We lived on a small farm when our daughters were young. We had a few chickens, calves and a Appaloosa named Apache. When you have farm animals, a trip to the feed store is a weekly errand that you look forward to. Like a mix between a garden center and a hardware store, the feed store had a little bit of everything. In the spring months trays of bedding plants set outside on the front porch. Tomato, peppers, cucumber, eggplant, spinach…neat little trays in neat little rows to get your Spring Fever going! Inside Rogers Grain and Feed it had a delicious grainy smell of sweet feed. How can I explain this…like fresh baked whole grain bread, with a bit of molasses. The fresh bales of hay added another layer of fragrance to the mix.Around Easter, they would have little pens of Bright Yellow Ducks and Baby Bunnies of all colors. I’m not telling you that you should run out and go to the closest feed store and buy a rabbit or a duck, a pet should be thought out and well planned for. There is no way you can talk yourself out of getting a bunny once you hold it, so BEWARE! Once the girls held that little white bunny in their hands and saw his cute pink nose we had to bring him home with us!
Bunny Toes was a pure white breed called a Flemish Giant. They are known to be gentle, docile and very affectionate. They do require more cage space but also make great house and yard pets. They come when called and love children. At 14 to 21 pounds they are as big as a small dog or big cat. If you want something to hug and love, these guys are it! Bunny Toes lived in a pen next to the house and was a wonderful pet, very gentle and the girls loved holding him. He ate a little pellet food made just for rabbits, but he munched on the apples and carrots, Cherrio’s and whatever the girls were snacking on. He loved to hop around the yard and he and our dog Lizzie were best of friends!
I still like to go to the feed store, but I stay away from the bunny pen!
Happy Easter to Everyone!
That bunny does sounds like a major temptation. I will keep away from the feed store.
ReplyDeleteWhat a sweet memory. Pets are a lot of work, but sure add to our lives!
ReplyDeleteLike gnee --- what a wonderful memory! I had a student who had a dwarf bunny. Elizabeth's Mom would drop him off at school on Monday morning and her Dad would pick him up on Friday. I kept a child's gate up in the door and Thumper would run around the class while we were in the room. He'd crawl up into someone's lap when the kids sat on the floor to read, and when it was time for us to leave the classroom, I'd clap 3 times and he'd run/hop back into his cage/kennel. The kids love it and I did too --- he went home with Elizabeth at the end of school :-}}
ReplyDeleteThey are sweet natured, really a very good pet for a child. Our middle grandson has rats for pets and as hard as I try, I will never be fond of them!
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