Bunnies!
Posted on by Malinda Collier
I am often surprised by which of our Facebook posts receive the most – or the least – comment. Sometimes it is fairly predictable, but often not.
A recent example is when last week Suzanne took an early evening stroll through our northside children’s garden. For those of you who have never ventured out on the northside of the church it is a smallish strip of land bisected by a brick walkway. Over the years the children and I (with a bit of professional help) transformed what was pretty much a scrubby little patch with one neglected hydrangea hanging on in the summer heat to green space filled with redbud trees, lobelia, drift roses, my grandmother's peonies, my mother's double day lilies, my friend Barbara Dill's black-eyed susans, and other perennials. It isn’t House & Garden material, but it is a nice little oasis in the city.
For years a bunny family lived under the yucca plants. We had a deal that in return for Coffee Hour leftovers (ever wonder what happens to the uneaten half of the veggie tray…) said bunny family would regularly appear at least one night of Vacation Bible School and/or poke a nose out for St. Francis Fun & Learning Day.
But the last few years – no bunnies. Carrots left uneaten and no sign of our little furry friends.
This year – THEY’RE BACK!!!!! Bunnies galore! Parents and little guys all romping around the garden.
I commented on one of the posted photos that the empty space in the middle of the garden was where the black-eyed susans would be except that the bunnies had eaten them all. And I mean down to the ground eaten them all. Sigh.
And they are moving on to other plants. One morning walking around the building I came upon a little bunny mid chomp on a cone flower. Standing on his (her?) hind legs the little scamp bit the stem in two pieces and proceeded to eat each bright pink petal while staring me down as if to say Well, I am right under the Welcome banner after all…
And ya know that’s it. A Facebook comment nailed it –as one church member posted, that’s what happens when all are welcome at the table!
Yeah. And it is good. All are fed. Our abundance is shared without question or qualification. You have only to be hungry.
I agree with those who prefer the bunnies to the blooms – yes, I’ll miss the black eyed susans for a season but they will come back. The bunnies as we have experienced might not. But if they remember the tasty leaves and the juicy blossoms, the carrots and the broccoli florets maybe they will, maybe they will come to know we are a safe place to be and a place to be fed.
I hope so.
Malinda