Today, I was preparing the list of highlights from our Nature Protocols Network, and came across this comment by Robert Deacon on his Nature Protocol: Burrowing in rodents: a sensitive method for detecting behavioral dysfunction

“After this Protocol was published, I discovered an article on mice observed in large outdoor enclosures in the USA. The authors observed a behavior they termed “burrow cleaning”. During March and April (i.e. spring) many burrows were found with enlarged holes and considerable debris and/or grass deposited at burrow entrances.
This behaviour seems very like “burrowing” as seen in the laboratory. Thus the latter may be based on “spring cleaning” behaviour. It is tempting to speculate that in humans, delaying or cancelling the spring cleaning could be one early sign of a neurodegenerative disorder.

Reference:
Schmid-Holmes, S., Drickamer, L.C., Robinson, A.S. & Gillie, L.L. Burrows and burrow-cleaning
behaviour of house mice. Am. Mid. Nat. 146, 53-62 (2001).”

This pleased me.

Anyway, am off on holiday for a few days. Will try to send a postcard, but like most postcards it will probably arrive a week after my return.