Sunshine, Scaring Mom and Sad News....

Summer may *technically* still be two days away, but the weather outside has jumped ahead to full-on hot and sunny.  Fresh air from the screened patio door keeps Miss Binks and myself on our toes - her, with her nose pointed in the air sniffing the freshness that wafts in, and me, wishing once, just once, that the door might be left open so that I can dash out for a full-on rabbit run!  Alas, history dictates that I don't know how to behave properly when I am let outside without security, so staring beyond the mesh is all I can do, while Nutters and Butters mock me from the squirrel feeder.

But the nice weather means that Mom takes us out side in the x-pen so that we can get our toes in the grass and the sweet scents in our nostrils.  Binky is especially fond of being outside - she thinks she is a wild bunny when she is out there, not a worry in the world, periscoping on her back feet, her nose a-twitching.  Me on the other hand, I took a nap....

The Bunny Misadventures continue.  One I will talk about in another post as Mom hasn't edited the little video yet, but I did get into some other trouble that Mom and Dad did certainly not find funny....

Mom came down to give us our evening salads and she noticed that I wasn't in the family room.  The gate was open, which means there is a very good chance that my vagabond bunny feet have taken me someplace I'm not supposed to be.  Mom immediately checked the furnace room, as that has been my recent go-to hiding place when I get the chance.  But I wasn't in there.  She then checked the storage area, long known to have hid me on many occasions, but not this time.  This was when Mom started to worry.

She called Dad and told him I was missing.  He came downstairs and that's when the all-out search began.  Flashlights in hand, the furnace room was inspected again, moving all the x-pens, foam squares, the central vac hose, the toy box.....but I was not found.  Next they emptied the storage area - luggage sets, pictures, boxes, Rubbermaid totes, all hauled out into the hall.  Dad even crawled right to the back and turned the corner to see right under the bottom of the stairs......but I was not found.

Mom's shaky voice called out for me as she opened every cabinet door and Dad stared in bewilderment of where on Earth I could possibly be.  "Did you do outside for any reason?  Into the garage?" Mom asked.  Dad thought to himself.  "Uh, well I did go into the garage to get my wallet out of the car but then I came right back in...."  Mom raced to the door that goes into the garage and ran around the car calling my name.....

She found me by the garbage cans.

"HE'S HERE!!!!!!"  she screamed to Dad as she swooped me off the ground and squeezed me extra tight.  She wasted no time flying back into the house and plopping on the couch, rocking back and forth, crying into my fur......"Fluffy!!!!!  Why do you have to scare us like this?!  Why must you always get into trouble!"  Well, I certainly didn't mean to.  All I did was see Dad go out the door, so I followed him.  Then he turned around and went back in the house and left me in there!  "Look at you!  Your feet are dirty, and your whiskers are covered in dust!"  Well, yours would be too if you just spent three hours exploring garbage cans, recycling bins, snow tires, shelves, lawn chairs......... 

Mom was just so happy that Dad didn't actually open the garage door, because we all know, I would have been gone like a flash, and with a three hour head start, it's doubtful I would ever have been found.  She plopped me down by Miss Binks who proceeded to immediately start grooming all the yuckiness off of my fur.  "Where were you Fluffy?  I didn't know where you went..." she said.  "Binky, did you know that right through that door lies a bunny adventure playground beyond anything you could imagine?  It was uncharted territory and I just had to explore it all!"

"Yes, but something could have happened to you.  You could have got hurt, or got lost outside....what would I do without you?"

"Oh, I guess that's true.  I'm sorry I worried you my Binky Girl.  I'll try to be a good bunny and always be by your side......."

I feel bad that I caused so much worry, that I made Mom's eyes leak and Dad's hair turn a little more grey.  Us animals that share this house and life with them mean the world to them, and losing any of us is not something either of them ever wants to think about.

Unfortunately, our hearts were broken last week when our little Louise Hamster crossed the Rainbow Bridge.  It happened so fast and unexpectedly, it was a complete shock to us all.  One evening, Weezie was running around exploring the couch cushions, and the next evening, Dad found her weak and cold by her food dish.  He called for Mom to come.  They tried to warm her up but it didn't help, she was just slowly fading away right in Mommy's hands.  Mommy kissed her, stroked her and cried in her fur.  It was clear to her and Dad that Louise was dying, and as hard as it was, Mom said "If you have to go Louise, please go.  Don't hang on for us.  We love you!  We love you so very, very much and we will miss you.  Please don't ever forget how much we love you, sweet baby......."  And within minutes, sweet Louise took her last breath and lay still in Mommy's shaking hands.....

Mom has always said that love knows no size, that even the smallest of creatures can love and be loved.  Weezie may have been hamster-sized, but the love we shared with her was giant-sized.  You will be missed sweet Louise - you were a very beloved friend and your absence is deeply felt in all of our hearts......

Fluffy McFluffersons