Monday Bunday:Digger Bun

A break in the weather allows for Harriet to go out into the garden and Amelia to go out onto her deck, which has been enlarged by a few more fencing panels. We realize that some of our friends are in snow storms and what passes for a storm on the central California Coast would constitute a break for them, we do realize that........

Amelia wonders what Harriet has found

to do on the other side of the fence.

Investigation reveals a major project underway.

Harriet asks what how we like her earthwork.

Epilogue: the bench under which Harriet chose to place her art project was moved and the hole filled in. It was explained to Harriet that this was for her own safety because the tunnel construction was unstable and could collapse. She took this in stride and stretched out luxuriously in the soft damp earth. Later she had to get her white mittens washed.....

Friday Night FunBun Movie Shorts

Amelia is quite, quite, quite fond of being petted. If Tyler is getting his pets she will dash over and insert her head as close to his as she can. In this little movie you can see what is a usual occurrence around here. This short also features Sydney jumping over her brother!

Since Harriet is in a pen I try to let her out into the garden everyday for awhile if weather permits. She is pretty good about coming in and hasn't tried to get away. But don't think I'm not constantly checking on her. She has started a digging project that may have to be curtailed before she gets under the deck. Her paws got so muddy from her last last work detail that I had to wash and dry them, much to her dismay. In the next short she is checking our our fallow garden beds where I dump the rabbits poops. Don't miss the very end part where she flicks her butt and sprays urine!

Harriet is wondering when she will get out of jail. In true Harriet fashion her spay date has been changed three times. The good news is we have a certificate to pay for more than half AND our favorite vet, Dr. H., with whom we have a long relationship, will do the surgery. She is so good with the anesthesia and makes very small low incisions, so we hope for a quick recovery. Additionally Dr. H. wants a rabbit print as payment for Harriet's exam, OK, I think I can manage that....

And when Harriet has recovered we can try some four way bonding.

Monday BunBunBunBunday

Harriet shadows the spotted Syd.

Nobody has called about Harriet. It seems that she is, if we can integrate her, one of the gang here at the Rabboratory. She'll go in for her spay next week and then after an as yet undetermined recovery time, I'll try to bond the four of them....I'm thinking I should try introducing them, without fencing, one at a time; preferably in a neutral spot like the bathtub or a pen outside.

Tyler and Harriet lounge while Amelia shows concern for

the difficulties of photographing a very dark rabbit.

Since she has been here Harriet has been in a pen where everybun can see her and interact with her through the bars. There has been a little boxing and and the only time there was much upset was when she was in the kitchen and Tyler was in the Rabboratory; everything was wrong and they each blamed the other. There has been lots and lots of pooping and peeing on both sides of the fence. When she first arrived it had seemed like Harriet would be the queen of box habits, but now that she feels she needs to demarcate her space, she's got both barrels blazing and the other rabbits aren't much better.

Harriet on a bun-errand.....

Often all rabbits are quite relaxed and I have them close while eating. There has been flopping on both sides, a good sign! Harriet gets to go out in the yard with supervision. Here she seems to have a set pattern of places she needs to go and things to chin, so far she has not deviated from it. When I need to get her in I herd her into the kitchen and pick her up there, she'd rather not be picked up outside, it's humiliating.

Amelia loves to go out on the deck and thinks

she ought to be allowed into the garden too....

Have a good week!

Monday Bunday:Trickster Bun

Harriet can be a bit of the trickster, she is so dark that sometimes I can't see her in her pen and I am sure she was done a Houdini. She is able to scramble over the three foot Xpen, so I have to pin a sheet over the top. There were some exciting night time escapes and forays into the living room, stronghold of the Spots, before this technological innovation was in place.

Hopping when she can.

Today there were some mix-ups involving Harriet. When I brought her to the vet last week Dr. H. was concerned, and rightly so, about performing a spay on a rabbit that might be someone else's. She asked that Harriet be registered as found with County Animal Control for a waiting period of two weeks. I dutifully did this the very same day. On Friday Dr. H's office called and left a message asking to schedule her spay. So today I called and spoke with C. and told her the story. When C. relayed the story to Dr. H. she left out enough for Dr. H. to think I'd surrendered Harriet to Animal Control. "Diana would never, never do that!" she said and had B. call me back for clarification; A little mix-up; we were all relieved to find I wasn't behaving out of character.

Harriet chooses a book to take back to her pen.

Because Harriet is in a pen I try to bring her out often to stretch her legs. The kitchen has a good straight run in it and I've rabbit proofed the back yard enough that with supervision she can go out there. Today it was a particularly fine morning so I took Harriet out in the yard while I pruned a rose tree. I followed her around a while and saw she was going to all the places she went the day before. Everything seemed quite stable, I kept my eye on her. I turned my back to do something or other and she was gone. Vanished into thin air. I looked everywhere. I could just imagine what the BF would say because I had been saying I thought she wasn't going to make a break for it and would stick around. Thinking she might have breached the side barrier and gone out front I went into the kitchen on my way through the house. Who comes racing out of the back room with Amelia on her tail, yes, it was the run away rabbit. Harriet had hopped up the steps and into the kitchen, which she knew well and returned to her room to "visit" with Amelia.........

With a whole kitchen to explore the most interesting thing is still of the other side of the door.

Monday Bunday

Tyler was complaining that he hasn't had adequate face time on the blog and that we finally had some light so couldn't I take some pictures of him? After he saw them he thought he ought to go get a job as a male model, apparently he has forgotten how devastatingly handsome he is.

Look me in the eye and deny me anything, I dare you!

One of his many soft sides.....

Which is my best side? That would be which ever one you are lucky enough to see.

On another front it was reported to me last week that there was a loose rabbit around the neighborhood. Although I looked here and there, I decided to let karma have her way in this situation. On Saturday morning this rabbit hopped down the driveway and into the backyard. I had a little chat with her, she let me pet and pick her up. It was raining, so she got a towel dry and has been living in a fenced in bathroom. She says her name is Harriet, she a dark agouti, very soft, very tame. The other rabbits have been pretty emotional since her arrival with a lot of chasing and such like. Interestingly there is less of an interest in her than there was in Amelia and there is not so much marking (not yet at any rate). I'm not sure if I'm up for having FOUR rabbits, but for the time being I think I can take it; one bun at a time.

She's a little darker than this photo shows and her fur is in really good condition, not patchy like it looks here. Guess a week of rainwater rinses does something....

Have a really interesting week.

As We Are

It has started to rain heavily, some reports say it may be like this for a week. The reports are always changing.

Sydney tried to amuse Amelia by telling her a ghost story about a rabbit who got it's ears removed by aliens who took them to a quite distant planet in another galaxy beyond the moon for further study of the miraculous properties of rabbit ears.

Then Amelia made up her own story........

Rabbits3 Report

Amelia has, for the time being completed her darkening project. Whether the result of the cooler weather or, as Mum of Critters suggested good nutrition. Or both. I am not sure. Her fur is much softer than when she arrived on that fateful day in July.......Funny thing, I must confess, I never really liked pink eyes until I met Amelia, now I think they are fantastic. Love does change all.

Sydney has decided I need guarding and this is often the my view from the laptop "station". I am very flattered by this attention.

Here are girl buns together in an extended snuggle. There is still chasing, but I'm beginning to think that that is good exercise and benefits the figure and inner organs. I did catch Sydney with a small mouthful of fur the other night, but within minutes they were eating hay side by side as if nothing untoward had occurred.

Tyler is very busy keeping his harem groomed and kissed. Unfortunately he often has to clean his own face, Amelia is all about receiving and not reciprocating. I try to make up for my gender in general by petting him as much as I can. When Amelia senses this she rushes over and muscles in for pets too..........

We send our best wishes and bunny hugs to Christina and her bunnies, Nemo is sorely missed by his family as he cavorts at the Rainbow Bridge.

Monday Bunday

Rabbits3 gives Potentially Crazy the coveted Three Bun Seal of Approval

First, on this Monday Bunday we would like to draw everybun's attention to the work of Alice, buntographer par excellence. In addition to visiting her blog, Potentially Nervous, you can now experience her work on a constant, rotational basis in the privacy of your own computer. What I am trying to say is that her work is now available as a screen saver, and for such an emminently reasonable price I can hardly believe it. Check out Potentially Crazy for fab bunny pics that could be yours.

Second, here is today's movie treat, Rabbits3 having a wheatgrass treat.

Have a perfectly reasonable week everybun.

Year of the Metal Tiger

Although I had already printed some tigers, they were the wrong color to represent a Metal Tiger, which is the elemental tiger for this next Chinese or Lunar New Year starting on 2/14/2010. The color of metal is white. I fooled around with white or rather not printing the body of the tiger, even making some light Sumi ink shadows on the body, but wasn't really happy.

My scanner doesn't do well with the blues, the blue here is a Prussian Blue. This design uses four blocks.

The poor fellow seemed cold. The tiger is an active Yang animal, he needs to be warm, so I tried printing the stripes and trees block in red oxide and was more satisfied.

The blue here is a Cobalt Blue and the tiger has a wash of Titanium Blue Oxide which you can't see on your monitor. Image size is 7 by 5 inches and it is printed on Nishinouci paper, which has a warm natural tone.

The Year of the Ox is winding down with the month of the Ox so you may see the fruition of projects you have been working on this year. January 27th will be a triple Ox day; year of the Ox, month of the Ox and day of the Ox. Maybe an Ox will pull up to your door with a wagon of treats. Most animals have been pretty exhausted by the relentless plodding of Ox as he plows the field and uncomplainingly pulls the heaviest of carts. The Tiger year will bring a whole new look, but don't spring ahead too quickly, be sure to get rested of the Ox year before you jump into the kaleidoscope of opportunities served up by Metal Tiger.

Rabbits3 go to school

They were all lined up like this for ever so long. No, I did not place them like this or use Photoshop. I have no idea what they are learning from the stone tortoise. It has been in the family since 1960 or so and it was a favorite "pressing object" for Bandit......

Monday Bunday

Just to keep everybun up to date: Rabbits3 have been officially photographed in a close and relaxed configuration. See evidence below, no it is not Photoshopped, I am not capable.

Recently Rabbits3 have been the recipients of great generosity; first Rabbits Guy of The Houseful of Rabbits sent them some apple sticks in the mail; then Silver, of Buns of Silver fame, sent a servant with many, many of these tasty wood treats. All members of Rabbits3 are so grateful. Amelia made this little video to demonstrate how the enjoy an apple stick.

Have a great week and don't forget to take a nap.

How A Rabbit Wears Jewels

It is neither natural or particularly desirable for a rabbit to wear jewels for longer than a very short length of time. However this is what it would look like were such a project were acheived.

Around the ears, first view.

Around the ears second view, in case you didn't get enough the first time.

Highlighting the "waist".

Spinal enhancement.

Monday Bunday

Abstract

Distracted

Extracting

Official Last Post for 2009

Sydney : Rabbits3 wishes everybun the best year yet.

Rabbits3 : Some said we couldn't be friends, we didn't listen.

Tyler : I flop on you, Amelia, I do flop!

Amelia : I prefer to have my ears cleaned, thank you very much.

Fashion Update : Amelia's new design for foot decorations;

front (above) and back (below).

2009, never to return..........

2009 Christmas Day

Partridges have abandoned their posts on the pear trees

and are looking for something proper to eat.

Amelia, speaking for us all, sends best wishes

to the intrepid readers of The Qi Papers.

Snowday

Not now, not here. In Denmark a long time ago; A village called Rungsted where my family stayed while my father was teaching at the university. It was only for a year. I had thought it was forever after, like in fairy tales. It was, for me a fairytale. I was in first grade and at an age when you can pick up languages without a thought. My mother had felt it too much trouble to send me to the English school, located somewhat distantly, so I was popped into the village school. My Danish was sufficient to have friends, go food shopping and do non-technical translations for my father, who claims I wouldn't let him speak Danish in public. I loved my red Danish clogs and I had my own brand new golden (!) bicycle. I ate strange new things like raw egg yolk with sugar (yum!) and sandwiches on black bread with herring and paper thin chocolate. Who would have thought fish and chocolate to be a most excellent combination. I loved the snow and there was a duck pond for skating within walking distance. The house we had was huge, we had taken over the lease from another American family, it was like living in a castle. Part was kept shut off to conserve heat. This was the best part to explore and run through. The road outside dwindled into a forest path that lead to, of all things, a pink manor house with a fountain. Our Christmas tree was lit, not with strings of bulbs, but with actual burning candles. What a delightful hazard.

During the winter I found it exciting to be trundling around in the dark, but the long, cold, darkness was not so kind to my mother, who, at one hysteric historic point, began to throw dishes in the kitchen so she wouldn't have to wash them. My eldest brother went to the University of Louvain in Belgium, he says he nearly froze to death because my parents neglected to send him money for the heating bill. My next eldest brother, who would have been in his last year of High School spent the year in his room, though he says he did a lot of gardening. I never saw him at it. My father still claims the Danes to be the rudest people in the world because they would not speak English when they were around him. Yes, I think I maybe the only one with fond memories of that year away.

Monday Bunday: Girl Talk

Business first, we have a little, err, situation as regards the Food Ball Give-A- Way. You see we had 6 balls and certainly thought we could use just three. However we seem to have lost three of the balls. Very often when it came time to load the balls with pellets I wouldn't be able to find one, so, after much searching I'd open a fresh one. Eventually all six balls were in rotation and I figured as the time drew near to send them off to new homes I'd find them. This was a nice thought but I can't find three of the balls. Rabbits3 are doubtless enjoying my consternation and laughing through they whiskers. Those of you who entered, just hang on and we will work this out......

Other news is that Amelia, always experimental, is growing stripes on her legs and a broader. darker nose. This could be a temperature related phenomenon (like Siamese cats) not just trend setting fur decoration.

She and Sydney are trying very hard to be friends.

Here is an almost snuggle.

A peck on the check.

Happy Solstice

Which is it?

Is it perfect or is it time for a new castle?

Monday Bunday: food ball demos

After reading a post from The Rabbit House, Rabbits3 decided it was time to have more fun with food, plus they want to try out for the BunSoccer League. So, with the aid of my credit card, they purchased some food balls ( actually they are called Snacky Snack balls but we don't put snacks in them...) from HERE. You could think of food balls as a sort of rolling pez dispenser for pellets. The pellets are paced in the ball through a half circle door. At first I left this all the way open so they would get the idea that you have to roll the ball and the pellets drop out. Now that skills are being mastered I close it up to about half way so they have to work a little harder.

Tyler gives a short demo how to demo on how to "nose" the ball.

Why not just have the bowl of pellets? Having read the aforementioned post I did begin to think about this. Firstly, I am entirely guilty of making life easy for the Rabbits3 as far as food goes. Doubtless a habit leftover from my care giving years with Bandit, who required special food at regular intervals. Young healthy buns can take a challenge! Secondly, from a health standpoint it is better for the gut of the rabbit not to be inundated with pellets all at once. As we all know GI Stasis is the number health problem in the rabbit community. Certainly in the wild a rabbit's feeding habit is a here and there sort of affair. Of course we do not have wild rabbits, but their digestive system is basically the same. Plus pellets are not a natural food; nutrient dense they require really very little chewing compared to the amount of chewing required for the same nutrients obtained from grass or foliage, fresh or dried. Just as in humans, digestion starts in the mouth with mixing enzymatic rich saliva with the food to start the process of cellular breakdown (digestion). Are the pellets eaten en masse receiving their required dose of saliva for proper breakdown? This is just me thinking, there is no study on this as far as I know and I could be absolutely full of doots.

Sydney show her technique for extracting pellets from the ball. She calls it "delegation". Amelia calls it something else.

We got three extra balls as give-a-way! To be eligible you need to have a rabbit and you need to let me know in the comments that you want to be in the drawing. Winners will be announced next Bunday.

Meanwhile in Winter

Meanwhile back at the ranch, where we have cow share, it is winter too. On California's central coast this means overcast skies when it is not rainy or sunny, and lots of mud and grass.

Birds replace the leaves on the trees.

Somewhat out of season there two new babies.

A calf, Gordon seen here with his mum.

And this is Jocelyn with an arrowhead on her head.

According to the Tong Shu this was a double Pig Day, so I was not surprised to be mobbed by a party of pigs. Here they are practicing for a chorus line.