The Rabbit Saga

October 2011

We were dog-sitting my sister's cocker spaniel for three nights which explains why I had Allie on a leash and Blarney free to tag along. I didn't want my sister's dog dashing off after a deer or squirrel while we were walking across the open graveyard. We had just emerged from a bush trail to reach the grass. Both dogs showed a burst of excitement by nudging each other and forging ahead. Allie's nose found the rabbit remains first but she gave it short attention before I tugged her off. Blarney stepped up with gusto and found what looked like a cleaned leg bone. "Leave it!" I yelled as I hurried toward him. It typical, stubborn, dachshund fashion, he ignored my command and took off with the bone.  We faced each other on the open graveyard, Blarney with a huge hairy bone dragging from his mouth, me with one end of Allie's leash. As I moved toward  him he'd move farther away, eventually settling behind one of the big shrubs that dot the hillside.  There was no catching him so I decided to take Allie and move off down the hill.  It worked but not before I became quite stressed.  A glance back once in awhile allowed glimpses of this tiny bouncing critter dragging the giant bone. It was several minutes before he abandoned the bone and joined us properly.  I said nothing and  pretended the incident never happened.