Today's good things are the gentle hearts around me. It's been highly emotional around here for the last couple of days. Yesterday was Kate's last real day of high school. We're all feeling the ending of an era. As they went out to their cars yesterday, Jeff and Kate exchanged a formula farewell that they've used for years -- a few lines from "The Princess Bride" -- and then both of them had to come back inside to get tissues.
Then, at school, there was a farewell party for Mr. & Mrs. Burden, a much loved elderly teacher and her sometimes substitute-teacher husband. The Burdens are an institution around Villa, a devoted and deeply religious couple. They tragically lost their only child four or five years ago. One of Kate's classmates gave such a stirring tribute at the party that the principal just threw up her hands, unable to add to it. Kate hugged the Burdens and then burst into tears.
On the homefront, Andy the French angora buck is not himself. Yesterday he seemed tottery in his cage -- like he was off balance -- and he seemed to be having trouble staying awake. My friend Annette gently pointed out that an eight year old rabbit is an old rabbit. We're giving him kale and hay, just in case it's only wool block ... although I cut his hair short a couple of weeks ago.
I filled Kate in on Andy's condition when she got home and she agreed that he didn't seem himself. When I got back from the grocery store, she was in the back yard with him in her arms, singing softly to him. She said he seemed to suffer from the cold wind blowing on him, so we brought him indoors and she cuddled with him on the couch. He did seem to perk up a bit in the house. He snuggled up to her, gave her little licks and did his rabbit purr -- the contented teeth clicking noise that happy rabbits sometimes make. We couldn't bear to put him back outside -- and Jeff's out of town -- so I brought one of the garage cages into the family room and let him stay indoors. It really is unseasonably cold outside.
This morning I don't know what to think. He still seems a bit lethargic, but he may be better. He's sleeping a lot, but he ate the kale I offered him this morning with relish and he's been nibbling at his hay. He just hopped around the cage like his old self -- and then he settled back in the corner with his head down and went back to sleep. Maybe it's just wool block and he'll be back to normal in a few days ... and maybe not. In either case, he's had a good life and he's been loved.
Oh, my. He just started thumping at me. He's getting some of his grumpy old man temperment back. When Kate got home from school she let him out into the family room and he thinks he's a house rabbit now. She says he goes back to the cage to do his business and hops around the room otherwise. Jeff is not going to like this development when he gets back tonight. I still don't think Andy's out of the woods -- he still looks under the weather to me -- but he does seem better.
Then, at school, there was a farewell party for Mr. & Mrs. Burden, a much loved elderly teacher and her sometimes substitute-teacher husband. The Burdens are an institution around Villa, a devoted and deeply religious couple. They tragically lost their only child four or five years ago. One of Kate's classmates gave such a stirring tribute at the party that the principal just threw up her hands, unable to add to it. Kate hugged the Burdens and then burst into tears.
I filled Kate in on Andy's condition when she got home and she agreed that he didn't seem himself. When I got back from the grocery store, she was in the back yard with him in her arms, singing softly to him. She said he seemed to suffer from the cold wind blowing on him, so we brought him indoors and she cuddled with him on the couch. He did seem to perk up a bit in the house. He snuggled up to her, gave her little licks and did his rabbit purr -- the contented teeth clicking noise that happy rabbits sometimes make. We couldn't bear to put him back outside -- and Jeff's out of town -- so I brought one of the garage cages into the family room and let him stay indoors. It really is unseasonably cold outside.
 |
| Sam (left), Andy (right) & Marilyn (above) |
Oh, my. He just started thumping at me. He's getting some of his grumpy old man temperment back. When Kate got home from school she let him out into the family room and he thinks he's a house rabbit now. She says he goes back to the cage to do his business and hops around the room otherwise. Jeff is not going to like this development when he gets back tonight. I still don't think Andy's out of the woods -- he still looks under the weather to me -- but he does seem better.
1 comment:
Bless your little bun, I hope he feels better soon. Having the rescue I get bunnies with wool block and have become an avid "poop watcher" lol.
Post a Comment