It was the coldest winter ever. Many animals died because of the cold. The hedgehogs, realizing the situation, decided to group together to keep warm. This way they covered and protected themselves; but the quills of each one wounded their closest companions. After a while, they decided to distance themselves one from the other and they began to die, alone and frozen. So they had to make a choice: either accept the quills of their companions or disappear from the Earth. Wisely, they decided to go back to being together. They learned to live with the little wounds caused by the close relationship with their companions in order to receive the heat that came from the others. This way they were able to survive. The best relationship.......... is not the one that brings together perfect people, .........but when each individual learns to live with the imperfections .......of others and can admire the other person's good qualities. The moral of the story is: ......
In the Missouri Ozarks, the Groundhog, or more properly, Woodchuck, was improperly called "Hedgehog". Woodchucks are quite large in comparison, almost as big as the Beaver, perhaps 20 lbs. or more. If one gardens, Groundhogs can be very destructive. They burrow beneath growing vegetables, eating away at the roots, killing them. Our first garden failed due to that reason. Fencing usually suffices to keep them out, but occasionally, they will defeat that by digging under the fencing. IMO the time-honoured spectacle of displaying Punxsutawney Phil held in the hands of a Municipal Leader is laughable. These animals can be exceedingly vicious, having huge rodent teeth, a fact I confirmed when I cornered one in a hollow tree, and was forced to shoot it. Vicious as an attack dog. So, this: Borders on silliness. But, not wanting to be a "spoilsport", I shan't demean the Punxsutawney tradition further. Frank
that really was brilliant, Kate, Frank , the way we would get rid of woodchucks would we would trap them , bait the trap with lettuce or any veggie and cover the trap with tree branches , we caught 3 that way then hubby would take it for a long ride to a wooded forest..