Happily Ever After
Life in The Rural Retreat with a beautiful wife, three cats, garden wildlife, a camera, a computer – and increasing amounts about running
Earlier posts can be found on Adventures of a Lone Bass Player, where this blog began life. Recent entries can be found here.
An Old Friend
by admin - 23:07 on 25 September 2010
It's not unusual for Bess to sit and stare through her cat-flap into the garden of The Rural Retreat, even in the evening, but tonight we noticed she gazed with particular intent.
This was at 8.30, and dark, so I flashed a torch through the sitting room window to check the status of pine marten treats and saw that the daily egg and Nutella were gone. But then the beam of light reflected from an eye.
The egg had been moved around the back of the gate where something was guzzling the shell's contents with gusto. A hedgehog, I thought, until I caught the whole creature in the torchlight. The markings were difficult to make out, but I'm almost certain that the diner was Miss Marten – fit, healthy and much bigger than the last time I saw her, around two months ago.
And so she should be, supplied with free protein and sugar every day.
Miss Marten, pictured when the nights were still light
She finished her meal, unconcerned by the light and the attention of felines, then ambled further down the garden, beyond the reach of my feeble torch, in the direction of The Nutella Tree where more sweet treats were to be found.
I know that a marten's in the garden most nights, but it was good to see one again, even if all I could discern was a ghostly shape.
This also went some way towards compensating for a far less happy sighting earlier in the day – a dead fox, presumably a very recent traffic victim, at the side of the road opposite Resolis School. Until now I've had no proof that there are foxes in the area; I'd much rather have gathered it some another way.
Holiday Update: Tomorrow Matchgirl and I leave for Shetland and accommodation with uncertain internet access. If the blog goes quiet, that's the reason.
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