Holiday Wishes

Clovie and I wish you peace, love and joy.

Mango Nectar

Yes, we are still here...

Lickin' his plate

I seem to have developed a sensitivity to coffee (darn it...) so I sip a glass of juice when I sit with Clovie on weekend mornings. The first time I brought in my juice, Clovie's amazingly sensitive olfactory radar instantly picked up the sweet smell of my mango nectar. He was all over me in a second.

 

When he's not looking I pour a little puddle of juice on his plate for a treat.

He laps it right up...

Clovis was Here """

I would not classify Clovis as much of a chewer but he has left his little teethmarks on a few chosen items. For example, the rungs of the antique chair he sleeps under, or the filing cabinet that sits in the corner of his room.

 

The old mission oak rocker I bought back in the 70's.

 

This paperback, "Lucifer's Hammer", he selected from the bookshelf upstairs.

I don't mind the chewing unless it is
harmful to him or something that needs to remain toothmark free. I've caught him chewing on cords but I think he does it just to get my attention; he knows it's a no no.

The thing is, when he's gone, I am going to love seeing those little Clovie marks and remember him fondly.



Me? No, the cat did it...

 

Clovie's Halloween Dream

Happy Halloween!

Keen Sense of Smell

 

As is my usual Saturday routine, I sat with Clovis this morning reading my newspaper.  Today I brought in a glass of prune juice along with my coffee.  Rabbits must have a keen sense of smell because the minute I sat down with the glass of juice, Clovis was all over me, his little nose twitching like crazy, trying to get to the contents of my glass. Anything that smells sweet I guess.

 

When I was done with the juice I let him lick the last remaining drops.  I am wondering now if prune juice has the same effect on rabbits as humans...

Hide and Seek

 

I like to hide fruit in Clovie's breakfast. I cut it into pieces and spread it around on the plate then bury it with lettuce, carrot greens and parsley. The second I put down his plate he dives in nose first and the greens start flying. Messy! But Clovis always cleans up his mess.

 

Some days I give him two bunny bite treats, one banana and one carrot, as I am leaving for work. He eats one out of my hand and I throw the other one into the pile of hay at the top of his cardboard condo. I've always wondered how long it takes him to find it. I figured he finds it later in the day when he eventually makes his way up there for some hay. Ha! How silly of me. The other day as I was pulling out of my driveway I saw him up there munching on his treat, not a minute after I walked out the door. 

Smart boy.

Get Your Happy On

 

I got my Happy on at the Western Washington Fair today. ("Get Your Happy On" is this year's theme...) Man, it was hot and crowded.

 

 

 



These two flowers were getting alot of attention. Their movements were alien like. Very cool but a little on the creepy side.

 

 

 

 

The main reason I went, of course, was to get some bunny pictures. They are only there for 3 or 4 days.  I took about 350 pics, several of this character.  He was my favorite of the day.

 

After about three hours I started losing my Happy so I got my $8 beef and cheese peroshki and headed for home.

Fair Season

Fall is here. I am sorry to see Summer go; I think it is my favorite season. I like the transition of one season to the next too. Winter to Spring - the early flowers, things greening up and brighter skies. Spring to Summer - longer, warm days and open windows. The flowers! Summer to Fall - crickets in late August, cool foggy mornings and warm, sunny afternoons and the turning of leaves. Fall to Winter - stormy skies and rain, (that's right, I do like stormy skies and rain...) and cozying up inside.

 

Fall means the art show at the Fair.  This year I entered two miniatures, an acrylic painting of a cat named Gracie, and a colored pencil of my favorite subject. Gracie is about 3" x 4.5". Clovis is matted to a size of 2.5" x 3.5". 

What's your favorite season and why?

Push and Pull

 

Each night when it is time to let Clovie out of his room I move the fencing away so he can go upstairs to play. Lately I've noticed I have a little helper. I pull the fencing out while Clovis insists on (impatiently) pushing.  Am I not fast enough or what?

 

Free at last...

 

Outside Looking In

Clovie hears something outside his window. It's me out on a hot summer night turning off the sprinkler. I look in and say hello.

He's so darn cute, he makes me smile.



Good Day, Sunshine

It is a good day when you have sunshine in the Northwest.  Summer took forever to get here.  I took this picture of Mt. Rainier today.  This great view of the mountain happens to be from atop the Pierce County Landfill. What a waste of good real estate. (Is there a pun in there?) You're probably wondering why anyone would choose to go to the dump on such a beautiful sunny day...

Clovis and I spent some time together enjoying the cool morning air from the open windows in his room. We had a pile of greens, carrot sticks, strawberries, coffee, and the Sunday paper. Hard for me to believe he is turning six.

Happy Birthday Clove! And many more.

Offended

Clovis likes to be petted but only on his terms. When he's ready he'll flatten himself like a pancake and shut his little eyes. When he's had enough he runs off and gives himself a bath. Our cat bathes after I pet her too.

I'm a little offended. I keep my hands pretty clean...

Here Boy!

Clovie gets free reign of half the house almost every night. (The other half is for Minnow, our cat.) He heads up the stairs and hangs out.  We can hear him race up and down the hallway and the heavy thump of his back feet as he roams around the rooms upstairs.

Before I go to bed I clean up his litter box, his hay box, refresh his hay and water.  Sometimes he comes down when I am doing this. Often he comes down around 10 PM which is close to bedtime.  Does he have a sense of what time it is? 

Every once in a while I need to go upstairs and round him up.  Usually he is in the bonus room.  So I call him, "Clovie! C'mon Buddy it's beddy bye time. Do you want your treat?"

And it always surprises me that he follows me downstairs, just like a little puppy.

Welcome to the Garden

Clovie (nose bonk at the screen): Hey, there's a bunny out there!

Me: Um, he's not real Clovie.

Clovie:  It says Welcome to the Garden so how about it?

Me: Clovie, I didn't know you could read!

Clovie (scratching at the screen):  C'mon, open up!

Me: Sorry Clove.  I wish I could but it's not Clovie proofed out there.

Nisqually Wildlife Refuge

 

Husband and I drove down to the Nisqually Wildlife Refuge today to do some bird watching. It was a nice little trip.

 

We saw lots of swallows, a couple of bald eagles, red winged blackbirds, goldfinch, a hummingbird and a few others we weren't able to identify. We walked all the way out to the Puget Sound and back - 4 miles. Whew! 

When we started on the boardwalk there was a warning sign about the squirrels. It said they were very AGGRESSIVE and might BITE.  I've got to say I was a little scared because I was wearing capris, my bare legs exposed, and I can visualize one of these big boys, teeth bared, jumping on to my calf.  

Don't you know we were walking along and we see one of these AGGRESSIVE squirrels laying motionless, eyes open, flat on the boardwalk. He looked dead.  Rather than walk up to him we opted to make some noise and, surprise, he took off!  We walked hurriedly past.  A minute later I looked back and there he was in the exact same spot, laying out there again like he was dead.  Creepy.

Morning Routine

I am sure I have mentioned a few times that one of my favorite things to do on my days off is to sit with Clovie with my morning coffee and read the paper. I even set my alarm to get up early. If it's nice out I open his window for some fresh air. The neighborhood is usually very quiet.

That is how I spent the mornings on my first week of my vacation. For me, it's a nice way to relax. I'm not sure Clovie gets anything out of it other than some attention.  He has his own little morning routine:  blast out of the cage when I set down his morning greens and open the door, dive into breakfast and eat everything on the plate, spend a little potty time in the hay box, sit a spell on the rug in front of the hay box-maybe do a little grooming, hop up on the chair and onto the top floor of the cardboard condo for some hay, then back onto the chair and look at "mommy" to see if she's available for a little bunny massage.  (Sometimes he goes behind his cage and sits next to me for his massage.) Then, under the chair for the rest of the day where he can keep an eye out for us in between naps.

Vacation

Clovis and I were on vacation (from each other) last week. Our darling daughter took care of the animals while husband and I explored the central coast of California. We had a wonderful trip; great things to see and do.

Here are a few highlights.

The Boardwalk - Santa Cruz

The Jellies at the Monterey Aquarium

Clint Eastwood's Mission Ranch in Carmel

Big Sur Coastline

Hearst Castle

Paso Robles wine country

San Juan Bautista Mission

Treasures

We had family visiting us last weekend. My mother and a couple of my sisters and I took a drive over the Narrows bridge to Gig Harbor, a quaint little harbor town with some fun shops.  My eye is trained to scope out bunny stuff and I try to be very selective when I buy.  I found a few treasures I could not resist. This tray had my name all over it and it looks great in my kitchen.

I found this little creamer too. I thought it was sweet.

I had a fun and memorable weekend with the people I treasure. 

Clovis remains, of course, my most favorite bunny treasure.

Bunny Mums

Clovis:  It's Mother's Day?

Me:  Yes, Clovis

Clovis:  Are you my Mother? 

Me:  Yes, Clovis, I am your Mother.  Who else but your Mother would love every part of you?

Happy Mother's Day to all you Bunny Mums! All you Human ones too...

Three Shades of Clovis



Shade One

Shade Two



Shade Three

Three Shades of Clovis in Graphite 4.75" x 6.75"

My entry in the Parklane Gallery 20th Annual International Juried Miniature Show May 8th through June 3rd.  

Each shade of Clovis is about 1 to 1-1/2 inches high in graphite. If you view the online show, Three Shades of Clovis is #221A, about halfway down the page.  I also entered Spotted Rex, #221B, a colored pencil I have shown before.  There is some wonderful artwork in the show - worth taking a look!