PLEASE RESPECT MY COPYWRITE AND DO NOT COPY OR PIN PHOTOGRAPHS OR TEXT FROM THIS BLOG. THANK YOU.
Click here for more graphics and gifs!

Save Our Hedgehogs

For more information please go to http://www.hedgehogstreet.org/pages/hedgehog-street.html

Monday 31 October 2011

WOoooooo!

Wait for it.....









It's coming.......











The scary prize pumpkin face....











BOO!







Meeiiiooow



Hope it made you jump!


Lemonade Kitty, is that SCARY enough?

I've really enjoyed making this face, and the pumpkin is a real treasure :o)


Anyone who knows me would have guessed it would probably be a CAT face :o)


Happy Halloween!


Tuesday 25 October 2011

Quick post.

Hello all,
 
Sorry but I'm not keeping my promise to show my shortbread moulds as I am expecting visitors and needed to clear the dining table!  So here's a few bargains found during the last week before I put them away.

I've seen this Wedgwood drawer in the charity shop for over a week and at £2.50 I decided to give it a home!  It's approx 12" square and has a lined drawer, I have no idea what was in it originally though - does anyone have any ideas?  I'm sure I'll find some small treasures to keep in it.
The next day I found this Marks & Spencer footed bowl (approx 10"diameter) for £1.50.  Now you know I have a weakness for anything gold, and I thought it would look so nice at Christmas.....so home it came.

On Saturday I went for a 'girls day out' to Dagfields (near Nantwich in Cheshire).  I found a glass wash board which someone had chalk painted for £12 - the cheapest I've ever seen one!
I want to attach it to my laundry door :o)

While we were there I spotted this:
Babacombe Pottery string holder at £5.  As you know I collect cats and already have another Babacombe cat string holder but it's painted as a tabby.  The string comes out of the mouth and the scissors nestle in the nose.
Lastly, for many years I have scoured Cannock Chase in the hope of finding some deer antlers without success but, while out on Saturday I spotted a single Roe Deer antler one of the dealers had.  I asked how much, they said £15 - I went away to think about it......
Then I went back after a while (and near closing) and offered £10.  After a little discussion we finally agreed on £12.  I'm DELIGHTED!
It has an overall length of two feet.  It must be naturally shed as it isn't sawn off and it's a single antler.  At the moment it's placed on the coffee table :o)

I must dash as I still have plenty of jobs to do.

I'd like to welcome another follower to the fold :o)  Hope you enjoy my posts and leave feedback as I love to read it!  On which subject, I hope I've got around to everyone who has left your sweet comments on my last post.

Have a great week all - promise I'll show the shortbread moulds next time - honest!

Very best wishes




Tuesday 18 October 2011

At last a couple of 'finds'! (and a few hedgehogs)

First things first, a big WELCOME to my new followers, I hope you enjoy the posts :o)

Sorry I haven't posted for over a week, but with bargains thin on the ground I've been waiting to find something worth buying (or, am I just getting too fussy in my old age?)  So here goes.
Now, don't ask me why I got this, but this is plastic about 6 feet x 4 feet, plenty large enough to cover the dining table.  I'm really not in the habit of using a plastic cloth, but at £1.25 I thought it might come is useful one day and I do like the pattern :o)
I've placed a 'normal' sized (Wedgwood Edme pattern) cup and saucer next to my new cup and saucer to show just how large it really is!  Originally from Ikea, it had sat on the shelf in the charity shop for over three weeks and I couldn't pass it over any longer!  £1.  Where I'm going to put it?  I have NO idea.....
This 4 inch diameter wooden, carved shortbread mould was 75p,  I just love thistles.  It's another to add to my wooden Kitchenalia collection - next post I promise to share it with you.
As you know I'm a sucker for blue and white, so when I saw the 2 inch pig for 20p it just had to come home :o)  Finally....
This Stuart Crystal cut ships decanter has also taunted me for a week.  I love the shape and the beautiful craftsmanship.  It does have the usual milky discolouration in the bottom, which will come out after a good soaking with distilled white vinegar.  I'd tried to ignore it as it cost £9.50, much more than I'd pay normally..but I do love it so.  The photo doesn't do it justice, it really gleams.

0 - 0 - 0 

Now, onto other matters.
We have also made the second hog house at the weekend, which I've installed in the garden in the hope of another permanent inhabitant.  I went to the market to get the wood, I got 2,  6 foot packs of shiplap for £5 a pack.  It's actually slightly thinner timber this time but as it's placed against a drystone wall I'm hoping it'll be sheltered enough under the shrubs. A dear friend gave me a part roll of roofing felt to cover the roof with.  Here's the finished (slightly smaller) Hog House mark II.
As you can see it's already got Sid's seal of approval!
And inside..
with it's built in tunnel - this forms a barrier to stop a cat or dog dragging out the occupant.
I have almost filled it with fresh hay as a nesting material, but forgot to take a photo.
It is now placed against our small dry stone, ivy covered wall facing East which on reflection is maybe not ideal, but over winter I will place a container plant to deflect any direct winds from whistling around the entrance so that if  need-be the (new?) hibernating resident hog will be able to leave if it needs to top-up on food or water during a mild spell..
the side view.
The dimensions are 18" x 20" x 16"
On the subject of hibernation, if you have any visiting hogs could I ask you to capture and weigh them?  It is imperative that at this time of year they have a minimum weight of 600g - enough fat reserves to see them through the winter.  If (like me) you have smaller hogs, or Autumn Juveniles please get in touch with your nearest Hedgehog Rescue Centre.
Over the last couple of nights I have caught and weighed three of my visitors - all of which were underweight.  I have at the ready a cat carrier bottom lined in thick newspaper, and shredded paper so that they can hide securely.  I also provide the most necessary *water and *food in small heavy based containers.  Here is the first one I have delivered to Joan at West Midland Hedgehog Rescue Centre

Meet  the young Winifrid Prickles!  Weighing in at 316g. 
Here she was as I uncovered her in the box on hand-over.

and the second one captured on the following night -


Wilfred Prickles, weighing in at 415g.
As they will fight any non - sibling I had to release the third hedgehog as the carrier was already occupied that night. (I will get it though!)  I place the hog/carrier in our laundry as they need to be kept warm, hypothermia will attack hedgehogs quickly.  If they do have any fleas, and not all of them do - they will not live on any other animal or human BUT do not treat them for fleas, as normal cat/dog powders and sprays are poisonous to them.

If you do manage to save one of these endearing little creatures and get it to a rescue centre, please realise that they are all run by charities, and only get one payment of £50 per year towards the cost of drugs from the British Hedgehog Society.  The cost of one bottle of anti-biotics is approx £30.  All other funds are raised by them or their helpers.  Donations however small will be appreciated, as will any cat meat in jelly (But NO fish flavoured ones, as the hogs cannot digest fish), dried cat food - again no fish.  dried meal worms, sunflower hearts and crushed peanuts.   Old towels and pillowcases will be put to very good use too along with shredded paper which is used for nesting/bedding.



Whilst at the rescue centre yesterday I was introduced to these - (warning, your heart will melt!)

four of the eight baby orphaned hogs - just about 2.5 inches long.
Sorry this is blurred, it's the best of the three I took - the little blighter was a right little wriggle!
Can you imagine the dedication to raise them?  They started with 2 hourly feeds, and now are lapping and eating kitten food.  Kept on a heated mat in the house.

I have to say a huge thank you to Joan Lockley and all the other Hedgehog rescue centres for the sterling work they do.

I'd better get off the soap-box (again) now, and wish you all a happy week.

Best wishes!



Woops!  I forgot to say that Wilfred and Winifrid will be coming 'home' when they are either at the correct weight - if the weather is mild, or they'll return in the spring :o)  Rescue centres always return the underweight juvenilles to the place where they were rescued from if it is safe and has a healthy hog population. 



Tuesday 4 October 2011

Still no bargains, but more photos.

I must apologise, my blog seems to becoming more of a nature series.  I'm just not finding too many bargains - or maybe I'm becoming more fussy.

I have a few more wildlife photos you may like to see anyway.  Click on them to expand.


This is our new neighbour.  He/she had just got up and was searching for mealworms.


This large hedgehog was on the path trying to pretend it wasn't really there!



The larger one is 'ours' the other is tiny, a real worry as it's just not big enough to survive hibernation.  I'll have to try and capture it so that the rescue centre will over-winter it safely.


A Sika Deer taken on Cannock Chase last week.


Another Sika Deer.
This is my favourite photo so far, more by luck than judgement.

Then, one morning....


This young Sparrow Hawk was just finishing breakfast on our wall.




I was upstairs and looked out of the window and there he was, I grabbed the camera and managed to get a few  fair shots out of the forty odd I managed to get through the window.


I thought it was pretty magnificent!

Sad, but here's the aftermath...

Hope you liked my efforts,  I'd appreciate some constructive
feedback.  A couple are cropped but none are Photoshopped.

I'll keep looking for some bargains.

Best wishes


Stop press!
05/10/11

Here's the third Sparrowhawk  photo again, and then a Photoshopped copy

Take two
Any better? 
My class tonight taught me how to do this :o)



 

Monday 3 October 2011

Thank you Lemonade Kitty!

Today my other good luck giveaway prize arrived - an enormous knitted pumpkin arrived!  Thanks to Lemonade Kitty   Here's a preview of the 'before' in a suitable candlelit setting.



I have already made a scary face for it, but I can't post it until October 31st, so sorry you'll just have to wait to see the spookyness!

Hope you all have a great week!

Thank you again Lemonade Kitty :o)

Best wishes

Saturday 1 October 2011

Just a quick post - Thank you Nancy

I've been SO lucky recently, as well as Lemonade Kitty's pumpkin - I've also won a Ramsign Giveaway on Nancy's Daily Dish :o)
It arrived in the week, so today despite the heat we have fixed it up on the wall near our front door.
I'm delighted with it!  I chose the Metropolitan design in navy and white.

I took down the other hanging basket to 'show off' the new sign, and decided as it was past it's best to leave it off.  The geraniums have started to fade off a little too - but after all it is now October, eek!

I must welcome my latest follower, I'm pleased to see you here.  I must also apologise, time is short lately and though I AM still visiting your blogs I may not always be leaving comments - when things calm down a little I will start again.

UPDATE

I'm very pleased to announce that we DO now have a resident in the Hoggy House!  I'm chuffed to bits :o)  I fully intend to make a slightly smaller abode to put in the other border in the next couple of weeks.  Here's a couple of quick photos of him (her?) appearing last night for it's evening meal.


I'll post again soon.  Hope you all have a fabulous week.  Thank you again to Nancy.

Best Wishes