Oh my prickly nose, what a turbulent day that was!
Adventure in the Leafy Jungle: My Day at Laichingen Ropes Course!
Hello, dear adventure fans and cuddly toy friends!
It’s me again, your little Viki, the most travel-crazy hedgehog in the world – at least in my dreams, when I’m not napping in Daddy's backpack. And this time, I’m taking you to a giant, exciting natural spectacle that almost knocked me out of my little hedgehog socks: the Ropes Course in Laichingen!
A Hedgehog on an Oak Leaf Expedition
On October 10th, when the sun bathed the trees in golden autumn colours (which is super important to me as a little hedgehog, because the leaves are my greatest pride!), Mommy and Daddy drove with me to Laichingen. And do you know what was there? A giant forest! But not just any forest. It was a forest where people jump from tree to tree like squirrels! A Ropes Course!
Of course, I was sitting safe in my backpack nest, but my little hedgehog heart was pounding wildly because it looked so exciting. Mommy and Daddy wanted to go up there! I wondered if they might have a giant nut storage hidden up there.
The Climbing Statistics – A Hedgehog Turns into a Counting Master!
Daddy told me that there are no less than 14 different courses. 14! That’s like having 14 different cakes in front of you and only being allowed to taste for three hours! And the best (or craziest!) thing: They have 258 different elements! 258! I tried to count them all, but I got mixed up at "1, 2, 3, a tasty leaf, 5, 6, 7, oh, a branch to nibble on..."
Daddy then said, very grown-up, that you can't possibly manage all of that in three hours. Pfft, as if time matters to adventurers like us! But Daddy really put in the effort. He did two whole rounds! He was hanging up there between the treetops, floating over rope bridges and balancing on shaky wooden planks. Just watching made me dizzy. And yet I have much more experience in wobbling; after all, I'm a hedgehog who sometimes raises his quills!
Sweat or Dizziness? Daddy's Secret!
When Daddy came back down to me after his climbing marathon rounds, he looked a bit like he had won a race against a cheetah – so, he was sweating! Totally!
Of course, I immediately wondered: Was that the excitement from the height? Did my big, strong Daddy perhaps have a little bit of the jitters, so high up? Or was it simply the effort, all the climbing and balancing?
He just said he was "dressed too warmly." Well, Daddy, next time just wrap yourself in some cool, airy leaves, just like I do! I think he was just trying to play down his heroic efforts. But I know better: He’s a real Tree-Ninja!
My Autumn Wellness Program: Hibernation Preparations
While Mommy and Daddy were struggling up there, I was having my very own personal hedgehog wellness cure down below, close to the ground. Do you know what the Ropes Course was for me? A gigantic autumn paradise!
Everywhere lay the most beautiful, crunchiest, brownest, and red-yellowest autumn leaves! I felt like I was in a giant ball pit, only with leaves. I rolled, I sniffed, and most importantly, I collected!
As a little hedgehog, you have to plan seriously! And that means: You have to prepare for hibernation! After all, I need a thick, cozy mattress of leaves so that my little hedgehog belly is nice and snug when I dream. I stuffed so many leaves into Daddy's backpack – I hope he didn't notice!
I can tell you, compared to the climbing, my leaf-collecting course is much more strenuous. You have to select the best leaves, the biggest and the softest, and then lug them into the backpack with a lot of hedgehog effort.
The Ulm Food Adventure: Bowl Eating at 'Immer Grün'
After so much tree action (for the parents) and leaf-collecting stress (for me!), Mommy had a brilliant idea: Food! We drove to Ulm, a beautiful city with a giant church tower that I could see up into the sky.
There, Mommy and Daddy went to a restaurant called "Immer Grün" (Always Green). I thought the name was great because green is also the colour of my favourite leaves! And then they ate something that looked like works of art in a bowl: Bowls!
These bowls were packed with colourful things that looked healthy and delicious. Daddy had a bowl, Mommy had a bowl – and they ate and raved so much that it was a real joy to watch them.
But – and here comes the little hedgehog frustration moment – they didn't give me anything again! Nothing! I tried to look heart-breaking, make my eyes really big, and wave with my little paws, but they were simply too busy with their great bowls.
Well, lucky for me that as an experienced travelling hedgehog, I always have emergency rations with me! I then secretly retreated into Daddy's backpack and dug out my gummy bears. I think they are much better than such healthy bowl food. Fruity, sweet, and perfect for a little hedgehog who needs a reward after a long day full of adventure and leaf collecting. After all, I also supervised two rounds of climbing and counted 258 elements!
That was my exciting Ropes Course and Bowl-Eating Day! I'm now ready for new adventures and have my hibernation supply of leaves in the backpack.
Until the next crazy hedgehog trip!
Your little Viki
P.S.: Next time I'll sneak into one of those bowls and disguise myself as a "Mini-Hedgehog Topping." Where are we going next? And are there
gummy bear trees there too?