Five Years

Five years ago today, 23rd February 2008, I volunteered for the first time at the Rabbit Residence Rescue. Today was my 5 year bunniversary!

I had emailed Caroline asking about adopting a pair of bunnies from the Rescue and whether I could volunteer for an afternoon to make sure it was something I was prepared for. Never having lived with a rabbit before, I wanted to learn the realities of what they were like, interacting with them, cleaning out etc. So I turned up, I had the tour and was handed a paint brush. I spent my first afternoon at the Rescue painting hutches.

Two very important things happened to me that afternoon. Firstly, I learned that volunteering, giving my time to help others with no direct benefit to myself, gave me the deepest sense of accomplishment and happiness since my years as a school teacher. Secondly, I had my heart well and truly melted when a little one-eared bunny called Bovril put his front paws up on the wire fence next to me to peer through and watch me painting. One of the cutest things I'd ever seen. I was hooked on bunnies. Not surprising then that the one afternoon volunteering turned into five years.

Oh, and I also met a newly arrived grey lop called Whisky.

So I had this clear idea in my head for today's post - a picture of me at the Rescue volunteering. Generally speaking, I have no desire whatsoever to see myself in pictures on this blog because, like you, I come here for the bunnies. But this one proud moment I wanted to share with you.

I was thinking about this on the way to the Rescue, while I was feeding bunnies, when I got the camera out the car and then, having gotten distracted talking to visitors about bunnies, not again until the journey home. D'oh.

So no picture today (I checked, I don't have one of Bovril, who found a home later that year), but I'll see you back here tomorrow with a pair of Big Ears and another Tiny Tale.