BUNNY in the MORNING

© Joy Krauthammer

BUNNY in the MORNING
- Joy Krauthammer
http://joys-inthemorning.blogspot.com/

Today was my 4th sighting of Bunny Rabbit. (See today's photo.) Is it because I used to call my young daughter, Bunny Rabbit (now shortened to 'Bun'), that I now have a visiting bunny in my garden? It really makes me happy and I smile. I don't think it makes the bunny happy that I see it. (Him or her, I don't know.) Why do I think that?  Because the bunny freezes when I get near at 8 yards away, with camera in my hand. This is the 3rd time I've seen Bunny this week in my back yard. Today's visit was early at 7 AM and he left through a side fence, dashing past succulents and under the flowering passion fruit vine.  The other day I tried following Bunny with a camera and he jumped quickly away and out through the front wrought iron gate. The first time was several weeks ago when I saw Bunny in the front yard as I drove into my driveway late one evening, after 9 PM. My car lights caught the vision. Excited, I sat still in the car. I thought maybe the animal was a giant gopher or opossum, but after it moved following its freeze, it jumped! I knew.  I wonder how often Bunny is here.

I see Bunny munching on my little patches of green grass. I'm not sure if he discovered my few berries on the vine, low to the ground. I don't think it is eating the new leaves on my baby fig trees. I don't think Bunny eats the oranges or grapefruits on the tree. Is he waiting for the figs to ripen? So why does Bunny like it here? I'm glad Bunny is not in my friend Edith's garden, because she grows lots of lettuce for herself. The other day, I went into a grocery and ordered freshly made carrot juice. Bunny didn't show so I drank the whole juice myself.

For Bunny, I am afraid of the overhead hawks. Luckily, lately last few years, I have not seen the unwelcome hungry coyotes which were always present. I called my neighbors and no one claimed ownership of Bunny. One said they'd seen a couple rabbits on the hill where we live. He's so cute. My daughter said he'd make a good pet. When ducks flew in here to my garden a few years ago and swam in my spa, I considered them my pets because I fed them and they came close.

When I was a child my older sister, Arielle, was given a bunny as a present from a Staten Island cousin, Paul Bell, z'l.  I loved the bunny. I called it Bunny Boy.  My younger sister, Faye, and I played with Bunny Boy. (See B/W photo)  Later I was told Bunny Boy was a girl. My dad built it a cage. My mother gave away our pet.

May my bunny be blessed with good health and happy humans. :)

~ ~ ~

Bunny Boy, Joy & Faye
1952 ? NY

PS

Brick in top photo covers the newest gopher hole. Amazing how much dirt is pushed out from the tunnels. :(

Yesterday's photo. Seeing Faye and I with Bunny Boy in our back yard garden where we grew up in Queens, NY, is a pleasure. We are sitting next to what had been a beautiful giant weeping willow tree, until the neighbor complained about it (afraid it would fall on his garage. ) Our dad, z'l, made a table out of its trunk. Not the same.


12/26/11
I'm so excited that last night when Aviva (who is visiting) drove me back home close to midnight following the cousins' Chanukah party, our car lights in the driveway caught sight of BUNNY, who jumped zigzag on the grass. It was the very location where I had first seen Bunny in the spring. Bunny was in our vision for at least a minute and that gave the greatest pleasure to me especially since I hadn't seen Bunny since earlier in summer. What I love is that Aviva, too, got to enjoy the wild uncommon sighting. What a treat.
- Joy 

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