Mum and Dad have a great garden, lots of wildlife including frogs, toads, newts and many visiting birds. It was Dad who build the pond and created a hibernacula (go on look it up!). Dads sister remembers him showing her the water boatmen and whirligig beetles in there. He doesn't like going down to see it now, in case he falls in. These days, Dad can sit for hours looking through the window with his cuppa, watching the birds. They also have hedgehogs. During the summer and into this Autumn, it was part of the routine to put out cat food for the hedgehogs, they watch them bring up their first litter of hoglets. There was great excitement to see them munching away in the evening.

They then noticed that the hedgehogs had another litter, the little hoglets were still so small. Daytime Dad is seeing them looking for food regularly, always a bad sign of little hedgehogs. The weather is turning and we started to get worried. I nearly stood on one very tiny hedgehog, during the day, that was hidden in the long grass. We got it inside to weight it. At 105g there was no way it was going to survive the winter, and the frosty nights had started to be forecast. A hot water bottle was made, a box found and cat food produced. In a little while the tiny thing was eating and pooping away.

Then we had a search round. Another was found, a bit bigger at 140g.

It was decided that Dad did not want to have to keep changing the hot water bottle. He might not have enough for himself! He gets very worried about having to make his hot water bottles at night, he might not have time to get all the hot water bottles done, and clean his teeth! There is a great deal to do before bedtime! The little hoglets came home with me.

The next day Dad, Mum and some very good friends were having lunch and a laugh at 0=9. Dad likes his food. Straight after he had finished his dinner Dad needed to use the toilet. However Dad is convinced that the only toilet in the world is the one at home, and he is not quite sure how it all works in there, he needs a bit of guidance. He does know that he has to wash his hands, but not sure it you use the toilet to wash your hands, or to use the tap. And what is soap? Anyway, there Dad and I were coming back early, I got out of the car, and guess what was by the grit bin. Another tiny little hoglet. This was a problem save the hedgehog, or help go with Dad, and the toilet won! After the traumatic comfort break, we searched again around the grit bin. That is how I have ended up with 3 poop sharp little cute hoglets hogging my hot water bottles.

As everybody knows Sebastian is the hedgehog owned by Radagast the Brown. Well Dad doesn't, but then he is not sure that they are called hedgehogs either!