Joshua Tree

Ah, back after a few days in Joshua Tree. I shall ramble on more about that later. But for now, a few pictures of our trip there.

On the left is a flowering cactus bloom. On the right hand side is an ocotillo. I'll have to go back and check my spelling later. But it was quite the relaxing trip into the high and low deserts of California.

It was the perfect time of year to go there. Not too hot, not too cold. Just right. And perfect for hiking here, there, and everywhere.

For those who wonder about the Joshua tree in the famed U2 album cover... it died about five years ago. Talk about a memorial tree. Oh well.

The Butler Did It!

Mister John and Miss Jill are currently celebrating in Arizona. Nothing like a non-major conference team get into the Final Four. Our bunnies would also be proud but they're too busy chilling for the weekend.

Chip Embarrassed by Sleeping Photo

Poor ol' Chip. The young bunny never seems to get a break.

He's sometimes picked on my RBF and then Cherry Bugg chases him back into his cage. Look at him on the left. He's afraid to come out! And he'd also like to announce there is a shoe sale. Go before they're all soled out. Get it? Soled out? Ah, I'm on fire today.

Anyway, the young Chip has been pictured sleeping on Miss Jill and Mister John's bed. He woke up shortly after this photo but not before he thumped. He doesn't like being mocked for sleeping like a human.

Chee Takes a Bath! (or Bunny Burrito)

Fresh off of Chip getting a bath a few days back, Cherry Bugg received one as well. The Chee often suffers from embarrassing fits of stinky butt. She sits on her potty and rues philosophically when she should be hopping around on regular ground. Thus she needs to be cleaned. Poor girl has gotten used to baths but still she feels even more embarrassed to be bathed. Of course Miss Jill didn't help matters when she wrapped Cherry Bugg in a towel and proclaimed, "Bunny burrito!"

Operation Clean Chee was successful as we clean her fur and she doesn't smell so badly now. Of course we did startle her with our jumping about during the Northern Iowa upset of Kansas today. Chee doesn't care for college basketball that much. They call fouls for biting others in the butt.

Miss Jill is not sure who is next in the bunny bath parade. It will either be Root Beer Float or Ruby Jane. But like most of our rabbits, they will be indignant about the whole thing.

Also note in the top left picture that Cherry Bugg still has orange on her fur. That's what happens when a rabbit eats a carrot too ravenously. I hope I don't have pizza chin.

Smiling Brown Bear!

Every once in a while you get a close up on a brown bear. There aren't many of them in California but sometimes you get lucky. We managed to nab one a few days back and take a picture of her. I think she was hypnotized so her big teeth were showing.

Oh, happy brown bear.

That is until you drop her.

King of the Bed Sits at the Top

After the group picture, Lion was quite upset. "Grrrrrrrowl!" he said with most distemper. Luckily Mister John had extra photos to take and took a very styling photo of everyone's favorite lion. Do also note his wonderful t-shirt which reads: Somebody from LMU Loves Me. Considering Mister John goes there now and rumor has it Miss Jill once attended there, no one is quite sure who bought the shirt or whom the intended recipient may be.

In either case, Lion proudly presides over the menagerie on the bed. Get it? Lion? Pride? Ha, sometimes I kill myself!!!

Animal Portrait on Bed

Sometimes the animals just want to take a photo. In this case, Mister John walked into the bedroom and they all just organized themselves quite well. In the back left going clockwise are Ella the Moo Cow, Elly Phant, Clifford the Big Red Dog (duh!), and Papa and Mama Bugg all snuggled romantically. Yes, a good day for a group portrait.

Change of Time Great for Rabbits

With the earlier changing of time this year, the bunnies get to bounce about the back yard until 7p.m. in March! I'm not sure if they're acutely aware of such things but they will notice that I get home earlier (relative to their day) and allow them to run about for a good two hours a night at least for the next six months.

"Finally we get to hop about, eat grass, and mock Cherry Bugg," said Ruby Jane. She then ran off and jumped through the air before giving up on these hijinks and flopping under a tree. "But I'd rather relax," she ironically added as she was relaxing in her cage for the entire day.

"I don't like this one bit," said a rose bush. "Now my fellow flowers and I have to be wary of these monsters for the next six months. It will be the death of me!"

Sunday with the Rabbits

While Miss Jill was away -- typically staying away from the bunnies -- Mister John vainly attempted to use the good camera to take some photos of the bunnies in action (or inaction, as the case may be). Sadly, his camera shooting is fair at best. The deleted photo of Gidget was much too bright as he needs how to figure out how to: a) zoom, b) use light better. For those of you NOT in the know, Gidget (aka the Surfwagon) was the previously used Volvo purchased by John and Jill Erb. Gidget has run quite well since her purchase in October. But Gidget shall get her own blog entry later: this one is for the bunnies.

The trio of terror were out and about in the backyard. That means Phillip, Ruby Jane, and Root Beer Float were outside. Typically Cherry Bugg has Saturdays to herself and these three have Sundays. It goes back to Sunday being Jane's day. And by decree, even after her passing, her husband has first right of hopping on Sunday.

This means that they sprint about the back yard for a good fifteen minutes at the start of their day. Then a few hours of idling. Typically, they'll just sit under a tree and either read poetry or eat it if it's tasty enough. Phillip goes up and down to his cage often to use the privy. Meanwhile Cherry Bugg just sits there and stares at them like an angry teenager who was grounded for not doing their homework and sticking their tongue out at other people.

Finally, Chip sits in the den pondering his existence as well. He spends much of the day sitting in his cage and staring at the wall. According to Chip, that is how Socrates became so wise. Just staring at the wall. Upon being told about Plato and his discourse about the man in the cave, Chip replied, "Huh?" That's ok, Chippers. One Greek philosopher at a time.

Chip Gets a Bath

Saturdays tend to be clean up days around the house. The typical mayhem of the work week ends and we look around and see all that needs to be cleaned. And that also applies to the bunnies! Chip usually has the run of the den and sometimes he too (much like the infamous Stinky Butt, aka Cherry Bugg) has a dirty bottom. Must be a family trait. For we all recall that Miss Bugg was a famed potty sitter. If I even so much asked her to move out of her potty, she looked indignantly at me and thumped in her potty. Not always a good picture. But that was Miss Bugg for you.

So today I decided to give little Chippers a bath. He had never had one before and you could tell. As soon as Chip was in the sink, he wanted out. Immediately those little claws were a-scraping. But the poor guy was in dire need of cleaning. Typically if a bunny has a mate (either like Phillip and Jane, Flowers and Miss Bugg, or Ruby Jane and Root Beer Float), their mate helps them with cleaning. If a rabbit does not have a mate like Chip, then there is no one to clean him. Alas, poor Cherry Bugg, she alloweth no one to come within ten feet of her lest she biteth them on the arse. So she gets a bath every few months.


Now poor Chip finally got washed down and then I put him in a big Dodger beach towel (and you thought there were no good uses for Dodger beach towels... ha!). He's currently drying off and hopefully we will think again about having a dirty bottom.

Brown Bear Sighting in Southern California!

Yes, we all thought that the bears were extinct in this part of the state. Nothing quite ironic like driving up to Big Bear and seeing nothing but squirrels and maybe the occasional misplaced blue jay. But in our back yard, we caught a brown bear in one of our cages. And in taking a picture of her, she hopped out, growled, thumped (or something like that), and wandered off to eat dead leaves. Maybe berries.

Rumor has it there is also a panda bear lurking in the back yard but there have been no sightings of that. But I will let you know as soon as anything is spotted.

Planning for Rabbit Liberation Day!

It's less than a month until one of the biggest days on the calendar: Rabbit Liberation Day. On that day, rabbits of the world unite and break their chains of bondage and servitude. They hop proudly and independently and eat carrots throughout the world.

This event used to be led by the "Easter Bunny" but truth be told, that bunny was a sell-out to the cause. He was voted out in an election over ten years ago and there has been an amalgam of bunny leaders ever since. Root Beer Float and Ruby Jane, for instance, are the local chapter representatives in charge of food and drink. Cherry Bugg is in charge of security. Prince Phillip is in charge of decorations. Little Chip might just be there to look cute. Personally, I thought that was Miss Jill's job.

Chip Bitten on Lip; Hops on Miss Jill's Head

Poor little Chip got into a scrape this week. While he claims that his aunt Cherry Bugg (Stinky Butt, he calls her) scratched him, it was more likely that his bigger sister Root Beer Float got him.

On our way over to the vet for the minor checkup, he didn't want any part of the carrying case and decided to hop on Jill's head and then settled on the back of her shoulders. He particularly like the fluffy hood to Miss Jill's green jacket. He stayed there for the rest of the drive to and from the vet's office.

Maybe Miss Jill wants to be like that typical crazy person at Venice Beach who walks around with a parrot or an iguana on their shoulder. It's bunny-on-the-head lady!