Spring Hedgehogs 2

So when you have put out the right food for any wandering hedgehogs who might visit your garden - how do you know that they have called in during the night and eaten the cat biscuits you left for them?

They politely turn the bowl over to show they've had enough! Or at least that's what our family of hedgehogs do - it's their way of saying thank you.

I'm taking a small break - so I just wanted to wish everyone who celebrates it a very happy Easter - and if Easter's not your thing- then happy Spring Weekend to you all. (Though it's more like summer here right now.) I hope you can relax and enjoy.

RNA Conference weekend

So here’s how the statistics for the weekend stack up:

First and foremost  - people to thank for a wonderful, fantastically well organised and stimulating conference once again  - Jan Jones and Roger Sanderson

Hours spent getting lost en route to Telford 2

Minutes left to prepare/change clothing/brush hair before Wellington Library panel 5

People attending Wellington library  panel  30

Wedding anniversary celebrated 1

Old friends met up with again  100- maybe more

New friends made – 30

Talks/workshops attended 20

Quiz won  - 1 (by ½ point!)

Bottles of wine consumed . . . err – lost count

RNA ex-virgins (from when I ran the first-timers group)and writers now published after my courses/12 Point Guide – Janet Gover Rachael Thomas Brigid Cody Iona Garrett Cathy Mansell

Discussions with past course students after one to ones -   10

Books added to my TBR pile – 15 – with special thanks to Janet Gover, Lara Temple (see above)

Person to thank for all the photographs – 1-   John Jackson

Late nights in the kitchen with wonderful friends – 4

Cats to appease after abandoning them for 4 days – surprisingly, none. The wonderful cat-sitter we  asked to look after them did the job so well we actually had no complaints, no sulks, no retribution when we came home. 

Except – number of mice sacrificed to cats’ need to bring presents for cat sitter – 3

Hedgehogs to feed in the evening after we got back – 4  - that’s including one brand-new half-grown Heck who is currently eating his/her way through everything we put out for it.

Bundles of washing to dump in the machine and get dry before we head out to Writers’ Holiday- 4

Days to go before I have to turn round and head out again towards Fishguard and teaching on this summer’s Writers’ Holiday – 3 ….

Eeek – thank heaven I planned the course well in advance and had only to pack my handouts etc.

I haven't mentioned the Hecks for a while

Just been out - in the pouring rain! - to organise the evening's food and water for our family of hedgehogs - affectionately known as the Hecks. We've just realised that since next week will mark the 28th anniversary of moving in to this place, it also marks the 28th anniversary of realising that we had the Hecks in the garden and taking over the responsibility of feeding them from the daughter of the previous family to live here. If we don't remember, they appear at the patio doors to demand their meal!

Not sure how many generations of Hecks we've had since then, but thankfully they do seem to be thriving this year as well. I think that says something about the fact that parts of the garden are definitely left 'wild' for them. They also love the mixture of food left out. Since I'm often asked what to feed them:

A saucer of cat/dog meat – chicken in jelly is a favourite but please no meat in gravy. Not fish

Dried mealworms, crushed peanuts and sunflower hearts.

Cat biscuits

Hedgehog food found in garden centres and pet shops

A bowl of water is really important as many of the hedgehogs that arrive at rescues are dehydrated

Please no bread or milk

-Food and fresh water will encourage hedgehogs to return.

You can find more information at Prickles Hedgehog Rescue   or Hedgehog Friendly Town on Facebook

Hedgehog housing crisis

We knew we still had some of the Heck family around - the housing boxes were well used, the feeding bowls regularly emptied and there was plenty of - er - hedgie poo around once those bowls had been dealt with. 

 But then we spotted the baby Hecks and realised we might need extra Hog accommodation. When we discovered that there was at least one extra Heck trying to create a new nest further up the garden, we decided we had to take action.

 A bundle of dried grass under the rhubarb leaves was just not warm or safe enough for the winter. So we've now acquired two new hog houses and put them under a protection of leaves and branches, with lots of hay for the Hecks to pull into their new homes. 

This they did with alacrity - they have been happily nesting and settling in ever since. 

The babies are down at the bottom of the garden - presumably with mother - and the food supplies are even more appreciated.

 

The under the rhubarb leaves hog is now settled in his new den just a few feet away - if we moved it any further, he went back into the rhubarb patch which was getting less cosy by the day. Ruby is entranced by her new prickly friend and sits on the extra hay watching him eat when she can. She investigated the feeding bowls but peanuts and sunflower hearts are not to her liking

Welcome return visitor

They haven't been seen for a while, and  to tell the truth we were getting a little worried that perhaps the residents of Hedgehog Towers (aka the Hecks) had packed up and moved on - or worse. Particularly when a poor ex-hedgehog was squashed on the road last week.

But  the food we had put out for them was being eaten by someone -  though that could be the stray cats/squirrels/magpies or even the rook that comes down to the bird table. (He takes a whole suet ball for himself and retires to the garage roof to eat in peace!)

But last week the neighbours said that they'd seen Ruby the black and white cat  playing jump over the hedgehog in their garden so we hoped we could relax- and last night the warm weather and light evening meant that at least we could get our first clear view of a foraging hedgehog snuffling about the lawn.

We're glad to see him/her back again - hopefully it's not the only one.

Autumn days

I can tell that it's definitely  becoming more autumnal these days. Not just because  the weather is getting

 colder and the evenings darker. Or because the clocks  have to go back very soon, but because of the extra number of jobs I need to do in the garden to take care of the wildlife and birds who live there.

I've just come in from  sorting things out and making sure that everyone is fed and looked after.  The jobs I had to do included:

1.  Putting down clean straw for the hedgehogs to drag into their  hog boxes to make cosy safe nests for the winter.
(We make sure the hedgehogs have these safe dens so that they don't burrow into any prepared bonfire planned for Bonfire Night)
2.  Clean the water bowl and refill it with fresh water. (The Hecks seem to have been washing their paws in it or something to make it so muddy!)
3.  Clean the plate and replenish it with special hedgehog crunchies for nourishment for the hogs so that they don;t have to go too far in the cold nights to forage for food.  We know there is one very small hedgehog there who will need to be well nourished so that he can be  string enough for a winter's hibernation.
4. Clean the bird bath, disinfect it and fill it with clean water
5. Clean the bird table and disinfect it - apparently too many birds are being killed by germs in the actual bird tables etc.
6. Put out suet cakes and fat balls for the birds who prefer to feed higher up
7. Soak the mealworms in  warm water to make them more enticing to birds (and the hedgehogs if they want some!)
8.  Put seeds and nuts in the ground feeder for birds like robins etc who prefer to feed on the ground.
9. Drain the soaked mealworms  and put them into a ground placed feeder.
10. Put some peanuts out for the mother and baby squirrel who would otherwise steal seeds

etc from the birds.

Phew!

Then I came indoors to feed the cats to make sure they didn't  ruin my good work by taking over the bird table as Charlie used to do! (He's a bit too big to do this now  - but  Ruby can still fit on to the bird table with ease>)

What the Heck. . .

To answer  some enquiries about the Hecks - the family of Hedgehogs who live at the bottom of our garden.

I haven't mentioned them much recently because, to tell the truth, we haven't seen much sign of them and as the hedgehogs  who had been around have been for some years, we weren't sure if they were now very elderly Hecks or sadly ex-Hecks and we no longer had anyone living in Hedgehog Towers. We'd left supplies of hedgehog crunchies by the hedgehog house in the hope there was someone there to feed on them but we couldn't be sure that it was the Hecks and not the birds who had been eating them. A few bits of dung was all that we'd seen.

But this week we were delighted to see that, at the very least, we have one brand new baby  hedgehog - one who has just grown up enough to come out and about hunting for food.  He is more than happy to eat up old cat meat - specially chicken  -  but we have  also invested in a new packet of hedgehog crunchies just in case.

At the moment he's emerging to forage about 8.30 in the evening - both Charlie and Ruby are
fascinated but don't go too close  - those prickles are a bit sharp on inquisitive noses!

The main picture doesn't really show how small this little creature is - so I'm adding a second one to put it in proper proportion to the part of the garden he/she's in.

Tiny.  Hope it stays around - we're planing on feeding it well to encourage it to grow string ready for hibernation this winter.

40 for 40 - Anne McAllister

Do I need to introduce you to today's guest blogger?
Anyone who has followed my blog for some time will recognise my dear friend Harlequin Presents author,  Anne McAllister.  She has appeared on this blog many times,  as my friend, fellow author and of course, the late lamented Sid Sidney's Lady Across the Pond.  She's shared Sid, the other cats, the hedgehog family - the Hecks  - and as she now tells you, amazingly her husband and mine share - well, an on-going conversation.

Welcome Anne!

When Kate asked me if I would write a post for the 40th anniversary of her marriage to The Prof (UK version), of course I said YES!

What else could I possibly say. There are just some people that you find an instant connection with. And Kate and I shared that from when we began corresponding on an authors' loop long ago now.  But there are not a lot of people with whom one's spouse finds an equally kindred spirit in the other's spouse.  Our respective Profs (UK and US) did exactly that.

We met Kate's husband at the Doncaster railway station, having been invited for a few days, and wondered if her spouse and mine would find anything to talk about.  They were both English professors. Surely they could find common ground, we thought.  But mine can go days without saying much, and hers might say more, but not necessarily to order. So we were, um, a tad bit apprehensive. 

Did they talk?

When have they shut up?  They talked their way out of the railway station, at tea, all the way home in the car. They talked in the back garden, in the shops, on the way to a) Lincoln, b) Grasmere, c) Millom, d) York, e) all of the above (answer: all of the above. See first sentence of paragraph,)

They came to visit us. We picked them up in Chicago. We drove them to Denver. We drove to Cheyenne. We drove home again.  They talked.

We met them in New Zealand. They talked.  And talked.

Now they can FaceTime.  My husband, who can talk 30 seconds to his children and grandchildren on FaceTime can explain Complicated Multi-Phase Stuff That He Works On In The Basement to The Prof UK.

They write poetry

.  They spent several soggy days at Grasmere, writing stuff while the saner members of the foursome were out buying raincoats and umbrellas. 

So it's fun to spend time with Kate Walker and her Prof.  We also appreciate their generosity. They have shared their cats with us. Sid, of course.  I have volumes of correspondence from Sid. But  Bob and Spiff communicated now and then, too. And Dylan even write me Potry -- because he attended his dad (The Prof UK's) Potry Class and so He Knew How To Do It.  Now Charlie (aka Chaz) writes me missives and Flora deigns to communicate occasionally. She tends to prefer FaceTime, too, though.  Not a letter writer, our Flora.

They have also shared their hedgehog family, the Hecks.  And, of course, we have shared the McAllister D.O.G.S. with them. 

There are not many couples we know with whom we've had a stupendous time no matter where in the world we are.  Kate and Steve are one such couple. We count our blessings regularly -- and Kate and The Prof UK are right there among them.

So, to both of you, The Prof (US) and I wish you a wonderful anniversary. (Your gift is on its way. Truly.  You must put it whe

re you can see it -- and live by it!).

I would add pictures, but my computer (the REAL computer with the pictures on it) is (I hope) recovering at a friend's house (he's a computer guy who Knows Things and might be able to save it).  So, I can't post any. But chances are that Kate has a few pics that she can add.  If there are pics, thank her.  I will.

 

 

PS From Kate - there are pics. It was easy to find photos of Anne, of  Sid The Cat - the  D-O-G-S. Even The Hecks the hedgehogs were easy to find - but The Profs?   I can't find one of them together!  They must be off somewhere - talking!

Which takes me to Anne's question -
Where  would you  suggest the Profs and their spouses go next (it's like the garden gnome goes round the world) to keep up the conversation?

Anne is giving away a copy of  Breaking the Greek's Rules  to one lucky commenter (if you promise not to look too closely at the cover - it's - er not one of Anne's favourites!)

Happy 4th of July to you and The Prof USA  Anne!  (And to everyone else who is celebrating it.)


You can find out more about Anne on her website

Garden Tales

Well it may be cold and damp - OK - wet - but  in the garden there are wonderful signs of  spring/summer and since we had the improvements done on the house  we now have the wonderful garden room where we can sit  in an evening and watch  what is going on out there.

Last night was a something  of a relief as I have been worrying about  The Hecks - the family of herdgehogs who live  at the bottom of the garden. Apart from  one brief sighting a few weeks ago, we hadn't seen any hedgehogs and it has been so cold that I was afraid they might have  suffered as a result. But last night something   triggered off one of the security mlights and going to see what it was I spotted a hedgehog making  itrs way down the garden path.  This looked like a youngish  one - not one of the  fully grown ones that have been  visiting for the past few years so I'm hoping we have a new family to feed.

Oh yes, feeding - the other signs of spring have been the new families of birds that have come to the bird table - we have at least two, maybe three families of starlings, a dozen or so young ones who have been practicising their flying from the garage roof next door, over to ours. And they have demolished the suet cakes that we put out - at a rate of almost one a day., Add in the pair of crows, the four (at least) magpies, the goldcrests,  blackbirds, robins, sparrows, blue tits . . . . It's a full time  job  - not to mention the expense of providing suet blocks, fat balls - and now of course the meat/hedgehog cruncies for The Hecks.

Not that we mind - they give us such pleasure to watch them  Hopefully with some lighter - and dryer - eveings - we'll be able to see more of the hedgehogs  and maybe Flora will be able to play with them as she has done in the past.  I haven't seen Charlie encounter a hedgehog yet - hopefully it won't be too long before he does.

And they're back . . .

For all fans of The Hecks, the family of hedgehogs who live in the special hedgehog  houses at the bottom of the garden - our little prickly friends are back.  And there are at least two of them again.

I spotted one of them enjoying the discarded cat meat on the lawn  a couple of days ago. And last night,  at around ten thirty  I could hear the familiar snuffling and grunting that tells me there are  two hedgehogs at least - and  that they're (hopefully) getting ready to create some brand new baby hedgehogs to keep the dynasty going.

When I consider that  we have lived in this house for 22 years, and in a ll that time we have had a family of hedgehogs sharing the garden with us, I'm always delighted to welcome them back as one of the signs of spring and to know that there will be more hedgehogs visiting for another year at least.

We now just have to wait for the fun moment when Charlie meets his first hedgehog.

The Hecks are back

We have had some wonderful warm and sunny weather over the past couple of days, in contrast to the cold and chill winds that have been blowing at the start of the week. So spring is very definitely here.

And as evidence of that, the Hecks - the family of hedgehogs who live at the bottom of the garden, have emerged from hibernation and are once more roaming about underneath the shrubs and amongst the plants.

First the Babe Magnet spotted a prickly creature at the far end of the lawn, and then, encouraged by the fact that I had put out scraps of unwanted cat meat (their favourite chicken varity - the Hecks' favourite, that it, not just the cats!) the bigger ones ventured closer to the house.

Then when we went to bed, leaving the windows open because of the warmth meant that we heard the familiar snuffling and grunting as these little creatures munched on chicken and cat crunchies. It's good to have them back and to know that we still have a family of hedgehogs as we had since we moved into this house 21 years ago. Those snuffling noises also mean they are getting ready to create new baby hedgehogs so hopefully the generations will continue - and I'll look forward to seeing some mini Hecks in the near future.

Split personality and Hecks

I sometimes find that one of the things about being a writer is that I have to develop a sort of split personality. When I'm working on a book - specially when it's on the revsions for a bok that have to be back in a very short space of time - I concentrate so hard and so totally that a lot of other things get pushed aside for a while. Then when the job is done, I'm scurrying about trying to ctach up and get the other stuff done.

The other stuff is usually practical - things like cleaning the office, doing the ironing, the accounts, updating the web site . . . So that's what I've been concentrating on recently. There's also been a flurry of activity connected to the C(Christmas) word as the result of which there was a lorry load (well - a basket full) of parcels that went out from the Post Office yesterday. With family and friends in many different parts of the world, that 'Post Early For Christmas' slogan is important - so at least I can relax and know they're on their way.

The office/accounts bit of the equation is still a work in progress. As are the web site updates. That's because there is a special celebration coming up in December that means I have extra updates and a new contest etc to work on but those will soon (I hope) be ready and posted.

I'm also thinking about maybe doing another writing Q&A - I've had several questions I would like to answer here as well as in emails so that everyone can read the answers. I have a topic- or 3 - in mind but if there's anything you'd like me to look at please let me know.

And thank you to everyone for your comments on the new style title for my next book - it was great to see the overall impression was favourabel with lots of interest in what that title implied. Joanne, for example said -
I want to know why she's a 'good wife' as opposed to a 'forbidden' or a 'bought' wife etc..

Of course that 'good wife' does have that question mark after it, Joanne. . .

There will be lots more new-style titles coming up in the next few months. I'm hearing from friends who have some very different tiles from the ones they were expecting for new books - look out for them and I'll probably be commenting on them more as they become more common.

Finally - about the Hecks - after I posted the picture of the little hedgehog on November 15th, I received a very helpful email from a lady called Cristina who was concerned about the little one. She points out that - as I already knew - the fact that it was out in the daylight isn't always a good sign. It was a very mild day with a lot of sunshine that may have been what brought him/her out. But it is a often a warning sign too.

Cristina offers such good advice that I'm going to post her email here in case anyone else had hedgehogs around that might need help.


Dear Kate

I just came across your interesting blog from Lesley Cookman's. I was looking through your November entries when I came across the beautiful pictures of your young hedgehog (dated 15 November). Is he/she still okay?

I noticed in the photo that he has three large ticks behind his right ear and there may have been a fly lower down his body. This together with he/she being out in daylight, may point to him being ill or struggling (maybe also underweight).

I have had a little experience with hedgehogs and currently have two that were rescued. I believe that having a lot of external parasites (such as ticks or fly eggs) will be a strain on their immune system. I don't know that your little one is suffering from anything but it may be advisable to remove the external parasites to give him/her a chance of survival.

It's great that you have provided a home for the hogs. May I suggest permanently placing some of those hog biscuits and water nearby for them to eat should they require it? A hog needs to be a minimum weight of 600g in order to hibernate successfully during the winter. If not, they may come out to 'top up' and get too cold or starve in the search. Hopefully in your garden (with access to plenty of food) if the little one is underweight, he should survive as then he won't have to roam for food. I believe that they can cover as many as ten gardens in an evening!

Below is a link to a hedgehog forum that I have found to be very helpful and a list of hedgehog carers. Not all vets will help out with hogs and may put them down rather than assist properly. If your vet is willing, he might be able to remove the ticks for you. I removed a large amount of them once from a little hog by purchasing a tick remover from a pet store.

http://www.hedgehoghelp.co.uk/

http://www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk/carers.htm

http://www.thehedgehog.co.uk/search.php



Sorry to be so forward in this. Just a little concerned and thought you should know that your little one might need extra help.

Please don't hesitate to e-mail me if I can help any further. My knowledge is limited but I will try to assist if I can. I'm not sure in what area you're in, but you may have a hedgehog carer nearby and they are usually happy to give advice or assist.

Thanks for your time!

Regards,
Cristina.


Cristina - thank you - I don't regard this as being forward, just helpful. I was concerned as well as delighted to see the little hedgehog out and about. My policy with the wild life in my garden is usually to leave well alone and the thriving colony of Hecks we have had in the 20 years we've lived here tended to make me feel that was the best policy.

Let me assure you that the hedgehog food - either that or chicken cat food - and a supply of water is always down by the Hog House. They nalso have free access to the peanuts which are left on the ground for the ground feeding birds, so I hope the little one - and the rest of the family including the big mature hogs have plenty of nourishment in easy reach.

But on your advice I will also find some tick remover and if he/she is seen wandering again I will use that to give him - and any others - extra help.

Thank you

Kate's Corner etc

Well, that was a week - the revisions for the Greek Myth book had a very fast turnaround date on them to catch a slot that had been saved so I concentrated on that for most of the week. I felt like I barely looked up from the computer. Now I'm hoping to have a little time to breathe. And maybe to read.

But I have to catch up with so much - and clean out my office so that I can find the floor - it's in here somewhere. And I have emails to answer . . . and blogs to write. . . which reminds me

Today is the day that I start my brand new monthly blog - Kate's Corner - over on We Write Romance. So if you're looking for me on the 15th of each month, that's where I'll be. I posted my first blog there today.

Last night, my treat to myself for finishing the revisions was a lovely indulgent read - I have a TBR pile that is taking on a life of its own - I swear those books are breeding. So I'm going to grab the chance to read one or two - or more. First up (and I've been longing to read this) was the latest Anne McAllister - One-Night Mistress . . .Convenient Wife. And it didn't disappoint.

The Savas brothers are great heroes. I don't think I can pick a favourite - This was Christo's book. I can't wait see what happens with George. (OK I admit, I' ve been getting hints from Anne about what happens to George - and I really can't wait to see what brings him out of his laboratory!

Today was wonderfully mild and sunny, unusually for November. So we were out in the garden, weeding and planting wallflowers. And we had an unexpected visitor.

A tiny, mini Heck. This must be the latest of the Heck the hedgehog family and officially he's a nocturnal creature so he really shouldn't have been wandering around in the garden in daylight. In fact he should have been curled up safe and warm in the hedgehog house and busy hibernating. But there he was, bright and active. I suppose the sunshine had brought him out.

Or perhaps he was hungry. He would need plenty of food to fill him up and fatten him for the hibernation so we fetched the left over cat neat and some hedgehog crun chies and put them out on the lawn near to him so he could fill up quickly and easily. He loved the hedgehog crunchies and we could hear him munching his way through those. Then he scuttled back to the hog house at the bottom of the garden.

I managed to get some photos of him before he want - so here are two of them. Seen up close, he (she? I don't know how you tell with Hecks) he doesn't look that tiny - but he was - so I've posted a pic of him with the Floozie and as you can see, by comparison with Flora he is small.

Getting there

Many many thanks to everyone who has sent me get well messages as I fought the flu. It's been a really vicious virus this time and it knocked me - and the Magnet - back for days.

But I'm starting to feel as if there's light at the end of the tunnel. Still coughing for England, but at least my voice is back - if croaking. I think I'll live.

But of course the time ill has made my dreadline situation even worse so I'll still not be blogging too much over the next few days while I sort out my scarred Greek hero. The situation is made even more pressing by the fact that I have two events coming up in the next week so they'll take time away from writing.

But if you're coming to the Calderdale Writer's Roadshow in Halifax on Saturday or to the Crime and Passion Day in Barnsley Library on Wednesday (14th) then I'll see you there.

And for fans of the Hecks - we have another Mini Heck. Regular blog readers may remember it was this time last year that we first saw one of that year's babies come close to the door to eat the cat meat/crunchies left for them. Two nights ago there was a very small mini Heck that I have never seen before. He/she needs to eat plenty to stoke up ready for hibernation so we're leaving extra rations outside for them. I haven't managed to get a photo of it yet, so this one of last year's baby will have to act as a stand in.

I must just say welcome to my first ever visitor from Dominica who took my total of visiting countries up to 147 this week. I thought 146 was the final total but it seems there are still more countries yet to visit.

And please don't forget to click on the Breast Cancer site link in the sidebar and help the October Breast Cancer Awareness Month drive for extra free mammograms. While you're there, why not click on all the other sites too - it only takes a minute, is totally free, and you'll be helping with literacy, child poverty, animal rescue . . .

Back to the word mines. And thank you again for all the lovely messages.

Critter Catch Up - Cats and Hecks

It's been a while since I posted any new photos of the cats and as people have been asking about them - and about the Hecks (It's not just you who's been wondering, Ilona!) I thought that I'd just do a quick round up of what they're all up to today - or last night in the case of the Hecks as they were out and about then.

The problems I had with my camera are solved - it was a case of a missing charger which meant that the battery died on me in Caerleon - so I can show up to date pics of everyone you've been asking about.

So - the Hecks are fine and eating lots of cat crunchies to stoke up body fat ready to hibernate later in the year. The most frequent visitors are definitely the pair who always came together last year - they're usually both together this year as well, and one of them has a distinctive very black face so we recognise them. I did have a picture of them cleaning up the dead bird on the lawn but that's a bit gruesome so I've settled for the more civilised eacting cat crunchies image.

Princess Flora Flooziebelle spends most of her time in the garden while the sun shines. She has a new friend in a young tabby and cream cat who often comes to visit and they play together when she's not posing for photographs under the fuschia or other places that make her look glamorous.

Dylan is a nocturnal cat so he's out and about in the night time when we rarely see him. And in the daytime he ends up in here - but stay fast asleep and doesn't want to be disturbed - not even for photgraphs. Specially not for photographs.

And Sir Sidney - when he's not picking winners for the contests loves to sit on his cushion on my office windowsill and watch the world go by - while inspiring me to write the story of my latest Greek hero of course!

Don't forget to get your entries in for the Summer Sizzler contest so he can have plenty of crunchies to choose from! He's looking forward to it.

What the Heck . . .

Today I have to be out and about as Mrs Babe Magnet while the Magnet hmself gives a talk about his historical books in Keighley. I'm looking forward to this as it means that we get to meet up again - and stay with one of our special friends from Caerleon, crime novelist Lesley Horton. So that will be fun. Though the cats might rebel at being left again. It's only for one night and their favourite cat-sitter will be in to look after them and feed them.

Also, en route to Keighley, the Magnet needs to call at Ilkley for something whihc gives the perfect excuse to visit Bettys for afternoon tea. Suits me. I expect that I will have to pick up some Fat Rascals and bring them home for various family members. I'm only sorry that I won't be able to mail any FRs to Anne McAllister in memory of several special occasions we've enjoyed sharing tea and more in Bettys in York and Ilkley in the past.

But before we leave I have to keep a promise I made to one of my students in Caerleon last month (Hi Ayla!). Ayla's mum, Ilona sent the message that she hadn't read very much about the Hecks, the family of hedgehogs that live at the bottom of the garden and she was concerned that the hedgehogs might have died out.

So to reassure you Ilona - the Hecks are still there. It's just that I've ben so busy I haven't bee out to photograph them very much this year. But I know there are at least 3 hedgehogs snuffling around and coming to the door for food. The pair who came last year are back, usually arriving together - and they were happily engaged in making baby hedgehogs to judge from the grunting and snuffling coming from beneath the magnolia bush around June.

And then one night - or, rather, morning, when I couldn't sleep, I was looking out of the window aroun d 3am and I saw a half-grown hedgehog (possibly last year's baby) scuttling across the lawn while he thought no one could see him.

I have seen all three of them since we got back from Wales - in fact they were happily scavenging the other night, cleaning up after Flora who had left a dead bird on the lawn. The noises were disgusting but they did a great clearing up job! And the plague of snails has been brought under control thanks to them - so obviously they are feeding well - and hopefully reproducing.

They're back . . .

For all fans of The Hecks, the family of hedgehogs who live at the bottom of the garden - the warm weather has brought them out and about and they are clearly alive and well - and to judge from the excited grunting and snorting going on late in the evening - full of the joys of spring.

I'm not sure exactly how many hecks there are this year. Definitely two (the ones creating a Modern Romance with prickles out on the lawn at night) and poossibly a third who seems much larger than these two. But I've only ever seen these two together.

They were out tucking into leftover cat meat every night for the last few days.

We also have a new addition to the wildlife in the garden - or at leat we did briefly when I was in Ireland when the Magnet spotted Miss Flora playing with a fox on the lawn. Unfortunately it hasn;t been back again since but I live in hope of catching a photo of it one day.

It's Spring . . .

So the Hecks are back

Well, at least one of them is. And judging by the size of it (her?) even after a long winter snoozing, there's the hope that there may be mini Hecks on the way. Certainly this hedghog was very interested in the leftover cat meat that was tempting it close to the doors again.

And Flora the Floozie was very interested in the prickly thing she met for the first time last year.

Now I need to keep my fingers crossed that some of last year's mini hecks survived to ecome Middle Hecks. Because this one definitely looks like Heck Magna

For fans of the Hecks . . .

We have a brand-new baby hedgehog who came out on his/her own yesterday night. The pix are not the best as I was working in the dark but he/she is very cute and I thought you'd like to see the new generation.

We'll need to feed up this little one so that it grows big enough to hibernate safely. But it's good to know we have another new member of the family down at the bottom of the garden.

Flora meets a Heck

The youngest hedgehog is getting very much braver.

Either that or he/she's very very hungry.

Yesterday s/he didn't even wait until dusk to come looking for food but came trundling over the lawn early in the evening, while it was still light. We hadn't even put out any crunchies, but there was some uneaten cat food that I'd thrown after feeding the furs so that must have attracted him.

Flora was still outside too and so she was stunned to see this new and unknown creature sniffing about and eating bits of chicken in jelly. She came to investigate and was totally intrigued.

First she sniffed from a distance . . .

Then she got closer and investigated more thoroughly. She even tried to bat the hedgehog about like a prickly football but Little Heck wasn't bothered. He froze for a while. considered curling up into a ball, but then obviously realised that she was no real threat - and anyway the food was much more important.

Finally Flora just gave in and settled down beside Little Heck and they snacked on chicken together.

I was glad that this all happened while it was still daylight and that I'd had my camera close to record the first meeting of cat and hedgehog.