As I left before most of my Christmas cards had arrived, am hoping there will be a prolonged session of opening them and catching up with friends and relations when I get back to Kirkby - Whilst Philippa would undoubtedly have liked to spend time with young E, her nephew, she's succumbed to the dreaded Christmas cold bug, and doesn't want to spread it around the rest of the family, so after a brief stop over, and refreshments provided by Clare and Alan, she will be doing the return journey the same day. With any luck, because Monday is a Bank Holiday there won't be as much traffic on the road as there could be - fingers crossed. (In the UK, Boxing Day - is celebrated as one normally when it doesn't fall on a Saturday. So this year, there is an extra holiday)
We have an update for you from Mobile, Alabama. The Hedgehog Family, whose arrival there was shown in last week's post, are safely in the hands of their Forever Friends.
The young triplet cousins of MrsMM seem to be pleased enough - and I've asked to know if the toys had yet been given names. The picture was accompanied by this note -
The little hedgehog family has been successfully delivered to their new home. Everyone loved them, especially the kids. I enclosed a note with each about the plight of the real hogs, the rescue and that their gift will help raise money to help the real hogs in peril.
Meanwhile, MrsNA from Bonsall, California was asked by Etsy to give a review for the Mommy Hedgehog she had purchased - which can be seen on the Shop site (www.Etsy.com/shop/COLDHAMCUDDLIES) but I'll quote it here as well. - "Just adorable..... Arrived on time and with lots of love from Isobel"
MrsNA was unable to confirm at the same time anything about the the safe arrival of the Fayetteville-bound Panda Hand Puppet and Baby Hedgehog, because their Forever Friends are actually her Great Grand Kids, so there's another family level to be negotiated before that news is sent/received!
Before closing, the visit to St Tiggywinkles Hedgehog Hospital did take place at the beginning of last week, and what a worthwhile place it is spend time. I took lots of photographs, but am unable yet to publish them here, because I need to run my post by the Publicity Department at the Hospital. Alas, in the past, many quasi-amateur photographers have done the same thing, apparently, and then sold their pictures to the media - without donating any of the funds received to the Sanctuary. Thus, for sometime, and quite understandably, the Hospital Trust has placed a copyright on all photographs taken at the site. Before leaving, I checked whether I could use some or all of my pictures - which can hardly be described as "professional", and was asked to send them a copy of what I planned to say in my blog - before publication. This will be undertaken when I get back to Kirkby during the week, and hopefully, I'll be able to tell you all more - and show you some pictures too - in forthcoming posts.
Thus, there's nothing more for me to say this week, but to wish you all a Healthy, Happy and Prosperous 2016 - because the next bulletin will be the first for the New Year, and the start of the 6th Year of COLDHAMCUDDLIES' existence.
Good Bye and God Bless! Isobel
