I try to nip home every lunch time to let the dogs out for a quick break. As I don't work too far away (and I have a car) it's usually manageable in the fifty minutes we get.
As I parked up on my return yesterday I could see a group of 6th form girls in the road, obviously distressed about something, waving cars away.
There was a squirrel lying on the road, unmarked, and they were worried it would get run over. I went over to them and carefully moved the squirrel, I am always cautious as they can give a nasty bite. It was dead. I picked it up, it was still very warm, and took it into the school grounds, where I put it in the middle of some dense bushes and covered it with leaves.
In an overhead tree another squirrel, maybe the partner, was making the most distressing sound. It was like a howl and a chatter all at once, and I found it very upsetting if I'm honest. It's this sort of thing that makes me avoid watching nature programmes these days. Knowing that lives of all sorts are going on everywhere, that icebergs are melting and rain forests are disappearing.
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The cake went down a storm and, as it was enormous, was enjoyed by many. It was so big, in fact, that it only just fit in my biggest cake tin- with a bit of encouragement. I used almond essence in the buttercream filling and everyone said it was like a chocolate battenburg! The birthday boy was very happy with it, and his little box of chocolates, and gave me a thumbs up as he left.
