Sunday 30 November 2014

Sleeping Through Sunday

I had one of those Sundays where you crawl out of bed 2 hours later than you would normally, feed the bunnies and then go back to bed. It's a rare thing, which makes it all the more surprising that I wasn't woken up before then by the thundering din of stereophonic stair-gate rattling.

Did Whisky and Anouska (Bobbit's not much of a rattler) decide they were going to let me lie in, or did I sleep through the cacophony? They were also surprisingly calm over breakfast...

"We have decided not to punish you today. Apparently there's a big fat bloke with a beard keeping a list of who's been naughty this year. I think you should consider yourself on it, but perhaps you might try to buy yourself off it with treats?"

Saturday 29 November 2014

Large Bundron Collider

"...and through this tube here is where the tiny super-carroton particles travel at high speed before crashing into each other, hopefully merging to form new, bigger particles called 'snacks'..."

Thursday 27 November 2014

Remembering Elvis

Today I will be remembering my dear Elvis, who died two years ago on this date, his life taken by a tumour hidden deep in his tummy and not diagnosed until it was too late.

Elvis, you were a wonderful, handsome boy and good companion to my beloved Jemima. It brought me so much joy to see you enjoying your life, running, digging and watching the world go by from your favourite spot. Oh how you loved that spot! No matter how good or bad my day was, looking out the window and seeing you sat there sunning yourself always made me feel happier.

I wonder how much of your personality was shaped by your previous life and your days surviving as a stray. You were always so happy doing your own thing, playing and chomping grass in the garden, but never a great fan of humans.

I miss you, my big orange boy. Like so many of my rabbit friends, you died far too young, I wish your life could have been a longer, happier and less painful one than it was. I hope you have found peace. You will always have a place in my heart.

Wednesday 26 November 2014

Too Early For Xmas Hats?

"Less than a month to Xmas now, have you decided what you are going to get us? Those hats with our names on you promised might be nice, so you can tell us apart and won't have to keep tagging us ALL in these blog posts."

"And if you're worried about me chomping holes for my ears, look, I could totally wear mine with my ears down!"

Tuesday 25 November 2014

Tuesday Tail #34

"Puny human! No longer will I submit to your totalitarian control of the snack-barrow! For I, Archimedes, having trained for several afternoons in the ancient art of Bun-Fu, shall now humiliate you in paw-to-hand combat. Prepare to fight!"

"Get ready for...Gah! What's this??!! You have mastered Shaolin-Head-Stroke?!"

"Argh! That's the Ninja-Cuddle-Palm!"

"I am sorry my beloved. I have dishonoured bunny kind. I was defeated in battle."

"It is a sad day, my darling Archimedes. While you hang your head in shame, I shall point my bottom of disapproval in his general direction."

Monday 24 November 2014

Choccy Moufs

It feels like we've had so many choccy loppy bunnies that I can't keep track of who is who (without checking with Caroline or their records anyway). I'm pretty sure Guylian and Lindor are brothers from one of the litters, or at least related. Even apart from their shape and colour, they just seem so similar somehow...

Sunday 23 November 2014

Calendar 2015

The Rabbit Residence Rescue Calendar 2015 is now available to order.

The calendar features 12 of our favourite photographs of RRR residents from the last year, some pics you may recognise if you follow our various pages and some we kept back just for the calendar. We hope everyone will love it as much as we do! And of course all profits go to supporting the Rescue, so why wouldn't you want to buy one??!!

For those interested, more information on ordering and payment can be obtained by emailing the main rescue address (see image). To avoid disappointment, please contact us asap as we have a limited supply and they usually sell out fairly quickly.

NOTE: Postage rates listed above are for UK postage only, based on weight, overseas rates are likely to be higher. Whisky does not appear in this years calendar. I haven't told him yet.

Respect The Nap

"Can't you see I'm snuggled in my nap-blanky? If you want me to respect the no-weeing-on-your-furniture rule, you'd better respect the no-disturbing-the-sleepy-bunny rule."

Saturday 22 November 2014

Is This One Yours?

[sniffsniff]

OMG A THREE EARRED RABBIT!!!!

"Really? Where?"

Err...sorry Soufflé, never mind...

Thursday 20 November 2014

Pudsy Day

"Hey, did I hear we're having a Pudsy Day, all about me, with lots of people giving me money?"

Sorry my little friend, but (a) you missed that, it was last week, (b) the money goes to help improve children's lives, not fill your tummy with carrots and (c) wrong Pudsey!

"Well if I can't have the money, can I just have the carrots? I am in need. Of carrots."

[sigh]

Wednesday 19 November 2014

The Waiting Game

"Hold on, not yet - don't start eating 'til he starts to worry and throws in the REALLY tasty snacks..."

Tuesday 18 November 2014

Tuesday Tail #33

Goodbye then Roscoe! Don't forget to write!

"Write?! I'm a rabbit!!"

"Silly human..."

Monday 17 November 2014

Roscoe and Tennessee Rehomed

Good news guys, we found you a nice new home!

You don't need to look so surprised Tennessee, you are so adorable, of course someone wanted you to join their family!

"Really, we're moving? When you haven't so much as shown us a menu for this new place yet?!"

Don't worry Roscoe, your new mum is our good friend Esther, she will no doubt spoil you rotten with all your favourite treats!

Sunday 16 November 2014

Another Rainy Sunday

I hate days like today. I don't like to disturb the bunnies during their naptime, they won't thank me for it, but some days they have an annoying habit of sleeping right through the only dry bits of the day.

"Well WHY can't we go outside now? You could hold the umbrella, I could pick a patch of grass, you could dry it with the hairdryer until it's nommable. What's so hard about that?"

Saturday 15 November 2014

Swing Out The Way, Sister

"Out the way Bow, I want to be on the blog today!"

Friday 14 November 2014

Thursday 13 November 2014

The Land of Narnia

"You're in my house now and in my house breakfast is served at dawn so WHAT TIME DO YOU CALL THIS???!!"

Wednesday 12 November 2014

Time and Relative Dimwits in Space

I am a behind sorting out my weekly batches of photo's so things are getting a bit random here on the blog as I jump back and forth between current pics and ones from September/October. Sure, most readers probably haven't noticed me moving around in time with my posts, but I bet a few of the volunteers have been thinking "Hang on, xxxx hasn't been in that aviary for weeks!". Well, what with the consistently rainy weather, I don't reckon anyone is going to think the older of these pics coming up are recent so I thought I'd better 'fess up and avoid confusion.

So on we go. The names are the same, but the times have been changed to protect the innocent.

"I'm confused - did I eat this grass weeks ago or am I eating it now? Forget it, as long as I get to nom it all, I don't care when it is/was!"

That's the spirit Burrito, embrace the theory of trans-temporal nommage!

Monday 10 November 2014

Still Smiling

Love. These. Guys. (As if you couldn't guess, with all their appearances on here.) They always cheer me up - how about you?

Sunday 9 November 2014

Alone Again At Last

Rhianna went back to the Rescue yesterday having spent four weeks in a cage in Whisky's room. She stayed on after we'd given up on her bonding with Whisky to finish a course of Panacur, but part of me hoped in the extra time he might learn to like and trust Rhianna more. Sadly he didn't show any signs of that, so back she went. The good news for her is that she might already have her next date lined up at the Rescue. The good news for Whisky that he has his bachelor pad back!

"How come it only took four weeks to get Rhianna out of my room but after nearly four years I still can't get you out?"

OK Whisky, I'll take that hint (and my camera) out of your room. [sigh]

Saturday 8 November 2014

Tiny Burniture

"OMG, you're wearing THAT outfit on a Saturday night??!! Where are you going, a house party in the 70s?"

Thursday 6 November 2014

Daily Menu Outtakes

Every now and again one of the team asks me to make them a poster for an event or whatever. This fills me with dread for two reasons:

  • I suck at doing "on demand" photo's.
  • I suck at doing posters.

My photography is somewhat opportunistic. I go chat with some bunnies, they hang out, they do some stuff, I take a picture of whatever they do. Sometimes they don't want to do anything and I don't take a picture. My contribution to what goes in the pictures is deciding which bunnies to chat to, I let them decide on where to stand, the poses they strike and what have you.

Then there's the poster part. Having no graphic design skills, training or in fact any sort of clue in this area, I really don't know what I'm doing when it comes to making posters. Sure, I used to do simple posters for my band back in the '90s, but in the '90s excessive clip-art use was considered perfectly acceptable. Especially if all your text and backgrounds had a gaudy gradient fill to make them look "professional".

[Note to self - if feeling brave, insert old band poster here. No? OK, fair enough, probably for the best.]

But unfortunately we don't live in the '90s anymore and pretty much everyone over the age of seven who has used it has a better grasp of Photoshop than me.

So guess how enthusiastic I was when Cat asked me to knock up a poster showing a bunny next to appropriate portion sizes of their daily feed?! "Some chance THAT'S gonna work out!" I thought to myself (and "Of course I can!" I said to Cat).

With no real idea how I was going to do the thing, I sought the help of my good friend Sushi. Having lived in my house for many months during 2012 he trusts me enough to just go along with the unusual activities of a staged photo-shoot. On top of which, he knows me well enough that he will quickly tell me if I'm annoying him in any way, often through the medium of educational nips and stern looks. But things went pretty well, the end result was a reasonably looking picture for the purpose, so I knocked it up into a simple poster which Cat was able to use.

When they saw the poster, a number of people were surprised at how I'd managed to get the picture - how on earth had I convinced a bunny to sit calmly surrounded by an assortment of snacks while his picture was taken? So I figured this might make for a simple photo tip. And here it is.

When staging a shot of bunnies, there is one skill you need over and above all others: Patience.

Because that perfect moment you see in the picture is just that - a moment. All you need to capture it is the patience to sit through all the chaotic ones that preceded it calmly waiting for it to arrive. (And because we love our bunnies, to always put their needs first, spot when they've had enough, be prepared to let them be and do something else instead.)

Well anyway, it's a pretty basic and obvious tip. Sushi didn't seem to understand where I wanted him to stand, or which way to face, or any of the other instructions I tried to give him, but he is a good sport and didn't mind hanging out with me while we figured it out. After setting up the props, the whole thing took about 10 minutes of Sushi's time with the shot I wanted happening right at the end. Below are some of the less perfect moments leading up to it - as you can see, they don't quite work as an illustration of how much to feed your bunny as much as they demonstrate how bunnies just like to do their own thing!

"Well if you want me to sit on this hay I'm going to have to re-arrange it first..."

"Oh, you didn't want it flattened or me sat on it? Well why didn't you say?!"

"Here right? OK, how about this - this is my pouting James Dean look....no good?"

If you want to see the final poster it is up on our Facebook and Instagram pages.

Wednesday 5 November 2014

Remember, Remember, the Buns in November

"It's bonfire night tonight and that means lots of noisy fireworks. Don't forget to consider your buns and make sure they are coping OK with it all."

"Speaking of which...erm...did you maybe forget I was still out here when you shut yourself safely inside with the snacks? Huh? Hello? Bellini...? [sigh]"

Monday 3 November 2014

Beverens

A litter of 4 Beveren babies arrived at the Rescue some weeks back, but I have struggled to get a single picture of them. Bold as they are at breakfast, if I returned with a camera they would all hide. That is, until this week. However, I can't help feeling that they were still determined to make it difficult for me to get a picture.

Thanks guys!

Sunday 2 November 2014

The Good Boy

Whisky has had problems his whole life. Periods without some form of daily medication and/or cleaning have been rare. As a result he is very accustomed to be handled and behaves well, give or take the odd head-butt if he thinks you are doing something wrong. It is also rare now for me to get the sort of cold shoulder afterwards like I would expect from most other bunnies.

His current regime is eye drops with a quick face wiping in the morning, a face bath and more drops in the evening. Recently I have started giving him a pinch of tasty (but probably slightly un-healthy) muesli mix afterwards as a reward for being good, which I suspect is what has prompted him to come running now when it's time for his drops!

"Come on - drop, wipe, snack! LET'S DO THIS!!!"

Saturday 1 November 2014

After Halloween

"So I can't have a WHOLE carrot because carrots to bunnies are like sweets to humans and should only be given occasionally in small amounts?"

"Well last night was halloween and I know for a FACT that you had a SACK of sweets! Fair's fair, sack-o-carrots-gimme!!!!!!"