Alucard's Journey

I'll try not to make this introduction too upsetting.

After the sudden and tragic passing of my two year old, Simon, I had an empty enclosure and a beardie sized hole in my heart.

Simon was buried in my front yard, and a red maple tree was planted on her grave site as a memorial. Richter came to show his respects. As time passes, this whole area will be converted into a beautiful garden in her honor. Rest in peace, Simon. You were truly loved.

I'm on day two now and am still grieving horribly, but if I could turn her empty enclosure into a great home for another dragon and give them a good life, why not start now.

Alucard has been introduced to the house. She will never replace Simon and she knows she has big shoes to fill. She was also taken out to pay her respects to Simon's memorial site. She is a normal morph little girl beardie, just like Simon, and has a lot of spunk and a big appetite.

She's about two months old, 8.5", and 32g.
She will inevitably lose the very tip of her tail, but it looks like this is healing well and will not cause her any concern.

I look forward to the love and laughter she brings to me and appreciate her presence turning Simon's home into something positive again.

 

[traildrifterphalanx]

I wish I could take credit for the hat, but I bought that at a craft store. I have to imagine some hats can easily be made myself, though!

Alucard is left with just head and torso in shed now. All her little limbs popped off last night in some pretty clean sheets. I love her little frumpy face so much!
Her arms and legs and such still look to be about the same shade of yellow. Still hoping for some bright colors.

It sounds like you're making the logical choice on the move. Hopefully the news isn't too devastating

 

[traildrifterphalanx]

Weigh in!

Up 22g and a little more than half an inch since last Thursday!

 

[fuchsiaSkies]

Oh yeah, Alucard's gonna be a monster. She might beat Richter, yet! She's still got the sweetest little face. :love10:

I just left Thomas for a couple of days with my mother, and boy was that nerve-wracking! (She asked me so many questions and sent lots of text updates, so it was pretty cute) It's awesome that your boss was willing to come check up on the little ones, and I bet her kids were super excited! Who knows, you might have helped create the next generation of dragon-keepers.

Thomas has all the same things going on as Richter, how funny! I guess they are about the same age, though. He's decided he's about done growing, been floating right around 620 grams for the last few weeks, and his sheds are crazy patchy, much less frequent, and take forEVER! How's Richter's salad consumption? Thomas has decided he only wants nice big salads (and only things that are green :roll: ), and only maybe 2-3 roaches a day, all by himself!

 

[SHBailey]

620 grams is a nice respectable size, and I think it's normal for the sheds to get patchier, less frequent, and take longer as they get older.

Alucard is growing nicely.

I wish our beardie liked nice big green salads. I think he's decided that if it's not moving, it probably doesn't taste good. Don't know how many times I've given him the lecture -- "Can you say 'Omnivore'? It means you eat bugs AND veggies..." but I just get "The Look", like "Oh yeah? Are you going to try to make me eat those yucky greens? You and what army?" :roll:

 

[traildrifterphalanx]

Sorry for the lack of replies, was half asleep all of Sunday and finally got my tattoo yesterday!

Richter is a good boy with his greens as long as there's some calcium on it.
He will also only eat the green veggies lol. I used to offer him veggies of varying colors and call them by their color as I offered them. Red? Orange..? Green? *nom nom nom*

He still loves his supers, kind of gave up on his roaches, but I bought some crickets again and he went crazy for them, was cute to watch.

Alucard is such a little chubby beardie. I took her with me when I got the crickets and an employee there was like "she sure is chubby" and I said she always has been. She'll catch up to Richter in no time, and today she turned 4 months!

Today marks two months since I lost Simon, and two months since I brought Alucard home. It's bittersweet.
Here's the tattoo I got in memory of Simon..

 

[fuchsiaSkies]

That is gorgeous!! And you got her lilies in there, too! I think I might have to get a dragon in my next one, now...

 

[traildrifterphalanx]

Thank you
It's much more beautiful in person, and it wraps around the arm a bit so it's hard to get a good photo of it.

This was my first tattoo ever, and my arm sure is puffy. Was a great experience though

 

[SHBailey]

Wow -- that's impressive. You found yourself one heck of a tattoo artist to do that, and I'm surprised that it looks so good already, because I understand they take some time to heal before they look their best, but I've never had one so I'm not speaking from experience or anything.

I understand that beardies have full color vision, so I'm starting to wonder if they each have their own unique "favorite colors". I wish our beardie liked green as much as Richter does. He was even a little confused the first time I offered him a hornworm, and I could almost imagine him thinking "Ew. It's green. It probably won't taste good... Oh! wait a minute -- it's moving! Maybe it's good to eat after all" - (nom nom nom).

And that's great that Richter actually seems to like the calcium on his veggies. Shouldn't have any trouble keeping his bones healthy.

 

[NBGwen]

I love that tattoo!!! I have 5...one is a black outline beardie, I love it, but not nearly as detailed as you have there! Very sweet... <3

 

[traildrifterphalanx]

Here's a slightly better photo of just Simon.
For anyone curious it was done by Nate at Skinny Buddha Tattoo in Green Bay, WI. Took about 4 hours.

Meanwhile, Richter just wants to go outside.

He keeps running to the garage entry door, the door I often leave from to take him outside, and belly presses against it (like he is in the photo.)

And Alucard has been enjoying my patent pending "Cricket in a Cup" today, which is basically just putting crickets in the calcium shaker cup and offering it to Alucard sideways, and she just crawls in and starts eating, lol. That has to be terrifying to the crickets but Alucard loves it. Might as well let her enjoy it while she still fits in a cup

 

[NBGwen]

Simon is so well done...I LOVE the colouring!

LOL I wish I could let Charlie roam like that!!! Unfortunately, I think my cats would have plans for him... (they like to watch him and my budgies :shock: a little too much...).

 

[traildrifterphalanx]

So of course it's independence Day here in the US.
Happy 4th of July!

Spending the day alone with the lizards. I took Richter out earlier since he's been so restless today. Watched him escape his enclosure again, so took them both outside a little later.

Alucard had fun...

And Richter was a bully, doing his creepy little scuttling around Alucard so she was promptly taken back inside. So sad she's the one to be punished for it, but it's simply because she's the little one. She'll have her day.

 

[SHBailey]

That's a perfect 4th of July photo of the flag-waving beardie, and the one of Richter begging to go outside is so cute. :lol:

I still can't get over that work of art on your arm. I guess it will be nice to have something so beautiful to remember Simon with that will literally always be with you.

 

[traildrifterphalanx]

She is with me forever, in mind and body

Richter is absolutely spoiled. He knows if he bugs long enough I'll give in.
When he is out of the enclosure, he runs to the kitchen, looks out the patio doors for a while, and then runs to the garage entryway and scratches around nonstop until I go get him, often belly-up against the door or trying to climb the heat register (it's off.) It's the weirdest place for him to go, considering it's linoleum so he's slidey and its a dark area, tucked away. I have to imagine he knows that's the way to go outside.
It's really cute to see him run around outside, though. Often as soon as he's set down, he just pancakes and looks around outside. I just sat in the shade and watched him.

 

[traildrifterphalanx]

Alucard FINALLY popped her little shed. She had a blow-out.
I'm at work but took some photos while at home on lunch. She seems very uncomfortable and may enjoy a toasty soak Feels like that shed took forever