Of Mice and Men...and Cats and Rabbits

A few weeks ago we started noticing a bad smell whenever we used the oven. Although the oven and broiler appeared clean, I wiped them down. I flipped up the stovetop and scrubbed underneath all the burners. Nothing I did seemed to help. Finally Dan got in on the act and was able to pull the oven away from the wall.

A hole! We concluded that a mouse was getting into the house, but if it was in our oven, where was it?

Dan got out his tools and went about the unpleasant business of taking the oven apart. What he found was a little mouse nest in the insulation between the oven and the panel underneath the stove burners. Fortunately he found no actual damage, and no dead mice - only droppings and urine. But he also found a little stash of acorns.

So...is my cooking not good enough for a mouse, that it felt compelled to bring its own food? Or are toasted acorns a rodent delicacy? (They had cracked and cooked in the heat.)

Anyway, the hole is now repaired, the oven insulation pored through and interior surfaces scrubbed with baking soda, so I should be able to resume baking as usual. All of this, however, calls into question the usefulness of our cat.

Pixel is eighteen years old and has long considered himself "retired" from such bothersome duties as chasing vermin, but we suspect our rodent visitor may also have been eating his food. Poor old gato. In his youth he would slip outside and catch squirrels and now he can't even be bothered to defend his food bowl.

Interestingly, it was Cadbury who alerted us with a thump two nights ago that the mouse had chewed through Dan's first attempt at blocking the mouse hole. Now if only Cadbury could catch mice...

Monday Bunday: Having It All

There are just some days when you want it all. It may not be a realistic aspiration, but it's important to dream big, especially when you're a small rabbit.

Have an ambitious week, everyone!

Monday Bunday: Post-Valentine Check-In

It was another busy weekend here at the house of Cadbury. I wrote three new stories, one of which I sent off to a contest, the other two are here and here.

My Saturday long run was cold, but at least not windy. After three weeks of excellent garage sale luck, I struck out this time. That's not surprising, though. It's actually pretty unusual for me to find stuff I like that's small enough to carry home and also worth the trouble. But plotting my routes around garage sales has really helped renew my interest in these outings. I've been doing this for ten years now and I find myself struggling for new route ideas.

Cadbury has some cilantro, parsley, and lettuce sprouting in pots on the porch, and I'm anxiously checking my potato bed each day, hoping the rain didn't ruin them. I meant to plant chard this weekend but ran out of time, due to a late start on the Sunday shopping, then household chores and baking, and a long spin and weight session. Well, there's always next week.

Don't worry, Cadbury. You'll get your chard!



















I'm not worried. I like hanging out under this chair, though. The world is a scary place and I feel safe here.

Happy Monday, everyone!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day!


















What have we here?














Are you sure you didn't intend these for someone else?


















Okay, then. Happy Valentine's to you, too!

May everything come up roses for you today, friends!

Fats: Hard to Say Goodbye

Some of you may remember that last year Fats, one of the bunnies of Potentially Nervous was ill. With the excellent care of his bunny mom, Alice, he rallied for awhile and returned to upstate New York, where he played in the countryside that he loved.














He recently lost his fight, though. We'll miss his big personality and big fluffy self.


































If you haven't already done so, this is a great time to hop on over to Potentially Nervous and see some pics and videos of Fats and Alice's other amazing bunnies. You can also go to Alice's store and get a bunny screen saver that includes fun pictures of Fats. It gives me lots of smiles, and who doesn't want that? Bunnies Bustin' Out All Over

Monday Bunday: Game Day Treat!

Cadbury hopes everyone enjoyed yesterday's big game, whether Super Bowl or Puppy Bowl. Here he is demonstrating the correct way to enjoy a game day snack.

First, select something tasty but healthy.















Next, position it correctly for easy eating.















And finally...indulge!















Cadbury wasn't much interested in which puppies won yesterday's game, but he sure had eyes for those bunny cheerleaders!

For me, the day was all about baking, potato-planting and a good spin session. I'm not one for games or TV. It takes all kinds.

Have a great week!

Monday Bunday: Weatherbun

After some very pleasant weather - sunshine, temps in the sixties and seventies - a front blew in on Friday and it's winter again here in Houston. I had a miserably cold run on Saturday, but it was worth it because I scored at a Galleria-area garage sale.

It looks like cooler temperatures are staying with us for a little while, as is the rain. Typical winter for us.

So in memory of the bright and sunny weekend before last, here are a couple of pictures of Cadbury getting out and enjoying some lovely weather:






























Have a great week, everybun!