White Mug

After spending a wonderful summer together with Joe, I've found myself not just missing him, but also remembering his first year teaching at Snider.  He got the job 10 years ago.  He had applied earlier in the summer but not heard back from them and the school year was quickly approaching.  It had been a rough year helping care for his grandma who declined quickly after a bad fall and ultimately passed away at the end of July that year, just a couple days after our second anniversary.  On a whim he decided he wanted to take his resume to the school and see if he could talk to someone in person.  He was hired on the spot.  Either the principal was desperate or she recognized how amazing Joe is.  I'm going with Joe is just that amazing.  💗

I wanted to showcase the size difference between Míriel, my large Syrian hamster, and Elendil, my new tiny Chinese Dwarf hamster.  So I decided to photograph them in the same mug.  I didn't realize that Míriel would barely fit and that Elendil would be so small the only way to see him would be to put the mug on its side, but I made it work.  Miriel had no intention of staying in the mug so I only got a couple shots before she climbed out and left the scene.  Haha!

Elendil's face looks like he could be a mouse, but when you see the rest of him, he clearly isn't.  I couldn't believe how well he did for this first photoshoot.  I generally wait weeks in order to start the taming, gain trust, and most importantly, figure out what treats will help them stay put.  But Elendil is just so chill and calm that I tried this photoshoot after just over a week of owning him.  He's seriously the sweetest hamster I've ever had.

Meet Elendil!

After Glorfindel died, I had an empty aquarium and couldn't find any hamsters within 100 miles to adopt.  I needed to go to Petsmart for bedding and decided to look at the hamsters they had.  I figured if I actually got one, it would be another Syrian hamster.  Instead, I fell in love with this white and grey Chinese Dwarf hamster.  Joe told me later that he knew from the moment I saw this guy that we'd be taking him home based on the squeals I made when I saw the little guy.  Haha!  He is shy, but so incredibly sweet.  He seems to be most comfortable with Joe holding him.  I can't believe how incredibly tiny his is, especially in Joe's hands!  I love him so much!  💙

Joe picked the name Elendil for this little, but incredibly long boy.  The name of course comes from Tolkien's works.  According to LOTR Wiki, Elendil "was a man of Númenor and the father of Isildur and Anárion who led the survivors of its Downfall to the shores of Middle-earth where they founded two Realms in Exile: Arnor and Gondor.  Thus, Elendil became the first King of both realms and held the title of first High King of the Dúnedain, making him supreme overlord of all exiled Númenóreans in the lands east of the Great Sea.  Elendil was killed alongside his friend, the High King Gil-galad, by the Dark Lord Sauron at the Siege of Barad-dûr, in the War of the Last Alliance in the late Second Age."  Elendil was known for being exceptionally tall.  His name means "elf-friend" or "star-lover".

Both Elendil and Miriel appear in Amazon's "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" series.  Joe and I are excited for Season 2!  We'll likely rewatch Season 1 if we can find the time.