Talpa meets badger

The Mole had long wanted to make the acquaintance of the Badger. He seemed, by all accounts, to be such an important personage and, though rarely visible, to make his unseen influence felt by everybody about the place.

From Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame, Scottish novellist, 1859-1932.

A rather poor photograph of Badger, taken by infra-red light in total darkness.

To understand the significance of the quote, you should recall that my moniker is Talpa, the Latin name for a mole.