I was working on this hand-dyed green snowflake when Lizard informed me we had a serious problem. We'd had some heavy rainfall, and one of the basement window wells has not been playing nicely. Lizard had gone downstairs to see if the basement was flooding again.
It was nearly 10 p.m. I really didn't want to go downstairs and bail again! I'm so tired of bailing! Plus, I needed to be at work the next morning.
"We have a baby bunny trapped in the window well," Lizard explained.
A relief, and yet, not so much. I'd just chased what I presumed is a pregnant mama bunny out of the backyard the day before because she ate everything in one of my veggie raised-bed gardens and then she'd tunneled through the flower raised-bed garden, effectively destroying my hyacinths and dahlias.
When I first discovered her, I snapped at her, and she didn't even flinch. She looked up at me for a second or two, then went right back to digging. I stomped my feet. I told her she was going to be bunny stew. She looked up at me as if to laugh, "You won't eat me!" And she's right.
I shooed her, and she still wasn't about to leave. I told her I was going to trap her and feed her to the Raptor Society. She laughed at me again and went right back to digging once more.
When I finally got her out of the raised-bed garden, she wasn't about to leave the comfort of HER backyard. We sprayed her with water and tried chasing her, but she just wasn't afraid of us. Later, my friends and family told me, "To be perfectly honest, you just aren't that scary."
I guess that's a good thing...
My first thought at the discovery of a baby rabbit in the window well was, "Serves you right. You should have left Mama alone!" Upon seeing the not-newborn baby in the window well, my next thought was to get photos. But also, it was a bit older than I expected. It's probably been kicked out of the nest because Mama probably is about to have a new litter (YIKES!!!). I worried it might be hurt from falling into the deep window well.
I got a couple of fresh baby carrots from my garden out of the fridge and opened the basement window to try to coax Baby into my soft and super-padded gloved hands so I could return it to the wild (my front yard, so it could run away, hopefully). Baby wasted no time jumping clear over me and onto the concrete basement floor, then alluding us for the next two hours as we unsuccessfully tried to corner and catch it.
I tried to reassure Baby with a kind, soft, soothing voice. I repeatedly tried to tempt the tiny little bunny with the carrots and even an Altoid tin with milk.
I finally built a "dead end" with some of the basement boxes, hoping I could trap Baby if I could chase it into the maze. By this time, Baby was crouching behind some of Lizard's weights and very near to sleep. Or, my imagination flared, close to dead from brain damage as a result of the five-foot leap of faith…
When I moved close to Baby to coax it into the maze, Baby didn't move at all. I slowly and gently reached around to pick the tiny little animal up, and nothing. Not even a flinch. So I gently covered it with a T-shirt, tenderly picked it up and carried it out into the front yard, where I unfolded the T-shirt and spoke softly to Baby, eyes now wide open.
Baby didn't move for a second, probably in shock, as well as exhausted, bewildered, disoriented, hungry and thirsty. Within a minute, though, Baby was devouring the bindweed right next to it, then the nearby dandelion, then my California poppies. After about 15 minutes of leveling tender greens, off Baby hopped, back toward the backyard.
I was too tired to bother discouraging it, and quite frankly, I was relieved Baby seemed to be okay. I went to promptly to bed without passing GO and without collecting $200. (Although if anyone had offered, I certainly would have accepted!)
The next night, Mama was back in the flowerbed digging again. I reached in to lift Mama out of the raised-bed garden, forgetting she's not Baby, but this time, she hopped out of reach. She watched from just a few feet away as Lizard drilled metal posts on the side of the raised bed, then completely surrounded it with chicken wire. Mama wasn't scared of me staple-gunning the lower chicken wire into place to prevent her from tunneling and crawling through. I wove in all the wire ends as if I was working on a quilt so none of the three of us would be shredded on impact and went to bed. Mama was still just a few feet from the raised bed when we retired for the night. She's a stubborn one!
So far, Mama has not trespassed the chicken wire, and we've not seen any more babies. Fingers crossed the problem is solved…
UPDATE: It appears we have a very strong-willed child on our hands...
You may do whatever you'd like with snowflakes you make from this pattern, but you may not sell or republish the pattern. Thanks, and enjoy!
Finished Size: 6 inches from point to point
Materials: Size 10 crochet thread, size 7 crochet hook, empty pizza box, wax paper or plastic wrap, cellophane tape, water soluble school glue or desired stiffener, water, glitter, small container for glue/water mixture, paintbrush, stick pins that won't be used later for sewing, clear thread or fishing line
SPECIAL STITCHES:
Popcorn Stitch (pc)
Work 5 dc in designated st, take loop off hook, insert hook through top loop of 1st dc and replace loop on hook, pull loop through top of 1st dc.
Thumper Snowflake Instructions
Make magic ring.
Round 1: [Pc in ring, ch 5] 2 times; 1 pc in ring, ch 2, 1 tr in top of starting pc to form 3rd ch 5 sp of Round. Pull magic ring tight.
Round 2: Pc over post of tr directly below, [ch 3, pc in next ch 5 sp, ch 3, pc in same ch 5 sp] 2 times; ch 3, pc in starting ch 5 sp, ch 1, 1 dc in top of starting pc to form 6th ch 3 sp of Round.
Round 3: Pc over post of dc directly below, [pc in next ch 3 sp, ch 15, 1 sc in 6th ch from hook, ch 4, skip next 4 ch, 1 dc in next ch, ch 4, pc in same ch 3 sp] 6 times; omitting last pc of final repeat; sl st in top of starting pc.
If you're not reading this pattern on Snowcatcher, you're not reading the designer's blog. Please go here to see the original.
Round 4: Sl st into next ch 4 sp, ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 4 dc in same sp, [ch 5, sk next ch 4 sp, 3 dc in ch 5 tip, ch 10, 1 sc in 6th ch from hook, ch 4, 3 dc in same ch 5 tip, ch 5, sk next ch 4 sp, 5 dc in next ch 4 sp, working up next spike, work 5 dc in next ch 4 sp] 6 times, omitting last 5 dc of final repeat; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2; bind off. Weave in ends.
Finish: Tape wax paper or plastic wrap to top of empty pizza box. Pin snowflake to box on top of wax paper or plastic wrap.
If using glue, mix a few drops of water with a teaspoon of glue in small washable container. Paint snowflake with glue mixture or desired stiffener. Sprinkle lightly with glitter. Wash paintbrush and container thoroughly. Allow snowflake to dry at least 24 hours. Remove pins. Gently peel snowflake from wax paper or plastic wrap. Attach 10-inch clear thread to one spoke, weaving in end. Wrap fishing line around tree branch (or tape to ceiling or any overhead surface) and watch the snowflake twirl freely whenever you walk by! Snowflake also may be taped to window or tied to doorknob or cabinet handle.
haha sounds like you had an interesting few hours. Sure still looks determined to get in. They can be stubborn when not afraid of you.
ReplyDeleteYes, it was a fun-filled adventure, for sure, Pat. My sisters-in-law keep telling me, "But bunnies are SO cute!" Yes, they are, and so are all 12 of their babies. But multiplication gets going, and wham! Pretty soon you have your own petting zoo!!!
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