Hello! TJ here. Welcome to The Gibbons House, It's great to see you. If you are returning, hey again!
My life is pretty hectic, and it doesn’t matter if it’s a weekday or a weekend—the routine is mostly the same, except for the middle part!
In The Gibbons House, there’s me, Anayah, my German Shepherd cross Husky rescue, and my four rabbits: Cosmo (a mini rex), Artemis and Eclipse (Giant Continental cross Lionhead), and Caspian (a lop of some kind). My partner is also a part of the fun, but he doesn't get to be here very often due to the long distance, but he is always a part of the family.
If you want to read the stories of how I accumulated the fury family, you can! Here is the post about Anayah, and here is the post about the Rabbits!
This is what it's like living a day in The Gibbons House!
I’d like to say that my days off work start later than my workdays, but that’s not often the case. My alarm during the week is set for 7 a.m., or 7:15 a.m. if I’m feeling particularly rebellious (or exhausted) the night before or have less to do in the morning.
On the weekends, I don’t set an alarm, but Anayah has her own wake-up call that’s way more effective anyway. She usually decides that 7:30 a.m. is the perfect time to either lie on top of me like a furry blanket or pace the room like she’s training for the canine Olympics, jumping on and off the bed with all the grace of a herd of elephants. Let’s just say she’s not a quiet dog, so anything she does is loud and thumpy: definitely not the peaceful sleep-in I had in mind! The latest I have slept in since rescuing her is 8.15 ish.
After a sleepy snuggle with Anayah, I traipse downstairs in my dressing gown to let her out into the back garden and do a quick check on all the rabbits. Once I’ve assessed that all fluff-balls are where they belong (they are escape artists) and are all okay, I stumble back upstairs to get dressed for the day. At this point, there’s usually a furry shadow right behind me, eagerly waiting for the magic words: 'Let’s go for a walk!' Of course, those words can only be uttered after I’ve gotten dressed, put my shoes on, and am fully ready to go. Otherwise, I’m met with a less than delightful symphony of whining, barking, and pacing to inform me of her impatience.
Now, the route we take depends on the day, the weather, and how much time we have. We have a few regular routes that we choose from to keep things interesting for Anayah’s nose and to give me a change of scenery.
If it’s dry and there’s no water on the roads, we’re pretty much free to choose any route we want, as long as it fits our morning time frame before work. On the weekends, we can go for longer adventures. We usually stand at the front door for a moment while either I or Anayah plays the role of navigator. If she has a particular route in mind, she’ll start walking in that direction, and I take the hint. After all, which way we go from the house pretty much determines our walk. She likes to think she's the boss when it comes to route planning, but I'm the silent mastermind behind the scenes.
Our favorite walk, when it’s dry before work, takes us down through the village, past the alleyway by the nursing home, across the road, and around what we call 'The Duck Pond Walk'. It’s not actually a duck pond; it’s a drainage pond for a new estate build. But hey, there are Mallards and Moorhens hanging out there, so it qualifies, right? This route takes us about 20 minutes, but if I’m feeling adventurous or we have a little extra time, we can stroll through another small housing estate on the way back home, adding another 5 to 10 minutes. That’s not even counting the time spent chatting with other dog walkers or Anayah shouting at the other dogs because she wants to be let off the lead to play. Much to her dismay, that only happens in the secure dog field, not on our regular walks! She has to not be sporting any injuries too, which has been the regular dampener recently.
If the roads are wet, we are unable to do this route due to Anayah being sound-reactive at cars going through puddles or over wet surfaces.
That leads us to the second option.
This route doesn't really have a name as there are so many variations. We start by walking behind the house and crossing the road.
From there, we can either walk straight through the estate to the lane which leads to the fields or the church yard. This can lead to a couple of 20 to 25-minute walks or the larger 45-minute-plus routes over the fields, which we typically save for weekends or evenings. At the lane, we can turn left to get to the fields or the edge of the little woods, or we can turn right toward the churchyard.
If we turn left through the estate instead, we can cut through to the little woods and to the large playing fields. There we can walk around the village hall, up through the dog walking part or turn right up the field and back onto the lane.
On days when I’m not working and we have the morning free, I often take Anayah somewhere different—like the local industrial estate (exciting, I know!) or somewhere more thrilling like Kenchester Water Gardens, Blue Diamond Garden Centre, or even into town. These outings add variety to our routine and are all part of her exposure and socialization training.
Once we get back from our walk, Anayah makes a beeline for the back garden to splash around in the kiddie pool I set up for her. It’s the perfect way to cool her off and get her to hydrate at the same time!
If there are dishes to tackle, I’ll load up the mini dishwasher (seriously, it’s a tabletop 4-place dishwasher and literally the best thing I’ve ever bought for the house!) and let it do its thing. If it’s the weekend, I’ll also load the washing machine and get that going too.
Anayah has the routine down and knows that this is breakfast time, so she’ll nudge the Tails.com scoop that sits on her raised feeding station and lead me to the container where her food is kept. On top of the Tails.com biscuits, I add a splash of Salmon Oil and Joint Aid, along with a little bit of water. She never eats without permission (something that ensures she never eats something she's not meant to), so I have to give her the release word: 'Okay!'
I’m all about the food quality from Tails! They really know how to whip up meals tailored to your dog’s needs, weight, and condition—it's like a personal chef for your pup! Plus, their customer service is top-notch. And just to be clear, I’m not getting paid to sing their praises; I am just a customer satisfied with the quality of the food. If you’ve got a dog in the UK, give them a go. You get a free trial to see if it's something your dog would like. Anayah has been thriving on the Tails diet—she’s practically a canine superstar! Oh, and they even have an online community on Facebook where you can swap advice and show off adorable dog photos.
While Anayah is happily munching on her breakfast, I fill up the kettle and switch it on before heading out to tend to the bunnies.
In the morning, the little fluffballs get a hefty serving of fresh hay. I used to feed them twice a day, but after some health hiccups from not having enough hay in their diet, I switched things up. Now, I give them a big pile of hay in the morning, which encourages them to eat more hay throughout the day as they are not filling up on other calories, and then I feed them their pellets and greens in the evening.
I swill out their water bowls which are normally full of hay and sometimes poop, refill them and give them all a head scratch.
Anayah is now finished with her breakfast and is requesting her dental chew, which she always has to work for with tricks to get her brain engaged and use some of the left over energy from the walk.
I make myself some coffee in my trusty cafetière and leave it brewing whilst I make my lunch for the day if it's a work day. I'll pack whatever leftovers I had from the night before or some soup or a jacket potato. I add either an apple or a banana, a yogurt or rice pudding and a chocolate bar. I put my lunch bag by the front door so I cannot leave without tripping over it (the amount of times I have left it is embarrassing).
Next up, it’s time for my meds— Vitamin D , along with my antihistamines, asthma steroid, and nasal steroid. I then settle down at the dining room table with a bowl of cereal and my coffee, ready to connect with my followers on social media. Sometimes, I even squeeze in a bit of blog post writing. Every minute counts when your as busy as me!
Meanwhile, Anayah has her own agenda. She either sprawls out on the sofa, living her best life, or curls up right behind my chair for a cozy snooze. It’s tough work being a dog.
If I’ve got a little extra time before heading to work, I tackle some quick house chores. You know, the easy stuff that makes a difference—like cleaning the toilet, vacuuming, or taking out the bins.
On a work day, I'll shout bye to the rabbits and Anayah jumps into her crate in the van and we head to the farm.
I work at a charity project farm where adults and children with learning difficulties can interact with the animals and have a hands-on experience of caring for them. Anayah will have a wonder around upon arrival, sniffing and doing her business before any of the animals are released (and become mobile squeaky toys to her) and then stays in the van with the doors open (so long as the weather allows). She'll always shout at the cats or chickens when they have the audacity to run through her line of site.
Our first jobs at the farm are letting all of the animals out and providing them with fresh water and hay for those that need it. On our way around, we have a mooch to see what huts need mucking out that day and if anything requires our immediate attention either an animal medical issue or repairs.
If the weather is okay enough, the guinea pigs get taken out into their runs on the grass, they love the freedom and will create quite the chorus of squeaks and chatter.
That usually keeps us busy until about 11 am, which means it’s time for a tea break! I swear there's a silent bell that goes off. Everyone stops whatever they are doing and flocks to the kitchen.
Yes, we staff members get breaks too, but since we’re still hanging out with the service users and are technically 'on duty,' it’s all part of the workday. We often get called to help a mass animal escape situation or provide an ear to those who need to chat about something.
During break, Anayah gets a stretch of the legs, cuddles from anyone who deems to answer her demands for attention and undoubtedly tries to chase a chicken or two. She'll go back into the crate for the next stretch of work.
When I first rescued her, I had dreams of her coming around the farm with me and working with the animals, thinking she could be my trusty herding dog and help me put them away at night.
Well, let’s just say that plan went out the window pretty quickly! Her prey drive is so strong that no amount of impulse training could rein it in. I guess she’s more “chicken chaser” than “sheepdog” after all.
The middle of the day is when the real fun begins! That’s when we dive into mucking out, grooming the larger animals, and tackling whatever else is on the to-do list—like heading out for feed shopping. The goats get milked, the gardens and poly tunnels are watered, and any repair jobs that have piled up get some love. What gets done really depends on who’s around—both staff and service users! Everyone brings their own unique skills to the table, and we really bounce off each other like a well-oiled machine.
On the days when the weather is just plain miserable or we don't have much to do outside, we switch gears and get our bake on! We whip up some delicious treats, pick apples and pears, and even make cider and perry.
Before we know it, it's lunch time! 1 pm.
At this point, the kitchen usually turns into a whirlwind of activity, and it can get a bit overwhelming for me. So, I take Anayah for a quick 10-15 minute stroll around the fields or gardens. By the time we’re back, the microwave is free, and the kitchen chaos has calmed down a bit. Depending on the weather, Anayah might join me for lunch, or she’ll head back to the van for the rest of the workday.
After lunch, it’s time to feed all the animals and tuck them back into their beds. But first, we often have to embark on a little mission to track down the peacock and his ladies—those birds love to play hide and seek! Their hiding skills are next level. They always manage to surprise me with their new favorite spots, whether it’s behind the poly tunnels, at the bottom of the sheep field, or even in the tractor shed. Clearly, they’re all about finding the coziest nooks that are as far away from their hut as possible!
My group and I usually pick the greens for the rabbits, guinea pigs and tortoise, and I take a selection of the acquired greenery home for my rabbits to have for dinner. Feeding the guinea pigs is one of my favourite parts of the day. They practically turn into little squeaky cheerleaders, standing at the front of their hutches, making all sorts of noise. Sometimes, they even chomp on the bars or try to climb their gates.
Then it's home time!
My evenings are a delightful rollercoaster of busy and chill, depending on my schedule and how my chronic fatigue and pain decide to play tag with me. I try to squeeze in some hobbies during the week when I'm feeling up to it—like climbing (Anayah sometimes tags along to the wall,) or some archery. I also love re-potting houseplants and pottering around the garden tending to the veggies. I enjoy getting creative, too. I sometimes stay home to indulge in some scrapbooking, coloring, and working on my blog.
Right now, Tuesday evenings are sacred for watching Bake Off since the new season just kicked off last week! I'm all for those stunning showstoppers and wish I was a judge just to taste the incredible flavour combos that get presented. My friends say I should apply, but I wouldn't ever make it into the tent let alone through week one!
I also make sure to spend quality time with Anayah, focusing on training and keeping her little brain busy. When I can, I whip up scavenger boxes or other fun goodies for the rabbits, and I love cleaning their space, brushing their ridiculously fluffy coats, and rearranging their toys like a little bunny interior designer. Not that they appreciate any of my efforts.
There are also evenings where I crash out on the sofa and do nothing to allow my mind and body to rest and catch up!
At 5.30 pm during the summer (4.30 during the winter when the clocks change) I feed Anayah her dinner. This can either be in her snuffle mat, on a lick mat or in the treat-dispensing ball. In an evening she gets a mixture of biscuits and wet food (obviously the wet food doesn't get used in the snuffle mat or treat-dispensing ball). While she’s munching away, I get busy prepping the rabbits’ feast. They enjoy a mix of pellets and greens, which I sometimes serve in a bowl, sometimes scatter around their area like a little treasure hunt, or stash in a scavenger box for some extra fun. I also top their water and hay up.
Then it's time for me to cook my dinner!
Since I moved out of my parents' house last April, I’ve found a newfound love for good food. I enjoy cooking and experimenting with new flavors and recipes. I’m all about that healthy diet that tastes amazing! There are definitely days when a frozen pizza gets tossed in the oven because, well, sometimes I just can’t be bothered or don’t have the energy to cook. My mother is very kind and often cooks for me once a week, too.
After dinner, the evening vibes start to kick in. Anayah dozes off on the sofa, the rabbits are happily munching on their hay, and I turn into a full-on couch potato. Unless, of course, the random ADHD urge strikes, and suddenly I’m knee-deep in a wardrobe sorting mission or deep-cleaning the house like it’s a reality show challenge.
And then it’s bedtime!
After a quick shower, brushing my teeth, and saying goodnight to the bunnies (who probably think I’m a little weird), I spend about half an hour on my acupressure mat. Seriously, I can’t recommend this enough for anyone who struggles with sleep or back pain, the instant relief is incredible. Finally, I crawl into bed and get ready to do it all again tomorrow.
Weekends are a whole different ballgame! During the day, we do things like deep cleaning the house, going on day trips, catching up with friends, or tackling those pesky errands. Sometimes, I channel my inner Vikings at reenactment camps or shows! The garden takes a lot of my time during the busy periods, too. But let’s be real, a lot of the time, I turn into a bit of a hermit and embrace my recovery days. After all, spending time around people is a blast, but it can be a bit draining—especially when you’re also juggling chronic fatigue and pain. So, sometimes you just gotta recharge and binge-watch your favorite shows in PJs.
Looking back on my days, I’ve come to realize just how much I love the delightful mix of work, play, and my pets’ hilarious antics. I’m a busy bee, but I totally get the importance of kicking back and recharging. I make it a point to listen to my body and mind, which pretty much decides how much I can tackle during the week. Pet care and work are my top priorities—everything else can just chill until I’ve got the energy to deal with it!
I hope sharing my daily adventures brought a smile or two to your face and reminds you that there’s joy to be found in those little moments, even on the tough days.
Here’s to more days filled with love, laughter, and a whole lot of fur, everywhere!
Comments