Spike is a porcupine, and lives in Cindy’s backyard. He’s cute n’ cuddly except for a backside full of sharp, barbed quills that keep everyone at a distance. He’s so sure no one will bother with him that he shambles around like a spiky teddybear and takes naps wherever he wants to, even on Cindy’s lawn. He really like Cindy. She likes critters and lets Spike visit anytime and stay just as long as he wants. Today Spike came over for lunch and and a little chat. He was a little out of sorts and needed to vent.

“Don’t you hate it when someone uses cute animals as blog filler?” he grunted at Cindy. Cindy sipped her tea and smiled. She wasn’t sure what “blog filler” could be, but it sounded awful. “It’s bad enough having stupid words put in my mouth but it really chaps my hide getting called ‘cute’. That’s pure obnoxious!” he said, rattling his quills and looking adorably miffed. Finishing his salted cambium sandwich, he wiped his face on Cindy’s chrysanthemums. “Thanks for listening” Spike said as he turned to go. “didn’t mean to bend your ear. One of these days that damn blogger will get off her butt and write something real, maybe show off a drawing or something. Until then, well, I guess I’ll have to fill in. In the meantime, you go back to your easel and paint something pretty. Catch you on the flip side”

Spike waves bye-bye. All photos © Cindy House, 2008. See her website here.