The Name for my Pain

I finally caught her name. That strange little girl who showed up at Spiritways on Saturday, the one that I saw at the yard sale. Her name is Miranda.

And she's living in my basement.

No, I'm not kidding. I wish I were kidding.

I've been hearing quiet piano music off and on for over a week. I figured it was just Kumo playing the radio or something. But this evening, when I got home from taking my physiology final, Kumo wasn't home, and I could still hear faint strains of piano. So I started looking around, thinking maybe she'd just left a radio on.

As I got closer to the basement, the piano music got louder. I wandered down and THIS is what I found.

(click the picture to make it bigger, you have got to see this)

She's got a whole apartment down there!!!

I said, in my calmest, most eloquent manner:

"WHAT ON EARTH IS ALL THIS STUFF IN MY BASEMENT?!?!?!?"

"My livingroom" she replied, with a smile.

About that time, I heard Kumo come home. So I wandered back upstairs, still a little shocked, looking for sympathy. But that was not what I got. Our conversation went like this:

Me - "You're not going to believe what's in our basement."

Kumo -"Oh, you mean Miranda? She's GREAT!"

Me - ...... (blinking) "You KNEW she was down there?"

Kumo - "Well YEAH, didn't you hear the piano music? She's been there all week. Isn't she GREAT! She plays the best Tori Amos stuff. Oh! And she knows Journey songs too! Don't you love Journey? You should ask her to play you something!"

Me - "You KNEW she was living in our basement?"

Kumo - "Yeah! It's really nice of you too. You're a pretty cool brother sometimes."

Me - "It wasn't really my idea."

Kumo - "You're cute not to take credit. She said she met you at that yard sale, and said she was homeless and you said you had a big house with lots of space. It'll be cool having a roommate, hu?"

Me - ......

So, apparently I've done this to myself, though I'm still not really sure how.

Good thing I like piano music, I guess. And she just started playing "Open Arms", just for me. That's lovely.

Spiritways' 10th Anniversary Party!!

Yesterday was a busy day. And I missed the writers group... again.

Wendy was playing harp at Spiritways for their 10th anniversary celebration. I love Spiritways, it's one of my very favorite metaphysical shops, so I went along.

While Wendy played, I wandered around and checked everything out.

Of course, I immediately homed in on the carrots.

And the cake.

They had a "decorate your own cookie" station which looked delicious.

Maybe I shouldn't have gone to this event while hungry? Ah well. Anyway...

They also had candles, and very high quality essential oils.

How come there are dog headed Gods, but not a bunny headed one?

Their selection of crystals is phenomenal.

They also have a lot of fairy stuff, and while I was checking THAT out...

I spotted HER!


"What are YOU doing here?" I asked

"It sounded like an interesting event. Your friend is playing harp." She replied.

If I were a more paranoid bunny, I would think she was following me, but I'm sure it's just a coincidence. (shrug)

She asked me what I thought of one of the "fairy houses" and I said I thought it was very nice. All she said was "Oh, good!" with a great big smile. Weird.

Anyway, she pulled up a chair, and we were audience for Wendy's harp performance (which was GREAT!)

She vanished while Wendy was packing up her harp and we were getting ready to leave. I don't know where she went, but she took the little chair with her, and the fairy house she'd been looking at was also gone. I have no idea how she got them out of the store, she must've been there with someone. (shrug)

The evening was spent over at Blackjack and Gir's house, talking to them about setting up a bunny blog of their own, and the Halloween party and stuff. We're going horseback riding next weekend, which will be GREAT!

I don't know how I've managed to live a life where all my weekends are planned out a week in advance, but I guess it's okay. I think I just know a lot of great people, and I love getting to spend time with them.

Today is ALSO a super busy day, so I'd better get hopping. I'll take more pictures!

Lazy Day at Home

I have a paper to write for physiology (which is due tomorrow!), but that's about it in the homework department. I haven't felt much like going anywhere, and I haven't even been inspired to take any pictures. It's THAT lazy of a day.

Ivy came over about 3:30 and Kumo and I helped her out with her birdwatching project.

Her assignment was to watch a birdfeeder for half an hour and count how many birds came, and look up what kinds of birds they were. So we hung out on the kitchen counter and watched the house finches at the window feeder. The wind got really bad and it started to rain, so we gave up (and I don't think she saw nearly as many birds as she might have without a rainstorm coming on). As we were leaving, out the window I spotted a little white horse with black spots on it running around the garden, trying to keep from getting wet.

I've seen wild stuffie horses around here before, but not a white one, I don't think. It was like the one I saw Saturday, at Karen's house. Who knew they were so common?

Anyway, now we're back to kicking back around the house, doing not much. It's just a lazy day at home.

Filler Blog Entry

Sorry that this isn't a real blog entry. Between finals, and what's going on with some of my family members, I've been very busy lately.

Bleah.

So here are some pictures of my trip downtown last month. I was just there this morning to have brunch with my brother, Stan, but I didn't take pictures. It wasn't that kind of outing.

It's a pretty big city for a rabbit.

Anyway, real blog entry later. I have to tell you all about the dog trainer, and the puppies, and probably Stan. Thanks for understanding!

Horse Thief at the Yard Sale

I told Wendy's mom, Karen, that I'd come help at her yard sale today, so I missed the writers' group... again.

Wendy assurred me that nothing draws in crowds like a rabbit doing the hula.

But I'm pretty sure she was pulling my leg.

They had all kinds of stuff for sale. Books...


Old tools (I think they belonged to Wendy's Grandpa)...


All kinds of stuff. (Upon reading the back, I discovered that Buns of Steel, is in fact NOT a work out video to make you a stronger bunny. I'm glad I read the description before I bought it!)

Things were going pretty much exactly as you'd think a weekend yard sale would go, and then...

I spotted her walking up the driveway.

I said "Hi", and she said "Hi" but kept walking, right past me, straight to the box of stuffed animals, which she jumped up on and threw herself into.

I wandered over, and said: "Um, hi. Can I help you? What are you doing in the stuffed animal box?"

She smiled at me and said: "I'm sick of not having a home, so I'm throwing my fate to the winds, and selling myself at a yard sale. How much do I cost?"

"Excuse me?"

"The stuffed animal box. What's the price for things in this box, please?"

"Oh, they're twenty five cents."

"Excellent! I shall find a home for CERTAIN at that price! OH! Look at that!" and she was off digging in the box.

"Do you live here?" she asked me, while casually tearing the dress off another doll.

"No, I live a long way away from here. I'm just helping out today."

"Oh, what's your home like? Do you live with humans?"

"Well, I live in a huge house, with lots of wild plants and stuff all around. It's pretty quiet except for the occasional owl or coyote. And I live with two humans, but they're very nice."

"That sounds absolutely LOVELY!" she said, with a strangely enthusiastic tone to her voice.

Suddenly, she turned like she heard something behind her, tossed the dress to me, turned around and said "Oh, what have we here? Hello little fella!" And she started digging into the corner.

"Here now, you don't want to stay here, do you? Up we go!" I heard her muffled voice say to someone under a bunch of stuffed animals. And suddenly she appeared on the back of a white horse with black spots!

She rode over to me, and asked "My dress please?"

I handed it to her and the horse jumped out of the box.

"It was wonderful to meet you," she said riding away.

"It was wonderful to meet you too," I said. Then I realized, she hadn't really been sold. Nothing had changed for her! So, chasing after her, I asked "Hey, what about 'tossing your fate to the winds' and finding a new home?"

"I have," she said. "See ya!" and away she rode down the driveway.

Weird. Just plain weird.

Thankfully, we got rained out before any more weirdness could occur. We sold a bunch of stuff, and mostly had a good time.

Even if, since I let the stranger (I never did catch her name) ride away with the horse without paying, I ended up owing Karen twenty-five cents! D'oh!

Fine Farewell for the "Crocodile Hunter"

Crocodile Hunter Gage?

I heard on the radio that there would be a candlelight memorial for Steve Irwin, the "Crocodile Hunter" at the Denver Zoo tonight, and I knew I really wanted to go. With such short notice, I couldn't find anyone else to go with me, they all had other plans, even though a lot of people wanted to come along. So it was just me and Wendy at the Zoo.

I know Australians don't like rabbits, and I even understand why, but I think it's a different kind of rabbit than I am. Whether he liked rabbits or not, I really admired Steve Irwin, and everything he did for conservation and animals all over the world. I think it's a shame that he died so young, and I think the world has grown a little darker for his no longer being in it.

I didn't know how many people would be there, but it turned out to be a pretty good sized crowd. This is shortly after we got there, and a lot more showed up after we did.

It was all put together by a lovely lady called Coco, and her family. She said she just wanted people to have a chance to say "good-bye" to Steve Irwin, and I think that is a very kind thought for those of us who were big fans of his work.

She seemed like a nice lady, seemed to like rabbits, and even had a stuffie of her own in her shirt pocket!

One super nice thing Coco did was set up some posters for people to sign that will then be rolled up and mailed to the Australian Zoo.

In the crowd, I was spotted by the eagle eyes of a nice stuffie named Kane, who came up and said "hi".

Kane told me that he and his human packmate, Joy, just got back from vacationing for a week in Alaska. It sounds like he's had a bunch of great adventures, and I tried to encourage him to start a blog too, but I don't know if he will. Seemed like a very nice fellow though, and it's always nice to meet another traveling stuffie in a crowd.

Eventually, everyone lit their candles, and Coco stood up and gave a lovely speech about what had drawn us all there, the work Steve Irwin had done, and how he had touched so many lives.

She was absolutely right, he will be missed, and I am with her in the belief/hope that his work will continue.

There were lots of very sad children, some crying over the loss of the Crocodile Hunter. But there were also many who, when I talked to them, said they wanted to continue his work. So perhaps some of the next generation of conservationists and zoologists were standing there with us, in front of the Zoo entrance.

All in all, I can't imagine a better farewell for such a kind, and passionate person. Wherever you are, Mr. Irwin, I wish you all the best. You were deeply loved here, touched more lives than you probably knew, and I hope you had a moment to peek over and watch us in Denver, where we were all thinking about you and wishing healing and kindness towards your family.

Thank you Coco for putting this together. It was a lovely way to say "good-bye".

Gratuitous Cuteness

I have a final this afternoon that I'm not sure I'm ready for. So I'm going to go off and study until I have to go to school.

Since I'm stressed out beyond all imagining and don't have time to do a real entry, here is a gratuitously cute puppy picture for you.

The pups are almost completely weaned, nursing more for comfort than nutrition at this point I suspect, and they're becoming independent little monsters doggies all of their own. Voltaire plays with them, and in a doggie motherly way teaches them, but she's starting to want to spend more time with me than she was when they were smaller. So, Voltaire and I have gone back to sleeping on the couch, and the puppies just sleep all over the place, on the floor, in the office.

Last night, Musashi apparently decided to sleep in my jacket. So here's what I woke up to this morning.

Three more weeks and the puppies can go to their new homes!

Anyway, wish me luck on my final! Have a great Tuesday!