Readers familiar with my ramblings might be rolling their eyes at this week’s chosen word, because anyone who pays close attention will know I like to slip the word “hedgehog” into any column on any subject as frequently as possible.

I can’t explain why I like hedgehogs so much. I have never had one as a pet, though I do remember being deeply envious in grade 2 when my classmate Andrew Widdeger brought two cute prickly hedgies to school in a shoebox...