Reggie's return

It was nearly seven months ago that Reggie disappeared in the garden just before we were due to go on holiday in September.  Anyone who has followed this journal will know that there has been a degree of agonising about his fate.  Had he escaped from the garden, and if so, where had he gone?  

There are several blippers, Sydney in particular, who have reassured me that he was still in the garden and that come a fine day in the Spring, there he would be on the lawn munching dandelions.

We have friends staying this weekend, and after we came back from a trip to Cartmel this afternoon, Chris went out to look for Reggie.  Ten minutes later he came back in, and beckoned me to follow him.  He led through the garden to the far side of the lawn.  He pointed to the base of the Camellia, and there in amongst the sprouting Nectaroscordums was a muddy face soaking up a little afternoon sunshine.  He was caked in dried earth, and was at the mouth of his hibernation burrow, just emerged after 6 months of slumber.

The photograph shows him after he had a bathe in the sink, much cleaner now and much more alert too.  He refused the tomatoes that were offered, and we have left him deeply immersed in hay in his insulated house.

Reggie isn't the most emotionally engaged of the pets we have had over the years, in fact he cares not for his people at all.  However, he does have a way of stirring our emotions - concern, worry, dejection, and today the purest joy, we've experienced the full gamut.   Clearly he had no intention of spending another winter in a fridge in the cellar, and made his own arrangements for hibernation.  Perhaps we should have trusted his ancient instincts.  He is a survivor. 

It's odd that every time he has gone missing, it has been someone else who has found him despite me spending days searching.  I don't think I would have spotted his earthy face this afternoon without Chris pointing him out to me.

Happy days.