Everything is Wonderful, Being Here is Heavenly

When I was wee, my Dad was like David Attenborough to me.

A Thrush used to come to the back door to get fed. He would find baby rabbits in his vegetable plot and pick them up and bring them for me to see. He would shout me into the garden to see the hedgehogs he found because, he told me, they were covered in fleas. Once when we were on holiday, we were in a farm cafe, and an injured bird was flailing around the place, trying to hide. Dad went over, put his hands out, scooped it up, and took it somewhere safe.

That's why it makes sense to me that he has been re-incarnated as a bird.

Once night we were in the house, and we heard a noise, which sounded like someone screaming. We turned the TV off, and listened. Nothing. A few minutes later it came again. We listened again,this time for a few minutes. The noise came again and we were able to pinpoint it to the rear of the house.

We stood at the back door and waited again. Nothing. We had just closed the door when it happened again. We opened the door quickly and spotted a movement.

The kids had been playing volleyball with a net across the garden - and the net was laying in a heap next to the shed. The movement was coming from there. We headed over, and found a little hedgehog all tangled up in it. And a few feet away, another little baby - who apparently was the source of the noise. We think he was shouting for help.

We tried to untangle him where he lay, and I ran in to get the kids up - When I came down stairs, Si was coming into the kitchen net, and hedgehog in hand. and put it down on the side.

"No", I said, do it out side, "my dad said they were covered in fleas", and Si glanced down at the little body on the side just in time to see the first 5 or so Fleas bounce off and onto the counter.

back outside we went. Net safely cut off, cat food out and some water, the two fed and then headed on their way no harm done.

So cute they may be. But they scream like banshees, and they are covered in Fleas!

(I was driving away from the Scout Hall leaving Si for an exciting weekend of hills and snow, when I saw him in the rear view mirror - waving frantically - this little chap had just wandered out of the hedgerow in front of him, and Si knew it would make me a great blip!