Under the Maples Series
When I am sitting on the back porch taking a moment to reminisce, one of my favorite memories of Cornerstone is of the baby bunnies who grew up at the mansion six years ago in April.
We had raked leaves in the fall and created a big leaf pile near the sidewalk on Fremont Street for pick up. The leaves ended up being there all winter because the street department had been unable to make their last leaf pickup when winter set in early and everything froze to the ground.
Come spring, they were on the job. They swept by and picked up all of our leaves and I was glad to see them go. However, about 15 minutes later I got a phone call from the street department. They told me they found several baby bunnies running around their truck in those leaves. Since we were the only leaf pickup made before they returned to the garage they knew the bunnies were from Cornerstone. They asked me if I thought the mother would take them back. I told them I thought so if they didn’t touch them. They assured me they were using gloves to catch them and put them in a bucket. It wasn’t long before the two men returned with five little bunnies they found in the leaves. I had already went out and looked for the nest but there wasn’t much of it left, just a rabbit hole and not a very deep one. I pointed it out and watched as they gently put the five bunnies back in the nest. The men were still concerned that the mother might not return but my feeling was that she would. Mother’s don’t give up their young easily.
I prayed I was right because the little guys didn’t have there eyes open and were way too small to care for themselves. I was beginning to wonder if I was mistaken about the mother because she didn’t come back all day. However, the next morning when I arrived I noticed she had rebuilt her nest with her own fur and made her babies cozy again.
What fun to watch! I never did see the mother on the nest but the bunnies were getting bigger day by day and the nest was always intact. I stopped to see that nest every morning and evening for 8 days and then on the ninth morning, to my surprise, I saw all these shiny black eyes looking back at me. I was thrilled. They were thriving. I continued to watch them every day for the next four days but on the fifth morning the nest was empty. To my delight I caught glimpses of the mother and bunnies in the back yard all summer. The following spring she honored us with another bunch of bunnies and the legacy goes on as bunny rabbits seem to enjoy living at Cornerstone Mansion.
I have to say, ‘hats off’ to the street department that spring. They could have easily just written those baby bunnies off, but they took the time to bring them back and give them a chance. I let them know that the bunnies lived and became a happy part of the mansion family. The joys of spring and life’s precious renewal makes for such great memories.
That incident always cheers my heart. So often we are told how thoughtless people are and how uncaring, especially public servants. In truth, I have often found people care more than we think. You just have to give them an opportunity and their kindness will shine through.
I’d be remiss not to say that I enjoy spring immensely. I love watching the awakening of mother earth. It’s rewarding to watch the trees bud and blossom and the spring bulbs and other perennials peek their heads out of the earth and start growing again after their winter’s nap. I love driving to the country with my hubby and seeing the farm fields newly planted and tender seedling peeking above the ground. Soon it will be summer and these young shoots will be blessed by abundant sunshine that will bring them to maturity before the fall harvest. It’s a process worth watching. There is such a grand plan in place on this earth that it cannot help but cheer me. Now is the time for the fawns to visit in the backyard as they stay close beside their mothers and then there are the baby birds, baby squirrels, rabbits, and countless other signs of rebirth and renewal. I hope you take time to appreciate it or you will one day realize you missed many precious moments of life.
Cheers to all! I hope you have an amazing weekend and an opportunity to experience a special blessing before next week is over. I will look forward to sharing with you again very soon.
Quote for this Blog
The most important things in life aren't things.
Anthony J. D'Angelo
Inspirational Quotes
Genesis 8:22 While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.
Proverbs 12:10 - A righteous [man] regardeth the life of his beast: (and bunnies)
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