the three-legged hedgehog

When we were away, I got news about the number one hedgehog being joined by at least two more - how they despite every measure taken still manage to get inside garden remains a mystery. Ah well, if they can to co-exist with the rest of us, they're welcome - one of which seemed to be hurt, though eating.

There were also reports of a bunch of frogs of various sizes. *Yay, I have a mini-zoo and I haven't forced anyone to join!*

The first sight when we came home was a hedgehog crossing the road before we turned in at the parking lot. Then making his/her way to the outside-fence part of our garden. When I went into the garden there were two others (one of which was the possibly hurt one, it looked strangely lopsided, but was very eager to eat, which is always a good sign) demanding food in the lilac hedge (their newfound digs).

They hizz, they sneeze, they crunch, they utter hedgehog-sounds, they poop, their presence is very obvious and you can feel someone is watching at times even when they're not visible to us. It is delightful - minus the poop I suppose.

I hadn't seen the lopsided one for a day and was wondering what had happened to her/him. Then suddenly she (let's call her/him a she since s/he feels like a she, okey?) came crawling out from under the water barrel at the bottom of the garden. Watching us with a curious yet watchful eye in her lopsided way. She sniffed for food and when doing that we could see that she was missing her right front leg, poor thing. But it looked like she was born that way and coped with it well in the way three-legged dogs and cats compensate for the missing of a leg.

She got some of the usual cat-food-crunchies and I spent a long time lying on the concrete-garden-path (playing the shored whale) watching her munch. She wasn't exactly appreciative when it came to the presence of me and the camera, but still, much less shy than the other hedgies. Needless to say she is adorable, ADORABLE, a.d.o.r.a.b.l.e.

When she had eaten most of the crunchies she scurried back under the barrel, where I suppose she has her home. Most every evening now, there are crunch-parties both in the lilac hedge and by the outside-fence area of garden. I'm very proud of being chosen as host for these cohabitants and distinguished summer guests.

Oh, how I love the way nature come so close even when you live in a reasonably densely populated neighbourhood, I could never ever see myself living in the inner city, nearby, visiting, forever fascinated by yes, but not living in, never... I want hedgehogs and frogs in my summer life. Heart.