The Bluestocking. All gerbils welcome, must have own frou-frou skirt.

[Magpiecomplex]

New thread!

Baby hedgehogs have soft bristles, which is just as well. I learned this a couple of days after seeing the fattest hedgehog ever climbing straight up a tree near the garden shed. A few days days later I encountered a much thinner hedgehog and five dear little babies.

Before Oscar came to live with me he lived under the same shed with the hedgehogs. I hope they're still there, but the garden has become infested with badgers which is a worry.

Welcome Babybanned, or Hoglet Banned, and hope all is well with the Banned family.

The beans sound utterly delicious, @ErrolTheDragon, though I am a wuss about fiery stuff, so I’d change the harissa salmon for hot smoked salmon, or lemon and herb. I am always on the lookout for recipes like this, where I can avoid the carbs, so I will be trying this one!

It's very good. We use Waitrose rose harissa*, about half a jar mixed with 100g of Greek yogurt for two (I think the original recipe was less of each but I like it). It's not at all fiery.

The proper recipes we used first had cherry tomatoes mixed with the beans which is nice but obviously less crisp. Can also use cannellini beans.

• I believe this is one of the markers of a true middle class MNer. Not sure what would be the equivalent north of the border (we have the second most northerly Waitrose in the U.K. I think) but there must be other non-hot brands available.

@DeanElderberry I won't hear a word against badgers! We played host to a clan who lived nearby, who would turn up at a set time & feast on peanuts, fruit & peanut butter sandwiches. They were much-loved & an absolute riot. They didn't hurt any animals (except occasionally each other), not even my tiny cat who took against them & would go up to them while they were eating & hiss. They just paused for a moment to see what she was & then got back to their dinners.

The AI is surprisingly good at badgers; we gave them shelled peanuts, though.

35 minutes making tiny testtubes for my book nook.

I've added a pen for scale. The paper was supposed to go inside the tiny plastic tubes but that was impossible so I've stuck it to the outside.

Good grief, Myrtle!

Much as I love Rosy, who is the cutest thing ever (can you imagine a baby one 😍, like some sort of distilled essence of cute) and so cuddly, I've spent the morning with a delegation of quokkas who are worried that we don't think they're cute anymore.

It started out quite business-like, they had a spoke quokka. They were at pains to stress that they liked Rosy, they also thought she was cute. However, they shortly all dissolved into tears and I had a lapful of weeping marsupials.

I explained it was just the novelty. We still loved them. They were still cute. I mean have they seen themselves!?

Eyes were dried, chins were chucked, cheeks were gently pinched, heads were ruffled. I think they were a little embarrassed* *for making a fuss at the end, but they still seem a little tender.

So, just before I go to change into dry, less salty clothes, I thought I'd give everyone a heads up.

One of the big trees has come down next to the meadow. No damage otherwise, no one was hurt. The capybara want to know if we want to do anything with the timber.

One of the big trees has come down next to the meadow. No damage otherwise, no one was hurt. The capybara want to know if we want to do anything with the timber.

Do we have a wetland yet? We could acquire some beavers, point them towards the stream (yes, we have one) and the fallen tree and let them get on with it

I don't want to put the quokkas' dear little noses out of joint, but have you seen how cute baby beavers are?

Oh quokkas we love you. Don't cry, and come over here for a hug.
Rosy is tucked up with Colin for a post lunch snooze, so it's QuokkaTime!

The only live badger I've ever seen was a very cute youngster. I'm therefore mystified by today's news featuring the quote 'If you throw a badger into a crowded car, people will get out' .
Is whatever the Americans call a 'badger' something different?

(Colin of course would be more inclined to, er, escort a badger off the premises but last time I saw him he was out visiting the DogHouse.)

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That's a lovely picture. I'm just not sure how Rosy's bending to get her tail where it is. Assuming it's her tail and it's still attached.

The capybara say if we want a dam they can build it. They say (and I'm quoting) they 'don't need no steen-kin' beavers'. Clearly there's a history there😬.

Getting the AI to produce this combo (pic 1) resulted in a few failures (the rest - loving the giant padger).

I thought the same but then thought dammit, it's so cute.

Here are some later alternatives.

Two sides of the booknook and the third which hasn't been added yet.

Go Quokkas! We love you ❤️ Plenty of room for snuggles with every cuteness available.

Loving the little skull!

The capybaras are getting very territorial over near the meadow.

Oh dear, the poor little quokkas! I'm glad you handled the crisis with such emotional intelligence and humanity, Cake, we owe you!
Red pandas are just differently cute, aren't they

Your ability to work at that scale amazes me, Myrtle! I used to think that railway modellers who work in N scale were impressive but your booknooks - wow.

A thing that's been going round the internet for ages.

"American badgers look like they're about to drag you into a back alley and pull a shiv on you to demand money for their meth habit. European badgers look like they're about to invite you over for a cup of tea and some custard creams at their little cottage in the countryside."

I had never seen an American badger - definitely low on the cuteness factor!

Meanwhile the quokkas have finally dropped off after Cake & Fuzzy's excellent quokka whispering.

I know someone who reckons the honey badger is her spirit animal. "Small, cute, will fight you."

There are some amazing/hilarious films on YT about honey badgers. They can get bitten by deadly snakes & survive. As one film says, "Honey badger don't give a shit." That's some spirit animal (envy).

There was a news story a year or so ago, an American badger buried a cow, researchers think to eat later. It, the cow, was dead. I don't believe the badger killed it.

Honey badgers are badass.

I'm very jealous of people who have badgers in or near their gardens. I've seen more dead than live ones.