A couple of days ago I got home from work, there was no sign of DM but there was a huge box on the side in the kitchen. I poked my head inside it and found this, along with a load of electronic gadgetry. It’s a bird nesting box with a video camera inside. It’s got every bell and whistle – it’s colour and infra-red and, as you can see from the white disk on the side, the box even has “windows” so there is light inside.

I was, not to put too fine a point on it, bloody furious. There was a receipt in the box for a serious amount of dosh and we cannot afford to fritter money away on luxuries. I was determined to rip my wonderful hubby limb from limb (figuratively speaking of course) for buying something so obviously luxurious.

He got home. I was just about to lay into him when he said it was nothing to do with him. Well if not, then who? We were baffled but decided that the only likely source was my parents. I rang them to tick them off and they said they didn’t know what I was talking about but my sister had been asking them if there was anywhere to leave a parcel. I phoned her. It took two days to raise a response from her – she is the busiest person on the planet!

Indeed, she said, it was her. In fact, it’s a wedding present! Hmmmm. Now let’s think about that one – we got married in July 2009 so it’s almost our 5th anniversary! So the mystery is solved but the same comment remains – it was an extravagant gesture that was totally unnecessary…that’s not to say that we’ve not already formed our plans for – bird nesting box now, then feeding badgers over the summer, then - oooohhh well, we’ll think of something! Thanks Jan and the Mad family. We’ll make sure we do it justice.