The Rabbit Got Away

Today a rabbit got away but it shouldn't have.  As a child cleaned out the hutch, he left open the 'roof' and the rabbit took the opportunity for freedom and climbed/hopped out and ran.  Trying to tell twenty-two 8 and 9 year old children to be quiet, walk slowly, and be patient is easy enough to do but not all twenty-two of those children find being quiet, walking slowly and being patient easy.  Chasing the rabbit around the vegetable gardens, or more realistiically, gardens being prepared for vegetables, brought back to my mind the story of Peter Rabbit.  I really think that this bunny should be nicknamed Peter unless it turns out to be a Petra.  Anyway, he (she) hopped under the shed which was much too low for anyone to crawl under and although little beady eyes peered at the rabbit from both ends, the rabbit could not be cajoled to exit it's safe place.

Eventually I left behind four responsible students and the rest of us went back to the classroom to clean up, put away books, hand out notices and wait for news of the bunny's safe return to the hatch.  When it was not forthcoming and the bell was rung, those four students returned and were also sent packing.  It was decided that the grade four teacher and I would look for success after tutoring that afternoon.  Tutoring seemed long and the two boys left were restless and eager to check on the bunny so when the session ended, we walked quietly and slowly towards the farm, after one boy had received permission from his mum to come with me.

(If you believe that about the walking quietly and slowly, I have a bridge I'd like to sell you.)

The bunny was out of it's hidey hole and resting beside the other rabbit's hutch.  The three of us tried to form a circle, move slowly and when we were within arm's reach, we'd try to grab hold of it.  I felt the softness of the fur as I tried to seize the rabbit but all I got were fingernails full of dirt as the rabbit hopped quickly away.  It found it's way back under the shed and I sent the other boy to get his mum as she had come to pick him up.  We managed to sit quietly and patiently and eventually the rabbit peeked out and finally one of my students caught him, held him firmly, put him in the hutch and closed the lid on that little adventure. 

And if my students read this blog, I would add "And that is how a recount is written."

At lunch time today, I sat down with another staff member, a cribbage board and a pack of cards and played.  It's been a while since I played in real life and I'm not sure Dave and I played it after we were married.  I enjoyed bragging about how good Dave was at shuffling cards and bragging about how it was Dave who taught me to play and laughing at how when I would beat Dave, he would put the game away.  I won the game at lunchtime today, which was also satisfying.  I know that Dave taught me to play well!

I am tired tonight so I'm thinking of going to bed early.  It's meant to be a cold night so I should have bought the electric blanket I was eyeing off last weekend but, oh well.  I've been reading a few chapters of Anna Karenina each night and I'm an eighth of the way through it and have enjoyed it, so far. 

I like being able to share my memories of Dave with my new friends.  He is a part of who I am and it makes me feel close to him.  It's sort of like wrapping a snuggly blanket around me.

By the way, plans for me to have a horse or go riding are not on the back burner just yet and some ideas are being bandied about to make this dream of mine become a possible reality. 
Just saying....