What's making you happy today?

[footfootfoot]

Bones can be good!

Awesome.

[footfootfoot]

Dogs can hear a tree's bark.

[Sundae]

Very happy for you, Ortho.
And happy for us to have you sticking around.

[Sundae]

Originally Posted by footfootfoot

Dogs can hear a tree's bark.

But they can't look up.

[Carruthers]

Won £25 on the National Lottery!

Well, more accurately, given that the ticket cost £2 I only won £23, but I'm not going to quibble.

[Sundae]

It's Cellarity Luck Week!
I won £3.20 on the Euromillions. Net profit £1.20. But it was bought half-past February, so it now simply counts as a windfall rather than a return on an investment.

[limey]

Yay. Another two-week job completed which involved just about all the document-handling software I've got. PDF to screenshot to JPG and back to PDF (to repaginate), OCRd to Word, then translated using my translation memory software ... (Nerd? Me?!? Well, maybe ... )

[xoxoxoBruce]

Not a nerd, a highly trained, properly equipped, professional conjurer of magically transformed from crap to perfect documents. 3 times fast.

[Carruthers]

I was, as per usual, wide awake in the still watches of the night so I decided to have a look out of the window to see what the outside world had to offer.

I have mowed the lawns twice this year but have had to leave a few patches uncut as wild flowers grow there. As I peered into the gloom, I was attempting to remember why I had left an unmown patch by a small tree. Further thoughts on the subject weren't required as the 'patch' started to move. I grabbed a torch and spotted the biggest Badger I have ever seen in my life. There isn't a shortage of Badgers in the country, quite the reverse, but most people will only ever see one dead at the side of the road. I've seen my fair share of live ones but they tend to be at a distance and rather fleeting, but this fellow was just feet away from me and completely unbothered by the light from my torch. He spent a couple of minutes nosing around the garden and then disappeared under the hedge to next door.

It made my sleeplessness worthwhile. Well, almost...

[Griff]

I like to leave patches of wildflowers as well, but we won't be mowing any lawns around here for quite some time.

[Carruthers]

By way of illustration...

In the Autumn of 2012 many lawns along the road were churned up by Badgers foraging for food overnight.
The summer had been particularly wet which caused a food shortage for them so they extended their range and feeding habits.
Our front lawn was churned up but in such a manner as to be able to replace and repair the turf without too much difficulty.
The local church yard suffered in a similar manner in the Autumn of 2009. Repairs of previous damage can be seen to the left of the excavations.
People are pretty forgiving of the local wildlife, I'm glad to say.

[Griff]

Do they eat insects or root systems or what? Lovely church btw.

[Griff]

because morning ride. 3.5 hours. I sense weakness in my riding partner this year and new old bike is kick-ass. This was in my head which helps keep the feet moving.

[Carruthers]

Originally Posted by Griff

Do they eat insects or root systems or what? Lovely church btw.

They're opportunist feeders so will broadly eat whatever is in season.
I think that, in this instance, they were after chafer grubs although snails, slugs, beetles and berries are all acceptable. A neighbour has complained that they dig up her daffodils. Their droppings vary according to their current diet, if they leave a muddy 'deposit' it's probably slugs and grubs that are the dish of the day. In late summer it is very apparent if they have been eating grain left behind by the combine or berries from the lower branches of shrubs and hedges.

By the way, the European Badger differs quite markedly from his North American cousin:



The church is St. Mary's, Wendover. I'd have to look up some history but it is safe to say that it is centuries old. Street View.

ETA. The Street View coverage was taken in October 2009, as was my photo, and the damage pictured above can be clearly seen.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by Griff

Do they eat insects or root systems or what?

Mushrooms.