Merry Christmas Cookies

This one doesn't need any grooming.

Merry Christmas from your bunny friend.

Can you find the bunny?

Buried under a pile of cookies.

This was supposed to be another bunny cookie photo but somehow this one wanted to be copied again. Probably just wanted to say Merry Christmas again.

My grandmother was an excellent cook and when we were small she always enlisted most of the grandchildren to help her with the Christmas cookies. I know why she had us help because they take so long to cut out. She gave me the recipe and I was the one to carry on the tradition. The only problem was she had a pinch of this and a pinch of that kind of cooking style so every Christmas I try to refine the measurements and time of baking. This works out better some years and worse on others. I work in retail and the holiday season leaves little time to do anything much less bake mounds of cookies.

The year I didn't bake any (I made the dough and it sat in the fridge for 3 weeks, yuck!), I was met with such sad faces and looks of disappointment, I never tried that again. Anyway, this is about as close to bunnies as I have gotten in about a week so I took a photo.

Notice my many disfigured cookies. They go on the cookie sheet no matter how they get cut out or travel to the baking sheet, loosing limbs, tree tops and tails. I even put the "in between" pieces on the baking sheet if it resembles something that might be recognizable as a cookie shape. Everyone has fun trying to figure out what that shape might be. I have some truly odd cookie cutters that I have collected and inherited and everyone looks for their favorite, may it be Unicorn, Peacock, or Bi-plane.

Well, I hope everyone that reads my blog has a truly happy, healthy holiday season, a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. If you eat a cookie, think about me.

Cold Days, Cold Dogs

Moe looking guilty.

Noses tucked in tight.

Two more comas trying to warm up.

Maybe she won't notice that my cold feet are on her back.

The Jack Russell breed has very little fur on their bodies and almost none on their bellies. They do not like the cold and will sit on the deck with their butts hovering and not making contact with the ground. It was 23 degrees here yesterday and they went out to do their business but cried to come in right away. Four of them curled up into a coma shape on the sofa right away with their noses tucked in tight. Moe was using Nelly, our sheep dog mix as an electric blanket. These two do not usually get along, each wanting to be the boss, so it was very surprising that the two alpha dogs put away their squabbles until each was warmed up. He is looking very guilty about it, though.

Babies Bunnies Everywhere

Jersey woolies are so small at birth.

This was a large litter for a wooly mom.

Welcome to the land of torts.

Lots and lots of torts.

Except for the one lonely sable pearl.

The "King of All" has his first litter on the ground and mom had 6 with 5 making it so far. This is a really big litter for a Wooly. Especially since this doe is pretty young and this is her first litter. She did have them in the corner by her food bowl instead of in the nest box but they were all covered with wool. They are so small when they are born, about the size of my thumb. Wooly moms are fiesty and one of mine raised 2 English Angora babies with no trouble.

It is so much fun to have baby bunnies and a nice winter cheer up if you have a spot for them to grow up. I keep 2-3 stacks of cages in my laundry room for this purpose. This area is also used to keep Convention bunnies in air conditioning for the summer.

I bring in the expectant moms about a week before they are due so they can get used to the new cage and nest box. I have never had any moms have a problem with this arrangement. On the floor and around 3 sides of the cages, I put a frosted plastic tarp, clipping it to the cage with clothes pins. You can buy this type of sheet plastic in Home Depot, in the paint department, by the roll so it covers alot of cages. This keeps all the food, hay and other matter from going every where and makes it easy to sweep or mop up areas. It can also be hosed down it it gets really messy.

It is so much fun to sit on a stool in front of the cages and watch them boink around.

Granding the Big Girls

Jitterbug

She is a Chocolate Tort.

Jive is her sister.

She is a blue tort.

These two girls are amazing in that they kept their coats on for 14 months. I only wish that they had been in better coat for Convention. They both have a beautiful crimp and silky texture to the coat and just a really sweet, calm dispostition. A fun pair to show, they really enjoyed the attention. I can't wait to breed these two and see what beautiful babies they have. I will take some photos of Mirror Image and post them soon.

Convention Vacation.not!

What happens with all that leftover wool.

My friend Whitneys first Convention.

Judge Cindy with her work cut out for her.

No wonder we were all tired from walking.

Where all the wool hangs out.

Well, I'm still tired after Convention. This is my first real day off since I got back and have a real minute to sit down and reflect. I thought vacation were supposed to be relaxing. With all the walking back and forth down the long rows and to the grooming room, I lost 5 pounds and I need another vacation just to catch up. But boy did we have fun! Convention is all about the rabbits, but I most enjoy the friendship, jokes and laughs we all have together. We have a great bunch of people in the angora world and I am also finding a great bunch in the Jersey Wooly world and the Belgin Hare world. Generally, the rabbit people are just a really nice group to spend time with. We are competitive, yes, but are always there to support each other and pat each other on the back when we win and cheer us up when we don't do so well. And the jokes are no stop as you can see by the Halloween decorations (top photo)that met me in the grooming room. Thanks, Linda! Everyone knows I don't like spiders. Anyway, it was a blast and I am actively saving for San Diego, with or without rabbits.

The King of All and babies

Babies, Babies everywhere.

One Pearl in Tulips litter.

And lots of torts.

The King of All.

Look at those big blue eyes.

Well, the "King of All" has moved into his big boy cage after being in quarantine from Convention. He sure likes to run around and explore. Plus he is enjoying his hayball and his big rolling ball with the bell inside, it is bigger than him. I got him a vinyl coated cage at Convention to match his baby blue eyes. He sure is a spoiled bunny and he is loving every minute of it.

The baby bunnies are opening their eyes and starting to boink about. Lots and lots of torts. I was hoping not to have many whites and my wish was granted. I found more photos on my camera from Convention so I will try to post more tomorrow. Time to go to work.

Catching up is hard to do.

The beautiful Lillanna awaits.

Natasha waiting kind of patiently

Lilliana as cousin "It"

Just look at those ear furnishings, hope her big sister has babies as nice as her.

I am still trying to catch up from Convention and a bad cold. I had bred five does to have litters when I got back and 4 of them had litters almost right away. Welcome home to 20 baby bunnies and lots of cleaning plus going right back to work. My sable pearl, Tulip had 8 and is just a wonderful mother. She had all her babies perfectly in the nest box, pink, clean and fed by the time I got out to check on her. Plus, she is just a milk machine. With a first litter, I never expected for her to feed and raise all 8 but she had no trouble. Sensation, REW doe from the Reflections line, had her 5 babies also perfectly in the nest and is taking great care of them. Bluebell and Aster are not being as successful but time will tell. I will try to take photos tomorrow.

There have also been a few shows to go too including my favorite show in the world, Carroll County, Maryland. Was able to get the last leg on Adonis and grand him out. Lost BOB to my favorite agouti doe, the beautiful Lilliana owned by the Mc Graw family.I was so sorry to hear about Sherri Wade and her surgery for a brain tumor. She just lost her husband about a year ago and they are just the nicest people and have done so much good in the rabbit world. We should all say a prayer for her that she gets well soon. Also, got the chance to register "The King of All", my broken blue jersey wooly buck (that lives on my office desk and has more girl friends then he can count) even though I missed his class and didn't get to show him. I have a hard time multi-tasking with rabbit breeds. Have to post some photos of him, too. Had crab cakes on the way home and all was right with the world.

I got up to Waltham, Mass for the double show there and was able to grand Jitterbug, Jive and Mirror Image. It was a really well run show considering that it was mostly run by 4-h kids. I did not stay for BIS due to the 5 1/2 drive home and I had to work the next day. Just really happy to grand out the big girls so I can get them bred for spring babies. Yea! Plus, I came home with more woolies, 2 black broken bucks, a broken black doe and a REW buck. I really have to start showing them. Maybe on day two of the Pa. Convention, day one English Angoras and day two Jersey Woolies. That could be fun.

Convention Happenings

Calamity Jane goes pro.

Our fuzzy section

Marcus and Linda get to grooming

My room-mate with his beautiful BOB bunny

Well, the ARBA Convention in Louisville, Kentucky sure was fun. The bunnies did better than I thought they would do considering the stiff competition. Mine were out of coat, too young or too old and just not timed right. We played many practical jokes including monsters on the water bottles, a strange "fawn" one eyed bunny in a pumpkin suit and a BIG spider in Lindas show carrier. She got even by decorating my grooming table with cob webs AND SPIDERS, which I hate. I did come home with a cold and a broken computer but my husband didn't adopt any animals while I was away, which was a relief. He gets even with me when I travel by finding new animals to adopt. I will be posting Convention photos for everyone to enjoy over the next few days.

On Our Way

We are going where?
They do have blue grass there.
Okay, load me up!

Everyone have a great trip, eat lots of BBQ and enjoy seeing all your friends. Oh, yea, good luck at the show. Travel safe and I will see you there.

Sale List Continues

Shepherds Whirlpool

Shepherds Arabesque

Shepherds Whirlpool, lilac tort young senior buck, proven, out of Countryside Wiseguy, ( 2 BOB legs, 1st junior buck)black buck from Collin Burns lines and GC Shepherds Nuance, her mom was sister to BIS 2005 ARBA) blue doe, 3 legs. Great solid body, just coming back into coat. May bring to convention for early pick-up. $150

Shepherds Arabesque, REW young senior doe, in short puppy clip due to her sister next door chewed her coat, out of Countryside Wiseguy (info above) and GC Shepherds Aris, 7 legs, 4 BOB and specialty BIS. May bring to Convention for early pick-up. $200

Convention Sales List

Shepherds Petal


Professional Grooming Box
The Convention is sneeking up on me so I better start to make my sale list.

Shepherds Petal is a REW junior doe out of GC Shepherds Neptune (Blue tort buck, 5GC legs, 4 BOS, 3 BOSV) and GC Shepherds Pandemonium (tort doe, photo previous post, 4 GC legs, 2 BOB, 1st sr doe and 1st junior doe out of 7). She is entered in Convention and will be for sale for $250.

Professional Grooming box. Great for tools, brushes, many compartments and locks wth a key. Used once, it's too tidy for me, but in perfect condition. I was told they sell for $75. Charging $50 and will only bring to Convention if someone is interested.

More bunnies later.

So Much to do and So Little Time

Pandemonium as a baby and all grown up.

Well, I finally have caught up with my cleaning and now have to get everything ready for Convention. I am re-stocking my grooming bag with clean tools, corn starch and baby powder, cable ties, wire and wire cutters, Vanodine spray, and hair scrunchies. Next, food cups and water bottles along with toys and hay. Last time I mixed up food for everyone with some extras included, measured out one cup per bunny per day and threw in a couple of extra scoops into a large, cleaned cat litter tub. I used it for a seat when I was sitting near the cages and put it on my rolling trolly so I could cart it around for each feeding. Bunnies need to be tempted by their favorite feed so they feel at home and don't stop eating.
What most people don't realize is that bunnies are cooped in cages by color, age and sex. This means that your rabbits could be spread out over many isles. It is best to put some kind of I.D. card on you cages when you set everyone up, so you can find them again. I entered 8 this time as that is how many risers I have right now and didn't feel like making any more. I will try to work on sale bunny photos today.