This past year has been a tough one for me. In March I lost my beloved feline campanion, a beautiful 16-year old black Burmese cat called Spock (see below), and I've never really stopped mourning him and miss him every day. I also lost my job, and although I have enough savings to keep myself afloat for a little while, it has been stressful.The hedgehogs have helped me. They have given me a focus and a purpose. I feel I've learnt a lot about them through my observations and my videos, and they have further developed my respect for our nature and wildlife which so many people take for granted and do not appreciate.
I feel honoured to have helped them too; to provide a source of food and water and to watch out for the little ones late in the year who may not survive hibernation.
I'm so looking forward to next spring and the return of my spiky friends. In the meantime I will be maintaining a supply of food in the feeding station at the side of the patio near the fence, just in case a hedgehog awakes from hibernation in the winter and needs a bite to eat.
I'm dedicating today's post to my late kitty, Spock, who would have been 17 years old today.
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Hi GL, sorry to hear of your loss earlier in the year.
ReplyDeleteThe photos are really great. I wish I could get only a fraction of the quality that you do. I'm not sure I have managed to take one of a hoggie yet that I was pleased with.
And thank you for your help and encouragement through your comments in this blog (and Twosie too) from two little fat prickly bundles, (hopefully still) tucked up in their box in my garden.
Hi GL
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful collection of photos of your prickly friends ... and to think that they're just your favourite ones :)
Your blog has given us tremendous enjoyment all through the year, with such a variety of photos and videos and news. Indeed, if we hadn't come across your blog, we would probably not have set up our own one and the blog is such a useful way of providing a chronological and pictorial log of all that is happening with our and your hedgie friends in/around the garden.
We were also very honoured to have been able to help out to get two of your little friends to St.Tiggys. It shows you have a thriving hedgie community around you and they are appreciating all the help you've been giving them.
It is also very clear that you loved and still love and miss Spock very much. Your photo of him looks really lovely and we think your blog post is a very fitting dedication to him.
Great photos of your hoggy visitors. I look forward to seeing and reading about their exploits when they return next Spring.
ReplyDeleteI think it comes at a greater loss than we expect when we lose a beloved and devoted companion. Remembering one I lost several years ago still makes me sad even though there have been replacements since then.