Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Rabbits, Sassy, and the Garden

Sassy was waiting for that ball to be tossed again at the park.

Sassy and I took our usual evening walk last night, in spite of the heat and humidity. The day before she casually wandered down a street we normally do not take. Usually she asks permission by looking up at me and smiling. Or, she may refuse to move, just looking in the direction she wants to go, but smiling.

She uses the assumptive close often - "Of course you want to take me this way." Or - "Since we are done with the walk, let's go for a ride." She plants herself near the car, looks up, and smiles.

But this was subtle. She kept walking slowly, sniffing the vegetation. She walked around a car parked in a yard, and I saw the plan. Eight children were in a front yard, playing. She wanted to meet them all. They recognized her missing leg, and everyone said, "Aww." One of the two mothers hinted it was time for Sassy to move along after a certain amount of fussing and petting.

Sassy walked up to her and delivered a couple of kisses, worked the crowd a little longer, and came along with me. One boy wanted to hang onto her by the tail. His mother told him not to. I added, "That a tail, not a handle." He smiled. Like a lot of children, he wanted to keep her around longer.

The Rabbit
Sassy does not have a chance against squirrels and rabbits, but she tries. She found one in a yard we often pass. She jumped toward it and stopped, then began sniffing around on the ground. The rabbit knew enough not to break into a run. Sassy continued sniffing until the rabbit was completely at ease. Then Sassy dashed toward it, the closest she had ever come to one. She kept with the rabbit across the yard and gave up.

I found a rabbit having supper in our yard, not far from the fence garden. That explained so many plants that started to grow and disappeared. The Malabar spinach has a total of two plants growing, and I began with 50 or 100 seeds.

Nevertheless, the entire fence garden is green with growing sunflowers, gourds, pumpkins, bush and pole beans. There are some empty spots, but we will have enough to enjoy and to share.

2 Corinthians 9:6-10King James Version (KJV)

But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:
(As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever.
10 Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;)