Since Acerules loves them, Panic! At the disco-“ Mad as Rabbits” -Live:

My Northern Hemisphere readers are experiencing Spring. (We are in Autumn.) Rabbits feature in some of the Spring blog posts I am reading.

A month ago , or thereabouts, Acerule’s remaining pet rabbit escaped it’s hutch.

The hutch is safely situated in the chookyard, after our dogs tried very hard to tear apart it’s wooden construction to get at the tasty meat. Jack Russells were bred to catch small furry animals. We bought the rabbits at a garage sale a couple of years ago, because Acerules is extremely hard to say no to when you see her around animals.

A long time after that, one rabbit died, of what we don’t know, maybe frightened by a predator such as a fox, cat or hawk, on the other side of the mesh. So we were down to one, but it had company from the chooks and ducks, and our younger (small) cat visiting on top of the boundary fence. After older dog died (of old age), younger dog has limited access to the chookyard while they are out having free-range time, as he is gentler.

One day, however, rabbit completed an (unbeknownst to us) hole at the back of its cage and escaped. I figured it would go a couple of blocks to the fields and get eaten by a fox, but it hung around, visiting our neighbours (and unfortunately their vegetable gardens), coming back to the open hutch to eat it’s grain, and maddeningly remaining at large.

However, it didn’t reckon on country people, and their cooperative natures.

I took some eggs around apologetically to one couple, when a mutual neighbour told me the former had had his vegetable garden and grape vine nibbled by our fugitive. Me being of a practical bent, and Acerules not being in hearing range, I suggested the neighbour, also a farmer, could put it in his Crock Pot (electric cooking appliance.) He said no, they quite liked being visited by our friendly little fellow, who continued to come back into our chookyard through a hole under the fence. I saw it looking at me in the hole one day when I was collecting eggs, it just tantalisingly, out of reach.

So it was still our problem. Now, it is illegal in many parts of Australia to release a rabbit. This is due to the terrible rabbit plagues since colonial days. They are considered pests here, particularly by farmers. We never released our rabbits. However, I did feel responsible for our pet eating other people’s produce. I tried my common solution to many problems, delegation:

(to hubby) “catch the rabbit please”. Unfortunately, he had too many library novels to read on a folding chair in the backyard (and he goes out to work). He does feed the dang thing and clean out the hutch. What? You thought Acerules cared for her animals? Haha, good one.

(To Acerules) “ catch the rabbit please, it’s your rabbit.” Unfortunately, she had too many books to read, drawings to make and laptop computer games to play, or whatever she does on that thing (apparently, no matter how much it appears to the contrary, it is all “homework”.)

(To a man in the next street who was visiting)- “if you catch the rabbit you can have rabbit stew”. “No, I won’t cook it!” he said, “I like the way it comes up and wiggles its nose at me!”

Sigh. Goals one, two, three,four and five: Rabbit.

Finally, I got this email from a local friend (names and addresses redacted):

“I think your bunny rabbit is around at —————— at ——————- ‘s place.  They just put a post on —————- (internet) group.  From what I understand the gingerish coloured rabbit which is getting around the neighbourhood is yours or at least that’s what I was told when it was in someone else’s backyard and lept at me because it wanted to play (scared the daylights out of me J ).  I can pick it up and drop it round to you if you want. Otherwise they’re saying they will take it to the vets.”

One goal to the Internet and country people. I sent hubby around with the travelling pet cage immediately, and set Acerules to plug the boundary hole with a rock, in case rabbit escaped during the transfer. It didn’t, and hubby had already repaired it’s cage.

Rabbit back in its two storey home, planning its next getaway:

I think I owe a few more people some eggs.
 

Warning, this cartoon contains historical cartoon violence and possible blackface:

And now for the blog post that inspired this one:

http://everydayliving.me/2019/03/18/a-little-garden-of-spring-bulbs-monday-morning-blooms/

Song lyric meanings of Mad Rabbits by Panic at the Disco

https://songmeanings.com/songs/view/3530822107858709066/