Clovie's Resolutions for 2012

Eat...

Sleep... 

Play...

My kind of resolutions!

Wishing you all a Happy New Year!

Surprises

About a week or so before Christmas I received an unexpected package from the Raspberry Rabbits: Shell, Harrington and Hannah.  Gold rabbit embroidery scissors for me and freeze dried bananas for Clovis! What a wonderful surprise!

Shell had posted these sweet little scissors on her blog one day and I just happened to comment that I would love to have them, and voila! There they were all wrapped in Christmas paper. Loved her Christmas card too.

Thank you so much, Shell. You are very special.  H & H too! 

Party Pooper

Every party has a pooper. Guess who ours is. I mean that figuratively and literally. We have Christmas company. My daughter and her dog, my mother, my brother, his significant other and my five year old nephew who has lots of energy. As you can imagine there is a bit more activity than normal around the house and my attention is focused on our guests, not Clovie. Humph!  

He has a special spot near the door to his room where he parks himself and piddles and poops his displeasure, turning his nose up at his food, acting all depressed. The first time I saw this behavior was a few years ago when we had visitors for first daughter's graduation. I thought he was sick and had no time to take him to the vet. Talk about stress! As soon as my guests left  he was his happy little self. What a stinker!

So I am not going to panic but will take a few extra moments for Clovie time. Most of my family will depart soon so he'll be free to roam again. And so will I.

Have a Merry!

Clovie and I wish you a Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve morning and still not ready...

But feeling joyful!

Christmas Countdown

Clovis, we don't eat the tree!

I will never be ready for Christmas, ever. It's just not in my DNA. I am last minute, stressed out, cards out just days before, wrapping presents on Christmas Eve. Every year I think how great it would be to start and finish early so I could relax and enjoy the season, but I'm pretty sure that's never going to happen.

I can hardly wait until Christmas Eve to sit down with my family, unwind, drink champagne, eat seafood and watch "It's a Wonderful Life".

Grunts and Growls

I don't know if you would call it a grunt or a growl but I never knew rabbits would do that. (Or a scream for that matter. What a horrible sound.) The first time I heard Clovie growl it really scared me and he usually accompanies his growls with a lunge as if he were going to attack. Or he may scratch at me with his front paws. I learned early on that you don't want to go near the crock when he's eating his pellets. That's serious. And he doesn't like it when I reach for him head on.  Better to approach from the side. 


Another thing that he really doesn't like is when you "walk" your fingers toward him. Must be pretty scary. My daughter's finger ended up in the gap between his front teeth and the molars when she did that. No harm done but lesson learned.

Return to Normalcy



My new favorite picture of Clovis.



Thanksgiving weekend comes to a close, Mac has returned to his home and everything is as it was. The animals co-existed peacefully and without further incident. Clovis finally got to get out and run around again and hang out in his favorite spot in the bonus room, even though it did smell a little dogish. Good to get back to normal.

Day of Thanks

I am thankful for many things, family most of all. This Thanksgiving we have a new addition, my daughter's pit bull mix, Mac, who is visiting us this weekend.

Mac is an exuberant pup who thinks cats are something to prey upon and I'm sure if he knew what rabbits were Clovie would be prey too. So as a cat and rabbit only household we are having an interesting time juggling animals so that neither of them knows the dog is in the house. We had one tense dog and cat confrontation that resulted in the annihilation of the sliding door screen.

I will be thankful if we get through this holiday with all three animals intact.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

Dear Lord, don't let the dog get me.





Small Works, Big Presents



Beach Treasures, colored pencil, 4 1/2" x 4 1/2"



I entered artwork in the Small Works, Big Presents juried show at the White River Valley Museum again this year.  Out of 185 artworks entered, 74 were selected, three of which were mine - Beach Treasures, above, Frizzle Chicken, and Spotted Rex, below.

Frizzle Chicken, colored pencil, 7 1/2" x 9 1/2"

Spotted Rex, colored pencil, 2 1/2" x 3 1/2"

The show opened on November 16th and runs through December 18th.

 

Flag

Richards Studio Collection, Tacoma Public Library

I was really struck by this photo in our paper today. This is the Perkins building in Tacoma on November 11, 1918. In celebration of the German surrender to the Allies and the end of World War I, a giant American flag was unfurled from the top of the building by the staff of the News Tribune. As the Armistice agreements were signed, Tacomans flooded out of their offices and factories and into the streets to celebrate. At 11 a.m. the executives of the Tribune swung the enormous flag into place.  It rippled down almost to the sidewalk.  A cheer rose from the crowd, a band played "Keep the Home Fires Burning"; not a dry eye in the crowd.

Can you imagine standing there, watching that flag unfurl? How could you not feel great emotions of pride and patriotism?

I am remembering my father today.

Many thanks to the Veterans who have served and are serving our country, and to their families who sacrifice so much. 

Published at 11 a.m. on 11/11/11

Clovis Goes Green

Lipped, that is. The parsley will do it to you every time.

 Clovie and I took our monthly drive to the Country Animal Hospital this morning.  The air was crisp, the sun was out, and the trees were gorgeous.  I had a hard time keeping my eyes on the road and the speedometer.  We had a lovely chat with Dr. Heather who told us about sugar shacks and maple syrup, the smells and memories of her childhood in Ohio.

When we got back I brought in our uncarved pumpkins and set them down in Clovie's room thinking I might get some cute pictures. 

A lot of thumping and periscoping ensued.  Apparently we do not like pumpkins in our room.

A Couple of Cat and Mouse Stories

Story 1:  I wrote a post on this blog titled Cat and Mouse about Minnow's nightly ritual with her little pet mouse.  One night this summer she was in the window of my art room, on possum watch, when I went to bed.  In the morning the mouse was in the window. I left it there and closed the window.  I noticed the mouse stayed in the window for about a week which seemed odd, and I thought maybe she forgot where she left it.  No, I had closed the window on its tail. Mousetrap!

Story 2:  Our second daughter took a job with Americorp which she finds very rewarding.  The paycheck, however, is not so I convinced her to live at home for awhile.  At the end of her hard day she waltzes in, kicks off her shoes and leaves them in the living room.  One day we found the mouse in her black shoes.  The next day it was in her brown shoes. Does this mean something? 

Clovenstein, the Monster

Clovis got a Frankenrabbit costume for Halloween this year. He's calling himself Clovenstein, the Monster.

Costume Features:

Extra large black rabbit ears, one lop
Stick on neck bolts
Green face paint
Fake forehead scar, stitches and bangs
Extra long yellowish rabbit teeth
Black sweater, brown jacket with 3/4 sleeves
Optional rat tail (He wanted it)
Dark pink toenail polish

Hurry! Buy the card

Morning Snooze

I was getting ready for work the other morning and discovered Clovis snoozing as I passed by his room. I thought it a little out of character for him to be sleeping at this hour. I was puzzled. Why is he doing this? 

His location was the giveaway.  Sleeping on a rug I had thrown over the heating vent on the floor of his room this summer.  Chilly morning, furnace on, warm rug. Ahhh...


I covered his vent because he has caught a toenail on it a few times and lost the nail, poor guy! Cold weather is upon us; time for a different plan.

Jealousy

 

"Hmpf! Mom always liked you best!"

I was enjoying my Saturday morning with Clovie.  He was getting lots of "me" time, huddled behind his cage next to me so I could pet him.  When I saw second daughter pull in to the driveway I got up to say hello then returned to sit with Clovie.  She came in to Clovie's room and we chatted for a bit and there was a distinct change in bunny behavior.  Acting up and nipping me!  Jealous of your human sibling, Clovie? 

Have a Nice Trip...

...I'll see you in the fall.  Over the bunny fence I mean. 

I have a rule: must have one hand free for balance when stepping over Clovie's fence. Broke my rule, broke no bones.



Jeez, these humans are clumsy!



I had Clovie's water crock in one hand and a few oats in his food crock in the other.  I got one foot over and then caught the toes of my other foot on the fence and lost it. The water went flying, the oats went flying and so did I.  I landed on a metal/wire shelf, one you can put together like tinker toys, and flattened it. I looked for Clovie, hoping he hadn't been flattened too. Fortunately, he'd high tailed it to a spot behind his cage, and before the dust (and fur) settled he was out Hoovering up the spilled oats.  



Four multicolored bruises, chartreuse to deep purple. 

All four of our family have fallen over that fence. Me twice. One very deep gouge in our beautiful cherry wood floor. For the love of Clovie! Ours cannot be the only clumsy household, can it?



A Moment

It's a foggy Saturday morning, and I am laying near Clovie's window, enjoying the cool marine air. It will be hot again today. It is quiet in my neighborhood and I am concentrating on being in the moment; calm, relaxed, not thinking about what needs to done, and knowing there is nowhere I have to be. Sweet Clovis is laying close behind me and I reach back to pet him. Is he in the moment too? I bury my hand in his soft, soft fur. It is heaven.

Then here it comes...the list! Cleaners, groceries, laundry, what should I write about today?  I need to do this, I need to do that.  I try to repress and go back to being in the moment. With a start, Clovie gets up and races to his box of hay. Was he reading my thoughts?  My moment is gone but I am saving the memory.

Fuzzy Boy

Wow...Clovis is still shedding. This has been going on forever!  I thinks he's given up on grooming so I am taking over, except he's on to me.  He runs for it when I start grabbing the loose tufts, especially from his back end.  Darn it, I really like pulling those tufts out too. When I pet him my whole hand is covered, like I'm wearing a fur glove.

Beach Weekend

Haystack Rock

We had a Labor Day weekend family reunion in Cannon Beach, Oregon. The Oregon coast is really beautiful and we had a great time.  Husband stayed home with Clovie and Minnow and held down the fort while the girls and I had some fun.

Cousins

Oxbow Pellets

I had a couple of readers suggest Oxbow pellets to help with the cecotrope issues Clovis was having.  I had cut back considerably on fruit and greens with limited success and had resigned myself to accepting things the way they were. It wasn't bad, just worrisome.  I hadn't seen Oxbow in our local pet stores so I ordered online hoping for the best.

Oxbow suggested I gradually add their pellets so I started with one part Oxbow and three parts current brand which is Purina. The Oxbow pellets were a bit larger and greener. I carefully measured them out and fed to Clovis.

We did not relish the Oxbow pellets! Discouraging! He will eat them but they are the last to go. I'm up to 3 parts Oxbow and 1 part Purina now. I feel a little mean taking away something he loves so much but I'm hoping that once he is completely on the Oxbow it won't really matter to him.

Did this solve the cecotrope problem?  Yes! I would say this is a successful solution.  I've been sneaking in more fruit here and there - a consolation of sorts to Clovis for having to give up a favorite. Thank you, dear readers, for your suggestion!

Fair Entries

"Frizzle Chicken" - Colored Pencil 8" x 10"

I can't believe it's nearly Western Washington Fair time again. As I have for the past 11 years or so, I entered artwork which was juried in to the Fine Art Show. I drew "Frizzle Chicken" for this year's special category, birds. I struggled for HOURS trying to develop the shadows and nearly gave up. I do like the result so I'm glad I persisted.



"Jersey Wooley" - Colored Pencil 3" x 3"

 I entered these two miniatures which you may have seen on previous posts. I sold "Jersey Wooley" on the spot to one of the people who help out with the show every year when I dropped it off. My second miniature entry, "Venetian Window Kittens" won an Honorable Mention!

"Venetian Window Kittens"- Colored Pencil 3" x 3"



Sheers

When second daughter redecorated her bedroom we hung white sheers and purple panels.  They were much too long for the window but we decided to let them "pool" on the floor like you see sometimes in decorating magazines. (The truth is we were too lazy to hem them.)

Well, guess who really likes the curtains.  I couldn't find him one afternoon when he was out bunning around until I saw the curtains move.  He likes to go behind the sheers and push the fabric around on the floor.  I think he's chewing on the sheers too.

Clovie, you make me laugh...

Hey, Buddy Boy! Do NOT eat the curtains!

I'm Five?

Clovis turns five. That's about 37 and a half in bunny years. According to my calculations, I have scooped his poop about 1,700 times. Labor of love though...


"I'm five?"  

Here's how we are celebrating - an extra slice of banana and a fresh raspberry from Spooner Farms, breakfast with me, (more of a gift to myself...) a little bunny massage, and a willow wreath treat.  Then free run of the upstairs this afternoon where he will undoubtedly get some couch time.

Back in November 2010, Lisa out there in bunny blogland, Little Bun in the City, wrote about how much her bunnies enjoyed the willow wreaths she ordered from BinkyBunny.com.  I hopped over to the website and, of course, they were out of stock.  So I said, "email me when you have some", and last month they finally did. 

A week ago I gave one to Clovis...

Today...

"Can I have another?"

Glad I ordered three.

Who's Fooling Whom?

I think Clovis and I are playing a game with his pellets.  He gets a quarter cup of pellets at around 7:30 every night, and when I put him to bed at around 10:30 there are usually a few left at the bottom of the bowl.  On weekends I stay up later so by the time I tuck him in they are gone.  I can't bring myself to put him to bed with nothing in his little crock so I always sprinkle in a few more. 

Since his issue with cecotropes, I have been very strict about the amount. I decided to cut back just a bit so that if he does eat them all I don't worry about adding a few more when I put him to bed. Now, I'm convinced he makes a point of gobbling them all up every night before bedtime because he knows he'll get some more.  He must think he's fooling me.  But since I'm not giving him the whole quarter cup to begin with, I'm pretty sure I've got him fooled.   

In the Shadow of the Mountain

Sometimes I forget that we live in the shadow of Mt. Rainier until we have a glorious sunny day like today and then there it is, in all its majesty.  This was taken just down the road from Clovis' vet in Enumclaw on the way back from our monthly tooth trim.  Enumclaw is a very rural area, forty minutes from my home. I think from our house we are closer to to the mountain and see a prettier side. 

At the vet, I get to go back in the surgical area with Clovis. Sometimes I can see another animal having a procedure.  Last month they were spaying a dog, this month a very unhappy cat was getting its claws trimmed.  They were ingrown, poor thing. Usually Dr. Heather has a story to tell about another rabbit patient. It is hardly ever dull there and I always look forward to going. Clovis, probably not.

Clovis gets some love from Dr. Heather as she tells him what a good boy he is before she sends us on our way.  We are all trimmed up for another month.

The Old Mission Oak Rocker

 Under the old mission oak rocker is a great place to hang out from time to time.

Perfect location for a good scratch...

 A little cleaning up...

And a little snooze in the sun. 

Plus, if you feel like it, you can sharpen your teeth on the wood.

Couch Potato

So, the bonus room is Clovis' place to hang out when he is out bunning around. We have a couch up there and apparently this is now his new favorite spot.

The way we have the furniture arranged you can see the back of the couch from the doorway. When we first discovered his interest in the couch we'd try to sneak up on him to catch him on it because if he heard us coming he'd jump off in an instant. We could see the tips of his ears above the back of the couch, twitching, craning to hear us approach.  I'm pretty sure he thought being on the couch was a no-no.  We thought it was pretty funny. 

One Saturday I was on the computer up there with him and he hopped up on the couch and over near where I was sitting. He was watching me, and I think, daring me to scold him for being naughtly.  So I played his little game and gave him a pretend scolding.

I gave him a real scolding though when I discovered he'd piddled on the couch - twice. Why must animals mark everything?  Well, now it's Clovie's couch.

Fireworks

Fireworks are legal where we live.  Vendors are on just about every street corner and empty spot on our main drag.  We live near an intersection where two firework stands went up, one on each side of the street.  On the north side, "TNT Fireworks" and on the south side, "Nearly Naked Fireworks".  We weren't sure what Nearly Naked meant but I think it's bikini tops.  Yesterday when we went through the intersection the Nearly Naked Fireworks stand was up and running with a couple of girls on the sidewalk in their bikini tops with their signs.  Lots of rubber necking going on. You could tell there was some real competition going on between the girls and the lonely TNT guy on the opposite side.  He changed his sign.  It cracked us up.

Here's the Nearly Naked sign but for some reason today it is now missing the Naked part.

And here is the TNT sign...

I wonder which of these two stands will do better...

I enjoy watching fireworks just as much as anyone else, but years ago a friend of mine

said something to me I remember every 4th.  If you add up all the money every city

and town in America spends on their Fourth of July fireworks display,

think how many hungry children we could feed. 

Makes it a little harder for me to enjoy the show.

Happy 4th from Clovie and me.