Rabbit Consciousness

I just adore my pet bunny Otis, and since his adoption in June of 2007 I have come to love rabbits in general in a whole new light. When I first got him it was if there was an infant in the house. I came down at night to visit him in his indoor hutch to see if he looked cosy and warm. I read the rabbit care guide cover to cover many times over to be sure of his proper care and in the morning I held him on my lap and stroked him for a half hour (with a cage liner) and didn't mind his cute little pee and poo, knowing he was relaxed and feeling mommy love. He is now full grown and has full run of the house (completely litter trained) and often shares the fruit in my cereal bowl with me. He is not the brightest crayon in the box as pets go, as he will not come running to the call of his name, but open the refrigerator door or rattle a plastic bag of dried craisins and he will come tearing into the kitchen in search of his certain treats. On hind legs he will beg and reach for his treat and then greedily run away to eat it in peace. He has learned the time of day when his meals are served (blueberries for breakfast and carrots for dinner) and will flip his glass bowl with his teeth if his meal is late. But during the day he spends much of his time under the dining room table in quiet meditation and seems content in his own rabbit world. He reminds me that to keep my inner peace, I must do the same.  

I also have a wild pet Bun, who has chosen my yard which is full of clover and free of pesticides to feed and rest during the daylight hours. She doesn't run when I approach to wish her a good day, and even if her little baby bun is nearby, doesn't seem to mind if I approach him in greeting as well. When it is hot they make a little scape in the dirt (the baby's scape is closer to the hedges than the mom's) and they lay with their legs splayed behind them to keep cool. I am so enamored with rabbits that my husband and I count them as we take our evening walk around the block and it is our team game to see how many rabbits we can spot. This week we hit an all-time high of 31 rabbits!

My life is so filled with the joy I get from rabbits that often when I am out riding my bike in the most out of the way places, I will see a clump of leaves, some fallen sticks, or other such natural wonder and you can bet that often it is in the shape of a rabbit.

Celebrating Lammas

Lammas is the first harvest in the turn of the wheel, and for me a celebration in which the bounty of good food is paramount. It is referred to as "loaf mass" and so I baked a delicious rhubarb streusel bread (recipe included), as this is the only time of year when we can get the beautiful red and green stalks of rhubarb at the market. As I delight in the various celebrations of friends in the blog world, I made a colcannon from a recipe from one of those friends at Celtic Dreamscape. It was the best colcannon ever! And being from NJ, how better to celebrate the fruiting harvest then by preparing a simple salad of our fresh jersey tomatoes with dill and a light vinaigrette. My husband grilled some lamb chops marinated in lemon and garlic and we toasted the Lord and Lady with a nice alcohol free merlot. Our nightly walk included a game of rabbit spotting, as they are abundant this year and we spotted 11 in 20 minutes. My ceremony included the lovely poem by Robert Burns, "Lammas Night" with thanks to Mother Moon. The evening ended with a bright bonfire and quiet reflection to the symphony of cricket song. Slainte mhor agus a h-uile beannachd duibh or Good health and every good blessing to you!