Friday, June 6, 2014

In flagrante delicto


When I was a child, we had a phonographic record (remember those?!) with The Tale of Peter Rabbit, narrated by Vivien Leigh.  
This is the very cover of the very record we had.  Ain't the internet amazing?


It had a song, sung by that Noble Scotsman Mr McGregor, called “Stop, Thief!” 

If I catch you, you will die,
Then you’ll be rabbit pie –
Supper for me wife and I
Stop Thief! Stop Thief!

It’s amazing to think that I used to side with the rabbits in this story.

This past Tuesday morning I went out to get the paper, and found this Attack Rabbit, in flagrante delicto, chomping away in my garden.  I can only hope that he was eating weeds.  The only possible good thing about this rabbit is that it is big enough to annihilate the snake that lives somewhere in that hillside garden.

Caught in the act!
Heading over to the Widow Douglas' yard for dessert
Then on Wednesday I happened to see Attack Rabbit progeny, sitting in the back yard staring at me as I backed out of the driveway. 

I mentioned this to Younger Daughter, clenching my teeth in anger at the thought of having to deal with rabbits to the third and fourth generation. 

She squeaked, “Oh, a cute wittle fwuffy wabbit?!”

Thursday I checked the strawberry patch, and found this.



This evening the tiny strawberry was gone.  Stop, Thief!






6 comments:

Cassi said...

A few weeks ago, when Rob was mowing parts of our overgrown paddock, he uncovered a nest of baby rabbits. Unfortunately, no one else in the family wanted to leave them lifeless. Somehow, they all thought they were cute?

Since then I've found that tell-tale diagonal slicing of stems ruining several stands of asters and goldenrod. Sigh.

The Crislers said...

I must learn the tune to this song, and sing it every time I do yard work.

I've been trying to encourage the neighborhood cats into our yard. There's one that comes and goes as he pleases, chasing the rabbits, but I'm not sure what to do to further entice the others. Take the one dead rabbit pelt currently lying in our back yard and hang it on a stake? Seems like it might communicate something other than just "Come gorge yourselves, cats of the neighborhood!"

Anonymous said...

Gives a gal whole new appreciation for good fencing, doesn't it?
Dang rabbits.

Karen (formerly kcinnova) said...

I think the skunks might keep the rabbits away. At least, I know there are skunks in the neighborhood and I know we have been eating strawberries from the garden.

21 Wits said...

That's just the kind of wildlife I enjoy catching! Great shots, fun story.

Bob Scotney said...

We get rabbits in our garden from time to time. Not lately though as many in the area have myxomatosis, poor beggars