, Dr. Phil.....Puff is still pretty active now. I think he is hunting for the cricket that I dropped when I was feeding him. He did eat the one that I dropped yesterday. Puff just climbed up on top of the hide and is now watching TV again. He is watching "Bones".Puff The Golden Dragon, to be continued...................

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Early to bed, early to rise

Puff went to sleep very early last night.I went to check on him because I was going to feed him.He was asleep so I did not wake him. He must have been so tired after his very stressful day. He woke up at 8:45 this morning, before I turned the lights on. He was out and about,watching me feed and water all the dogs. I changed the lighting so he can go through Brumation naturally. Dr. Jarchow said that when people don't let their Beardies go through the winter shut down, they can get a thyroid condition that shortens their lives. I want Puff to have a long life. He is already 4 years old so I do not want to take away any of his precious life. He ate 2 crickets and 1 worm.He refused the second worm. One of the crickets got away from me and quickly made a b-line to hide in Puff's tank.I will have to check later to see if he caught it. I hope so as I don't know how I will catch it. I also had an escapee when I cleaned the cricket cage last night.It is roaming my Fish Room.It will probably try to get a drink of water out of the fish tanks and probably fall in and drown. I can't believe that I am cleaning up after "BUGS"! I hate bugs....... But I have to keep Puff's food clean and well fed. I love him enough to do this for him.He went to sleep early again to night.Puff The Golden Dragon, to be continued..................

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Puff went to the vet today for his wellness check

I put Puff into his carrier, tied it to my wheelchair and set out for the bus stop.Poor Puff had a rather bumpy ride as the side walks are very uneven around here.Shaman, my guide dog did his best to guide me on the most even rout he could find, but even the streets have cracks and crevices in them so the streets are about just as uneven as the sidewalks. Got off the bus and discovered that the vets office had moved. When I called to make the appointment, they did not tell me they had moved.I had to get back on the bus and go back home. Poor Puff had to endure another bumpy ride.I called the vet office and explained what happened and set up another appointment for this afternoon. My friend Carla said she would take me up to the Orangegrove vet office. Dr. Jarchow said Puff was one of the most colorful Bearded Dragons he has seen. He checked out just fine. He is in perfect health, to my relief! You know, "the new mother syndrome".Puff had to suffer the indignity of having a swab stuck up his rear end to check for parasites. No parasites. He checked out clean. He is going through Brumation,which means he will not be as active and will not eat as much. I am so glad Puff is in good health.I am letting him settle down for a while after his rather stressful day, I will feed him around 7:00 PM and let him go to sleep without further stressing him.Puff the Golden Dragon, to be continued...............

Monday, November 9, 2009

Puff is going to the vet tomorrow

I am worried about Puff. He awoke about half hour after I turned the lights on this morning at 10:00AM but he was not very active. I could not get him to eat any of the Kiwi I offered him.I held him for a while and he seemed to enjoy my stroking his head and back. I put him back into the tank,because I had laundry to wash and other things to do as my house keeper was coming at 1:00. Puff basked while I was busy.My house keeper arrived and she actually thought Puff was quite cute. I thought she might not be to receptive of him, but she liked him. Puff was still basking in the same spot when she left two hours later. His eyes were closed.I fed him late afternoon and he only ate 2 and half worms. When he grabbed the last worm, He only got half of it. He refused to eat the other half. I offered him another worm but he refused it. He went in to the hide at the cool end of the tank and went to sleep. He seems to be sleeping a lot today. This worries me. He was so active in the passed days. He may be going through Brumation (winter shut down) or he may not be feeling well.I called the vet's office and moved his appointment up to tomorrow at 12:00 noon.I hope he is OK.He went into the cool end hide tonight and went to sleep.I shut the lights out and turned on the heat lamp and left him alone.Puff the Golden Dragon, to be continued...................

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Puff is settling in

I tried feeding Puff yesterday, late afternoon. He tasted the Kiwi,spit out the strawberry and totally ignored the black berry.At one point he noticed his reflection in the glass and started bobbing his head up and down.I just had to giggle as I watched. He is very entertaining.I love watching him. I did not handle him much as I wanted him to just get used to his new surroundings. About 9:00PM, he went into the hide at the warm end of the tank and went to sleep. I turned out the lights and turned on the heat lamp, and let him be for the night. I turned the lights back on this morning at 10:00AM. Puff awoke and meandered out about a half hour later. He is still exploring every thing in his new house.I gave him some fresh water and gave him some of the same fruits again for breakfast. He ate only one piece of Kiwi and ignored the rest.He basked for a while and then went into the hide at the cool end of the tank and took a nap. He poked his head out again about 3:00PM and I tried feeding him again. This time I gave him 2 supper worms and a cricket dusted in vitamins and calcium. At first he ignored them. When I held them in front of him with the tongs, he scarfed them down. I then gave him some baby food peas and Dragon Bites. At first he ignored this but when I held the bites in front of him, he ate several. I dipped the Dragon Bites in the baby peas and he also ate this. I guess he prefers to be fed rather than eat by him self.After eating his dinner he basked for a while on the flat river rock. He then went exploring again. I had to feed the dogs so I left him alone. As I was putting the food in their dishes and each dog went into their crate to eat, Puff appeared to be watching them. He kept cocking his head and blinking his eyes. I sat down to watch him again and his eyes would close and then open again.He opened his mouth wide and yawned. I giggled again. I just love my golden dragon! He is so cute. I wish I could see better. This is one of those times I find very frustrating.But at least I can still see him,even if it isn't clearly. Puff again went into the warm side hide and went sleep at 9:00PM. He is very punctual. I turned out the lights and turned on the heat lamp and let him be for the night. I wonder what my house keeper will think of him tomorrow? Puff The Golden Dragon,to be continued...........

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Puff is home!

Well,first I took the non working UVB lamp back and exchanged it for one that works. Then my friend Carla drove me up to the rescue to pick up Puff. He is so beautiful! When we got home I held him for a short while and then put him into his new house. He basked for a few minutes and then started checking out his new digs. He was tasting every thing, even the bedding. He checked out both of the hides. One at each end of the tank and then he sat on the large flat river rock for a while.Then he pooped. I scooped it out and threw it away. I want to keep him as clean as possible.I will try feeding him later tonight when he has had time to settle in. I am so happy, I have my Beautiful Golden Dragon!Puff The Golden Dragon, to be continued............

I am ready to bring Puff home in the morning!

I went to the reptile store today and got crickets and super worms for the Dragon.They have a very large Tegu,that has free run of the store.It is very tame and it is a beautiful black and white color. I also got to pet the resident Frilled Dragon. I want one! Well, maybe some time in the future.They are very expensive.For now I have Puff,a most beautiful Golden Bearded Dragon! I have to take the UVB lamp back to Petco as it does not work.I will exchange it for another one that works. I have every thing I need for Puff now except that lamp.This lamp is very important.I will try out the new one in the store to make sure it works. My friend Carla is going to take me to the D and D Reptile rescue to pick up Puff in the morning.Iv'e been waiting for this moment for a whole month.I have set up a vet visit to get Puff a wellness check.I want to make sure he will stay healthy for a long time.He is going to see Dr. Jarchow, the same vet I used to take my snakes to when I had snakes years ago. Puff The Golden Dragon,to be continued..................

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

The Count Down !

I am counting the days until I can pick up my Dragon and bring him home! He has been boarded at the rescue, so I could get every thing I needed to be able to keep him properly. Today was money day.I went to the bank and then went to pay the mortgage and a few bills. Then off to the grocery to buy some dragon food.I had to ask for help in finding the proper greens and they did not have any green grapes. I got some red grapes and I hope he will eat them. If he doesn't like them I guess I will eat them. I also got some kiwi which I know he likes. I also got 2 timers for the lights. I am going to get his bathtub tomorrow.I am also going to order the crickets and meal worms.I am not overjoyed at keeping "bugs" in my house but for my Dragon, I will do it.I have been trying to dry out the bedding for the tank. It is taking forever... I think I am going to have to go buy some aluminum baking pans and bake the stuff in my oven. There is only one place I can put the stuff in the sun where the dogs can't get into it. The sun only shines there about 3 hours a day. The stuff comes in compressed bricks that have to be soaked in water so it expands. It takes a long time to dry out the way I have been doing it. I think I will just buy several 3 packs(3 bricks to a pack) and soak them and then bake them in the oven and keep the stuff in a container. That way, I will have it when I need to replace it when cleaning the tank.This is a pain in the you know what,but I want my Dragon to have the best in his house. Well, in a few days, I will be able to bring my Dragon home! His name was Ritter,but I have decided to give him a new name to go with his new life.I named him Puff,after Puff the magic dragon.Puff The Golden Dragon, to be continued................

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Getting the "Dragon's Lair" ready

I have now gotten most of the things I need for my Dragon. I am still looking for the correct UVB light.I still need to get the timer for the lights . I got the temperature and humidity measuring devices and am cleaning up some of the reptile feeding and water dishes I already had. Cleaning the 55 gallon tank has proved a lot harder than I anticipated. It was set up as a waterfall tank for my Guppies for so long that the hard water deposits are very difficult to remove. My friend Nick came over and helped me move the tank out side for cleaning. We set it on a blanket so that there would be no chance of breakage. I used CLR to try and remove the deposits, but it did not work. Even letting it soak in the CLR for several hours did not remove it. We rinsed the tank well and brought it back in the house. I have since tried soaking it in white vinegar and using a paint scraper to scrape off the calcium deposits.This worked better than the CLR. Why does it always work in seconds on TV? It is still not clear though. I will have to buy several bottles of vinegar and keep trying. If I cant get it clear, I will set it up for my Dragon anyway and use it until I can afford to buy a new tank. It is clear on the bottom and all clear on the left side. The deposits are on the top right side where the filter was. The Golden Dragon, to be continued..................

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

I have a Dragon !

I have always had a special fascination with Dragons. I have always wanted one. I, like most people thought that dragons were just creatures of myth. Imagine, What my thoughts were when I found out that real dragons do exist ! I decided I had to have one. The last time I went to the 4th avenue street fair, there was a woman that had an Iguana with her. She asked If I wanted to hold him. What a silly question, of course I wanted to! He was so beautiful. Large,green and orange. I wanted one.I could live with a green Dragon,or perhaps a frilled Dragon. But being practical, I thought it might be years before I could afford to buy one and then there is the whole setup and the upkeep. I thought I could not afford to have one now. There is also the space that a large setup needed for an Iguana or a frilled Dragon would take up, and my house is already crowded with dog crates and fish tanks ect. I would have to settle for a smaller animal. I bought a book about lizards and did more research on the internet. Finally I decided that a Bearded Dragon fit the bill. I got all the information I could get my hands on and was excited to find that Beardies come in so many different colors,including bright red and purple! I also found out that the prices for those colors are quite steep. While searching the internet, I came across D and D reptile rescue. Up for adoption was an orange flame Bearded Dragon! I set up an appointment to go see this dragon. I fell in love and have now adopted him! He will stay with the rescue until I have all the things I need to take care of him. I have already gotten most of the stuff but I have to budget for the rest of it. I am so excited! I have my Dragon!The Golden Dragon, to be continued........