Pickles

A,

Last time I heard the floods were invading and Iowa was practically underwater. I hope things are a little dryer now? As your floods disappear our monsoons are setting in, although this is more of a relief for us. So far we've seen more clouds than rain, but even that can be something to enjoy.

I finished my first sock.



Yes, this is most likely the ugliest sock yarn one could find. I don't understand how something could look so appealing in a ball of yarn yet so horrendous after being knitted up. It appears to be camo for the foot. Perhaps I would find sock knitting more addictive if I had more appealing yarn. For the time being, until further notice, I believe I will leave the variegated yarn where it belongs--on the shelf.

We will be moving into our new home in a week, and in anticipation of the move, we have been looking for a bundle of bunny to keep Hazel company. This is the fluffy fur ball the stork dropped on us:



It really is turning into an animal farm here. But seriously. This is it. This is where I draw the line. The only reason we considered getting a second rabbit was because James kept complaining that Hazel wasn't a mini lop. And because rabbits are supposed to be much happier in pairs.



So this is Pickles. Adorable, tiny, loves to be held. . . But messy. And persistently un-litterbox trained. And sick. The day after we got her we noticed she was sneezing. And sneezing and sneezing. To the vet we went yet again. Now we've just recently taken her out of quarantine and attempted a better introduction between the two.

What did I expect? Frankly, I was hoping for sweet bunny love and suitable snuggling partners. And it wasn't completely out of the question to hope for such things. They had been introduced briefly with no detrimental outcome. They had even been stealing illicit kisses while Pickles was still behind bars. All good signs, no? We took them to neutral territory, out of the apartment--what else could we have done?

So two little bunnies, hopping around while two proud parents looked on. It didn't take long for them to make a nest together in the corner of the room. Calm, snuggling, peaceful--I thought we had hit gold.

We left the room. They were happy! There was no reason to keep a constant eye on them! But then, oh no. We hear scurrying several minutes later and rush in to find Pickles, sweet little pickles chasing Hazel, nipping her on the rear. Nipping and pawing and no longer happy. Knocking over food and water bowls. No longer the perfect pair that we thought they would be for each other. And now? No more bunny kisses between the bars of the cage; now they are little nips. Separated again. Unhappy.

And Pickles still is not litter box trained. She's peed on James twice.

I am consoling Hazel at the moment with many pets while Dutch is forcefully licking her face. You'd think vegetarian animals would be more peaceful. I guess lettuce does not breed harmony.

K