Marty

Greetings, young Albert! How did you get on with the CPAP overnight?

That scene reminded me of an email I got back in February 2014 from a good friend of mine who had moved back to Canada (where he had originally been born), close to Lake Ontario... The email started as follows: Marty As I was sitting on a frozen wave on the shore of Lake Ontario earlier with the sun blazing I wanted to call you and tell you what I was seeing. So when I got back to the house I decided to write you this email. When he lived in Ireland, the pair of us used to spend a lot of our free time hillwalking together in various parts of Ireland. So I reckon he thought the idea of sitting on a "frozen wave" would resonate with me, if only because we had in the past spent many a happy winter's day trekking over snow and ice covered hills and mountains here in Ireland. Although we're still in touch, I haven't actually met up with him in over seven years now. He finished that email with: Basically I miss you Marty, and when I can afford it we must climb climb again. Peru? I miss him as well. And I did actually spend a week trekking in the Andes in Peru the following year (2015), culminating with a visit to Machu Picchu. Unfortunately, he was unable to arrange time off work, so couldn't join the party I was travelling with. When the pandemic is over, and international travel restrictions ease, I think a trip to Ontario might be one for me to consider...

I'm off to bed. But before I go, I'd just like to say: ❤️

So I did tonight what I suggested Gary might have done last night, and have just had a nice long soak in a hot bath. I feel all the better for it, and am now having a delicious hot mug of cocoa... Hmmm.... heaven in a mug!

A horse !?

Now I've told you once, but it seems I have to tell you again: And as for me: And just remember this:

And I sincerely hope and pray (yes, to the Great Cod in the Sea) that those words of yours do not turn out to be fake news.

No too bad at all, thanks for asking. I've just finished a two hour online session for an LGBT+ helpline that I volunteer with. Fairly quiet this week, which is always a good sign. Can't really go into more detail, due to issues around confidentiality.

My pleasure, Parker! And thank you.

Greetings, young Drew!

And also from me: Hi Page!

"Hedgehogs are omnivores, eating whatever they can get into their mouths, including slugs, millipedes, earthworms, beetles, caterpillars and other insects, as well as supplementary fruits and mushrooms." Source: https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/hedgehog-erinaceus-europaeus.html The same source (unfortunately) also has this about the English hedgehog: "Their numbers are in dramatic decline in the UK as their habitat is threatened."

They're apparently also very prone to infestations from fleas. Because their spines make it almost impossible for them to scratch themselves.

Well, they're certainly prickly little buggers!

Having just re-read Val's comment, I think I may have misunderstood what she was saying. Was she telling me American groundhogs are not spiny?

The hedgehog in the British Isles is also spiny. British (also European) hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) When frightened, one of its defence mechanisms is to roll up in a ball so that it is difficult for it to be picked up. Unfortunately, this often results in hedgehogs being killed by cars at night. Many people over here only ever see a hedgehog as a result of road kill. I've also read that in the past people would actually cook hedgehogs by picking them up when they were rolled up in a protective ball (wearing gloves or using a thick cloth) and putting them into the embers of the fire.

So I didn't get as much work done in the garden today as I would have liked. Partly because I felt lazy this morning and stayed in bed a good bit longer than normal; and partly because it was raining at times. Here's a view of the two sheds taken shortly before dusk this evening: As you can see, there's not really a lot of growth still left to remove. But what is left is proving a bit difficult. I would love to be able to put the ladder up against the back wall inside the left hand shed. But, if you look carefully, you might see there's a single row of slates still left up against the wall, which would leave the ladder unsafe were I to try to use it from my side of the wall. I'm not sure if those slates have been fixed to top of the back wall with mortar, or whether there is the remains of a wooden rafter under them that they are nailed to. There's a lot of tangled branches that still need clearing from under the tiles before I'll know if there's an old rafter, and there's an accumulated mat of decayed leaves and tangled twigs on top of them (also on top of the wall itself) that's currently stopping me from seeing what's actually above the slates. I actually spent most of today working from the ladder on the neighbour's side of the wall. I'll be doing the same tomorrow, weather permitting. Slowly, slowly, wins the race. (Sorry for all the words you have to read, Val.)

Strictly speaking, there's a county by-law here about burning rubbish. But as long as it's not a constant thing, or creating dangerous and noxious fumes (burning old tyres, or the like), there's usually a blind eye turned to it. And I assume your "groundhogs" are the hedgehogs I mentioned in my reply to Val above...

Whenever I burn all the brushwood, I'll do my best to make sure there's no cats, hedgehogs, or any other mammals using it as a home.

Sleep well!

Greetings, B!

And you, Gary!

I did consider, when writing this piece, putting the second line into the present tense - if only because I read somewhere that Haiku should always try to stay in the present. I eventually decided to leave it in the past tense - simply because, in my mind at least, it reads better that way.

Thanks, Val! ❤️

Thanks for reading, and the kind comment, Gary.