The Hare Hilton

Earlier this summer Candleman was on a shopping trip with Megan in tow when they saw some bunnies in a cardboard box being sold for only $5. We already had a small hutch at home so they bought two - one for Jeff and one for Megan. They are both black and to our untrained eyes they look identical. Jeff named his Light Saber and Megan named hers Angel, Daisy, Flower, Darkness, etc. depending on the day. Papa promised to build them a bigger hutch "one of these days."

"One of these days" came towards the last half of July and continued on until the middle of August! My backyard looked like it had been taken over by the school's woods class. Tools, saws and paint cans took over the patio, covering both picnic tables and the glider. Sawdust was everywhere. Parts of the rabbit hutch lay all over the yard. I couldn't water and the grass grew brown and bare where it was daily trampled on and overgrown where it wasn't. It was a sight to behold. I don't know why I didn't take any pictures - maybe because I didn't want to remember it. I'm sure now that pictures would have just brought a smile and a nod of disbelief.

Talk about a nod of disbelief! Just look at that hutch! I t has two stories with a refreshment center in both. There are four front doors and a magnetic swinging door into each of the separate climate-controlled burrowing suites, which come complete with hay and baskets and are totally insulated. Even the front doors are insulated and have weather-stripping to keep out the cold. The front doors on my house are not anywhere near so weather-proof. We're talking bone chilling drafts all winter long. I've gently mentioned that to Candleman. He agreed, but hasn't been even tempted to fix my doors. :( I may have to take matters into my own hands.

The day finally came when the hutch was completely built and painted. The day the grandkids had been looking forward to for 3 weeks. It was decorate the hutch day.

The first step was to put hand prints on the front doors of the bedroom suites. As usual, Papa decided if a little was good a lot was better. He slopped on the paint! We got him toned down after a bit.The inaugural color was yellow - 2 yellow hand prints each. Next came blue, followed by red and black. You can see that Candleman has got his technique down by now. Jeff is painting the top sections and Megan the bottom.

After all the hand prints were completed the kids moved on to the back and side. Jeff is painting a yellow truck and Megan is starting her rainbow.







The kids changed places so Jeff was on the side and Megan doing the back.


Every once-in-awhile the bunnies would come out and casually watch the process. I think they are very happy with their new home. I'm happy because a few days after the paint dried Candleman recruited a crew of 5 good, healthy, strong men to move the hutch off the lawn and to it's foundation next to the potato tower and the back fence. Several problems became apparent with the new location - the side and back artwork doesn't show and Megan & Jeff's dog barked at the bunnies a lot through the fence. Luckily, she has tired of the bunnies or become used to them enough that their hopping around doesn't bother her anymore. It remains to be seen if the bunnies will make it through the winter in their insulated bedroom suites.