Bunny Convention

I knew the dog had found his bliss when I Iooked out the back door this morning and he was curled up there in the sunshine.  He is having a blast.  He really has been sticking around but a few days ago I saw him coming back from down the road.  I was not happy about that.  This morning I walked around the deck in my housecoat calling him and managed to lock myself out.  Oops!  Dog was returning from the barn where there's a rodent or rabbit under the woodpile that's got a lot of his attention lately.

I was curious about all of the tracks I could see behind the little pond just behind the house.  So, I started my snowshoe trip there.  I observed that there were many many bunny tracks there.  Not only is there a den under the rotten picnic table at the gate behind the barn, but the tracks lead to more dens on the other side of the pine copse.  And then - I was shocked because they are so organized - a single tree is surrounded by tracks that encircle it to a distance of about 3 feet out from the trunk.  They must hold some kind of ritual bunny dances there or a bunny convention.

I have found someone local to take Beau dog overnight when the need arises.  Once the moving activities are completed we do not foresee any such need.  For now, however, it is best for him.  The car drive is not his favourite.  He is better than he used to be, but he spends the whole hour plus panting like mad - and it has been rather cold so I don't think he's hot from the weather, just stressed.

I have managed to find a small flock of sheep that suits me.  As well, someone else has two llamas they are willing to part with.  So, this next week I am expecting hay and straw to arrive and the following week or so the sheep and llamas will arrive.

In the meantime, my sister was here on the weekend and helped me begin to shovel out gates that need to be closed when animals arrive.  The weather was weird with a thaw and rain and now cold again.  So, there is less snow and the bright daytime sun is melting things.  The snow shovelling and moving of firewood became today's workout.

We also snowshoed on the weekend, all three of us, plus dog.  We went way back behind the cabin right to the field back there.  I am going to investigate having someone work that field, perhaps put in hay.  The land throughout is very variable and quite interesting.