Monday 28 November 2011

It’s the little things

I went on my usual Monday Girly walk today. It’s nothing special, but it’s usual a good time for a chin wag. I was a little surprised when, as Alison was walking ahead of me, I saw a small, furry creature scurry across the path just behind her heels.

I squatted down and peered into the undergrowth and sure enough, there it was, just nosing about, minding it’s own business. It came back out into the open, despite us having a very badly behaved beagle with us (she was a rascal today) and wandered up the track a little and back into the undergrowth.

It was obviously a vole of some sort and when I consulted my reference books, I concluded (without too much difficulty) that it was a bank vole, but a very relaxed one!

On the downside, the neighbours opposite our home have decided it’s time for Christmas decorations. Every outdoor surface is now bedecked with multi-coloured lights and a flashing Merry Christmas sign.

Joy.

6 comments:

Andrew W said...

Our cat brings a lot of Voles in.
They are not very healthy though.
Nor are the mice or recently the rats. It's even worse when they are healthy.

Christmas Light by the thousand.
NICE!
We used to have a competition with opur kids to spot the most appauling house decorations.
It;s the illuminated inflatable Sants's and Sleighs that really do it.

Louise said...

My sister's cat, Basil (you've got to say it right) used to bring the odd rabbit in through the cat flap. Alive.
We spotted a house on the Grantown Road all decked out, lights, tree, the lot. Two weeks ago. There was a house around the corner that had an inflatable Homer Santa on the roof one year. It suffered severe wind damage and deflated.
I'm not completely bah humbug, but three weeks of Christmas is plenty. And I don't do outdoor decs. At all. Ever.

Laura said...

Once when out with a party of children we spotted a mole scurrying along the path. We watched him for ages, I think he was unaware he wasn't underground! But I've never seen a vole......

Louise said...

It was a dear little thing (as my grandma would've said,) but I did wonder if there might have been something wrong. It seemed quite happy and was moving ok, but oblivious or perhaps uncaring as to our presence, which seemed strange. A treat thought!

Alan Sloman said...

I enjoyed your labels.
No Christmas decorations should ever go up until Christmas Eve night!

Louise said...

I think I tend to have an issue with it not just because it is so ridiculous, but because Ciara's birthday is on the 17th, so I always felt it got swallowed up if our decorations went up too early, Christmas Eve was good! They do tend to creep up now the last few days of school, so I can do it in peace (it has to be Right), but no cards until the Eve.

I thought my labels were quite fitting :)