Friday 31 August 2012

Mrs. Tiggywinkle and Other Creatures Pay Us a Visit ...




Hello there fellow Bloggers! Many "Thanks" for your comments on my last post.

Yesterday KP went Ten Pin Bowling and Ice Skating with a friend and then went back to her house for tea! She came home just after 8.30 p.m. looking tired!
She went and changed into her PJ's and at the same time the OH put the dogs in the back garden.

We then heard an almighty sound of yelping and barking. KP asked what was the matter with the dogs and I went out to investigate.

They seemed to be pushing and shoving something. A closer inspection revealed - a hedgehog!
It had wisely curled up into a ball to protect itself.


I called out to the OH "Come and have a look at this." He came and looked and said "There's no way I'm lifting that flea ridden thing for you to take a photo!" (If you look at the post before this one, you'll understand why he made that comment!)

If you look very closely - you can just about see the hedgehogs eyes nervously looking to see what was going on!


So, KP in her PJ's and me with my camera we sat and waited. The OH said "Let's put some cat food down for it."
You could see the hedgehog slowly unfurling itself. It took a quick sniff but decided that Whiskas wasn't to be his meal of the night!


After this photo he decided that it was safer to leave our garden and departed through the fence.

KP was delighted to have seen a hedgehog at such close quarters and to be honest, so was I!


Earlier this morning I was in the kitchen - tidying up the food cupboard. I can't believe that I found some food dating back to 2011 and a finger of fudge which had got trapped at the back of the shelf dated 2007!

Anyhow, I digress, as I was looking out of the kitchen window I saw this butterfly on a plant. It seemed to be resting there awhile. I ran to grab my camera thinking it won't be there by the time I rush out into the garden but I was so wrong.


This Peacock Butterfly posed this way and that way. It seemed to be enjoying the photo shoot!


A closer look.


A side view - see what I mean about posing!


Another view.


The final shot - after I took this photo it flew away.


Just as I was thinking of packing the camera away - a Large White deposited itself on the same flower!


This one also stayed and I snapped away!


This one wasn't so much of a poser and after a short while it flew away.


Just before I put the camera away I spotted this hover fly.


And then this Bee who seemed to be completely intoxicated by the sedum.


Infact, the whole sedum was covered in tens of bees, each as intoxicated as the next!

This afternoon we almost had a disaster on our hands.
The OH had been painting an outside window and had left the side gate open to come back into the house. At the same time the postman came and didn't close the front gate.
I had heard the postman as our gate squeaks - it needs oil. I hadn't heard it squeak a second time which meant that he hadn't shut the gate. I thought no more of it.

About half an hour later we realised that only George, our cocker spaniel, was in the back garden and that Charlie, our standard, wire-coated dachshund was missing.
We searched inside the house in case he had got back in but alas, there was no dog.

The OH went and walked a few of the usual dog walks - no dog.
KP was in floods of tears.
The OH got into his car and drove around looking and ended up at the Police Station where he had gone to report that Charlie was missing.
Whilst the Police were taking his details his mobile phone rang and a voice asked,
"Have you got a dog called Charlie."
The OH said "Yes, a sausage dog, the shape of a barrel!"
The man said, "That's him, we have him here eating our chocolate biscuits!"
The man gave the OH his address and he went and collected Charlie.

Apparently, Charlie had sauntered into the man's garage and had been pestering him for some attention!
Charlie, the naughty hound is now back home and looking a bit smug - he's had an adventure whilst we were worried sick!

I wonder if we'll have any visitors tonight!

Until next time,

June.

12 comments:

  1. I love your photos, hedgehog's are so special, we used to enjoy a regular visit from one in our Cornish garden, I think they are on the decline so you are very lucky, the butterflies are beautiful, glad your little dog is safe, what a pickle!
    Thea x

    ReplyDelete
  2. Love your photos, it's good to see some butterflies at last after our rotten summer. Hedgehogs are funny aren't they, I'm always surprised at how fast they can move! So glad your dog is safe :) xx

    ReplyDelete
  3. So glad Charlie was home again safe and sound. We had hedgehogs under our shed one year, they are fab to se up close aren't they, really cute.
    The butterfly photos are amazing too.
    Lisa x

    ReplyDelete
  4. I adore hedgehogs but rarely see them. What stunning butterfly photos. Always stressful when dogs go missing. I keep finding lost dogs. Glad you were reunited quickly !

    ReplyDelete
  5. So cute! I have a family of three hedgehogs (i think they are a family, they stay always together) and they steal cat food all the time. They are sweet.

    ReplyDelete
  6. It sounds as though Charlie enjoys his adventures I bet you were out of your mind though wondering where he was. Thank goodness he turned up safe and sound. Hedgehogs are so cute. We have loads of them around here, we see them when we're walking Archie on a night. We used to have a family of them who would visit my mum's garden when I was little, the babies were so cute. I haven't seen many butterflies around this year, nor bees for that matter.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Wow what amazing photos! Fabulous!
    Liz @ Shortbread & Ginger

    ReplyDelete
  8. Naughty Charlie going off on an adventure and enjoying a biscuit while you were frantic! Some more visitors I wonder what will pop up next, they must have heard how great your photographs are and want their picture taken. Those butterfly ones are fantastic!
    Sarah x

    ReplyDelete
  9. Oh, my Goodness, June!! That little hedgehog is adorable...we have porcupines...are they the same? I'll have to look it up. Also, that Peacock butterfly is amazing! I'll have to look it up, as well. We have a Buckeye with a similar "eye" pattern, but it is in brown tones...:)
    Beautiful photography, all!
    Hugs,
    Anne

    ReplyDelete
  10. Oh crumbs, so glad to read Charlie is home safe. One of our mini wires went missing from a friend's garden just before Christmas and didn't turn up until February when he was handed in at a rescue and they scanned his chip. You can imagine what we went through, and we still have no idea where he was in that time.

    And wow! What incredible butterfly pics And a hedgehog! You are enjoying some wonderful nature encounters lately :D

    ReplyDelete
  11. I love all your photos of the hedgehog and gorgeous butterflies and not forgetting the bees! You obviously have the right sort of flowers to attract them all. So lovely to observe!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Awww, isn't that just the cutest face? Never had a hedgehog anywhere near my garden but once saw a fox walk down the street. Your photos are so beautiful I always enjoy looking at them.

    ReplyDelete

Please do leave a comment. I love to hear from you!