Warm and Fluffy Invasion

I could go on and on complaining about how pissed off I am with the state of things at work, how I'm being pressed from all sides to deliver 110% on multiple projects with not a single scrap of management support, then having to put up with half-assed comments that I'm not working hard enough and not getting enough accomplished, despite having clocked as many as 65 and 70 hours per week for the last several weeks, or from being accused of not having any work ethic from a project manager who was enjoying a leisurely Victoria Day long weekend off likely sipping campagne and eating bon-bons while I was working fourteen hour days on a parallel running project that she doesn't appear to have a clue is even going on . . .

. . . I could . . . but that would be a waste of time. Particularly since I've wasted so much of my life on work lately. Time that I'll never get back.

Instead, I'd rather talk about one of those warm and fuzzy moments. Because it's healthier to smile.

The other morning I had Alexander in my arms and was opening the blinds to our bedroom window which faces the back yard. Alexander let out a happy yelp and then started waving at something out there. I was wondering if he was getting excited about a rake that was leaning up against the deck (he likes all kinds of tools, particularly shovels, brooms, rakes and vacuums), when I spotted something darting out from around the side of the pool.

"Oh," I said, catching a glimpse of a small light brownish grey coloured critter. "You see a squirrel."

Then a moment later, the critter hopped into clear view. It was the tiniest little wild rabbit. It hopped into the middle of a patch of grass and then sat there looking around. We rushed downstairs to see if we could get a better look from the kitchen window. It was a better view, and the little bunny stayed there. It was the cutest little thing. It looked so much like I remember Mister Bunny looking when we first got him, cute tiny little ears standing straight up.
Francine and Alexander and I marvelled at the little critter, falling in love with how cute he was, and also a bit sad that we were in the process of packing to head off for the weekend. After all, we wanted to hang around and enjoy the presence of our new little friend.

Well, we did pack off for the weekend. (Friday had been the first day in many weeks that I'd had an actual full day off -- okay it didn't end up being a full day because I'd worked for a couple of hours from midnight until about 2 AM and then worked again from about 10 PM until well past mignight -- but dammit, it sure FELT like a day off, and that's what counts, right?) And, I did spend most of the weekend doing fun things, like spending time with Fran and Alex and visiting my family in Sudbury and doing a book signing with some really cool authors. It was a great change of pace, and by the time we got back Sunday evening, I'd pretty much forgotten about that cute little bunny.

It was only after having given Alexander his bath and then standing with him in the kitchen giving him his pre-bedtime snack that I looked out the window over the kitchen sink and spotted the bunny in the middle of our lawn, mowing down on the grass. We quickly adapted our bedtime ritual to waving goodnight to the little bunny, and then after I put Alexander down I slipped downstairs to see if the little guy was still out there.

The back yard was very dark by then but I thought I could spot a little critter sitting in the middle of the lawn. So I snuck out to the deck with my camera and snapped a shot, thinking, okay, the flash might startle the little guy away, but perhaps I'd catch a single nice picture of him.

The flash revealled where he was, but he didn't run away. Instead he settled into a comfortable little resting pose that I'd seen Mister Bunny do countless times over the years, and I was able to lie down on the deck and snap a few more shots of him before I decided to let him enjoy the rest of his evening without my intrusion.

I'm looking forward to seeing if he's going to be sticking around. His little invasion into our yard has brought a very welcome and warming sense of peace and tranquility. Gotta love that Mother Nature and the magic she weaves into our lives.