With the comment, "O Great Hunter! What a night!"
Wednesday morning I went outside for breakfast and to my frustration, there was a rabbit by that tunnel in my petunia garden. Rats, I thought. I guess we did not get that rabbit. I got my garden rake and went after him (actually "a her" More on that later). Carol had planned to send her 13-year-old grandson over for shooting practice as a treat. But he had a doctor's appointment so there was nothing I could do but take on the Mr. MacGregor persona and go after the rabbit. But those rabbits are fast. I had already worked out that morning but I got a second work out chasing the rabbit. Unbeknownst to me, another neighbor saw me and got quite a kick out of the sight. I sent this picture to my family.
With my focus on the rake and the rabbit, I'd not noticed Petra in her yard. "Are you chasing a rabbit?"
"Oh, yes, hi Petra. Yeah, the rabbit ate my beans and I really am irritated."
"If you want, I'll lift up the chicken wire and we can let the rabbit run into my yard."
"Oh," I said, "Thanks. That is nice of you but I really want to know how the rabbit is getting in the yard."
Then Petra went on, "I just can't kill anything. I am a pacifist. And the baby rabbits are just so cute."
I replied, "Well, not cute to me anymore, I must admit. I think there is a baby rabbit hiding somewhere and enjoying my lettuce. Just call me Lisa MacGregor."
So we laughed good-naturedly.
Petra said, "We have had to keep Ellie our cat inside as she killed one of the babies."
I looked at her and said, "Can you loan me Ellie for a few days?"
More light laughter.
Then she dropped the bomb.
"We had a dead rabbit in our yard last night."
I felt a wave of panic. "Oh?" I said innocently.
"Yes, I guess Frank got rid of it this morning as it was gone when I woke up."
I mumbled something and we talked about some other things. Inside, I adrenaline rushed as I thought, "Carol is bringing her grandson over for rabbit target practice. I have to get to my phone."
"Oh, Petra," I inquired, "So are you working today?" I wondered if she would be gone.
"No, I'll be around for a few days."
"Well," I said, "Thanks for offering to get the rabbit out of my yard to yours. I gotta go."
I got in the house, grabbed my phone and called Carol. "Carol! They know there was a dead rabbit in their yard last night."
"Oh no!" she said, "Do you think they suspect?"
"No, actually, I think they saw the rabbit but somehow missed our Italian hunter loping through their yard in the dusk."
"Whew, " she said, "That was close."
"But, Carol, " I said quickly, "Don't bring Garrison over. We need to lie low."
"Got it," she replied, "Keep me posted."
A few hours later, Ruthie another neighbor's dog who is the star of Part 3 of this sagas, somehow got in Petra's yard. Maybe she smelled rabbit blood. I was at the grocery store and Paula texted me, "There is a dog in my yard." I told her I was on my way home and I'd help her out.
I rushed home and realized it was Ruthie, Debbie's dog. I texted Debbie and we got Ruthie out of her yard. Then Petra said, "I found another dead rabbit in the front yard."
"Oh?" I said calmly, "That's odd."
"I don't know what is going on, a dead rabbit in the front and one in the back."
FOR THE RECORD, I had nothing to do with the "body" in the front yard. Well, after I thought about it, maybe I had secondary guilt. This might have been one of the seven rabbits The Italian Hunter picked off on his way home. Maybe the rabbit, injured had limped over to Petra's house, somehow knowing that house did not mind rabbits eating their lilies and grass and he could pass peacefully in the middle of their petunias?
For me though, I was cheering inside. One more down, heartless as I am.
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