bunnies

So sad yesterday afternoon... we finished eating dinner and then went outside to check on the bunny rabbits.  Normally, when we gently move the leaves off the burrow we see them, snuggled together and a little jumpy.  But this time, oh it just broke my heart.  The one left in the nest was not moving and skinnier.  It was dead.  Oh I was not happy.  Lauren was standing right there and so I had to tell her the bunny died.  Of course I know she doesn't really understand that, but still... she knows the word dead now.  Had I known they were dead I would never have brought her out there to check them with us.

There were 2 bunnies in the whole when we first found them, but there was only the dead one when we checked it last night.  Trey had seen the other one hopping around the outside of the nest yesterday morning.  We assumed it was hiding in the bushes or was close by somewhere.  It was close by alright.  Trey found it floating in the pool filter. 

I'd be lying if an expletive didn't come flying out of his mouth before he had a chance to stop it.  I felt the same way.  He had just seen that little bunny just hours before and he started thinking, If only I'd been watching outside... I could have seen it fall in the pool and then run outside to save it.  Of course, you can't put your life on hold for an itty-bitty bunny rabbit.  But we sort of did...

We didn't let Molly in the backyard unattended for over a week.  Of course, she was living a life of luxury by getting to stay inside all day long... in the air conditioned.  But normally she is outside all day.  But we were afraid she might try to play with the bunny and accidentally hurt it.  Now it feels like all our precautions were in vain because the little things died anyway.

And where did the Mama rabbit go?  Surely some critter didn't get her... She might be somewhere around, but hopefully she never figures out what happened to her babies.  I had to throw them over the back of the fence.  We didn't like the idea of leaving them in the flower bed.

I think I am more in favor of putting up the wooden fence on the left side of the house and taking down that iron fence.  I just don't want to risk having any more bunnies born in the yard.