Gotcha!

It was a year ago today we brought home our very own bunner boy, Keating. For regular readers of this blog you know it was a long and winding road that brought him to us and I want to share how Special K, as he is sometimes known, celebrated his Gotcha! Day with his new toy, "The Buntunnel". A short piece of tubing DH brought home and which just happens to fit perfectly into the front opening of the Hayven, more and longer runs just like it will be available starting this evening when DH completes delivery of them from some silly job site or other useless place he seems to prefer over time spent with His Oneness. Seriously, I'm going to have to talk to that man!

I have never seen Keating more excited or in tune with anything else we've submitted for his approval. And he does not disapprove - unless I fail to place treats at the opening at regular intervals. And then, well, it's a stampede followed by a retreat in reverse which is totally cool. Below, he's polishing off a dried cherry.

So, party on Mr Bunnyman and Happy Bunniversary!

Barbara Crafton Sunday

Today's homily is from Barbara Crafton. I love how it speaks to me in these troubled times, telling me I'll always be more than what my circumstances happen to be at any given moment.

Frozen By Fear

For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.
-- Matthew 25:29

This is not a description of God's unfairness.. It is not a description of what ought to be. It's a description of what is -- those who have more multiply their wealth much more easily than do those in the grip of poverty. Poor people have a hard time with risk: they live in an all-or-nothing world that little resembles the cushioned reality of those with more money. Reverses of fortune will come to everyone, but they will not be fatal to everyone. A rich entrepreneur may lose a larger amount in a risky endeavor gone bad, but the smaller amount a poor one loses may be all there is.

So grow while you can. Risk whenever you can bring yourself to do so. Be bold, even when everything in you trembles with fear at your own boldness. Commit to growing, for if you do not, you will surely shrink.

Misfortune makes us fear more misfortune. Instinctively, we contract. In every arena of human experience, the same: unlucky in love, we refuse to love again, and doom ourselves to a life of loneliness. Unemployed and unrewarded in the search for work, we yield to our discouragement and stop looking. Unable to control our eating, our drinking, our gambling, our shopping -- we give up, turning our fate over to the demon of addiction who desires our death. Unable to endure our physical pain, we refuse the therapy that will help to vanquish it. It's no use, we tell ourselves bitterly, and this feels like common sense.

This is not sin. It is just the way we are. It's just our weakness -- fear guts us. Boldness is in short supply when we've been hollowed out by brutal history, whether by our own hand or another's. A power greater than our own is needed when we can't seem to do anything but curl up in a ball and wait for the end, and the courage needed to call on that power is huge.

It is a courage beyond us. We're fresh out of courage. But we're not out of desperation -- we have plenty of that. I've come to the end of my rope, we say. I am powerless. But if there is Anyone out there, come into me now. Stiffen me so I can stand again. Help me take the first step into my new life when the old one lies in shards around my feet.

My own lack of courage does not determine the sum of courage in the universe. Some of humanity's greatest achievements arose from the ashes of defeat. God enters human history, powerful but silent, almost invisible -- we look up in the darkness and see a glimmer of light.

Copyright © 2011 Barbara Crafton

And from my pal Carri Ann:

Seeing Double*

Why just one bunner when you can have two

 greeting you when you arrive home (not my front porch, but...),

blooming in all seasons...

even earning their keep?
I'm beginning to think there's just no reason at all.

*This post is brought to you by Special K (Keating) who was recently neutered - just in case we wanted to see real live double buns on a regular basis.

Although, I'm pretty sure he'll be the judge of that...

Footprints In The Sand

We had lunch at Felix's Fish Camp Grill today. After I finished my meal I walked around to explore their amazing complex of ancient doors and shutters and found an outdoor bar downstairs - open only at night? - with a sand floor covered in footprints.

The sand on the side of the bar closest to the mud flats of Mobile Bay? A virtual highway of coon paw prints.

They must come out after closing time to scavenge - or maybe they're just dancing along with everyone else.

Sky Watch Friday: Juvenile Osprey - Mom, Is That You?

Late Monday afternoon, under a clear blue sky out at Ft Pickens on Pensacola Beach, this medium-sized little bear was cheeping away while I was shooting with my telephoto from a fair distance. I'm wondering if the object the arrow is pointing to is Mom? As plaintive as Baby Osprey's calls were, someone was expected - and it wasn't me. The damaged trees are from Hurricane Ivan that blew through 7 years ago this month.

Fly here to join in this week's Sky Watch Friday.

An Afternoon At Ft Pickens: Aperture Setting

(Click to enlarge)

Woosh!

Do You Know This Dog?

This is my new pal, Mr Dog. We recently became acquainted because he's living on the porch of an un-rented home in my neighborhood and he sometimes roams so I've had a few close encounters with him. Don't get me wrong, he hasn't done anything wrong, it's just that a few years ago this happened to Ranger when a stray pit bull got a hold of him.

The image is from a scanned document so, not that clear.

Ever since then I've had a primal fear of roaming dogs of any sort but I want to overcome that because I care about animals - we rescued Ranger from starving to death in a culvert in Alabama - and I want to do more than write checks to rescue groups who do everything they can to prevent stray animals from being put down. So for the last two days I've been leaving food and water for Mr Dog but have been unable to approach him directly, just from my car which is how I got this picture. He looks well cared for and has a collar but I can't tell if he has tags and I think that the two of us meeting in fear might create a long-lasting negative experience for both of us so I've been posting on Craigslist, Facebook, Pet Come Home, and Pensacola Hotel For Dogs And Cats. I've only had one response so far and it was for a lost dachshund. I am feeling less afraid the more I interact with him but based on my reaction when Ranger and I encountered him by accident this morning, I still have a long way to go. My biggest fear by far, though, is that Animal Control will get to him before his owner does. We're printing flyers today and putting them up around the neighborhood. And praying. Let me know if you think you know who he might belong to, I want nothing more than to see him get home to his owner.

Foody Friday: Orange

Non-gluten sweet potato cookies.

Shinseiki pear preserves

Homegrown cantaloupe

Monday Bunday: Caption This

The Caterpillar Farm: Part Three: Black Swallowtail Rises

Bonus: Can you spot the two perfect hearts?

We had another release last night. I didn't find him until very late, after midnight, just as I was going to bed and I wasn't thinking clearly so I'm glad I have some video of the event so I can reinterpret his behavior. I thought he was weak and couldn't fly properly but he was just disoriented by the clear plastic and it was too slippery for him to climb the walls. Mr Swallowtail didn't have any problem with my hand and was actually extremely friendly, in fact, on the first release attempt he flew back to me and then zoomed back inside and disappeared. I was pretty frantic for a while until I found him on top of my china closet. He flew aimlessly for a bit but finally accepted my finger again and I think he might have stayed indefinitely but I was sleepy so out he went and this time, Mr Butters was gone.

Seen from above.

Through the side of the terrarium.

I transferred him into this one because his original digs were icky from all the frass (caterpillar poo).

Just lovely to hold, he seemed very aware of his surroundings.

Check out the Life Cycle of the Black Swallowtail Butterfly here.

Monday Bunday: Buntockular: A Week Of Firsts

There's nothing remarkable about this photo, except it's the very first time I've seen Keating in a frog pose so for me it's pretty special. Also this week was another first, he chinned some twigs stuck along the border of our south side vegetable plot. Yep, our first chinning as well. All in all, a pretty big week here in Bunloafia. I guess it's the little things that count.

I think he was pretty blissed out from munching his willow tunnel.

You can't see his head because it was torqued aaaaaaaall the way over trying to reach that sweet spot...

Friday Flower: Purple: Passion Flower Vine

Bonus! After bfarr's comment I went looking for recipes and found these:

Maypops Squash

4 cups maypops, halved
3/4 cup sugar
1 cinnamon stick, halved 1 whole clove
2-1/2 cups water
1/4 cup lemon juice
Combine the maypops, sugar, cinnamon stick, clove, and water and bring to a boil. simmer gently for 5 minutes. Put through a strainer, pressing fruit to extract all the juice. Add the lemon juice, and chill well before serving. Makes 4 servings.


Maypops Jelly

2 cups ripe maypops, sliced
1 cup water 2-1/2 cups sugar
1-3/4 ounces pectin
Combine the Maypops and water, and boil gently for 5 minutes. Then strain, discarding the pulp. Combine the liquid and sugar and bring to full rolling boil. Add pectin, and again bring to rolling boil. Remove from heat, pour into hot, sterilized jars, and seal. Makes 2-1/2 pints.

Rain

We've had a drought this year but now the rains have finally arrived.

I've really missed my ginger lilies, elephant ears, and banana trees leafing out in all their green goodness.
They always tell when me when it's summer time.

Monday Bunday: Undercarriage

It isn't often you get to see a bunneh's belleh.
Snorgglicious!