Hedgehogs!

Last night, I set a small grocery sack of garbage on our back porch stoop, to take to the trash can.  It wasn't until later that night, that I realized I had forgotten to move it.  Cats have gotten into trash before, so of course I was regretting that; there's nothing worse than picking up shredded garbage!  I was unable to sleep last night, and was drifting in and out of sleep on the couch when I heard the rustle of plastic outside my back door.  Startled, I jumped off the couch and quickly flipped on the outdoor light, expecting to see a flash of furry cat scurry off.  However the noise persisted.  The back door is made of a patterned frosted glass, so I couldn't catch a glimpse of the noisemaker until I climbed on the floor to peer through the dirty cat door.  I could barely make out the shape inside the bag, but was certain at this point it wasn't a cat...too small.

I heard the critter munching, I suppose, on banana peels, and went through a mental list of possible animals that it could be.  Waiting impatiently and half asleep, it finally wriggled its way out of the sack and waddled across the step.  It was a hedgehog!  A cute, furry, wobbly-walking hedgehog!  I couldn't believe my discovery and proceeded to tell Bret all about it in the middle of the night.  Since the find, I've been desperately googling hedgehogs and learning all about them.  Supposedly they are great garden-keepers, and I've been using trail mix as bait to bring them back.  For whatever reason, I am convinced that I'll be able to snap a picture, but seeing as they're mostly nocturnal, I'm doubting those chances.  Why I didn't take one last night is beyond me, in my sleepy stupor, I probably was trying to figure out if I was dreaming or not.  But, I promise, should I get a photo, I will post it immediately!