Rabbits3 in Disguise

Always full of fun, Rabbits3 put on disguises for Halloween.

Tyler as Cotton Ball salesbun.

Sydney IS Cleopatra.

Amelia chose to be an airplane in honor of her namesake, Amelia Bunhart.

Halloween

Halloween

Halloween

is a a good reminder

that everything

may not be

as it seems.

Monday Bunday

When you are rabbit person things are different than for the rest of the populace. Our well being, no matter how mature we may try to be, is affected by these funny, charming, beautiful, long eared mammals. A sick bunny can cause the bottom to drop out of your own stomach, just as a friendly flop on the feet can bring a human in tune with universal goodness. We can be misunderstood. The other day I was talking on the phone with a friend who is not a rabbit person. but who I felt was simpatico. I was telling her the story of Amelia's origin, flight and rescue, before I had reached the exciting conclusion she launched into a story of the perfect weekend she had spent with her boyfriend!

It is a hard thing to leave at home, this being a rabbit person, and this can lead to the unexpected. On Sunday I attended a class, "Long's Spine Meridian", hoping to pick up a few pearls to use in clinic as well as 8 CEU hours. The class, which was held at Stanford University Medical School, was in one of those vibrating rooms. This is not some new therapy, but rather the result of some huge machinery elsewhere in the building. It feels like the mother ship is getting ready to take-off. But I felt I could over look that strange discomfort in my quest for useful information.

As the class proceeded I began to get the feeling I was attending an infomercial, not a class for professionals, since Dr. Long was not due to arrive until the afternoon, I hoped for improvement. After lunch the long awaited Dr. Long appeared, 84, she has been practicing for 50 years! Prepared to forgive the morning presenter I settled in to learn something I could bring home to my patients. Alas, Dr. Long, who spoke through an interpreter, felt to need to explain her work from the very beginning of time. I was more successful in staying awake then others, who snorted and jerked awake, only to be pulled back into the arms of Morpheus. Dear Dr. Long, who looked the quintessential Chinese grandmother in her quilted jacket and black head band, told with great enthusiasm about the animal studies she had done. These involved creating a misalignment either with manipulation or surgically in the animals spine then seeing what sort of internal pathology ensued.

She was working mainly with the thoracic vertebrae and using EKGs as the tracking data. There were 6 rabbits and 8 dogs who gave their lives to her work. She went over the fate of each animal one by one. And then she did it again to summarize. And then she showed slides of the spine. And then she showed a photo of a rabbit with it's spine exposed and I had to leave. It could have been any of our white bunny friends, Amelia, Pink, Norbert, Hugo (ATB), Gus, Tidbit (ATB) (not Nuage because he is an angora, or Wesley 'cause he's a lop)....... tears welling up I dashed into the courtyard.

Unsure what to do next, I wrote a scathing evaluation, we have to submit these on a form as part of the class. I felt a little better and realized I'd left my favorite sweatshirt inside. Tentatively I stood at the back of the class and tried to figure out what the current topic was, if she was still on the animal studies or what. I found I just couldn't stay, I felt nauseous and weepy, so I fled........fled back to my own rabbit centered universe, so you see there is a happy ending!

HAPPY BUNDAY ONE AND ALL

The Bunny and The Pumpkin

Amelia demonstrates how to eat a pumpkin. If you'd like to see a bunny in the wind, go here.

Bunnesday

Tyler in the Furniture Forest.

Sydney refusing to kiss Tyler.

Fresh hay eat it all night long.

Amelia's salad dish catches blue Autumn light.

Monday Bunday

Random scenes from around here.

Rabbit with dreaming eyes.

Tyler chinning Mint lest anybun think it is theirs,

moments later, just to be sure of ownership, he ate the same stalk

.

Busy Rabbit.

Amelia simultaneously grooming

and re-calibrating the Earometer.

Sticky Buns.

This would appear to not be such a special picture, the Spots snuggle all the time, what you don't know is that a split second before they were in opposite ends of the room and suddenly flew together like highly magnetized furry jigsaw pieces. And now you do know.

Dusk rabbit.

Amelia loves to go out at night, the outdoor bunnex is part of her patrol. On the night of the big rain she insisted on being let out though she seemed surprised by the rainwater rinse that she got.

Monday Bunupdateday

Amelia again shows her expertise with the 

Earometer method of measurement.

It has been a rather hectic week between trying to be a good daughter and the hard drive going south, bundates have been somewhat limited. I got tired of Sydney always chasing Amelia and so have had to give her a little talking to about playing nicely and how there is enough love to go around and all that. I've also been supervising more closely and  creating  diversions when Sydney starts taking a run at Amelia. I've seen no more Amelia/Tyler grooming, though I have seen her asking oh so very nicely.

Tyler takes a taste to be sure the produce 

is up to his high bunstandards.

It is expected that California's Central Coast will be rained on to the tune of 3-6 inches on Tuesday so I harvested the rest of our red pumpkins. Of course these had to be inspected by the Rabbits3. As you can see Amelia measured with her Earometer, Tyler tasted and Sydney hopped over to record  the findings on the chalkboard.

This looked like a lot of fun and I don't really mind a few chews here and there, 

so I let them be rabbits, bundiscipline is not my strong suit.

 It seems to be in the Spots nature to rampage and pillage, so I wasn't a bit surprised when I heard a small crash and found Tyler and Sydney in the middle of a box of papers. Although Tyler was the one to make his way onto the plant shelf and eat part of an Orchid (toxic plant, but it didn't bother him a bit), I'm not sure if it was Sydney or Tyler who ate part of a silicon muffin cup, but I am sure it is Sydney who has it in for BF's couch, now covered with throw rugs, cardboard and a couple wooden boards. The resulting curious structure is functional only from the standpoint of keeping Sydney from her apparently appointed mission in life, but not from that of human usage. Ah, well, a lose/lose situation, maybe we should just let her have the couch, at least somebun would be happy.

We send Rabbits Guy and Fats wishes for healing and wellness. 

PS Interview with me here. Sorry it's a treasure hunt to find the interview, go to link, click on the offered Printsy link, page to the bottom, click on older posts and voila`.......

Bunupdate

When I was first considering adding a third rabbit to the mix my greatest fear was that somehow Sydney would be left out with a broken heart. She has not yet really chose to bond with me, and if Tyler left her for another bun, certainly I, for one would not be able to hold back the tears. However, the Spots remain tight, napping, eating and rampaging through Amelia's quarters like marauding bandits. What else can one expect from masked bunnies?

Here the Spots share their passion for hay tubes. These are an in-house item made by stuffing toilet paper tubes with Timothy hay. You can buy a similar item for very much more money if you so desire. Hay in a tube always seems to be be a more exciting form of hay then an au naturale presentation. A close examination of the photo reveals Amelia peaking out of the valley formed by Sydney and Tyler's backs.

An activity that Tyler and Amelia share is going outside. Although Sydney very ocassionally will barely, bravely, venture out, the other two exhibit no qualms when it comes to the greater outdoors. The above picture shows Amelia in one of several attempts to get Tyler to groom her, it is a bit hard to see but she is in the "mandolin" pose and he has just turned away having been closer.

Less than a minute later Amelia is still asking, but Tyler has decided he must impress her by showing how tall he is, maybe next time he asks her for a groom, she will comply.

This morning I stepped out to check on the rabbits and found Amelia asking for dominance grooming, while Tyler was more concerned with the freshly served orchard hay.

Her patience, persistence and positioning paid off and Amelia got a little ear lick from Tyler, not much, mind you, just a little taste.

Monday Picture Bunday

Amelia measures a Chicory leaf using the earometer method.

The Spots inspect this years pumpkin harvest, we hope to get a few good winter meals from these nutritious globe-like vegetables.

Sydney imitates the frog.

Amelia looking in from the other side.

Monday Bunday

Rabbits3 seem to be making slow, through steady progress. We would all like to acknowledge Sydney for venturing outside. Amelia likes to go out pretty much any time and at night will wait by the door so she can go out and look at the night. Tyler prefers daytime forays. And Dear Syd, is just getting used to the whole concept. It's not about what a bun can do, I tell her, it's about how hard a bun tries.

Sydney only just barely outside using the basil not for food but for cover.

On the bonding front spaces between rabbits continue to close up, and retreats from aggression shorten. Amelia, who in the very beginning could get aggressive, is still just retreating. Syndey is much more likely to go for fur, though Tyler was guilty of one incident. Only very small amounts of actual fur have been removed from anybun (it is hard to tell whose fur it is without a DNA check). Amelia is more and more standing her ground with head down asking for grooming, she and Tyler have had a few almost grooms.....

At home with Rabbits3; typical domestic scene.

I have noticed Sydney and Amelia playing a game I will call "Trading Places". I know, you thought this was a reality TV show, but it a trickster rabbit game. Bandit introduced this game to me. First when she was an only rabbit she would establish a pattern of places she would be at set times. When she thought I'd gotten the hang of it she would switch it all up and have a good laugh into her dewlap. When she got a companion, Biscuit, the waves of of silent lagomorphic laughter were palpable when I walked into their room one morning and they had switched beds. This was made even more amusing by the fact that Bandit, being a big girl, did overflow Biscuit's Bed and little Biscuit was almost swallowed by Bandit's bed. Sydney and Amelia are just in the beginning stages of "Trading Places" and so the switch was fairly rudimentary. Amelia had established under the chair as her habitual area, and Sydney often planted herself where Amelia's pellet bowl would be, in hopes I might forget that she shouldn't have free fed alfalfa pellets. Then a couple days ago they switched. Sydney has never lounged under the chair, but there she was, doing a fair Amelia imitation.

Sydney and Amelia choose to share a dish.

Notice their ears are exactly the same:

right ear lightly back and left is out to the side.

I've started putting the greens in three bowls (all the same amounts, mind you) and placing the bowls an equidistant triangle. For a while the Spots would run Amelia off under the chair and return to eating, she would stay under the chair and I would put a bowl there for her. Lately she has been returning to the triangle. Last night she and Sydney were sharing a bowl for what seemed like quite a long time until Sydney took a little lunge at her. Within 10 seconds they had re-configured and Tyler and Syndey were sharing a bowl and Amelia was back at her original place.

Then Tyler and Sydney share a dish,

when there is enough to eat,

eating is a non-competitive social activity.

Have a great week everybun.

LOL SP TCC

That would be Laugh Out Loud Self Promotion for Tai Chi Class. Awhile back one of my patients asked if I knew anyone who taught Tai Chi. Having done this 3 times already with varying degrees of success, I did not immediately offer my services, but rather offered those of my teacher. Conversation continued and I could see that that connection wasn't going to work, so in an undertone I said I could do it if she got 4 or 5 other people to commit to the class. I left it at that, thinking I'd done my part to offer . Imagine my surprise when she did get 4 other people eager to take Tai Chi. OK, so where? it is going to rain soon. I asked my teacher if we could use the Martial Arts studio feeling sure he would say no as he had in the past to other people. But no, he said yes, that that would be a completely appropriate use to the studio. I know I am sounding reluctant about all this, but having had lucky breaks in the past that that didn't pan out in any way, or that turned sour I am wary. In addition when trying to create something, a class, a career etc...even if I I've done everything "right", nothing will come of it, or there will be unpredicted results......Anyway I thought I'd better at least try to get a few more people into the class lest attrition leave us with just 2 or 3, which is just not enough; there has to be enough students that we can learn from each other's mistakes without feeling singled out. I sent out the following as an Email to almost everyone I know. Here is what I sent out, though the layout was different (Blogger layout capabilities seem so limited). As you can see I've taken a more casual narrative tone. I am so tired to reading similar promo bits that sound like ads or a text book or, worst yet, both.

First Meeting Sunday 9/27/09

Tai Chi

With Diana Moll, L.Ac.

Sunday mornings 9 a.m.

Academy for Marital Arts

1570 Soquel Ave.

Santa Cruz CA 95062

Donation TBA

I have found Tai Chi enhances health in innumerable and wonderful ways. One of my patients expressed the desire to to learn Tai Chi. After offering her some alternatives, I said I could do it, if she could get together at least 4 people. And she did, she got 5!. Sunday Morning Tai Chi is still its seed stage and I am accepting more students. If you too would like to learn Tai Chi come to the first planning/introductory class (9/27/09). At that time we will decide which style of Tai Chi ( Chen or Yang) is best suited to the needs of the group. Also if enough people show up who prefer a 10 o'clock start time, I can add that second class. Once the logistics are approved we'll do some Tai Chi.

I have practiced acupuncture and herbal medicine for a decade and have studied Tai Chen, both Chen and Yang styles, BA Gua and Qi Gong with Sifu Ted Mancuso for 12 years. In addition to the "empty hand" forms I practice Tai Chi sword, Ba Gua broadsword and Elk Horn Knives. I have taught Yang style and Sun style Tai Chi to adults and teenagers. Other teaching experience includes Drawing/Painting to middle and high school Waldorf students.

You can find me at www.theqipapers.blogspot.com and on Facebook, though it's mostly about my rabbits.LOL. You can see my Moku Hanga prints at www.qipapers.etsy.com

If you have questions or want additional inform

ation on Tai Chi, please don't hesitate to contact me by Email or phone. (and of course in the actual Email I have had these listed)

And I asked everyone to pass the Email on. So we shall see just what transpires......at this point it seems great if it happens and fine if it doesn't.

I do need to generate some more income somehow, maybe this will be start. I think I should have put a rabbit picture on the Email flyer.

Late Breaking Photo Entry

Amelia demonstrates the Tai BunChi move called "Lazy Rabbit Glances at Ball". Note she is doing the advanced version with back feet crossed at the ankles; what a talent she is.

Monday Bunday

The Spot at the end of the bunnel.......

Bunny Up Dates

Tyler in a bulb pot, he likes to go out but is still not completely

comfortable with the sky being so big and all....

Last night the gate stayed down until sometime in the very early morning when I got up briefly to replace it and put Amelia's pellet bowl down. One of the issues here being that the Spots, being "mature" rabbits shouldn't eat alfalfa pellets and hay and certainly shouldn't have the unlimited amounts a growing bun like Amelia gets. I usually herd Sydney, she is usually the last Spot in Amelia's room, out when I go to bed, but last night she would not go. She was stubborn and evasive, even when I told her her brother was waiting for her. Rather than ramp up the herding to where it would be upsetting, I let her stay.

The Spots feeling pretty good about all this, especially Tyler

who thinks he owns the world at this moment.

Meanwhile, unconcerned, Amelia naps ZZZZZZZZZZZ

There were NO audible fights or chasings during the night; another small bonding victory. Amelia is still not "allowed" out of her room. Last night she ventured a bit further, almost to the doorway out of the kitchen when suddenly there was a great scrambling and running as she returned to her sanctuary, and Spots thumped away in the next room. Maybe they all startled each other, funneh bunnehs.

Girl Buns chillin'

Overall there is still some chasing, but feelings don't seem to be hurt by this, and there has only been one fur incident (Sydney was caught with a mouthful). The Spots play and relax in Amelia's room in the morning and evenings and nap elsewhere in the afternoon. There is less marking both in the room and at the door. I hope this will completely disappear in time.......

And, yes, Amelia has made it up onto the chair. Here you can see how her marking are changing a bit, either from maturity or for winter. Her nose is darker, her back feet almost totally white, front feet darker and ears almost all silver with a darker band at the base.

Monday Bunday

The Rabbits3 have big indoor picnic twice a day, the lettuces in the garden need eating, lucky rabbits!

The gate is down most of the day. Bun Bonding seems to have reached a sort of plateau, although the Spots mostly tolerate Amelia they are not particularly friendly with her. She is a little interested in sniffing their bums, but they are not reciprocating. There is still come chasing and aggressive behavior, but nothing very serious. Amelia seems to have ceased being the aggressor/protector. Although she may run away from them, it is not far and both parties seem to recover quickly, resuming other activities/projects. In all fairness it is important to add that chasing/aggression between the Spots themselves has increased, though this has not effected snuggle time in the least. It has apparently been made quite clear to Amelia that the Spots may come into her room, but she may not stray into the rest of the house; she stays in her room, venturing only a few feet into the kitchen.

The Spots have taken back their castle, here Tyler examines Amelia's innovative renovations.

They quite interested in her alfalfa pellets and hay which I put out of reach when they come in the room. One day during scheduled bunny nap time I was engrossed in other tasks and the Spots snuck onto Amelia's room and ate all her pellets. They got no pellets for dinner that night, Sydney has to watch her waist line. Even Amelia's regular timothy hay, the same as theirs, is considered desirable.

Queen of her castle keep, Sydney Black Nose.

There are a lot of territorial poops, the towels look like well endowed chocolate cookies. Sydney used to leave urine markings by her litter box, that has stopped and she leaves a puddle (on a towel over plastic) by Amelia's box. There is much marking at the door just outside Amelia's room. Despite the low level animosity none of the rabbits like having the gate up and there will be shaking of the blockage by either side when it is up. Amelia often plants herself next to it, or in sight of it.

Sydney is having a flag designed so she can claim this territory as her very own.

On another behavioral note is that all rabbits seem more affectionate with me. Tyler for the first time ever licked my foot. Amelia will often come and put her paws on my back if I am sitting on the floor and now Tyler is copying this move. Even Sydney has become somewhat more outgoing. Though she has yet to go outside, she loiters purposefully by the open door. I cleared some clothes off the chair thinking a better use of it would be for rabbits and Syd was the first and so far only bun up, what a girl!

Stretched, Amelia awaits.