I am so looking forward to the Halloween Bash at Mile End London (October 20th & 21st. I just spent two days over the knife skinning and pinning.

Remember in my last post when I said I needed to clean out my little freezer. Well I caught that abominable hair and pulled out a jackdaw, 2 ravens, jay, tawny owl (just applied for the Article 10s for it), a magpie (love those magpies) and one wonky rat. Took a day to defrost and most of the day fighting fluff to prepare for drying.

Visited a friend on Monday and found a squirrel which wasn't there on the way out to his house so I picked him up. Squirrels are nice looking little creatures. Their tails are just Da Bomb.

As a taxidermist in training (still at the skinning stage) I have to tell you that is not easy feat to get the skin off something in one piece with minimal damage. After today and yesterday I think I have had my fill of skinning for a week or two.

I think I have just about all the oddities a person could sift through ready for London and some extra for the following weekend in Dorchesters Corn Exchange (Saturday) and Crawley, Sussex that same weekend (Sunday). As hubby so fondly put it - it will be 10 days from hell. He is just whining because he has to do all the driving. His van is his baby and nobody drives his van.

Speaking of hubby did I mention yet what we bought each other for our 2nd anniversary - (british regulation conforming) Coffins!!! Solid wood - one is 6'4" and mine is 5'10" ... (plus a coffin lid which we use as a display). They look great and we will be selling them on at the Halloween shows. We are such bad children and always have fun being bad. I did originally want one to sell on but honey thought they were too cool so he wanted one to sell on too. Oh the tragedy of having to listen to the dead jokes and wisecracks for those first two weeks. LOL just don't get him started.

I have to thank my ever so sweet husband for putting up with my antics. I used to just collect bones and skulls and strange bits but it has gotten worse since I decided to sell them on. In my freezer which was originally bought for food I have various dead animals which are waiting their turn to be dismantled and returned to a form which someone can love or admire (squirrels, crows, rats even one daughter's pet budgie -yes she gave it to me so I could do a fan with the wings for her).
Poor husband, I can just see the dread in his eyes when I send him out for something from the freezer. Not because the dead stuff bothers him but because he doesn't want to have to move things around - I so need a freezer just for my bits. I do have a small freezer which is dedicated to my business items but it is a counter size one and is packed full. Oh that reminds me I need to go pull something out of it to get it ready for the London Halloween Bash on the 20th and 21st. Keep your fingers crossed animal health comes across with those Article 10s before we leave.