baby bunny report

It's terribly dry here again, so when I came home I turned on the sprinkler in the puppy pen and took the Ts out. While I was trying to get the sprinkler located right, I noticed that one of the baby bunnies was cowering between one of the tunnels and the lattice panel Iput up to protect it. Taenzer likes to roll her ball against it going full speed, so I tried to herd the baby without the dogs catching on and without scaring the baby. Got him over to the gate, but I had the gate closed--another lattice panel that I just slide back and forth, and secure with a bungee cord, which is one reason I never leave the Ts out there unsupervised. Anyway, there was the lattice panel in its way and the baby couldn't figure out what to do. Finally he wiggled between the garage and the compost pile. I figured he was safe enough there, but when it came time to leave I had to slide the "gate" to the opposite side because I was afraid I'd hurt the baby. Ts never knew he was there. Cute little thing with a black cap and ears, and a little white diamond between its ears, the fur on its head really really sleek-looking. I thought wild bunnies just came in--what do they call it?--agouti; I didn't know they had other markings even as babies (like fawns).


I went out about 45 minutes ago to turn off the sprinkler and let the Ts have a last run around. While they were running, I put the nozzle on the hose and started watering plants in the raised bed. The rose got skipped because there was a baby bunny hiding under it (I hope he's not making a meal of rose leaves). This was a different one--no white spot on its head, and all one color all over. I don't think either of the Ts ever knew he was there. They sit so still--I only noticed this one because it jumped a bit when the cold water fell on it (as I would do if cold water fell on me!), then froze again.

I'm worrying about Timber--he'd lost about 5 pounds last time we were at the vet, and he's not eating very well. This is the dog I always said "If ever he doesn't eat, take him to the vet--something's wrong." He eats, but he's not polishing his bowl like he usually does. I hope he's all right.

bunnies and yarn

Took the Ts out this morning and as I was lifting the kennel loops over their heads, there was this quick movement. I happened to have the camera for a change, so I was able to get these pictures. They're not gonna be around a lot longer, I guess. Just think--only a couple of weeks ago they were little pink noses and tiny ears; their little eyes weren't even open yet. Now here's this one all ready to run off and be a big bunny (if it doesn't get squashed or eaten).

When I first saw him, he was hiding under the columbine beside the den:

Then he had second thoughts and thought it might be good to go somewhere else, so he started out over the mountain of wood chips.

I love the close up feature on my camera. I pumped it up as far as it would go and was able to get this. He's sitting under the van. I was trying to get another one with him a little more centered when he took off. I don't know where he went--maybe into the thicket around the lilac bush.

Meanwhile, the new yarn for the sweaters came. I think it's finally soft enough, and this is a nice color, very close to the original yarn that was so scratchy it set off the Great Yarn Search:

This is the original blue yarn:

I think this wine-color is going to be just terrific with the circular baby jacket:

Only one problem--as you can see, it's not quite the same weight.

Ah well. I'll give it a try and see what it does.

Be vewy, vewy quiet...

Three posts in one day. I really do try to keep it down to just one daily post, but I just got the best surprise--the baby bunnies are still there and still alive!

Silly babies--I was collecting the Ts to come in from the puppy pen and happened to glance over at the nest--and there were at least 3 babies hastily backing up into cover. I was just like (gleeful whisper) "Bunnies, you guys! Baby bunnies!" The Ts were like, "Yeah, whatever, take us inside, we want a drink."

So I took them in and grabbed the camera and ran back outside and sat down and waited. Not surprisingly they out-waited me--I really hate mosquitos, and today's 35mph winds, which could have kept them blown away, had completely vanished--but I could see, once in a while, somebody wiggling around under the smashed spiderwort stems. Finally I gave in to the mosquitos and stood up to come in, and when I looked straight down thought I could see a little body. So I took a couple of pictures--and here it might be good to note that wire fencing does not provide a steady support when you're trying to take pictures--and came in.

If you look very closely at the very center of the picture below, you can see a little bunny face. Can you see it? Right where the horizontal green stem crosses the vertical brown one.

I'm so thrilled they're still there and still alive! A very nice birthday present.

Paging Dubya

I'm not a big fan of George Bush's, but I could use a Decider right about now. Deciding even simple things seems to be a bit beyond me right now--like what movie to watch or which music to listen to.

Or what project to work on. I forget how many projects I've got going now--two baby sweaters, two or three pairs of socks, a couple of lace projects that make me think I really need some of those new Addi Turbo Lace needles (not to mention a new brain).

I found a bulky-weight wool-alpaca blend at $5 per ball, so I sent off for some to see if it might be soft enough for the sleeves of the two baby sweaters. Hopefully these guys will be as fast as Jimmy Bean's and I'll get it early next week, which will at least solve the problem of what to knit. Until then...

Trouble is, I keep looking at my stash. Like for instance, I have a friend with twin two-year-old girls. I have two skeins of worsted-weight handpaint. Two little sweaters or something.





Or this beautiful sock-weight handpaint. Bright, cheery spring/summery socks, don't you think? The color repeats are short, so you couldn't really do a lacey sock with it, but I think it would look just fabu with beads. Dark blue or purple, maybe? Or dark green?



This could go either way, either lace or socks. Or maybe a baby blanket--it's pretty baby colors. (Er, I see that all these yarns are variations on the same colors. Well, I like those colors--I think they look happy together. And I really did buy this yarn with baby things in mind; they're nice baby colors.)




Okay, here's something different. Got them from a Cherry Tree Hill New Years sale one year. I wasn't really impressed, I've never tried it again. They have "potluck" sales, where you say whether you want wools/animal fibers or cotton/plant fibers, and what colorway you want: Earthtones, Watercolors, Blues/Greens, Brights, or Jewels. So I ordered earthtoned wools for my sister as a present and jewels for me. Well, the earthtones turned out to be a bunch of muddy camoflage-type colors that I knew my sister wouldn't be able to do anything with, and the jewel-tones were this:



It's rayon boucle. I hate rayon and I hate boucle. This stuff is so scratchy, and as you can see the two skeins don't quite match, although that could be worked around. I bet it's awful to work with, too, but I bet it has a great drape as a fabric. I keep wondering what I can do with it. Maybe a very simple, basic shell--like, two rectangles--start with the scarlet at the bottom and end up with the green at the top and the colors in between would take care of themselves.

Or I could go for something simple with this lovely Regia Cotton Surf. The colors are so soft and calm. The yarn is very light-weight--I'd have to do it on 00s to get a nice tight fabric--but that and the cotton and the colors is what would make such nice summer socks.

Made it over to feed the cats without the transmission falling out of the van. Called and cancelled Timber's surgery. I guess when I take the van to the mechanic, I'll take Timber and walk home with him. He'll like that. Then I'll walk Taenzer down to pick it up.

No sign of bunnies tonight.

It's baby bunnies!

If you've been following The Tales of a Bohemian Road Nurse (link over there on the right), you'll know she had a pair of mockingbirds raising babies on her balcony and dive-bombing her when she went out to take pictures. She got some fabulous pictures of mockingbirds in mid-dive, and also mid-glare--that daddy bird looked like a peregrine falcon or something--and she also got pecked. Hard.

I'm luckier. The parent of my babies runs for it when we go out. Silly mom, to build her nest right beside the gate of the puppy pen! I saw her make a run for it as we crossed the driveway, so after the Ts took off, I went back for the camera and peeked in and--wiggle-squirm-wiggle! Lots of babies!

See their little tiny ears? They must be just a few days old; I don't think their eyes are open. I think they stay in the nest about 2 weeks.

This is where they're living. You can kind of see where the mom has smashed down all the spiderwort in the middle.

There's always one that looks bigger than the others.

Here's the back of that big one--he's gotten himself turned around to hide--and I think 3 pink little noses and another shiny little head, which makes 5 altogether. Cottontails typically have litters of between 4 and 7 kits.

Um, okay, no, this is not a baby bunny, but he alerted me to their presence originally. And I call him my "sweet bun" and my "bunny-boy." And besides that he's just so darn pretty!