On The Move...Again

I'm back!

I've taken the last 4 nights off from blogging because I was so busy during the day that I dropped into bed almost as soon as I got home each night. So I just silly blogged instead.

Patrick moved on Thursday. I'm so glad that is behind us. It took the movers just 2 hours from start to finish. And, 24 hours after the movers left, Patrick's house looked like he'd been there forever with everything put away. It looks great.

I borrowed my uncle's pickup truck for the weekend and Pat and I moved a hutch to my mothers, her hutch to Patrick's (which I'm gonna take soon) and we got rid of some of Patrick's junk in the dumpster where I live.

Now it's my turn. I moved in December, March and now will be moving again by October 1. On one hand, the thought of moving again almost makes me want to throw up. On the other hand, I cannot wait to leave this house. It worked for what I needed and I might have decided to stay if not for the Dimwit and the Idiot upstairs. Plus this place is so crowded I actually need to move some things out just to be able to organize for the actual move. So it's time to go.

The house I'm moving to should be my home for a good long time. The rent is extremely low, it's next door to where Patrick just moved (same landlord) and it's got enough room that I might actually have to buy some furniture! Not much though, because I don't want to have to go through the purging of my entire life again anytime soon. The house is in EG, right on the NK line, just down the road from Richard's Pub which is why Patrick moved there in the first place.

The top of my list of things in a new home was to have a washer dryer hook-up. This new place has the washer and dryer to go along with it, and enough storage space for my appliances.

There's a good size bedroom, so that my bureau, vanity and my bed will have plenty of space and I'll actually be able to use the bureaus again, I've been keeping my clothes in piles around the bedroom and my underwear has been kept in a box since December! The kitchen is a small galley kitchen but it has lots of cabinets and drawers to put the silverware in! There's an adjacent dining area and a pretty good size living room.

There's a house upstairs and new people (a young couple) will be moving in October 15. The rental agent said he's a carpenter and she works in Boston. I'm pretty much figuring they can't be anywhere as annoying as the upstairs neighbors I now have. I'm hoping to talk with them soon so that we can share cable and internet service.

I'm looking for volunteers (again) for another move. I will be hiring movers so the real work will be done by them. The help I need will just be in helping me get organized and packed here and then unpacked at the new house. So don't everyone jam the phone lines calling me all at once!

New Workplace Words

Essential additions for the workplace vocabulary. How many do you recognize?



BLAMESTORMING: Sitting around in a group, discussing why a deadline was missed or a project failed, and who was responsible.


SEAGULL MANAGER: A manager who flies in, makes a lot of noise, craps on everything, and then leaves.

ASSMOSIS: The process by which some people seem to absorb success and advancement by kissing up to the boss rather than working hard.

SALMON DAY: The experience of spending an entire day swimming upstream only to get screwed and die in the end.

CUBE FARM: An office filled with cubicles.

PRAIRIE DOGGING: When someone yells or drops something loudly in a cube farm, and people's heads pop up over the walls to see what's going on.

MOUSE POTATO: The on-line, wired generation's answer to the couch potato.

SITCOMs: Single Income, Two Children, Oppressive Mortgage. What yuppies turn into when they have children and one of them stops working to stay home with the kids.

STRESS PUPPY: A person who seems to thrive on being stressed out and whiny.

SWIPEOUT: An ATM or credit card that has been rendered useless because the magnetic strip is worn away from extensive use.

XEROX SUBSIDY: Euphemism for swiping free photocopies from one's workplace.

IRRITAINMENT: Entertainment and media spectacles that are annoying but you find yourself unable to stop watching them. The O.J. trials were a prime example (and as of today, might be again.)

PERCUSSIVE MAINTENANCE: The fine art of whacking the crap out of an electronic device to get it to work again.

ADMINISPHERE: The rarefied organizational layers beginning just above the rank and file. Decisions that fall from the adminisphere are often profoundly inappropriate or irrelevant to the problems they were designed to solve.

404: Someone who's clueless. From the World Wide Web error message "404 Not Found," meaning that the requested document could not be located.

GENERICA: Features of the American landscape that are exactly the same no matter where one is, such as fast food joints, strip malls, subdivisions.

OHNOSECOND: That minuscule fraction of time in which you realize that you've just made a BIG mistake.

WOOFYS: Well Off Older Folks.

CROP DUSTING: Surreptitiously farting while passing thru a cube farm, then enjoying the sounds of dismay and disgust; leads to PRAIRIE DOGGING.

Why Men Are Better Than Dogs

Men only have two feet to track in mud.

Men can buy you presents.

Men don't have to play with every man they see when you take them around the block.

Men are a little bit more subtle.

Men don't eat cat turds on the sly.

Men open their own cans.

Dogs have dog breath all the time.

Men can do math stuff.

Restaurants allow men.

How Dogs And Men Are The Same

Both take up too much space on the bed.

Both have irrational fears about vacuum cleaners.

Both are threatened by their own kind.

Both like to chew wood.

Both mark their territory.

Both are bad at asking you questions.

Neither tells you what's bothering them.

Both tend to smell riper with age.

The smaller ones tend to be more nervous.

Neither does dishes.

Neither of them notice when you get your hair cut.

Both like dominance games.

Both are suspicious of the postman.

Neither knows how to talk on the telephone.

Neither understands what you see in cats.

Dogs Compared To Men

Dogs Compared To Men or Why Dogs Are Better Than Men

Dogs miss you when you're gone.

You never wonder whether your dog is good enough for you.

Dogs feel guilt when they've done something wrong.

Dogs don't criticize your friends.

Dogs admit when they're jealous.

Dogs do not play games with you--- except fetch (and then never laugh at how you throw).

Dogs are happy with any video you choose to rent, because they know the most important thing is that you're together.

Dogs don't feel threatened by your intelligence.

You can train a dog.

Dogs are already in touch with their inner puppies.

Gorgeous dogs don't know they're gorgeous.

The worst social disease you can get from dogs is fleas. (OK, the *really* worst disease you can get from them is rabies, but there's a vaccine for it, and you get to kill the one that gives it to you.)

Dogs understand what "no" means.

Dogs don't need therapy to undo their bad socialization.

Dogs don't make a practice of killing their own species.

Dogs understand if some of their friends cannot come inside.

Dogs think you are a culinary genius.

You can house train a dog.

You can force a dog to take a bath.

Dogs don't correct your stories.

Middle-aged dogs don't feel the need to abandon you for a younger owner.

Dogs aren't threatened by a woman with short hair.

Dogs aren't threatened by two women with short hair.

Dogs don't mind if you do all the driving.

Dogs don't step on the imaginary brake.

Dogs admit it when they're lost.

Dogs don't weigh down your purse with their stuff.

Dogs do not care whether you shave your legs.

Dogs take care of their own needs.

Dogs aren't threatened if you earn more than they do.

Dogs do not have problems expressing affection in public.

Dogs mean it when they kiss you.

Dogs are nice to your relatives.

President On Drugs, Is Now Hallucinating

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

Bush seems to be running out the clock of his administration - leaving the mess that he and his criminal cronies started in Iraq to the next President; who I hope and pray will be a Democrat. It truly does amaze me that this idiot thinks we're as stupid as he is. I truly don't know if I can make it another 15 months.

Some excerpts from his speech tonight, with my comments (of course):

"Yet they concluded that conditions in Iraq are improving, that we are seizing the initiative from the enemy, and that the troop surge is working." (The surge is NOT working, the only surge has been the number of dead soldiers; from 1/1/06 to 9/13/06 - 513 dead. From 1/1/07 (start of surge) to 9/13/07 - 773 dead!

"Terrorists and extremists who are at war with us around the world are seeking to topple Iraq's government"(Is he for real? Seeking to topple Iraq's government, we've ALREADY done that!! The new government hasn't started doing anything!! The 2 factions fight, not work together.)

"We must help Iraq defeat those who threaten its future - and also threaten ours" (Again, wtf? The US is the only threat to their future, we invaded and as a result, Al Qaeda is there.)

"The goal of the surge is to provide that security - and to help prepare Iraqi forces to maintain it." (Iraqi forces were not paid, the US stopped their pay after we invaded - and they chose sides; against the USA.)

"The principle guiding my decisions on troop levels in Iraq is "return on success." The more successful we are, the more American troops can return home. And in all we do, I will ensure that our commanders on the ground have the troops and flexibility they need to defeat the enemy." (Is all we're going to do is keep going with no changes, that's the definition of insanity; making no changes but expecting different results. We've not had one bit of success there since initially overthrowing Saddam's government, that's it!)

"These Iraqi leaders have asked for an enduring relationship with America." (No they haven't, they want us gone.)

"One year ago, much of Baghdad was under siege. Schools were closed, markets were shuttered, and sectarian violence was spiraling out of control. Today, most of Baghdad's neighborhoods are being patrolled by Coalition and Iraqi forces who live among the people they protect. Many schools and markets are reopening. Citizens are coming forward with vital intelligence. Sectarian killings are down. And ordinary life is beginning to return." (Baghdad was under siege one year ago, come'on, by US! 4 million Iraqi's have been forced from their home, 2 million living in refugee camps in Pakistan, 2 million living in refugee camps in Iraq, by US. The Iraqi's still living in their homes have no water or electricity and little food and live in constant fear that they will be dragged from their home and killed. The Iraqi citizens do not want to be seen giving anyone information for fear they will be killed!)

"Our troops in Iraq are performing brilliantly." (They are actually performing beyond brilliantly considering that many do not have adequate body armor, the vehicles have STILL not been reinforced to protect against IED's. Many families of servicemen and women have had to furnish their family members with the body armor and other safety necessities the US has not provided!)

"And he expects that by July, we will be able to reduce our troop levels in Iraq from 20 combat brigades to 15." (These reductions were ALREADY scheduled, as the soldiers are at a breaking point, along with the entire armed services, they CANNOT sustain a presence because there just aren't enough warm bodies.)

"Over time, our troops will shift from leading operations, to partnering with Iraqi forces, and eventually to overwatching those forces." (wtf, I don't even know where to begin with this one, leading??? partnering??? overwatching?? That's not even a freakin WORD!!)

"I have consulted with the Joint Chiefs of Staff, other members of my national security team, Iraqi officials, and leaders of both parties in Congress." (Consulted maybe, ignored definitely. He does what he wants, all others be damned.)

"I have also directed them to deliver another report to Congress in March." (By my estimation there will be an additional 571 dead servicemen and women between Sept 14, 07 and March 30, 08!)

"The success of a free Iraq is critical to the security of the United States. A free Iraq will deny al Qaeda a safe haven. A free Iraq will counter the destructive ambitions of Iran. A free Iraq will marginalize extremists, unleash the talent of its people, and be an anchor of stability in the region. A free Iraq will set an example for people across the Middle East. A free Iraq will be our partner in the fight against terror — and that will make us safer here at home." (This is where his hallucinogens have kicked in - Al Qaeda was NOT in Iraq until we invaded. And yes, let's lead by fear - which is business as usual for this stupid administration.)

"Whatever political party you belong to, whatever your position on Iraq, we should be able to agree that America has a vital interest in preventing chaos and providing hope in the Middle East. We should be able to agree that we must defeat al Qaeda, counter Iran, help the Afghan government, work for peace in the Holy Land, and strengthen our military so we can prevail in the struggle against terrorists and extremists." (Oh no, don't you drag those of us who have been against this invasion and war into this speech, most of us really don't give a hoot about the middle east. We don't even care if they all blow each other up which they've been doing for CENTURIES! I'm surprised that Bush even remembers Afghanistan, I think that's where, um, what's his name lives? Whosiwhatzi? Hmmm, oh yeah, OSAMA BIN LADEN, the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks who we haven't found in 6 years! I won't even bring up the Holy Land! cripes.)

"We thank the 36 nations who have troops on the ground in Iraq and the many others who are helping that young democracy." (36 nations? Who is he kidding? I think he's confused that with the number of ice cream choices as Baskin Robbins! and the many others? WHO? Again, wtf?)

And the highlight and best part of the speech, THE END! "Good night, and God bless America."

*

*

*

Statistics regarding Iraq war dead:

Jan/06 62 Jan/07 83

Feb/06 55 Feb/07 81

Mar/06 31 Mar/07 81

Apr/06 76 Apr/07 104

May/06 69 May/07 126

Jun/06 61 Jun/07 101

Jul/06 43 Jul/07 79

Aug/06 65 Aug/07 84

Sep/06 51 Sep/07 34

513 Total dead 773 Total dead

facts: http://icasualties.org/oif/

Polar Bear Population Seen Declining

Sep 7, 10:58 PM (ET)By JOHN HEILPRIN
WASHINGTON (AP) -

Two-thirds of the world's polar bears will be killed off by 2050 - and the entire population gone from Alaska - because of thinning sea ice from global warming in the Arctic, government scientists forecast Friday.

Only in the northern Canadian Arctic islands and the west coast of Greenland are any of the world's 16,000 polar bears expected to survive through the end of the century, said the U.S. Geological Survey, which is the scientific arm of the Interior Department.

USGS projects that polar bears during the next half-century will disappear along the north coasts of Alaska and Russia and lose 42 percent of the Arctic range they need to live in during summer in the Polar Basin when they hunt and breed. A polar bear's life usually lasts about 30 years.

"Projected changes in future sea ice conditions, if realized, will result in loss of approximately two-thirds of the world's current polar bear population by the mid 21st century," the report says.

Polar bears depend on sea ice as a platform for hunting seals, which is their primary food. They rarely catch seals on land or in open water. Because the general decline of Arctic sea ice appears to be underestimated, scientists said their forecast of how much polar bear populations will shrink also may be on the low side.

"There is a definite link between changes in the sea ice and the welfare of polar bears," said USGS scientist Steven Amstrup, the lead author of the new studies. "As the sea ice goes, so goes the polar bear."

Amstrup said 84 percent of the scientific variables affecting the polar bear's fate was tied to changes in sea ice.

As of this week, the extent of Arctic sea ice had fallen to 4.75 million square miles - or 250,000 square miles below the previous record low of 5.05 million square miles in September 2005, according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center.

Scientists do not hold out much hope that the buildup of carbon dioxide and other industrial gases blamed for heating the atmosphere like a greenhouse can be turned around in time to help the polar bears anytime soon.

Polar bears have walked the planet for at least 40,000 years.

"In spite of any mitigation of greenhouse gases, we are going to see the same amount of energy in the system for at least 20, 30, 40 years," Mark Myers, the USGS director, said.

Greenland and Norway have the most polar bears, while a quarter of them live mainly in Alaska and travel to Canada and Russia. The agency says their range will shrink to no longer include Alaska and other southern regions.

The findings of U.S. and Canadian scientists are based on six months of new studies, during which the health of three polar bear groups and their dependency on Arctic sea ice were examined using "new and traditional models," Myers said.

USGS issued nine separate reports on polar bears Friday. Those included projections for one group of polar bears in the Southern Beaufort Sea and two in Canada that are among 19 distinct subpopulations.

They were made public to help guide Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne's decision expected in January on his agency's proposal to add the polar bear to the government's endangered species list.

USGS declined to provide precise estimates of polar bear populations 50 years from now.

A separate organization, the World Conservation Union, based in Gland, Switzerland, has estimated the polar bear population in the Arctic now is about 20,000 to 25,000, put at risk by melting sea ice, pollution, hunting, development and tourism.

Last December, Kempthorne proposed designating polar bears as a "threatened" species deserving of federal protection under the Endangered Species Act, because of melting Arctic sea ice from global warming. That category is second to "endangered" on the government's list of species believed most likely to become extinct.

That action is in response to a lawsuit in 2005 by three environmental groups - the Center for Biological Diversity, Natural Resources Defense Council and Greenpeace - to force such a proposal from Interior's Fish and Wildlife Service, which oversees endangered species.

"This grim news about polar bears and sea ice decline is horrifying, but it is a call to action, not despair," said Kassie Siegel of the Arizona-based Center for Biological Diversity. "The good news is that there is still time to save polar bears. Our hope lies in a rapid response, including both deep and immediate carbon dioxide reductions and a full-court press on other greenhouse pollutants such as methane."

The fate of polar bears has struck a public nerve. Fish and Wildlife officials have received 600,000 public comments so far on the proposed listing, spokesman Chris Tollefson said.

On Friday, Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass., urged the Bush administration to grant polar bears federal protection.

"This is becoming a tragic metaphor for the administration's voluntary approach to global warming," said Markey, chairman of the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. "Instead of meeting the challenge, the Bush administration is happy to float along, waiting to see if the planet, and polar bears, will sink or swim."

Another member of the committee, Rep. Jay Inslee, D-Wash., said the loss of some of the magnificent creatures on earth may be the proverbial "canary in the coal mine" needed to prod both Congress and the Bush administration into action on climate change.

September 11

A strange thing happened to me on the morning of September 11, 2001. For the first time ever I decided at 8:50am to turn my television on to see what was going on in the world.

I was getting ready for an appointment at 10:00 and I don't know why, but I wanted to watch TV. So I turned on channel 10, the NBC affiliate in Providence and saw the Today folks sitting in front of a picture of the smoke coming from one of the Twin Towers. I have to admit that until that day, I didn't know what went on in the Towers, having been to NYC only a couple of times and having zero interest in the financial world, it had never seemed important. So as I watched the TV wondering what was going on I saw an airplane crash into the other Tower and I realized in that instant that we were under attack. Then the news told of planes that had been hijacked, an explosion and probable plane crash at the Pentagon, then news that another plane had been hijacked and the subsequent crash in Pennsylvania.

I knew that day would change the way we lived our lives in America, but never did I think it would lead to something so ridiculous as the Patriot act and our invasion of a country that had nothing to do with the attacks of that day. Even I, who did not like George Bush from the very first instant I saw him and knew he'd be a bad president, never thought he'd screw up so badly.

We had the sympathy of the world and we blew it!

So, the sixth anniversary of the attack by Al Qaeda on America brings back the horror and the sadness of that day for all of us. Particularly those who previous to the attacks had celebrated the date of 9/11 for anniversaries and/or birthdays.

Which leads me to my best friend, Lillian, who celebrates her birthday today, September 11. I can't imagine my birthday being the day that is thought of as such a sad day, but, she handles it as she does everything in her life; with her usual poise, dignity and good grace. All I can say, is thank goodness for September 11, the day my friend was born. It is a good date, after all.

Happy Birthday Lillian with much love!

Blogging Contagion

I've always considered myself to be a trend setter. I'm not sure why, but people have often picked up on one of my sayings, or what I'm doing, or what I wear or carry.

The best example that I can give you is 12th grade - high school (1973-1974.) I had decided that instead of carrying a pocket book or knapsack to school, that I would carry a lunchbox instead.

For some reason I chose a Peanuts lunchbox (and I don't even like cartoons or animation.) It actually worked out great because I was able to carry alot of things in there in addition to my lunch. (As a joke, I carried Smarties, which I called SUPER ENERGY PILLS, and I would hand them out discreetly to my friends in the corridors. Many times I got nabbed by a teacher or administrator as they thought I was dealing drugs.)

Within a few weeks there were more and more people (well, girls) carrying lunchboxes and after a while I stopped because it became so popular. So that's why I consider myself a trend setter.

As you can see from the pictures above, some of my family members have started their own blogs, because they enjoy mine so much! Now I get to enjoy theirs too.

Nick NAC

What is it about teenagers? Just what happens to the sweet kids we all know as they approach their pre-teen years and then go on to become teenagers?

For me, it was hard not to take it personally as each of my much loved nieces and nephews slowly distance themselves from me, until sometime around 12 years of age, they're so far off they are asking "Auntie Who?"

Even though it's been decades since I was a pre-teen, I do remember thinking that I could not wait to grow up, and I felt much older than my years. I figure my nieces and nephews feel much the same way as they approach their teens and beyond.

My nephew Nick is now 15. It's hard to believe because those years have gone by so quickly. As a typical teenager, he's not really happy with much. School, his cell phone, his Auntie taking his picture and probably much more than I'm aware of. It's a tough age, no longer a boy, not yet a man.

When he was almost 2 years old his parents wanted to go away for their anniversary and I offered to take Nick overnight. Veronica was going to be there so I thought we'd have a great time, and we did, until it was time to go to bed. Nick wanted to go home, he wanted his parents, his bed anything but staying at Auntie's house. So Roni and I made a tent in my living room at Mr. Cooper's house. We used enough blankets and furniture to fill the entire room. It kept him busy for awhile, climbing around with Roni and Hooke and me. I thought we'd all sleep under there and it would be an adventure. The only adventure that night was me trying to calm and soothe a little boy who was very upset. I held him, rocking him on the bed for hours as he sobbed and hiccuped. I tried to make him understand (without much success) that the sooner he fell asleep the sooner his parents would be back. All I could think about as the clock moved from 1 to 2 to 3 to 4 am, was that I was driving my Auntie Rita and Uncle Larry to Maine in the morning and returning later in the day. A round trip of almost 400 miles and I would be exhausted. Finally, sometime after 4 am, Nick finally collapsed into sleep on the bed. Roni has fallen asleep under the tent in the living room and after checking on her, I climbed into bed and slept. I think I was happier to see Jack and Dianne in the morning than even Nick was!

Thankfully that was the last little bit of trouble he gave me. He has proven to be quite a funny kid and very entertaining. He's athletic, playing basketball, soccer and baseball as he's grown.

Once when he was about 7 or 8, I was taking him to play baseball and I was so pleased to get a parking space right up front near the field. We pulled in and Nick said "Uh, Auntie, you don't want to park here because the foul balls come out here!" So I moved the car way out in the lot. He was pitching that day and said he would probably hit one of the hitters with a pitch, sure enough, the first pitch caught the hitter right in the butt. I had to laugh at the players, missing the ball when it was hit or thrown to them, throwing over or under to their fellow players. I had forgotten how enjoyable kids can be trying to learn and then play the game.

I'm sure he's a much better player today than he was then. I'm also sure that his mood will improve as he turns 16 next summer, goes into 11th grade, gets a car and continues to find his way through these teenage years. One thing is for sure, his Auntie will continue to admire and love him, no matter what.

Hedgehogs

Rosie had this picture posted on her blog and I just fell in love with it. I knew immediately that they were hedgehogs but then I realized that I didn't really know anything about hedgehogs. So here's a quick little lesson in hedgehog history.

They are one of many spiny mammals species.

The name 'hedgehog' came into use around the year 1450, derived from the Middle English 'heyghoge', from 'heyg', 'hegge' = hedge, because it frequents hedgerows (a row of bushes, shrubs, or trees forming a hedge), and 'hoge', 'hogge' = hog, from its piglike snout.

Hedgehogs are easily distinguished from their spines, which are hollow hairs made stiff with keratin. Their spines are not poisonous or barbed, and, unlike the quills of a porcupine, cannot be easily removed from the animal.

Hedgehogs are most closely related to gymnures (which look like large rats.)

A defense that all species of hedgehogs possess is the ability to roll into a tight ball, causing all of the spines to point outwards. However, its effectiveness depends on the number of spines, and since some of the desert hedgehogs evolved to carry less weight, they are much more likely to try to run away and sometimes even attack the intruder, trying to ram into the intruder with its spines, leaving rolling as a last resort.

All hedgehogs are primarily nocturnal, although different species can be more or less likely to come out in the daytime. The hedgehog sleeps for a large portion of the daytime either under cover of bush or grass or rock or in a hole in the ground. Again, different species can have slightly different habits, but in general hedgehogs dig out dens for shelter. All wild hedgehogs can hibernate, although not all do; hibernation depends on temperature, abundance of food and species.

Hedgehogs have 5 toes on their front paws with short nails. However, on their back paws they have 4 toes with long, constantly growing nails. They have these characteristics because hedgehogs burrow.

Hedgehogs are fairly vocal, and communicate not only in a series of grunts and snuffles, but sometimes in loud squeals (depending on species).

Hedgehogs occasionally perform a ritual called anointing. When the animal comes across a new scent, it will lick and bite the source and then form a scented froth in its mouth and paste it on its spines with its tongue. It is not known what the specific purpose of this ritual is, but some experts believe anointing camouflages the hedgehog with the new scent of the area and provides a possible poison or source of infection to any predator that gets poked by their spines.

Similar to opossums, mice and moles, hedgehogs have some natural immunity against snake venom due to the protein erinacin in the animal's muscular system.

Hedgehogs perform well with other pets, including cats and dogs. They are occasionally threatened by these animals, though, but for those rare instances, the hedgehogs just roll into a ball until the threat is gone.

Although formerly classified in the insectivore family Insectivora, hedgehogs are almost omnivorous. Hedgehogs feed on insects, snails, frogs and toads, snakes, bird eggs, carrion, mushrooms, grass roots, berries, melons and watermelons! In fact, berries constitute a major part of an Afghan hedgehog's diet in early spring after hibernation. The hedgehog is occasionally spotted after a rainstorm foraging for earthworms. Although forest hedgehogs, most well-known to Europeans, are indeed mainly insectivores, this is not necessarily true for other species.

In areas that have hedgehogs in the wild, they are often welcomed as a natural form of garden pest control. Many people leave food out to attract hedgehogs. Although hedgehogs are lactose intolerant(!), they will eagerly consume cheese, milk and dairy products, causing illness.

The common pet hedgehog (four-toed hedgehog) can however have a small portion of cottage cheese as a dietary supplement. Dog and cat food are better than dairy, but both are often too high in fat and too low in protein. Many pet stores sell hedgehog mixes that are specifically formulated for hedgehogs. Crickets, mealworms, and pinkies (baby mice) are also favored treats. It is best to leave out only a small treat, leaving them plenty of appetite for the pests in one's garden.

Depending on the species, the gestation period is 40-58 days. The average litter is 3-4 newborns for larger species and 5-6 for smaller ones. As with many animals, it is not unusual for an adult male hedgehog to kill newborn males.

It is illegal to own a hedgehog as a pet in some U.S. states (I don't think RI is one of them, my former hairdresser, Denise had some as pets) and some Canadian municipalities, and breeding licenses are required.

Now we all know something about hedgehogs!