In Virginia, squirrels are the ubiquitous yard rodent. We have squirrels in Iowa City, too, but more often than not, the daily visitors are rabbits, instead. Even before we planted a garden, they seemed to be everywhere.
When I first moved here, I thought they were adorable. I’ve always had an affinity for rabbits, and a rabbit sighting causes me to speak in the same high-pitched voice triggered by little girls dressed in ballerina costumes or schnauzer puppies. It’s not pretty, but it’s unintentional.
When I was four years old, I emerged from my bedroom on Easter morning to find a Steiff rabbit puppet topping off the pastel basket stashed outside my door. I promptly named her Bun, and announced not long after that I loved her so much, I would like to be buried with her. I was a child of the Hyperbolic Age.
A few years later, my parents and I were at a butcher shop when I saw a familiar-shaped piece of meat. “What’s that?” I asked Mom.
“That’s rabbit,” she said.
Rabbit? People actually ate rabbit? People actually ate…Bun? This thoroughly disgusted and horrified me.
I suppose I should have known that rabbits were edible—Beatrix Potter’s books were some of my favorites when I was growing up, and she makes it very clear that Peter Rabbit’s mother is a single parent because Daddy Rabbit ended up in Mrs. McGregor’s pie. Maybe I just wasn’t reading with good comprehension, but this never troubled me nearly as much as actually seeing the flayed rabbit carcass in the meat case.
Times change, though, and yesterday’s blue-jacketed book character has now turned into our nemesis. I never thought I’d be on Mr. McGregor’s side.
During our gardening lesson at Maggie and Heal’s, they shared with us some unique ideas of how to repel rabbits. Of course, the easiest way would be to try some sort of fence.
I figured we’d at least have a few weeks of blissful growing before we’d have to worry about feeding the bunnies. No such luck—on the second night of gardening, I looked over into the neighbor’s yard, where sat, to my great chagrin, a rabbit. It just hung out there for awhile, as if he or she had an interest in garden construction.
To the rabbits of Iowa City, I say this: I might not be capable of harming a bunny, but you don’t know that. As far as you should be concerned, Peter was lucky and Mr. McGregor was slow. Watch yourselves.
on May 30th, 2006 at 10:47 pm
I’m enjoying your blog a lot. I’m going to take a wild guess: did you by chance move to Iowa to attend the Iowa Writers Workshop?
on May 31st, 2006 at 7:38 am
Hee hee, I’m going to be in Iowa City tomorrow. I could try and run over a bunny or two while I’m there. Oh, I don’t think I’d actually have the heart to do it on purpose. They are the little buggers though, aren’t they?
on May 31st, 2006 at 10:28 am
You need a Jack Russell Terrier, best rabbit repellent ever, unless she’s sleeping or not in the mood to chase rabbits.
on Jun 1st, 2006 at 10:25 pm
Steven, I’m hoping for a miniature schnauzer, actually! We’ll see…Steve and I are still in the discussion phase on that front. But they’re bred as ratters, so probably also good with rabbits. Hmm…
:-) Genie
on Jun 1st, 2006 at 10:26 pm
Oh, and Sugar Creek, did you see any bunnies while you were in I.C. today?
:-) Genie
on Jun 2nd, 2006 at 7:48 am
Not one bunny was sighted. Guess they’re all in your backyard :)
on Jun 2nd, 2006 at 7:53 am
Claire,
Hi…pretty close on the guessing front. I moved here for the MFA program in Nonfiction Writing; the program is actually separate from the Workshop which is strictly fiction and poetry. Genie’s the fiction writer and is taking a workshop class this summer.
on Jun 2nd, 2006 at 9:34 am
Genie,
Glad to see you are taking advantage of your backyard. However, I disagree that you are on the side of Mrs. McGreggor, at least not until you go all the way. Try this link:http://www.m4040.com/Survival/Skills/Hunting%20and%20Snaring/Snares/Rabbit%20Snare.htm
yours, Moneypenny
on Jun 7th, 2006 at 7:55 pm
[...] Somehow I skipped right over Sunday's Green Thumb column in The Press-Citizen, our local newspaper, but I noticed it while browsing news of our primary election results today. Judy Terry lists some (mostly) deer-proof perennials, and also provides a few suggestions on how to keep rabbits out of the garden. [...]
on Aug 21st, 2006 at 5:46 am
[...] On Friday evening, I came home, and he was there again. “I am tired of these <insert word made famous by Sam Jackson> rabbits in my <insert word made famous by Sam Jackson> yard!” I yelled, before throwing a pair of scissors in his direction. [...]
on Oct 12th, 2006 at 10:36 am
Rabbit kinda tastes like chicken, only it’s a little more bony. You really have to buy a BIG rabbit (like the ones they raise in South America) to get a fair amount of meat. It’s funny when a cooked rabbit is presented at the dinner table. People get the impression you’ve grabbed somebody’s kitty cat and roasted it. Then you tell them it’s not a kitty but a bunny wabbit and they’re still horrified. :)
Ever have rabbit brains? They’re squishy.
I like your blog.
cheers!
on Oct 12th, 2006 at 7:36 pm
Vincent, I have to say that I’ve heard the rabbit-chicken comparison, but don’t quite have the knowledge to back it up. I’m going to believe you. But I’m sure that, unless I’m tricked, I’m going to avoid eating rabbit brains…
Thanks for visiting and please come by anytime!
on May 4th, 2007 at 12:22 am
Disgusting idiot
on May 6th, 2007 at 4:56 pm
Oh, Dawn…it’s important to keep a sense of humor about these things. :-)