Winter Fun

One of the many things I enjoy about winter is . . .

OK, that’s a lie. Rule #1: never begin a blog post with a lie.

The only thing I like about winter is seeing animal tracks in the snow.

When I go out for my regular winter walks, I . . .

I’m sorry, that’s another lie.

When I look out my window I can see lots of different tracks and I have fun figuring out what they are. This winter I’ve seen bird tracks and squirrel tracks and what look to be the tracks of mid-sized Goblins and at least two Leprechauns and . . .

Sorry.

Bird tracks and squirrel tracks and mouse tracks and a bunch of dog tracks and rabbit tracks. The rabbit tracks were very easy for me to identify because I have a little patio that’s surrounded by a tall hedge and I see rabbits – or it could be the same rabbit, I don’t know – hiding under there all the time. I’m guessing she/he/they are hiding from the owl I hear periodically. Anyway, it snowed Sunday night and so yesterday afternoon I went out there to shovel off the patio and I looked out and saw a bunch of rabbit tracks just outside the door that leads out of my living room to the little patio. It’s a drafty door and I guessed that the rabbit(s?) might huddle there when it’s dark because it’s a degree or two warmer? Hopefully warmth is all that’s on his mind because you really have to remember to be careful of rabbits. Yes, they’re cute and cuddly, like who doesn’t love Hazel and Bigwig, but they’re also, on occasion, deadly.

That clip isn’t enough to convince you of the danger rabbits pose to humanity? OK, try this one on for size.

You’ve gotta be careful around them.

I just saw Jonathan Winters on a Johnny Carson repeat on Antenna TV the other night. The show was from 1976 and and Jonathan mentioned rabbits when talking about his health: “I’m big on lettuce. I have a thing about rabbits. I love them and they’re “active” creatures and if that’s what they eat, that’s what I eat.”

So go eat like a rabbit.