Tag: bunnies

Posted in animals, garden

Bunnies

Posted on by William Douthwaite

As I weeded around the palm tree in the front garden, I was startled by two small creatures who darted out from under some ornamental grass. At first, I thought they were rats. My neighbor had rats. Now they’re in my yard?

They ran out from under the grass up onto the front porch, where I saw they were baby bunnies! No bigger than an avocado, they scurried off to hide behind a vertical welcome sign by the front door. I couldn’t seem them trembling, but I know they were scared to death.

Mama bunny often scurries out of the front gardens when I come out the front door. She’s been getting braver, working her way further in to plants she finds appetizing. I saw her today, by the fence gate. Had she taught her little ones where to go, what to eat, and how to run and hide?

Posted in Easter

Bunnies

Posted on by William Douthwaite

I know it’s not not the main thing but I’ve never known an Easter where the bunny hasn’t been a major player. Having said that, I was surprised to see more bunnies on my walk this morning than ever. I thought they would all have the day off.

So the question is, how did the Easter bunny get a leading part in the celebration?

From what I’ve read, both hares and eggs were old Germanic symbols of fertility and new life. When the Christian celebration of Easter replaced pagan spring festivals, it absorbed those symbols. An egg breaks open to reveal new life, just as Jesus’s resurrection broke the power of death to give believers new, eternal life.

Somehow, the story evolved so that bunnies brought eggs, candy, and toys to the nests, and eventually baskets, of well-behaved children. I remember dying real hard-boiled eggs for Easter. But those have mostly given way to a wide variety of egg-shaped jelly beans, chocolate eggs, candy-filled plastic eggs, speckled egg-shaped malted milk balls, and every sort of candy you can imagine. And who doesn’t love chocolate bunnies, filled with marshmallow, peanut butter, or creme fillings?

And the bunny? He was alive and well when I was in Texas last week. This one wasn’t as creepy as most. And I’ll bet he got the day after Easter off, too.