The Bluestocking. All gerbils welcome, must have own frou-frou skirt.

[Magpiecomplex]

New thread!

I think there might have been some sprog dumping. Even if she was further along than she realised they's only supposed to be upto about eight in a litter. Glynis seems to have suddenly got suspiciously slim, 😒 🤔

<Turns to G in the baby names book>

Gianna
Grace
Genesis
Gabriella
Genevieve
Georgia
Gemma
Gracie
Gia
Gabriela
Gracelyn
Giselle
Gwendolyn
...

Ooh, the plot thickens….🤔

Do gerbils do that?
You do sometimes see a duck with an infeasibly large number of ducklings. Last year I saw one determinedly marching at least a couple of dozen out of Southport botanic gardens, across a road and thence who knows where

Ducks definitely do but they'll also amalgamate their broods into crèches, at least some species do. Wild gerbils almost certainly wouldn't, Bluestocking gerbils are a completely different kettle of fish.

Gunhilda
Gearóidín
Greta
Gisèle
Galit
... are we there yet??

It isn't as bad as it seems, Garrett, Gordon, Gerard, Gerald, Gabriel, Garfield, Garth, Geoffrey, Geraint, Gervaise, Germain, Gary, Gerry, Glyn, Glen, Godfrey, Gregory, Graeme, Graham, Grayson, Grant, Greer, Gustave, Guy, Guiseppe, Giles and Gilbert will be living with their father. They'll be off as soon as the bus comes.

Ginevra and Genevieve will be very relieved to have their mummy to themselves.

It is a little shocking that all the other gerbils dumped their male offspring. Understandable though.

Since there seems to have been some untoward interaction with the Staunch Ally waitstaff at the time of the last redecoration could someone make sure that the gerbils are supplied with gerbilpills in case of a repetition?

I'm sure Errol and I can whip up a batch of gerbil contraceptives in one of the spare labs. Gemini won't make pictures of the pills, but you can fill in the blanks. The synthesis appears to involve phenolphthalein.

Very good Errol.

Perhaps we could give them a talk on safe sex. At least both parties understand consent, if not faithfulness.

We should try, but I am not convinced they are good listeners. Easily distracted, I fear.

<listens in to gerbils whispering>

Ah - we may need to correct a misunderstanding. It appears that Glynis was under the impression that having sex on top of the safe where the Bluestocking keeps the Tunnocks is what is meant by safe sex.

That safe isn't even safe for Tunnocks! Although I'm now faintly happy that Beetle has usually nommed them all before I get near them.

I thought it was sticky because of the marshmallow 🫢 <rushes to wash hands>

oh Glynis

But that's the thing, she hears ONE word, misinterprets it and thinks 'oh I'm meant to have rumpy-pumpy on the safe where's George?'

She isn't the only one, either, and it's all communications, not just health advice. No wonder the food orders get so ODD at times. And the drinks orders.

That reminds me of the traditional Cambridge duckling walks, which usually happen around April time. These ducklings were apparently hatched underneath a bush three colleges away from the river.

(and it’s a pleasant distraction from the last fortnight’s court reporting and last evening’s news.)

Duckling herding

Dublin used to have police-escorted duckling walks, always fun to see.

But on the subject of the rodent population increase I always thought it was a mistake to let George have that pass key. I'm not at all convinced he is a qualified plumber, and even if he is, so is Calypso the capybara, a very pleasant beast who isn't going to upduff anyone.

Sorry to have to say it, but I think it's change the locks time.

So, when a mummy gerbil and a daddy gerbil love each other very much have a few minutes down time and nothing better to do...

...don't flush it, wrap it in toilet paper and place it in the bin. Don't forget to say thank you.

I think with the PowerPoint, glove puppets, interpretive dance, pop quiz and prizes I just about managed to hold their attention.

I would pay my weight in Tunnocks to see that interpretive dance.

Is Marie still around? While scrolling through the 1911 census for G-names for males I found some Gournays - fishermen among 130 French on a ship in west Cork, registered by someone unsure what surname and forename meant. I'd love to know the back story.

Been out walking in the bitter cold and, because Fife is so stress inducing, thought I’d warm up for a bit. Looks like I wasn’t the only one with the same idea.

Do you know F W Harvey?

allpoetry.com/poem/8495193-Ducks-by-Frank-W-Harvey

Ducks
1
From troubles of the world I turn to ducks,
Beautiful comical things
Sleeping or curled
Their heads beneath white wings
By water cool,
Or finding curious things
To eat in various mucks
Beneath the pool,
. . . . . . .

Yes, that's a great poem and I think it is rather specifically about ducks not drakes, which have earned an IgNobel reputation.

Kenneth Grahames 'up tails all' is cheerful too

www.poetrynook.com/poem/ducks-ditty

The less said about drakes the better.

Marie de Gournay annseo a mhúinteoir!

Thank you for that info. If I'd known back in the 1600s that the [slightly] noble de Gournays would end up fishing off the coast of West Cork, well lookit, I'da been fierce surprised😄