Yesterday a baby hedgehog came into the rescue, it was only about two weeks old and still had it’s eyes closed. Now, occasionally a mother hedgehog will give birth to one giant hoglet and this was such a creature. It needed feeding every three hours so it was coming home with me and I was to keep it until it was weaned. Along with the hoglet I also had two wood pigeons that I was going to release in the garden.
After stopping off at the supermarket to buy some goats milk for baby hog I arrived home to find Curly cat yowling at the front door for food, so after putting the pigeons and the baby hoglet in the porch I fed him….then I let the dogs out for a run, cleaned Herbie hog’s back legs and finally took the birds into the garden to release them.
Some days things do not go to plan…..the first wood pigeon flew off like a bullet, but the second one utterly refused to move. In the end I had to get it out and encourage it to fly off, but no, it wasn’t having any of it. It stumbled around the garden, flapping it’s wings pathetically and became more and more stressed by the minute. Now this bird has been flying beautifully for weeks in the rescue so it was all a little baffling. Anyway, to cut a long story short I eventually managed to catch it again, and by now my arms were scratched to bits and bleeding. Finally, I had it back in a cat carrier, it obviously needs more time in the rescue.
Next, I went into the kitchen and warmed some milk for baby hoglet…..a few minutes later I opened up it’s crate only to find it dead. Dead!!!! I was heartbroken. You do doubt yourself at times when dealing with animals and I was racking my brains trying to figure out if I had done anything wrong, especially after the disastrous wood pigeon release. This was not one of my better days!
I took baby hog to the park and left it under a flowering shrub, I don’t have the heart to put animals in the bin you see…..
You just can’t guess the outcome for wildlife, this moorhen chick came in after being caught by a cat, it was almost lifeless and couldn’t use it’s legs, and yet it has made the most astonishing recovery and is now thriving. We also had a pigeon chick in that had been shot, it actually died under anesthetic but the vet managed to revive it. It had huge gaping holes in it’s chest and yet it too has made a full recovery, unbelievable! So why did the fat, healthy looking hoglet have to go and die….mine is not to wonder why I suppose….
Anyway….My Howie hog who had no prickles six months ago has gained his freedom, he has now gone to live in a huge walled garden where he can be monitored, if all goes well and he keeps his spines he can go back to the wild next spring. I do miss him, but now Herbie hog has his rabbit hutch back and I have more room in the greenhouse.
This week I have finally finished a huge project for the rescue, I have had to illustrate a book aimed at teaching children how to care for and respect animals…..
The four main characters are on the bottom right.
The weather has been glorious so most of the painting has been done in the courtyard.
It’s so lovely having the dogs for company and the song of the birds to keep you chilled. I do need a bigger table though!
And no sooner had I finished that when they asked me if I wouldn’t mind painting the Christmas cards this year, out of this batch they have chosen the ducklings and the cats, they would like me to paint some horses and border collies for the remaining two images, so my little Annie shall be my model being a border collie and all. I always find it strange painting for Christmas in the sunshine!
This week I was also face painting at the bull breed awareness event, as many of you know this is an attempt to raise awareness re these dogs and to try and persuade owners to neuter their dogs and have them micro-chipped….lots of the people who attended were wonderful, but sadly there were also some hideous types that proved to be horrendously aggressive and abusive!
Sadly, one of the hideous types stole twenty pounds from my money tin this time around, but I still managed to make £120.
Each year these events are becoming more and more successful and many hundreds of breeding bull breed dogs are now neutered….sometimes you just have to dust yourself down and think….hey, onwards and upwards!
There have also been many wonderful moments over the last week, a couple of chimineas were enjoyed….
Along with long walks to unwind….
Not to mention some delightful cycles that saw swifts and swallows darting across the ground in front of our bikes.
And I have found the time to appreciate the gorgeous Lady’s Bedstraw, it’s now seven foot tall, how amazing to think it was just a peppering of tiny seed last year!!!
And finally…..thank God you all breathe….
Drum roll please…
After ENDLESS years of trying to grow melons only to repeatedly lose them to slugs, THIS year it looks like I shall have some. I have two plants and BOTH are bearing fruit…..WOW….wonders will NEVER cease!!!
How wonderful, your book for kids. Are these published?
Thanks Shimon, I think it’s a great idea and the book will be taken into schools, even if one child in a hundred learns how to care for and respect an animal it will be worth it. The book will be printed by the rescue in a couple of months.xxx
So sad about the baby hog 🙁 but at least you tried! Lovely face painting, I bet you’re getting sick of it now though! xxx
Thanks Scarlett…..lol….face painting does get a little old at times….especially when it’s every week.
Yes, a real shame about baby hoglet.xxx
Another great post Dina. I will keep my comment short as I’m writing it on a touchscreen phone. My tablet computer broke. I love your book illustrations and Christmas cards. Such lovely animal pics.thanks for brightening up the week xxx
Thanks Kegs…..rather you than me on the touchscreen phone! My fingers are far too chunky.
Glad you like the artwork, I’m hoping the cards sell well.xxx
So sad about the baby hog but want wonderful picture you have done. A woman of so many skills!
Why thank you Steph. Yes, a pity about baby hog.xxx
It must have been so sad when the baby hedgehog died. At least Howie hog is doing well enough to be released to the walled garden. It must be strange to be painting winter scenes in the sun. The book illustrations and cards are wonderful. You are so talented!
Thanks Jennifer, it was a shame the baby hog died but there are also lot’s of successes. I am so pleased that Howie has gone to a large garden. I certainly didn’t expect his spines to grow back quite so quickly.
I always find it odd painting for Christmas in the summer.xxx
Wow you have been so busy and done so much and all so very varied! The book illustrations look very proper and professional – I am so impressed and wonder what the speech bubbles are saying! What an exciting project!
must have been such a shock that the poor little hog died 🙁 As you so wisely say…. not to wonder etc. must have been a shock though:(
Your courtyard bit looks very lovely – sort of cosy and sunny and lovely.
Funnily enough I have been frantically sandpapering in a courtyard elsewhere.. just the weather for doing stuff outside in the sunshine though!:)
Glad you’ve been out and about in the wonderful weather, and well done with the face painting. How absolutely sickening that somebody stole the £20…:( but you still raised a lot!
Love the facepainting – very original – love the sparkly bits!xxxx
Thanks so much Arose, it took ages to do the illustrations, I don’t usually do cartoons and I kept forgetting how the main characters looked and found myself putting the dogs patch on the wrong side of the face and other silly things like that!!!
Yes, there’s no mileage in trying to figure out the whys of things sometimes….sighs…
How lovely that you have had some time outdoors in a courtyard too it’s wonderful when the weather is good isn’t it?
I love all things sparkly too, I’m a great big kid at heart! xxx
A lovely post and terrific photos. It’s sad that the hedgehog died.
I like the illustrations and the cards, especially the one of the two cats looking out the window.
Good luck with the melons. xx
Thanks Flighty, the cat image seems to be the favourite, I hope it prints well.
Several of the first melons have dropped off…..new fruit has formed…..fingers crossed I get a melon, I would be thrilled.xxx
Your cartoons are great fun and done with skill. I am sure your illustrations for the book will have the ‘wow’ factor. Sometimes, I think that all the snow and showers of it, dampen down some Xmas designs. I am biased in favour of warmth, it being cold here, even for June.
Mum Hedgehog may have known her offspring was not going to survive. Any interventions may not have changed final outcomes with this hoglet.
Fun pix.
Thanks so much Menhir, I really hope the Christmas images sell well for the rescue. What a good point you raise re the snow, I must remember that in future. The rescue wanted snow scenes this year but at least the cat pic will look warm.
Yes, often parents abandon sickly offspring, the hoglet was enormous so maybe couldn’t get enough milk….xxx
Those drawings! Dina! I had no idea the range of your talent! I love the illustrations for the book and the Christmas cards ideas look beautiful. Will they have your designs printed?
I’m sorry about the hoglet. There doesn’t seem to be much rhyme or reason to which creatures survive. But at least you all did everything you could to help them thrive.
Interesting about the lactose intolerance — I thought lactose content was similar in cow’s milk vs goat’s milk.
I love how you are always looking for the good even when there are people with evil intent stealing at a charity event! So thoughtless. Thank you for the relaxing views of summertime in your part of the world.
Thanks so much Anne! Yes, four of the Christmas cards will be the rescue’s Christmas cards this year so I really hope they sell well for them.
Funny enough, I was going to call this post Neither rhyme nor reason, it’s so hard to predict which animal will survive and which won’t…..
It’s funny, but so many small mammals are lactose intolerant, I don’t know much about the content in the different milks but hoglets are always fed goat’s milk and do well on it, I must investigate further!xxx
A lovely post. So sad about your little hedgehog but you obviously have lots of success stories too.
Your artwork is amazing, what a talent you have. It must be lovely painting in your garden. I would love to be able to paint like you can.
Thanks Chloris, I know they can’t all be saved but it’s always hard when something apparently healthy dies out of the blue.
Thanks for your lovely comment re the artwork, there is nothing better than painting outdoors and my tiny courtyard is the perfect place. xxx
Some sad, happy and difficult (the incident with the charity money) moments this week for you Dina. The courtyard is looking beautiful and a great place to relax and do your painting.
Thanks Linda, the courtyard is tiny but such a lovely place to sit it, it’s packed with plants and it’s surprising how much wildlife it attracts.xxx
I wonder what was wrong the baby hog – animals have a funny way of dying on you – I know too well – lambs that are fine one minute and dead the next. I once had a billy goat who was under the weather, the vet came and stuck a thermometer up his bottom and he just dropped dead. I couldn’t believe it. Sorry – I digress. Love your animal illustrations I didn’t realise you were so talented, but I should have known after seeing all the face painting that you do. Love the Chrimble cards too. Your courtyard is looking splendid I bet you are really pleased with it.
It is bewildering as to why some animals die isn’t it, some seem so very fragile while others are as tough as old boots. Oh the poor billy goat! gosh, I wonder why he died?
Thanks so much for your lovely comments re my artwork, I don’t usually do cartons so the rescue project was something of a challenge. I earn my keep as an artist….
I love to sit in the courtyard, everything is so scented and it’s lovely to watch the birds on the feeders and all the insects on the plants.xxx
So sad about the little hedgehog, I had to smile at you leaving him under a flowering shrub, I can’t bear to put animals in the bin either. Your illustrations are wonderful, I think my favourite cards are the cats, so cute. Your courtyard is looking glorious, it’s like a little patch of the Mediterranean in your own garden.
I hate the idea of putting animals in the bin, it always seems so disrespectful doesn’t it?
I’m glad you like the cats, the rescue is going with that image and three others, I do hope they sell for them!
I do love to sit in the courtyard, sometimes small spaces are the best. Thanks Jo.xxx
Another wonderful post, SB, and the bonus of seeing your lovely gorgeous paintings! Am so sorry about the hog, but it may have had something wrong inside, I guess … and at least it died feeling that it was being loved and cared for … what a great spot in the garden to do your painting! – although I can see that you need a bigger table 😉
Why thank you Gilly. Yes, the little hog could have had all sorts wrong with it and as you say it was cared for and warm and quiet, such a shame though.
Lol….I certainly could do with a bigger table, stuff ends up everywhere!!! xxx
So sorry about your hog. I have never heard of lady bedstraw, it looks sort of like Verbascum. As always I love your patio with all the plants and garden art.
Thanks Jason, I must go and look up verbascum, I could have got mixed up! xxx
Oh, Dina, I’m so sorry the hedgehog died, and so mysteriously…but also peacefully, in your loving care. And how wonderfully so many others of your patients are doing!
I love, love, love your courtyard and artwork! I’d love a copy of your book! 🙂 And, while I also love all the cards, I’m partial to the cats and the sheep: how beautiful!
We’re away from home this week, so it was lovely to tune in and find your wonderful, rich, generous, mysterious and creative week’s tales. Thank you! Pooh on the rascals who stole from your joyful work; but as you say, leave them to karma and carry on, my dear! 🙂
Ahhhh, thanks so much Kitty, it was so sad to see such a beautiful little creature dead….but it was warm and quiet which is something I suppose.It’s a shame they can’t all be saved, at least we tried.
There have been some amazing rescues this year, we have been astonished at how some animals have fought for life and won….you never can predict what will be.
I’m so pleased you like the courtyard and my artwork, the courtyard is such a lovely place to work in, birds, bees and butterflies are everywhere! The book is a good thing, the rescue intend to take it into schools to help children understand what is involved when caring for animals, I’d be delighted to send you a few copies, how lovely it would be if you took it into your school….and to think it could make it over the pond. I don’t charge the rescue for artwork, every penny saved goes to the animals.
You must send me your address via email…glad you like the cats and the sheep, I rather like the sheep too.
I hope you are having a wonderful time away and shall look forward to hearing all about it when you get home. Yes, I shall leave the thief to karma and stride purposefully on with my shoulders back and my head held high…….or, I’ll hopefully toddle off in the right direction! lol. xxx
You are so busy! WOW! I would have cried and cried over the little hog. I just lose it when animals die. To the jerk who stole your money, karma is a b**ch and it will not end well. You just won’t be there to see it. I’ll bet he’s eaten by a tiger.
Yes, I know what you mean, it’s always heartbreaking to see such a beautiful little creature dead and beyond help, maybe some things are not meant to be, so sad though.
Hahahaha, you do make me laugh, eaten by a tiger eh????? I’m so glad I was robbed at the beginning of the day otherwise I’d have lost all the money. Fancy stealing from a charity though….I think I knew who took it, some guy was breeding illegal pit bulls and the staff were trying to persuade him not too….he became very aggressive to say the least, then I heard my tub being opened, I looked around and him and my money had gone!xxx
You are a woman of many talents. The courtyard looks great. Shame about the hog but maybe there was something wrong internally. Hope you teach the wood pigeons that brassicas are poisonous.
Why thank you Sue, I do love spending time in the courtyard, it’s nice to work out there and admire the flowers and watch the birds, how is your Hoppy? Have you seen him around?
I think I net the brassicas more to protect the pigeons than keep the cabbage white off them, the young ones can be deeply dippy can’t they?
Yes, we never really know what’s going on with wildlife so as you say it may have had internal injuries or possibly be too weak to survive when it was brought in, youngsters don’t like to be left too long without a feed.xxx
Always…..most informative, entertaining, sensitive….and humourous! Great blend of ‘Nature’….Lovely D! Wonderful attitude you have…expressed so well in…’mine is not to wonder why…’. Love that teaching project! Thanks for sharing. Hugs! :)xx
Thanks so much Bushka, I do tend to waffle on!
Yes, sometimes it’s not worth trying to make sense of things….life can be most mysterious! xxx
Once again you do not disappoint….VEry sad about the baby hedgehog, but you gave it your all….What I am so happy to see is that your are painting in your lovely courtyard, and the book and cards look fabulous….
You are so right to say that life is all about the good the bad and the ugly……..however we must all rise above the bad and ugly and move onwards and upwards. Thank you for such a fab post….and give those dog a big hug from me. :)xxxxxx
Thanks so much Janet, I was so surprised to find the youngster dead but I suppose we can’t win them all, such a shame though, it was such a beauty.
I do love to paint outdoors, it’s funny how the insects are attracted to the bright colours.
Yes here’s to upwards and onwards! And the dogs say thanks for the huglets.xxx
You mustn’t give milk or bread to hedgehogs.They mustn’t eat bread or dring a milk ! 🙂
Don’t worry Epov, we know at the rescue that hogs are lactose intolerant, we feed juvenile hogs with goats milk which they can digest. Thanks for visiting.xxx