Bunny Tales

Psst. Come a little closer. I want to show you something. It’s the latest family to move into our neighborhood. They’re kind of reclusive, so I had trouble snapping their picture. In fact, they come out only on Sunday mornings. They like to run, play and romp in our garden, and they think we don’t see them, but we do. We watch from the bedroom and bathroom windows for minutes at a time laughing at their games. We haven’t officially met these guys, so I call them Flopsy, Mopsy and Peter Cotton Tail. Here’s Flopsy.
And here’s Mopsy.
We’ll get to Peter in a moment. Mopsy is the smallest and a little too trusting…for a young bunny anyway. I got right up on him before he noticed me and froze.
And then he sat there for a long time, never moving a muscle or blinking an eye. We stared each other down for probably thirty or forty seconds before I twitched and he ran. Darn skeeter. Mopsy’s mama probably would have picked him up by the scruff of the neck, toted him home and put him to bed without any chamomile tea had she known how close he let me get to him.

Now, Mr. McGregor didn’t like rabbits in his garden, but the Hula-gen’s have never minded. Each year we get a litter of bunnies that sets down roots in our yard and sticks around long enough to raise its babies. They eventually move on, but for a while we get to enjoy their antics. They chase each other around the tomato, pepper and cucumber plants, roll in the dirt and jump over each other, making us laugh and giggle at their games. They are hilarious when they think they’re not being watched. They have never been a problem…until now….until Peter showed up. This little fellow has nerve because while I stood ten feet away from him he reached up and did this.
At the time I thought he was nibbling on a cherry tomato so I didn’t get too bent out of shape. I have gads of those. I can share a few. But Monday when Hubby went to pick the first big ripe tomato of the season…the one we’ve anxiously watched turn from green to pink to red over the last few weeks…the one we planned to slice and share and celebrate over…the one that marks the beginning of tomato season…glorious ruby red juice down the chin tomato season…HE FOUND THE WHOLE SIDE EATEN OUT OF I!. Hrump! Now, it could have been the birds, but I suspect it was Peter. I hope for his furry sake it wasn’t, because I really don’t want to have to choose between my bunnies and my tomatoes. Cute vs. homegrown delicious. What’s a girl to do? For the love of Pete Peter, don’t make me get the rake. Not that I’d do anything but shake it at him…maybe....I mean after all, it was just one tomato. But did it have to be the first? All I can say is it’s a good thing he’s cute.