All Baby Bunnies

Enjoy! Regular posting to resume sometime, I promise. :)

Spot the Bunny :)

This little bunny needed some extra attention. So I'm a bit busy to do an actual post tonight. A better post tomorrow if I can manage it. :)

Hope in Pictures

Thank you for your words of encouragement. I lost a few more babies tonight in different litters, but I keep hoping that it will get better. I hope that you enjoy the bunny pictures. All of those pictured are healthy (at least, as far as I know).

Life's Up and Downs are a Real Bitch

First off, this is sort of a ranty post and sans pictures, so likely not any fun. Leave now if you're so inclined, I understand.

Every time I think that the herd is getting to the point where I can take everyone off the meds, I get a new outbreak. I've been fighting since New Year's and I swear if the cat sneezes one more time making me search in vain for the sick rabbit, I'm going to strangle her pretty little black and white neck. Hook, amazingly has determined that it is smarter to stay out of the scary woman's way. He's my new favorite right now.

I think the rabbits are getting better and then one relapses. Better yet, I have happy healthy babies one day and two dead babies the next. I'm talking about 19 day old babies people! Well past the age of instant death for no reason. I'm blaming the bacteria. I'm blaming the evil snot inducing, sneeze creating, makes me cry from frustration (I WANT TO KILL ALL THE BACTERIA RIGHT NOW) bacteria. I'm tired, I'm frustrated, I'm worried, I'm anxious, and I'm downright disgusted by all of the money I'm spending trying to make the bunnies better.

Which has made it really hard to concentrate on things like school, work, knitting, cooking, cleaning, or anything not involving sleeping. And in case you are wondering, that is really all I want to do or have wanted to do for about 3 weeks. I want to just give up, face the reaper, and sleep until it's all better. I know, I can't do that, but having the strength to keep fighting is really draining to me.

I finally rallied late last week, finishing some papers, taking some bunnies off the meds, cleaning my floors, doing a lot of much needed laundry. I even had time to really knit on my lace shawl this weekend and I'm on the edging now (picture to come soon). Saturday I was even feeling up to a little errand running/clearance shopping. And my friends, I found some great deals. I was all excited to come home, and then I nearly ended up as pineapple upside down cake on the side of the road.

I know, I need to be more careful. I know that it was icy. I know that going the speed and not panicking are important. I know that trying to turn the wheel to correct the direction on ice is a bad idea, but I did it anyway. A full 360 degrees, and much "shitshitshitshitshitshit" later, I was on a small outlet leading in to a subdivision about 2 miles from my house. I was fine, the van was fine, even my four pounds of kiwi fruits weren't bruised, yet I'm still upset by the experience.

Some time ago, I had my first car accident. I hydroplaned on a country round, spun 180 degrees, and rolled onto my driver's side in a very muddy cornfield. I had nightmares about the mud splattering up my window for weeks and being in a similar situation brought all of the old emotions back.

And when I think that I am finally getting everything back to as normal as my life usually is, I find two dead 19 day old babies when I go out to the barn. I'm just not sure how much more I can handle. Every time I think I've reached my limit, I reach a little deeper and come up holding more. I hear song's like "Bring On the Rain" and I think, I can do this. I can handle it. I look into the faces of my sweet bunnies and I try not to cry at having to kill some of them. I see hope in my pregnant does and I wish against all hope that this damn bacteria would finally let me have some peace. I just need them to be well for a few months, just to get my strength back, to give me more hope than what I can find in the fleeting moments I see it in the barn.

I'm heading up to Michigan this weekend for a two-day rabbit show and convention. My goal is to recharge my batteries, have a little fun with Kristi, and come back resolved to make as much right as I can in my life. I just need to hang on until then.

And even though I may not be commenting, I am reading your blogs, and I am thinking of you all. Thank you for letting me vent, and I'm sort of surprised if you made it this far.

Better

Just a quick post to let you know that things are looking better in the bunny barn. Very few new cases, and most of the rabbits have come through this with little to no wear. I'm still "doctoring" a few and will have to let a few go if the Sulfa drugs don't start working soon. On the whole though, it is a much healthier bunny herd. There are even a few signs of new life (aka, new babies). I was worried that I would lose all of my litters, but bunnies are more resilient than I tend to think they are.

I'm still knitting, but I have several papers due on Monday. My posts will be spotty at best and most likely very short until sometime next week. Hopefully I'll have some pictures of healthy bunnies to share in the next few days.

I'm taking a break

I've had some bad news. It just confirmed what I already knew, but was trying to deny. I have a very contagious respiratory infection in the rabbit herd. I'm fighting it and have been for a while, but I just can't handle blogging for a few days while I try to minimize the damage.

Hang in there, I know I am. I'll be back when I can compose a coherent post and come to terms with what is going on the bunny barn. They've been my life for 14 years and it's hard to watch them get sick knowing that my injections aren't really working.

What I'm Working On

Knitting wise:

1 sweater for me
1 pair of socks for Will (stalled until I can get better measurements)
1 lace shawl


School wise:
1 paper due Monday
1 Plan of Study due by May 1
1 research idea
2 projects that are due over the semester





Bunny wise:
1 specialty show on Sat.
2 shows on Sun.
24+ rabbits, all of their paraphenalia, and anything else for the shows
All of the paperwork that goes with running said show on Sat.





What does all of this equal? One frazzled Knitter Bunny.





Oh, and lace, ignoring it all to knit lace. ;)



PS, my Loopy Ewe order came today. As before, FAST shipping. I ordered it on Saturday night. She filled my order and shipped it off on Monday. Sorry about the secrecy, when I see if the project will work and ship it off (IF it works), I'll see about letting you in on the fun. ;)