Spring at Last?

The weather was finally decent enough to let the buns out to play while I worked on finishing touches on drop spindles. I forgot about making photos until I had already put Yogi back inside, so just the girls in these pics.

Matilda is snoozing in the warm sunshine. They were so glad to finally get to go outside.

Gabby was intrigued by this dry leaf and nudged it around a bit. The violet didn't really interest her.

I hope we have more beautiful weather so that they can get outside more, but I think rain is in the forecast for midweek. Oh, well. Better some rain than drought-unless it floods! In the meantime, we'll enjoy these lovely days while we can.

Night of the Lepus

A 1972 sci-fi movie featuring folks being terrorized by giant mutant rabbits. More info at Wikipedia.

I used Instagram to play with this iPhone photo I made of Matilda.

"Hey!!"

Yogi says  "What's a bun gotta do around here to get some fresh grub and a treat or two? And how 'bout some housekeeping while you're at it? "

(the electrical outlet on the wall is not as close to his enclosure as it appears in the photo; with the angle of the shot, it looks like his pen is about a foot wide, but it's actually about 5' x 2')

Yogi is doing well. He and Pants amuse themselves by playing a bit of tag when Yog's door is open. Pants passes a good bit of time reclining beside the enclosure and ventures inside when  the door is open if Yogi will allow it. I think they might become buddies.

The girls are coming along, but are still not quite themselves since the loss of Mopsy. Matilda is nipping ankles less and is interacting with the cats a bit more. Today she stopped by Yogi's enclosure and had some dialogue with him that consisted mostly of grumping at each other through the wire.

Gabby's progress is somewhat slower. She is still shy and a bit grumpy. She keeps to herself and quickly runs back into her space whenever any folk approach, buns and humans alike.

They all seem to get along better with one another outside where they are less territorial. Unfortunately, it has been either too hot for the buns to go outside or it's been raining. I guess things are just going to take time. In the meantime, I'd better go refresh everyone's hay, bring out the treats, and tidy up.

Yogi Update

Yogi is such a sweetie! He seems to be settling in and getting used to us. I know he misses his previous family, especially Ms. Ava, who was as good at spoiling buns as the rest of us. As he becomes more accustomed to his new home, his personality is coming out more. He is also beginning to cultivate a relationship with our big tabby cat, Pants (Pascal). Pants is still not quite sure what rabbits are and even though he weighs about 20 pounds, he is a little afraid of them. This has led to some humorous moments between him and Yogi, especially yesterday when Yogi hopped out of his enclosure and right onto the middle of Pants, who was sleeping belly-up beside the entrance.

I am still keeping Yogi separated from the girls. Since Mopsy died, Matilda and Gabby have not been themselves. Even though they were not what I would really call  bonded, Mopsy's absence has affected the behavior of the other two. The three of them were a bit grumpy when in close quarters, so they did not share living quarters, but they did enjoy being out in the playpens, both inside and out, where they had more space to hop around, socialize if they felt like it, or get away from each other. Now, Gabby has become very quiet and withdrawn, quite unlike her usual behavior. Matilda has become aggressive and belligerent, reverting to her old biting, boxing, and grumping actions and has bitten me on both hands and on one foot. Not nips, but honest-to-goodness bites which hasn't happened for a number of years. I have quite a bite on the fleshy part of the thumb of my left hand. I have been trying to give them extra attention, but I think it is just going to take time. I would have thought that maybe part of this is due to Yogi's presence, but they seem to mostly ignore him initially and are not housed in the same room with him at this time. Until their behavior gets a little more back to normal, I am not going to try to force anything.

(as usual, click on the photos if parts are cut off)

Afternoon at the Bun Cottage

A few photos of the girls enjoying the fresh air and the old Cottontail Cottage.

I can never be sure of the order in which the photos will show up when doing this from my iPhone. Haven't figured out how to space them with the phone, either, so I'll just say a little about them and then we'll figure it out from there.

One photo is of Matilda doing guard duty at the back door. She was a snoozy bunny and I was intrigued by the length of her lashes, so I did an Instagram closeup version. The other two photos are of Gabby schooched up in the side door and dear old Dutchie Mopsy taking up all the space just inside the front door.

Silly bunnies.

(as usual, click to get the full photo until I get this iPhone thing figured out)

My Space

Matilda says this is her territory.

Everybody else KEEP OUT!!

Especially YOU!

Buns in the Sun

We had a fine day yesterday and all the bunnies got to go outside for a while. Now it's been raining since last night and will probably continue for several more hours today. Rain, cold temperatures, and possible snow is forecast for the next couple of days, so it's a good thing they got some time outside in the sun.

The buns certainly enjoy the old Cottontail Cottage. Between the cats clawing on it and the buns chewing on it, it has seen better days, although it still has some good ones left. It was a gift from a friend and I really need to let her know that it was money well spent.



Mopsy enjoys time in the cottage while Gabby preens and tries out a ballet pose

Gabby gets her time in the cottage. They aren't very good about sharing. That pale blob at the very front of the entrance is a wad of bunfur from a disagreement over who got the ground floor.

Matilda being a shy girl after some fur pulling by one of the other two during one of the battles for the ground floor

Mopsy has reclaimed her spot


This time of year, we have considerable molting going on while they get their winter coats. Matilda's gray points change with the seasons.

Matilda showing off her new white earrings and nose spot for the winter fashion season

Not sure what Mopsy's trying to accomplish with her fashion statement. Maybe she's going for a sort of Bohemian look this winter. I see lots of bunny combing in my future.

Gabby wouldn't be still long enough for any fashion shots, but back up in the top photo she's showing off her white leggings in her ballet pose. She also looks as though she could use a shave--her molt is beginning around her face, making her look like Miss Chubby Cheeks.


I was up early feeding and watering everybun. It is cool, dark, and rainy. A nap is in order. All of us here at the Huntsville Bunstead hope all of you have a great day.

Coming soon: another alien seed pod update. Stay tuned.


(This was my second attempt at posting from my iPhone. It's a learning experience. At least my photos aren't posting sideways. I found the space to add labels, but haven't figured out how to control photo placement or how to add text after uploading photos, so I have to do a final edit with the computer. I guess I'll eventually get it.)

Are We Being Served?

Barkeep!!


I caught Matilda sitting with her front paws on this former skate boarding accessory as if waiting to be served. It looks rather like she's bellied up to the bar and waiting for a vodka martini. I originally placed the piece in her playpen to provide some agility opportunities. She and Gabby do sometimes hop over it, but in its present position, they like to scooch under it as though they have found a hiding place as in this previous post: http://artinthewind.blogspot.com/2011/04/bunnies-and-spinning-wheel.html

Matilda

Buns were out in the playpens today and I was able to get some photos of Matilda enjoying the fresh air and sunshine. Click to enlarge--if you dare.

I'm not sure what the deal is with her coloration. Although I did not buy her as a purebred, she is supposed to be a Californian, but the intensity of the coloring on her points changes seasonally and with almost every molt. She ends up with interesting color patches and little dark rings at the base of her ears.




This one has a sort of portrait quality about it. I think it might become one of my favorite photos of her.




I like the way the sun shining through her ear shows the veins in this one.




This one speaks for itself: The End.

Buns at Rest

A couple of shots of Gabby and Matilda chillin' in the bunny pen. The other two wouldn't be still long enough to photograph.



The grassy areas in the pens are just about gone from hopping and munching and dry weather these last few weeks, but the dirt makes a cool place to relax.




I find it interesting that the color of Matilda's points varies through the weeks. Always darker after a molt, they fade to pale gray before she begins another one. Not having done much research on Californians, I don't know if this is a usual trait of the breed or if it is possible that she is not purebred. At any rate, she is a lovely, large, pink-eyed bunny with a mind of her own and quite dear to me, although she does have a bit of bunitude now and then. Then there's Gabby, a Britianna Petite mix--just too cute, but not the most sociable bunny. Her bunitude abounds, but you gotta love her.

Let Me Out!!

Matilda seems to be thinking that "going outside to play" doesn't mean being stuck in the bunny pens. When we made the first one, we used "rabbit wire" that is designed to keep rabbits out of your veggies. We figured we could use it to keep rabbits in. To keep rabbits from getting into Mr. McGregor's garden, the rectangles in the wire mesh are small at the bottom, but get larger at the top to allow you to reach through and harvest all the veggie goodies. Miss Matilda decided early on that she could stretch herself up to the highest, largest rectangles and just boost herself out of the enclosure. Yep, it wasn't long before I was looking at Matilda on the outside of the fencing, just hopping around having a grand time. Thank goodness she didn't decide to play bunny tag. I snatched her up and put her back in, watched her try several more times, then had to put her in bunny jail while I went back to Tractor Supply and bought chicken wire to cover the upper portion of the rabbit wire. Fixed her wagon. I think.