Giving my hamster Lucy (3.0) a pat on the back My hamster Lucy (5.0) tracked with HamsterTracker™
Powered by Peacoque Labs, Eindhoven, the Netherlands

Created by Mathijs van der Paauw
- Online since September 5th, 2004 -
RSS 2.0    Hamstertracker™ Rss Stream        Lucy on Twitter Lucy's Tweets               
It is really doing what it has been designed to do; Tracking my hamster Lucy!
Sunday, december 16, 2012 Day 465 current treadmill total: 181,493.03 meters! (15:55 CET)

Day 465 - one year plus 100 days




to Lucy's College Fund,
and Pine-Seed supply

I am the (proud) Author of:

"Happy Hamster": A step by step guide on how to prepare delicious meals for your hamster.

Featuring never published, book-exclusive recipes:


You can find more details/order "Happy Hamster" at Amazon
or from my publisher
Chronicle Books.

HamsterTracker™-Proud
to have
been blogged by:




HamsterFanciers.com
april 22, 2013


CuteOverload.com
september 12, 2011
august 22, 2010
march 15, 2010
october 25, 2009
june 30, 2009
october 27, 2008
march 3, 2008
december 3, 2007
october 4, 2007
june 28, 2007
april 27, 2007
january 9, 2007
august 24, 2006
july 27, 2006
june 20, 2006
may 10, 2006
march 29, 2006
march 12, 2006


LA Weekly logo
january 25, 2011


="Cute
september 22, 2010


'Keeping count of how many metres pampered rodent Lucy clocks up on her lickle treadmill.' - guardian.co.uk
january 31, 2009


Picked by Yahoo! Picks
'My Hamster Lucy - Mathijs van der Paauw has transformed his pet rodent into one of the Web's most unlikely stars.' - Yahoo! Picks Profile, october 26, 2007

october 26, 2007


nu.nl the news site in Dutch
june 20, 2006


My Yahoo!
Inside My Yahoo!: Meet Lucy. The most precisely measured, colorfully charted, and odorably photographed hamster on the Internet.

may 23, 2006
june 19, 2006



MakeZine.com
august 25, 2005


One year + 100 days...
I know, I know... It's been WAAAAY too long AGAAAAAAAIN, since blogging...

Thank you everyone of all concerns etc. via Twitter, Lucy's guestbook, email and such.

We have not been sitting still here, although the efforts involved are not immediately appearant on HamsterTracker.com:
  • We have made the switch to green electricity! So HamsterTracker™ is running on a CO2 free environment
  • Also I am looking forward to our upcomming fibreglass internet connection
  • Lucy is enjoying life without cameras (since she doesn't appreciate the *Flash*)
  • A faulty disk in the HamsterTracker™-Server has been succesfully replaced!
  • etc.
  • etc..
  • etc...
Lucy has been getting a lot of attention, even though she could do perfectly without. Lucy5.0 is much more to herself as opposed to the other Lucy's. She's also not to fond of the camera (read: *Flash*).

Waking Lucy...
" Dude, why are you wakening me AGAIN? .... " - Lucy


Oke, oke, just give me a moment, oke?
" Oke, oke! Just give me a moment, oke? " - Lucy


I envited Lucy over to the couch,
so she could have her night out ( This time WITH camera... Please don't tell! )


Waking Lucy...
" Dude, why are you wakening me AGAIN? .... " - Lucy



Talk soon! Mkay?


Our favorite internet DJ's: DJ Mitch, DJ Quincy Jointz, DJane Vibrella, Simon Harrison, Christina Long, DJ Elliot & DJ Artek:
Xtreme HamsterTracker™ Cool 2 Totally Must Do
Have a look (and buy) my "Happy Hamster" book at my publisher Chronicle Books or at Amazon.
Send your loved one a "Happy Hamster" eCard.
Current Weather & Time @ HamsterTracker™


radio42 - Music for Lounge-Lovers.
My first hamster, Jamy. My second hamster, Julie. My third hamster Lucy! My current hamster Lucy 2.0 Animation of my hamster Lucy (3.0) having a nibble. A Picture of the HamsterTracker (tm) system setup. © Copyright Peacoque Labs

Slightly older News:

I love Lucy @ HamsterTracker.com

Monday, April 9, 2012 Day 214 current treadmill total: 130,477.81 meters! (15:55 CET)

Long time, no write...

I know, I know... It's been WAAAAY too long, since blogging...

It's been very busy for me, not all HamsterTracker™-Related, but a very interesting time!
To make it up for you, I've posted this (longer than usual) item for you.
There actually three items in this one post: Two Happy Hamster reviews, Daffodil stuff and Lucy5.0, ofcourse! Hoping to make it up to you.
Here we go:

(independent) Happy Hamster Reviews

I suppose there is no greater kick than finding a video (or two) on the book I wrote.
I found these (accidentally) while Googlin'.

Please enjoy:



" A wonderful 'Happy Hamster' (paperback) book review by, OnlyHamsterAdvice... " - Mathijs



" Another wonderful 'Happy Hamster' book review by AHamstersLife. " - Mathijs


" Although I love the ratings given,
please allow me to state that:
ALL MY HAMSTERS HAVE SURVIVED MY SPECIAL COOKIN' FOR THEM!
" - Mathijs

HamsterTracker™-Shouts back to you,
OnlyHamsterAdvice and AHamstersLife !!!



Dafodills in the HamsterTracker™-Headquarters Front Garden


Dafodills at the HamsterTracker-Headquarters
" Remember, that I do a photoshoot of the (only) flowers
in the HamsterTracker™-Headquarters garden once every year,
the moment when they start to blossom?
" - Mathijs


Dafodills at the HamsterTracker-Headquarters
" This year I was late on blogging about it,
EVEN WHEN IT SET A RECORD ON EARLY BLOSSOM!
" - Mathijs


Year Blossom Date
2012 March 10
2011 March 11
2010 March 21
2009 March 14
2008 February 22
2007 March 13
2006 April 2
For the record...


Dafodills at the HamsterTracker-Headquarters
" Aren't they pretty?
(Macro lens fun!)
" - Mathijs


Lucy! NEWS:


Lucy's teat stock.
" Lucy has plenty of treats... " - Mathijs


Lucy showing herself.
" Wait a minute Dude...
Let me get UP THERE!
" - Lucy


Lucy showing herself.
" Now show me those videos, Dude! " - Lucy


We had popcorn as well as a wonderful, time!


Bonus: Flower fun:


More HamsterTracker-Headquarters Front garden flowers.
" It's hard to believe that such a small bud, can become the following: " - Mathijs


More HamsterTracker-Headquarters Front garden flowers.
" Nature always amazes me! " - Mathijs


Talk soon!


Tuesday, January 31, 2012 Day 145 current treadmill total: 115,835.84 meters! (16:20 CET)

Lucy in her Basement

Lucy does know her way around her mansion. If you are unaware of Lucy's latest Mansion Expansion; ... Lucy now has a Basement, Livingroom, Bedroom, Meditation Attic as well as some un-named spaces.

I must mention that Lucy has been exploring it all extensively... leaving her scent marks all over. That's how hamsters make it their owm.

She truly does feel at home; here's a photoshoot (the first after much counseling, see previous post):


Lucy in her Basement
" Me making "Engine Sounds"...
Lucy is off in an instant...
" - Mathijs


Lucy in her Basement
" Note that Lucy's eyes are closed,
whiskers forward,
nose active,
as well as ears folded back.
" - Mathijs


Lucy in her Basement
" Dude... Are you down there? " - Lucy


What should I say?
While holding my camera ?



Lucy in her Basement
" Hi Dude,
I've missed you!
You've been outside, haven't you?
" - Lucy


" That's true; it has turned cold here,
as well as some powder snow that wasn't there yesterday,
so I got my camera,
thick coat,
and I went out on a daring mission:
" - Mathijs


Lucy in her Basement
" I shot this is an art-y photograph;
while I was HANGING ON A CLIFF... ;-)
" - Mathijs


Not really!
I photographed the top of my (square) waste bin, outside, using a macro lens.
(This is why the bottom part part is blurry: bokeh as it's known!)
Then I turned the photograph upside down... Faking the cliff...


Cliff-hanger isn't it?

This, unfortunatly, this did upset Lucy:


Lucy in her Basement
" I thought you where in danger! Dude...
Please don't scare me like that again!

So I say: STOP NOW HERE!
" - Lucy


Let's examine that in close-up:

Lucy in her Basement
" A famous paw... " - Mathijs van der Paauw


I just LOVE Lucy's mole on Lucy's left pinky! I guess the T.S.A. will let Lucy5.0 pass immediately after this publication! USA here we come! (???)


All excited about the weather phenonimum called snow, Lucy wanted to get outside a.s.a.p. to 'throw some snowballs' as she stated.

I explained that snow is really cold to the touch, as well as that I do not have gloves with four fingers on each hand... It took some convincing;



Lucy in her Basement
" I showed Lucy this 'cold' photograph...
I said that I'd rather be spending time with her on the couch...
" - Mathijs


Lucy in her Basement
" Really?
HAND-TAXI!...
DUDE...
Please, get me one a.s.a.p. !
" - Lucy


Needless to say, we are experiencing this wonderful quality time as you read this.


Sunday, January 29, 2012 Day 143 current treadmill total: 114,435.00 meters! (16:00 CET)

Lucy's first Statistical Graphs

It's been a while since I've blogged... This doesn't mean that I've been sitting still. :-)

I have started working on Lucy's Statistical Graphs a few weeks ago and since then we experienced some setbacks: Although the Data Scanner software I developed about a year ago to load Lucy's data easily into a spreadsheet. I had forgotton that Lucy5.0 needed all new graphs and such...

This involved much copy & pasting previous graphs, while changing data-ranges to reflect Lucy's latest statistics.

Meanwhile I experimented with hooking up more camera's to Lucy's webcams... This had interesting results... The HamsterTracker™-Server froze... didn't respond to ANYTHING... so I was forced to the most brutal reset imaginable; cutting power...


The HamsterTracker-Server needed a System Restore.
"This resulted in a non bootable system,
which required me to restore a System-Backup made a week earlier...
" - Mathijs


That didn't work... so I tried another backup... two weeks earlier...

That did the trick! We are back and up and running!
So I got back to Lucy's statistics:


My hamster Lucy (5.0) lastest Treadmill Statistics.



Lucy5.0 Treadmill time graph

My hamster Lucy (5.0) latest Treadmill Time Statistics.


My hamster Lucy (5.0) latest Water Consumption Statistics.


Lucy's water consumption is a bit in-accurate!

Lucy did love to knaw on the cage, rubbing her belly against the water dispenser. Causing a terribly wet cage (which I ofcourse had to clean :-) as well as distorting the data collected.

Since I moved Lucy's water bottle to the front of her mansion this water spoilage hasn't taken place! :-)



Comparing Lucy 2.0, 3.0, 4.0 & 5.0 treadmill trends.
The more vertical the above line is,
the more distance Lucy ran in her treadmill.


Note that Lucy5.0 is very lazy...

Lucy loves her three story mansion!
She goes from her basement,
to her living,
to her Meditation room
within a flash!


It did calm her down a bit on cage-knawing & biting attempts!

I guess I am learning Lucy's behaviour as well...


Monday, January 16, 2012 Day 130 current treadmill total: 107,542.19 meters! (20:35 CET)

Lucy's grand mansion expansion

We haven't been sitting still here at HamsterTracker™.com! Lucy and me are in therapy, trying to overcome (or, at least for me, PREDICT) when Lucy is in a BYTING mood...

We are making progress, fortunately! I noticed that Lucy easily get's over excited, (why I do not understand or know), when we have contact... A gentle cuddle, using my hand can go from loving, to a bite in an instant...

On another thought, I worked on expanding Lucy's mansion! After a joyfull experience, buying a second hand Habitrail Safari cage (via a Dutch auction site)... I finally could replace Lucy's (a bit worn out after nine+ or so years) Lucy's Living room with a(n used) but much better one!

Using 93% of my Habitrail Safari Tubes I managed to connect it into one whole ... extreme ... see for yourself below:



Lucy's grand mansion expansion.
" Meditation room
Living & sleeping quarters
Basement!
It's all there!
" - Mathijs


Except for (maybe) a pooltable ... :-)


Lucy's grand mansion expansion.
" Dude ... How did you get a mortage ?
Dude ... Are we going to cut down on pineseeds ?
Dude ... What abou........
" - Lucy in her basement

" Lucy has been asking a lot of questions... (!) " - Mathijs

She does feel at home after exploring all tubes etc. for a gazzzillion times!


Lucy also has the tendency to knaw on her cage. She does that exactly where Lucy's drinking bottle was... This resulted in HUUUUGE water consumption data! Sometimes almost the whole bottle in one night!

This did of course mess up the water consumption data as well as making Lucy's living room VERY wet! While she was knawing on her cage she probably rubbed against the water valve, releasing H2O all over the floor!

Therefore I had to take measures: I moved the water bottle to the front of her mansion (for the very first time in history).



Lucy's grand mansion expansion.
" Giving me great photo opportunities...
Hoping that my next shot will be more of a close up...
" - Mathijs


Sunday, December 25, 2011 Day 108 current treadmill total: 97,803.25 meters! (14:00 CET)

Merrrry X-Mas, from HamsterTracker....

In case you where wondering why I havent updated for quite a while...
It wat because of Lucy's fits... for some reason she tends to bite me without problable cause... It was a few weeks ago that Lucy got me really bad: We were enjoying some great time on the couch; when Lucy tried to chew on it... I responded with a gentle poke, hoping to "snap" her out of it...Which WORKED ... for like 15 seconds...
Then Lucy5.0 struk my hand that I put there on the couch for reconciliation... *BITE*... *AUW(TCH)* ... Moved my hand... knocked Lucy accidentally from the couch on the floor...


Here's my official report:


Lucy's bad behaviour report.
" We went into counseling after this (many of one) incident... " - Mathijs

As it seems, Lucy5.0 has trouble handeling her 'Famous-ness'.
It was suggested that Lucy would remain out of general publicity, in the hope that Lucy will (slowly) get used to the pucblic-life!


So to take my mind off, I took my first steps in HDR-photography:

" the art of combining the best lighting of serveral photo's into one " - As I'd like to call it!


Lucy's Mansion, HDR- photograph Experiment Lucy's Mansion, HDR- photograph Experiment Lucy's Mansion, HDR- photograph Experiment Lucy's Mansion, HDR- photograph Experiment
Lucy's Mansion, HDR- photograph Experiment
" Here I combined the best of every shot,
into a singe one... it's amazing that the final result,
doesn't have the light reflection in the Lucy-memorial.
" - Mathijs

Although it does contain some errors (where DOES that light (magically come from) at the corner of Lucy's ground floor...



Also I've improved the Tablet Experience a bit more:
If you bookmark HamsterTracker.com on an Apple device, you'll now get the official HamsterTracker™-Icon:


Bookmarking HamsterTracker.com on an iPad/iPod Touch/iPhone.
" Bookmarking HamsterTracker.com on an iPad/iPod Touch/iPhone... is now cool! " - Mathijs


To focus my mind off more...

I've (also) been doing my first steps into producing music:

Please allow me to share my very very first experiments in my home made tune for X-mas:


My very first 100% home made theme tune recording! by HamsterTracker.com


Lucy's Guestbook enhance- / improvement:

[ Did I forget to memtion that Lucy's Guestbook is All Ad-free and stuff ? ]


Merry X-mas to all!

From, Lucy5.0 and Mathijs


Sunday, November 6, 2011 Day 59 current treadmill total: 67,579.69 meters! (14:00 CET)

Off-topic: Glow Eindhoven 2011

Sorry for not updating earlier, but I've been looking out for the Glow Eindhoven festival 2011 for weeks now! I've been experimenting with my DSLR camera in shooting photographs with 30 second exposure time since I took a course last year, just before Glow 2010. It's facinating to shoot photographs like that; when someone passes (accidentely), it doesn't show up in the final picture (unless they cary a torch or something). I've learned a lot yesterday; one of them is to keep in focus of the actual reason of being there to photograph. I must admit I got distracted along the way, shooting exciting photographs which do not have much to do with Glow Eindhoven.

Please allow me to share the following fun adventure I experienced:
(Before I get back to real HamsterTracker™-Business, down below)



Glow Eindhoven festival 2011
" This is a 30 second exposure shot.
The bottom of the picture is a bit fuzzy because of all people passing by...
" - Mathijs


Glow Eindhoven festival 2011
" City Hall as a (degrading) cardboard box.
I love the two elderly watching on the bottom right.
(I hadn't spotted them when I was shooting this photograph.)
" - Mathijs


:

Here's where I shot my best photograph of the evening!
I'll save it for the end of this post :-)

:


Glow Eindhoven festival 2011
" I wandered off a bit; (that's where I lost focus on Glow,
completely immersed in shooting photographs!)
The Laser line IS part of Glow...
The white lines at the bottom are bicyclists passing by
during the 30 seconds it took to shoot this photograph.
" - Mathijs


Glow Eindhoven festival 2011
" I love that odd looking highrise!
All the lights on street level where cars passing by.

I call this photograph: "Light Explosion"

Mental note: check the level-ness of camera before shooting:
the odd building isn't straight up!
While in reality it is...
" - Mathijs


Glow Eindhoven festival 2011
" The odd highrise up close.
It took a couple of attempts to get this one right.
On the original photograph, you can even see some stars in the night sky!
" - Mathijs

My favorite photograph of this photoshoot:

Glow Eindhoven festival 2011
" This is the back of the 'van Abbe Museum'.
The 'Glow-Show' had just ended it's cycle when I found this sweet spot!
The lasers make it interesing as well as
the (almost full) moon pitching in at perfect angle!

The red 'hedge' are actually people moving around!
" - Mathijs

On-topic: Lucy:

Lucy does enjoy me enjoying Glow:


Lucy does enjoy me enjoying Glow...
" ZZZ zzz ZZZ zzz... " - Lucy


Lucy does enjoy me enjoying Glow...
" An occasional foot-wash... " - Mathijs


Lucy does enjoy me enjoying Glow...
" Dude... can't you see I need my beauty rest? " - Lucy


Lucy and I have been spending time on the couch, almost every evening!
She does love it, although she tends to get over excited (read: unhandable) within a couple of minutes.
Although whenever I put her in my hands, she remains very very gentile!


She is a GEM !


Saturday, October 22, 2011 Day 44 current treadmill total: 57,221.47 meters! (18:25 CET)

Couch time with Lucy...

Lucy is pretty persuasive as well as demanding attention every day! Not that I mind, although Lucy did/does have a way to draw my attention: Cage Knawning is a popular activity by her. She has a lot of stuff to knaw on to keep her teeth in shape ( Hamsters DO need to knaw ), she prefers her cage every once in a while.

Currently I am training myself only to interact with Lucy, when she's not engaged in such activity...

Which does seem to help, a bit...



Couch time with Lucy...
" Duuuuude ! ...
Are you there ???
" - Lucy


Of course I was... Lucy 'announced herself' for a few minutes...


;-)


Couch time with Lucy...
" Shall we sit on the couch and have a littl' talk ? " - Lucy


I agreed; Lucy took a gentle 'Hand-Taxi'-ride to the couch...
Which she explored a few minutes, when she froze:


Couch time with Lucy...
" This couch is a mess, Dude !!! " - Lucy


"Why ?", I asked


Couch time with Lucy...
" The plate, isn't tucket away, the way it should, DUDE !
Can't you see that ?
" - Lucy


Couch time with Lucy...
" Here; this isn't right ... " - Lucy


So I asked Lucy, what to do...
It didn't take two seconds, before Lucy started:


Couch time with Lucy...
" I am fixing it... " - Lucy


We love a little help in the house!     ;-)


Sunday, October 16, 2011 Day 38 current treadmill total: 52.528.19 meters! (15:45 CET)

Lucy loves her home !

Lucy build quite a food-stash on her way up and down to her 'Meditation room (See this room in the previous post below). She makes a lot of noise going up as well as going down. There are two of these (what I'd like to call:) S-tubes, put there mainly so Lucy doesn't have a three feet drop.

Lucy5.0 likes to use these as pantries, similar to all previous Lucy's ... :-)



Lucy loves her home !
" There you are... I was looking for that snack... " - down-side-up-Lucy


Lucy loves her home !
" Crunch... crunch ... " - Lucy


Lucy loves her home !
" Wait there is more ... " - Lucy


It sometimes does take ages for Lucy to go "downstairs"...


Lucy has also been spending a lot of time in her explorer ball! She loves it! Whenever I hold the ball in front of her opened front door; she immediately climbs in, every time !

She loves running around in the living room. In the beginning she bumped a lot into obsticals. Now she learned to avoid them or slow down before hitting an obstical (like wall, my feet, chairs etc).
Good excersise for me and my camera:



Lucy loves her home !
" I've gone over budget on the photoshoot,
in an attempt to show Lucy's speed in her Explorer Ball.
(True photograph; no photoshop!
" - Lucy


I can't wait for Lucy to wake up...
Then we can start doing this all over again !!!


:-)


Sunday, October 9, 2011 Day 31 current treadmill total: 47,659.69 meters! (17:35 CET)

Lucy is adjusting to the HamsterTracker™-Life !

Last week, I expanded Lucy's mansion with her ( for HamsterTracker.com's-regular-visitor, familiar- ) "Meditation-Room". (Needless to say), Lucy LOVES it! (A LOT!)
When I entered the living room in a morning, I found Lucy 'meditating':



Lucy is adjusting to the HamsterTracker™-Life !
" ZZZ ... zzz ... ZZZ ... " - Lucy


Lucy is adjusting to the HamsterTracker™-Life !
" I'd rather have a pillow; but I guess I would make the most of it, like Lucy! " - Mathijs


It didn't take long for Lucy to wake up (because of the flash-light)...


Lucy is adjusting to the HamsterTracker™-Life !
" Dude... I know you are there ! " - Lucy


Lucy is adjusting to the HamsterTracker™-Life !
" You are UP THERE, aren't you? " - Lucy


My simple response was : " Nope! " - Mathijs


Lucy is adjusting to the HamsterTracker™-Life !
" Lucy was still aware of me shooting photographs (with my 100 mm Macro lens),
that she ocasionally put on her brakes to check it all...
" - Mathijs


Lucy is adjusting to the HamsterTracker™-Life !
" Dude .. I know I heard you...
Let's have some couch-fun !
" - Lucy


We did/do/are doing, this a lot; the couch thing; Lucy loves to get out and explore using her Explorer Ball as well as checking up with me on the couch. Lucy is the firsrt hamster to actually invent the 'Digging-game' in the corner of the couch (instead of the 'Touch-downs' scored by climbing up the couch)!

Lucy doesn't mind my hand, while trying to stop this 'couch-destruction'; it's actually a pretty fun game, SHE invented ! :-)




Sunday, October 2, 2011 Day 24 current treadmill total: 40,945.56 meters! (18:00 CET)

Lucy's 2nd Mansion-Expansion: Meditation Room !

Here, in the Hetherlands we have experienced a very lousy summer; it felt like autumn all the way; being rainy, cloudy and way too cold for the season.
Fortunatly, the weather can be very erratic over here; these last few days, ever since autumn started we've been experiencing summer-like weather... Enough for me to go out with my camera and shoot some 'Summer in Autumn' photographs:

Lucy's 2nd Mansion-Expansion: Meditation Room !
" The leaves being all red = Autumn,
The sunsine (as well as temperature) = SUMMER !

Is it me? Or is there actually a heart-shape there?
" - Mathijs


Lucy's 2nd Mansion-Expansion: Meditation Room !

Because Lucy's growing up, really fast, regardless of the weather; I took some time to enhance Lucy's mansion with a 1 meter+ (one yard+) = climb to her 'Meditation Room'. Lucy has been exploring the room for quite some time; running up and down many, many times :-)

It's a great distraction for Lucy; which we can see in Lucy's Treadmill performance; the interest in her new mansion expansion is greater as opposed to running in her treadmill!
Who can blame her?
:-)



Lucy's 2nd Mansion-Expansion: Meditation Room !
" Lucy, goin' UP ... " - Mathijs


This morning I discovered that Lucy used her Meditaion Room as a Bedroom:


Lucy's 2nd Mansion-Expansion: Meditation Room !
" Good moooooornin' ...
... Dude ...
" - Lucy

So I gave Lucy a few minutes, after a long night of runnin' up and down...

To challenge: I offered her a nice pine-seed, while calling her:


Lucy's 2nd Mansion-Expansion: Meditation Room !
" Dude... Pine-Seed? " - Lucy


Lucy's 2nd Mansion-Expansion: Meditation Room !
" I am on my way, Dude !!! Just give me a few more seconds... " - Lucy



Thursday, September 29, 2011 Day 21 current treadmill total: 39,647.19 meters! (18:25 CET)

The First MASSIVE Lucy Mansion Clean!

When Lucy asks ...

The First MASSIVE Lucy Mansion Clean!
" Dude: This place needs cleaning ...
Wouldn't you agree? ...
" - Lucy

She gets!

The First MASSIVE Lucy Mansion Clean!
" New bedroom: Check,
Food bowl: Check,
Water: Check,
Webcam: Check,
Fresh food: Check,
Fresh bedding: Check,
(etc... ): Check!

I did all this while Lucy was enjoying 15 minutes of Explorer Ball fun !
" - Mathijs


The First MASSIVE Lucy Mansion Clean!
" Lucy's first inspection of her Mansion-Expansion ... " - Mathijs


The First MASSIVE Lucy Mansion Clean!
" Dude: Carpet is NIIIIICE ! ... " - Lucy


The First MASSIVE Lucy Mansion Clean!
" Although ... the wallpaper seems VERY TRANSPARENT ... when I open my eyes ... " - Lucy


Saturday, September 24, 2011 Day 16 current treadmill total: 33,556.97 meters! (14:05 CET)

Second evening out with Lucy!

Technical Update: We're (finally) fully functional on an iPad !
September 25, 2011:
I've noticed that HamsterTracker.com was not fully navigatable on an iP(ad/od/hone) device for quite a while now! Since these devices are touch enabled it doesn't support the 'hover' events that the main menu relies on...

So I started experimenting on changing the CSS (= 'Cascading Style Sheet') to see if I could get it to support the 'click' event as well... after two hours of (very enjoyable) puzz'ling I did get it to work on an iPad!

It required some software modifications on the HamsterTracker™-Server... which unfortunately FAILED last night... Resulting in an broken menu... Fortunately this was only a display problem on the website. After another hour of puzzeling I found the culprit; fixed it, modified the HamsterTracker™-Server to generate proper stuff... Now I am hoping for the best, tonight :-)

As of today, HamsterTracker.com's Menu is fully functional on an iPad !

Hopefully tomorrow too... ;-)

I've also split this front page; it was too huge; now the front page features Lucy5.0, while the news archives, start with Lucy4.0.
HamsterTracker™-Software Development Dept.




These last 16 days have been a blast here at HamsterTracker™ Head Quarters: Lucy is getting used to my hand appearing in her mansion! She will quickly explore my hand in search of a pineseed.
She is very gentile to me; she did put her teath in my fingers a couple of times... she did that very gently too. Maybe she mistaked it for a pineseed, I don't know. At least she now seems to know that my fingers are not food for her :-)
Lucy is also very inquisitive... every morning when I enter the living room, she is sitting up looking towards the door I enter, amazingly cute! Of course that will get her a treat or two!
So when Lucy came with the following suggestion, I couldn't resist:

Second evening out with Lucy!
" Dude, I need to get out! " - Lucy


Second evening out with Lucy!
" Can I? ... Dude ? " - Lucy


The above photo's are shot using a 100mm macro lens. I didn't open the front door; it's shot 'through' the cage, while standing a meter (yard) away...
That's why you see these 'lines' in the photo; these are the bars or her cage walls of her mansion.



Second evening out with Lucy!
" I let Lucy (for the second time) in her explorer ball,
this time doubling the time to 10 minutes...
" - Mathijs


Second evening out with Lucy!
" I called Lucy...
It looks like she came running back, although reality is the opposite;
I had some fun chasing Lucy for her second time on the couch experience:
" - Mathijs


Second evening out with Lucy!
" Hi, Dude! " - Lucy


Second evening out with Lucy!
" Bye, Dude! " - Lucy


Lucy really enjoyed the experience!
But she is still in the process of learning that she shouldn't jump out of my hands, while on the couch. One time she fell on the floor a 50 cm (about half a yard) drop... Fortunately I could pick her up immediately preventing her from escaping in the livingroom!
The two times I put Lucy back in her mansion; she urinated in my hands. Although it's only a few drops, it is very smelly and it made me wash my hands immediately.



Monday, September 19, 2011 Day 11 current treadmill total: 23,594.44 meters! (20:40 CET)

Getting to know Lucy, and she's getting to know me!

This last week I've been spending quite a lot of fun time in getting to know Lucy (as well as Lucy getting to know me). We are improving on our trust in eachother; I play the 'put my hand in her mansion' (a.k.a. Hand-Game) a lot, while holding a pine-seed. This blonde Lucy also LOVES her pine-seeds, b.t.w....

We spent some time on the couch as well; (just a minute or five or so, being Lucy's first experience.) She loved it, although she didn't really like me when I picked her up (for training as well as) returning to her mansion. When she was back 'at home', I discovered that she pied in my hand... a quick hand wash later, I was back on giving her a 'pat on the back' and she didn't mind at all!!!

We have also been working on our language skills; Lucy now knows her name is Lucy... and for some reason she automatically called me Dude... :-)

Getting to know Lucy, and she's getting to know me!
" Ah, there you are... Dude ... " - Lucy


Getting to know Lucy, and she's getting to know me!
" Right foot, needs a wash, appearantly ... " - Mathijs


Getting to know Lucy, and she's getting to know me!
" I am almost done, Dude ... Are you READY ??? " - Lucy


Getting to know Lucy, and she's getting to know me!
" Let's play the 'Hand-Game', Dude... " - Lucy

We are hand shaking as you read this!


( September 21, UPDATE: I corrected the incorrect photo dimensions... Sorry... it's been a while :-)



Sunday, September 11, 2011 Day 3 current treadmill total: 7,647.84 meters! (17:25 CET)

My first days with Lucy5.0

These last three days where really exciting! I did have to get used to a hamster making noise while treadin' her treadmill. Lucy on the otherhand needed to get herself aquainted with her new living space. This meant sniffing and rubbing her scent glands (on both her hips) all over the place. I tried to not bother Lucy too much; whenever I opened her cage, Lucy went into a defensive mode; holding up one paw, showing that she didn't approve.
Yesterday evenening we had a breakthrough; she didn't mind my hand being in her quarters as well as accepting a first pine-seed straight from my hand! :-)

We are getting to know and used to eachother...

My first days with Lucy 5.0!
" I was explaining on how special Lucy was... " - Mathijs


My first days with Lucy 5.0!
" Really ??? " - Lucy

One of the few words, Lucy currently knows...


My first days with Lucy 5.0!
" Isn't she cuuute ? " - Mathijs


My first days with Lucy 5.0!
" This picture clearly shows how long Lucy's hair is...
Looking forward to cuddle, this huge fluffy-ness ! :-)
" - Mathijs


My first days with Lucy 5.0!
" An almost perfect 100 mm Macro shot!
(the top of Lucy's ears are missing)
Although I LOVE her looks in this photograph.
" - Mathijs


Thank you to all that have responded on Lucy5.0 arrival!
HamsterTracker™-Shouts back to you all!



Thursday, September 8, 2011 Day 0 current treadmill total: 29.59 meters! (18:25 CET)

Introducing: Lucy5.0!

Finally, THE DAY HAS ARRIVED!
I got a phone call yesterday anouncing the arrival of Lucy 5.0!

In the 'adoption' center...
" In the 'adoption' center... " - Mathijs

That's where I instantly fell in love with Lucy5.0!
She's about 6-7 weeks old; although she looks much more mature. She is a so called 'half-long haired' Golden 'Teddy Bear', as well as Blond (or Cinnamon).
Therefore she looks a 'bit more' than she actually is:

In the 'adoption' center...
" After Lucy was put in her new home,
she started her bathroom inspection immediately :-)
" - Mathijs

Drive back home from the 'adoption' center...
" I let Lucy sit in the front seat, but only while wearing her seatbelt! " - Mathijs

Arrival at HamsterTracker™-Headquarters:

Introducing Lucy 5.0!
" What a cute fluffy Lucy, isn't she? " - Mathijs

Let's look closer:
Introducing Lucy 5.0!
" Nom, Nom, Nom... " - Lucy5.0

Introducing Lucy 5.0!
" Lucy is in her foodbowl, having a nibble, a bit startled by all changes this day... " - Mathijs


Introducing Lucy 5.0!
" Climbing up a treadmill... attempt no. 1...
and 2 (and three)... who's counting anyway? ...
" - Mathijs

Introducing Lucy 5.0!
" Lucy's hair is pretty, as well as long! " - Mathijs

Finally, we're back in business, HamsterTracker™-Friends!



© Copyright 2004-2011, Peacoque Labs © Copyright 2004-2011, Peacoque Labs

Continue reading in News Archive 45

,

© Copyright 1994 - 2011, Peacoque Labs
ing. Mathijs A. van der Paauw
All Rights Reserved.