Talk

Today I will interview people in clinic, but yesterday I hiked alone. Well, no, not really alone. I spot movement and freeze. A silent interview of this rabbit, with the help of my zoom camera. There was a very young bunny further on, about 6 inches long, who hid behind a bush a year from me. I did not want to scare her, so did not get a photograph.

Lizards and crows, too. Chipmunks and a squirrel who was noisy until she realizes that I have spotted her in the small tree, barely taller than me.

I climbed the Serpent’s Trail which is an old road. It goes up and up but is never terribly steep. At the top, I can see the haze: smoke from forest fires in the Pacific Northwest and Canada is coming down. When I got home I closed up the house to keep the air cleaner. It is smokey today with lots of small particulates, not good. We will see more asthma, allergies, eye problems, emphysema and the smoke makes people headachey and irritable. I hope it doesn’t sit in the Grand Valley for a long time.

Meanwhile, the bunnies and the crows and the lizards and the squirrels, can’t go inside, can they?

For the Ragtag Daily Prompt: interview.

Giant rolls?

Do these look like giant delicious rolls?

Or maybe the front one is the Starship Enterprise and the back one is an enormous rabbit chasing it.

I do miss bakeries. I still go in with my daughter and sniff all of the delicious aromas, but I can only eat the things without gluten. Never mind, I could eat whatever I wanted for half my life.

For the Ragtag Daily Prompt: bakery.

Sweet hike

I had a sweet hike on Sunday and met some of the locals.

I met bun and another small mammal who moved too fast for a photograph.

I haven’t quite sorted out my local lizards.

My! Some of the locals are SO colorful! I like the yellow feet!

And here is part of the trail that gets it the name Corkscrew.

For the Ragtag Daily Prompt: syrup.

Barbie stole

The cats find this in my house and carry it around. I had Barbies in the 1970s. You can see the tag in this picture. Barbie/Mattel. The stole is made of rabbit fur with a nylon lining. Very 1970s, since I doubt Mattel would sell rabbit fur as a Barbie accessory now. The cats think it is fabulous.

The doll holding it is not a Barbie. It is a Get Real Girl, who has more normal proportions and normal feet. This one came with a backpack, hiking clothes and all she needs for camping. She is from the early 2000s. She’s better at driving the ambulance than the Barbies because her joints are much more fluid.

For the Ragtag Daily Prompt: stole.

Untie

Untie my heart and go find
I am not looking anymore
I am playing for the summer
Back to work in the fall
but my heart is untied
and has escaped control.
It might be wild or quiet
or silly or angry. It might
like this today and that tomorrow.
It might wail with sorrow
and then laugh and laugh.

Heart untied and

Gone.

The white furry object is not a tie. It is a Barbie stole made of rabbit fur and lined with pink fabric. Both cats are enjoying carrying it around the house and shaking it and pretending that it is a live rabbit. That stole has to be nearly 50 years old, so I am letting the cats choose it as a toy. Good that I have great ancient cat toys.

For the Ragtag Daily Prompt: ties.

Ms Bun

I get Ms Bun and the blanket from my church silent auction fundraiser. She did not have many bids, so I bid on her.

When I get her, I wonder who to give her to.

I am gone for two weeks, with a cat sitter coming in daily. The cats are bigger but still kittens. They are amazed when I get home. They are so surprised. I get the impression that they thought I was gone forever.

They are even more delighted when I go to bed. They purr and purr and purr. I am staying! They are very happy.

Today I have to get groceries. When I return, I see who Ms Bun is for. She helps take care of the cats when I am not here, and they both cuddle in her lap.

Welcome, Ms. Bun.

squat

For the Ragtag Daily Prompt: squat.

What comes to mind is Taj Mahal’s Squat that Rabbit, a song that always makes me want to dance!

I also want to know what it means. There’s a rather nice discussion at mudcat.org.

The photograph is from the Kinetic Sculpture Festival. And here’s a bonus… Squat that Octopus.


person dressed as octopus
squat that octopus

small bun

We walked yesterday and saw three bunnies down the road. Then we realized that there was a young one right by us on the verge. We froze, except for the cameras, and this little one munched leaves and grass. Delightful! A bird finally sounded a warning and our friend hopped into the bushes.

No one gets angry at rabbits for being scared or shy. Why do we put so much pressure on children and on people for these emotions? Why do we label some emotions as “bad”? Fear and shyness help the young bunny survive and humans have these emotions too for the same reasons.

My daughter would not talk to strangers for years. She considered everyone strangers even if I knew them. It was not enough to have me introduce her. She would not speak. At two she would observe new day care staff for two weeks before she would speak to them. And I did not try to change her, because maybe… maybe that is more sensible than we adults want to admit. Not all people are nice or kind or ethical. And children need to know that as they grow. Caution will help this small bunny survive.