Stories Rabbits Tell

Has anyone read this book? It is great! I just finished reading it this past week and have started re-reading it again, as it tells the story of what rabbits really are to us. I highly recommend it to everyone who love rabbits or just want to know more about them and what they stand for in our culture. Most people approach rabbits as if they were stuffed animals: cute, but not capable of much except maybe eating carrots and twitching their noses. That is not the case with this cuddly animal everyone should get to know better. They are bright and intelligent, much more than you think they are. They are very trainable too and most like to be trained, and not for getting a treat for doing something either. There is a loving side to them, which I see on a daily basis. They love to be loved just as we do. I got this book at Borders and they had as few copies of them. You can click here to read more about it and maybe even get a copy of it. Happy trails!

Busy Week

Where do I start? My gosh this has been the busiest week of the year so far.

I had to get a report done for school and turned in by today which took me 3 weeks to research and complete, so that took up most of my nights. The report is 32 pages long and it's about different kinds of propulsion systems. You read that right. I knew nothing of them before I did the report as we were assigned different subjects by our teacher, which meant taking notes from each place we found the information, designers, technicians, company names, you name it I had to write it down, then when I had that complete I had to type it all. By the time I finished with the notes and typing everything, I had 42 pages of information. I do feel smarter now though. lol

In between the report and my chores, we had the wildlife people here today for the wild bunnies and the fire dept was here this week too for inspection of the Bunny Barn's fire system, which passed by the way. Yea! The Health dept was here yesterday for some kind of inspection which passed as well. Busy, busy!

The wild rabbits that I got last week have been taken south to be released. I hated to see them leave, but I knew they would have to leave sooner or later anyway. They healed up fast too as both were hopping around this morning with ease. I was planning on taking them back myself, but the wildlife dept said they were responsible for releasing them in the same area they were taken from, being they were the ones who found them. I still could have done it as I've done it in the past before. It did save me a gas trip though.

Not much else going on really. I was suppose to go out tonight but I postponed it until tomorrow night as I had some unfinished chores that needed to be done. I know I'm hard on myself but the chore list in mine, one that I made, so I do them no matter what plans they might interfere with, even if that event is a date. He understands. He always has. That's what I love about him, he understands! lol Love you Nick! Thanks!

Happy trails everyone!

Weatherman Blues

Hello everyone! Happy Monday!

I guess the weather people just had a brain freeze or something as now they say we wont get any rain for maybe another week or more. Yesterday they said we would definately get some rain in all parts of the county and we got nothing. Then they said it would rain today and still nothing. Now they say no rain until next week. Now watch, it will rain now that they say it wouldn't. lol Oh well, we got a pond nearby that I can "borrow" some water from. I do this every year anyway. hehe

I went ahead and moved the rain barrels back to where they were last night, that way I didn't have to do it this morning before school. I only moved four by the front door as they kind of block the way in and out. All the others can stay in place until it rains so I don't have to keep moving them back and forth. It's not as wet around here like it is during the summer months, so they will most likely stay in place until the fall. Once the barrels by the front door get near full, then I load them on the hand-truck and cart them to the "holding pond" that we keep all the rain water at. It usually gets near full by around mid July. Usually by August we don't need anymore and it just rains and rains until it overflows, then it drains down to the pond where I "borrowed" that water from earlier. lol It all works itself out in the end, even if the weathermen have the blues and brain freezes. lol

Happy trails!

Rain Barrels

I set out our rain barrels today to catch the rain from the gutters and wouldn't you know, it didn't rain. The weather channel said it was suppose to rain this morning and this afternoon and again tonight. Still nothing! I don't mind dragging them 10 big and heavy 50 gallon drums around if it's going to rain, but when it don't rain at all, it doesn't make me happy because now I have to move them back and out of the way. I can leave them in place until in the morning, but if I do that, then I will have to move them in the morning as they sort of block the walkways in and out of the house.

I just checked the weather and now they say it's not going to rain until tomorrow night. I wish they would get the days right as we were told it would rain today. A 60% chance of rain usually means it rains here, but nooo, we don't get a drop. I guess this means I should move the barrels tonight. Shucks! I will try again tomorrow after school and move them in position again, and hopefully it rains tomorrow night as we need the water for the plants. We don't usually use county water for the plants if we can help it. Plants do better with natural water, plus it saves us money.

Happy trails!

Injured Wild Rabbits Update

The two rabbits I went to get yesterday are doing good. The vet checked them out last night and we found out they don't have broken legs. That's good news! They both have severely bruised legs and are resting comfortably in their own little area of the Bunny Barn. They can't have any contact with humans, except to feed them and even that they are being fed rubbish from the wild. The one thing to remember about wild rabbits is to not feed them regular domestic food pellets or grains, or they will get accustomed to it and want it all the time. That is something that can't happen or they could possibly starve themselves to death looking for that same food. We keep a supply of wild nuts and other goodies for the wild rabbits to feed on here.

Other than that, it's been a quiet day around here. We had a couple people stop by and look at a couple bunnies they might want next weekend, and that's about it all day. I kept busy breaking sticks for the rabbits to gnaw on, picked up four bales of fresh hay, restocked the feed, and other normal things I do each weekend. I was going to go out tonight but changed my mind not long ago as I'm pooped. Two of my friends decided to come my way instead, so we are going to watch a movie and just relax! I need it too.

Happy trails! 

Rabbits vs. School

Hello everyone! I have had a busy day today.

Last night I received a phone call from a wildlife officer down in Everglades City who needed me. Wow, I felt special too. I have never had an officer from the wildlife dept. call from that far away before. He wanted to know if I could come down and pick up two wild rabbits that needed help. Usually they take care of this themselves and don't have outside help, but this was a special case as he put it. He said he contacted his office and they gave him my phone number as the closest place that could care for the rabbits. Again, I felt honored. It was a 3 hour drive down there though and I had school today too. I asked if I could come down on Saturday, but he said they needed help now! Turns out both rabbits have broken legs and that made up my mind to call the school and tell them I'm not coming in today.

I jumped in my truck this morning and drove down and picked them up. I called the vet that handles our rabbits on the way back to the Bunny Barn and he is due here soon. For being wild rabbits, they sure are tame to me. I have had each one in my arms and neither has tried to get away. It's almost like they know I'm here to help them. Both were injured in a trap of some kind that the officer found after getting a phone call from someone who had found them. Once the vet sees them and tells me what to do to care for them, they will stay here until they are healed. It will be up to the wildlife dept. on what happens with them next. Usually they are released back into the wild, as most don't live long in captivity. I will have to limit the time they are around humans as I don't won't them getting to used to me being around.

It would seem I'm the only rabbit wildlife rehabilitator between here and Everglades City. I find that hard to believe. I don't mind traveling to pick up any rabbits, but there has to be someone else in the area, or I would hope there is. I need to do some calling around and see who else is licensed to work with wild rabbits. My dad is, but he is here with me, so that's no help. I could have sworn there was another place down there somewhere. Anyway, they are safe for now and now I have chores to do. Oh fun!

Happy trails!

Silver Rabbit

One of the most rarest rabbits is the Silver Rabbit, with just under 200 of them in existance in the US alone. There are 3 Silver varieties - gray, brown, and fawn. I have only seen one of them in my life and that was 2 years ago at a convention in Atlanta. Silvers have been known under many names: Millers, Silver Sprigs, Lincoln Silver, Lincolnshire Silver-Gray, and Riche. They range in weight from 4 to 7 pounds. This rabbit shouldn't be confused with the Silver Fox rabbit, as they are quite different from each other.

This is the only picture I could find of the three of them together. This proves they are rare when I can't even find that many pictures of them. This picture is small. The SRC has a few individual pictures of them.

College Books

I saw this picture online just now and it really got me to thinking about college that is coming up this fall. Look at all of them books! I can picture myself standing and looking at them just as this girl is and thinking to myself, "I have to read and memorize all of these?" The truth is, I will have to do just that. The thought of it now is like being hit in the head with a coke bottle. By the time I do get done with college and get my degree to be a veterinarian I will most likely have read and memorized twice the amont that is shown here. I might just have to multiply it by three or four more times, as I want to become a wildlife surgeon one day. That is my ultimate goal anyway. If none pan out, then my third choice is to be a science/nature teacher, or maybe even a biology teacher. Whatever I plan to be, it will be about animals somewhere down that long path.

Calvin and Hobbes: Amnesia

Has anyone else ever tried the amnesia routine atleast once in there lives? I sure did. It didn't go over that well with my dad either. lol I think all kids try this atleast once growing up.