The Best Bunny in the Whole Wide World
No, no photos, sorry, but Miss Hoppy really is the best bunny ever. The last couple days have been beautiful, sunny, warm and dry. So yesterday and today we have taken her outside to explore, and nibble the new grass. Yesterday she hopped around, ate still-growing dandelion leaves down to the nub, hopped up into a flower bed she had never bothered with before and peeled and ate one stripe off a tulip leaf. I thought, Oh, no, there go the tulips (they are still weeks from blossoming, anyway), but no, she decided that was enough. And then she hopped around more, and hopped straight up the rock pile and up the hill - which she has never done ever before! But the most amazing thing yesterday was that she stopped in one spot and peed - which she never vere does outside. After she had done so, Paul remembered that THAT is where the wild bunny that comes through our yard always stops. So she must have been saying "MY yard! MY hill!"
Today, I had her in my arms to come back inside, but it was so nice out we walked out to the street, and the little children of the neighborhood came running over to pet her. Asia and Ella got there first, and Kiki - who is just about 2, then came over with her babysitter, one I had not met before. I explained to the sitter that all the children knew Miss Hoppy, it was quite all right for them to pet her, and Asia, who lives next door, said, "Oh, yes, WE know Miss Hoppy!" And Ella, who is Kiki's sister, agreed. Kiki just looked at the sitter and said "Bunny!" She was such a good bunny, as always, letting them pet her.
Then the across-the-street neighbor, Jonathan, said "I have a new customer for you," and introduced his grandson, Tom, 14 months, and Tom's mother, Roz. But try as she might, Tom refused to pet the bunny! Roz would gently move his hand toward her, and he would pull away at the last minute. She explained that he LOVES dogs, and will mauls strange dogs given the chance, but had no idea why he wouldn't pet a bunny!
After the commotion had died down, and the girls got called away, Windsor (Asia's brother) came along to pet Miss Hoppy. He asked if he could see her hop, so I put Miss Hoppy down in the driveway, and told him we would see whther she wanted to hop to the front door, or the kitchen door. She hopped a little way up the hill, and Windsor hopped on all fours next to her in delight. Then she stopped to let him pet her again. Kiki had dragged her babysitter back, and was helping pet Miss Hoppy, when her mom, Katrina, came home, and walked over to look for her. "Bunny!" "Bunny!" "Bunny!" Kiki yelled to her mom, jumping up and down and pointing at Miss Hoppy. "Yes, Ki," said Katrina, and obligingly came over and petted the bunny as well.
Miss Hoppy was such a good bunny - she even ate one of the pieces of grass Windsor brought her, though just one. But she stayed to be petted even when she could have hopped away, and didn't even nip any fingers when Windsor proffered grass right up to her mouth.
She really is the best bunny in the whole world.
And all the children in my neighborhood will grow up knowing a bunny, and knowing how to pet one, and what they eat!
Sorry no pictures, I am always too busy supervising the bunny, and we never leave her outside alone, as there are hawks and cats in the neighborhood who might regard her as lunch, so I couldn't just run inside and get the camera!
