Early in our marriage I had a notorious penchant for bringing cute animals home to the wife and kids...animals for which we became the "sole support." (They had to be sheltered, watered, and fed, just like us.)
One time, in the late 50's, we were living inChildress , Texas
On arrival home, and after the obligatory "ooh's and aah's" from the wife and some wide-eyed looks from my little son, we came back down to earth. Once the euphoria of what I had done--my rash action--- dawned on us, we began to realize: we have a responsibility here, caring for this little chick throughout its life---through the teen-age years on into an old-age chickenhood. Don't laugh---this was going through our minds. I realized I just wasn't really ready to be a "chicken dad." Also the domicile problem was a factor. Where do you put one? Not to even mention the "peep, peep, peeping," which was keeping us awake at might. He had his days and nights mixed up---as they say.
Accordingly, we began to search for a foster home for our chick. Yes, regrettably I had kinda "taken him home on approval," I guess. Maybe I was looking for some miracle to occur so we could be rid of this problem. Aha, it did. I looked outside and skating on the sidewalk was little nine-year-old Nancy, from across the street. Friends, don't ever say you don't believe in miracles.Nancy Nancy
So now I won't go into the long story of how our son later on received a small turtle for his birthday; or how one night I saw the cutest little beagle puppy in a pet shop window and impulsively took him home (for fifteen years.) Suffice it to say, we were about worn out with pets.
WHEN...and you won't believe this: one COLD January day, our exterminator Ernie came and serviced our property, including the backyard. On leaving, Ernie rang the door bell and I paid him, and he said: "Thought I ought to tell you, you've got a rabbit hopping around in your backyard---a big white one."
My mental reactions were thus: (1) White means a tame rabbit, (2) How did a rabbit get into our backyard? (3) We must have enemies. (4) Should I slay the messenger? We went around there and looked, and sure enough, Ernie was right. A white rabbit was hopping around "as big as Ike." It was a very cold January, and we tried until exhaustion to catch that rabbit and bring him into the warm house. Didn't work. So the wife made him a nice box lined with an old bathmat; took him water, carrots, and other rabbit food. He ignored the box and slept outside---he didn't eat much.
We didn't need this, for sure. We both worked and had kids to see after. We proceeded to implement what I will call "The Nancy Plan Variation: Rabbits." It went like this: my wife was a schoolteacher, a music teacher who saw a number of classes every day. Realizing the educational value to a child of having an animal, she asked her first class of 25 kids, "Would any of you like to have for your very own pet a nice big white hopping bunny rabbit?" Would you believe---twenty-five hands went up?!
By the luck of the draw, Eddie was selected as the new owner. Written permission came from his mother. (They were apparently animal collectors and raisers.) So one very cold evening after work, we finally caught that rabbit, though I don't remember how. We put him in a big box and delivered him to Eddie and his mom down on a street offSan Mateo
Maybe the moral to this is: if you have an enemy, whom you wish to cause problems, dump a rabbit in his backyard!
One time, in the late 50's, we were living in
On arrival home, and after the obligatory "ooh's and aah's" from the wife and some wide-eyed looks from my little son, we came back down to earth. Once the euphoria of what I had done--my rash action--- dawned on us, we began to realize: we have a responsibility here, caring for this little chick throughout its life---through the teen-age years on into an old-age chickenhood. Don't laugh---this was going through our minds. I realized I just wasn't really ready to be a "chicken dad." Also the domicile problem was a factor. Where do you put one? Not to even mention the "peep, peep, peeping," which was keeping us awake at might. He had his days and nights mixed up---as they say.
Accordingly, we began to search for a foster home for our chick. Yes, regrettably I had kinda "taken him home on approval," I guess. Maybe I was looking for some miracle to occur so we could be rid of this problem. Aha, it did. I looked outside and skating on the sidewalk was little nine-year-old Nancy, from across the street. Friends, don't ever say you don't believe in miracles.
So now I won't go into the long story of how our son later on received a small turtle for his birthday; or how one night I saw the cutest little beagle puppy in a pet shop window and impulsively took him home (for fifteen years.) Suffice it to say, we were about worn out with pets.
WHEN...and you won't believe this: one COLD January day, our exterminator Ernie came and serviced our property, including the backyard. On leaving, Ernie rang the door bell and I paid him, and he said: "Thought I ought to tell you, you've got a rabbit hopping around in your backyard---a big white one."
My mental reactions were thus: (1) White means a tame rabbit, (2) How did a rabbit get into our backyard? (3) We must have enemies. (4) Should I slay the messenger? We went around there and looked, and sure enough, Ernie was right. A white rabbit was hopping around "as big as Ike." It was a very cold January, and we tried until exhaustion to catch that rabbit and bring him into the warm house. Didn't work. So the wife made him a nice box lined with an old bathmat; took him water, carrots, and other rabbit food. He ignored the box and slept outside---he didn't eat much.
We didn't need this, for sure. We both worked and had kids to see after. We proceeded to implement what I will call "The Nancy Plan Variation: Rabbits." It went like this: my wife was a schoolteacher, a music teacher who saw a number of classes every day. Realizing the educational value to a child of having an animal, she asked her first class of 25 kids, "Would any of you like to have for your very own pet a nice big white hopping bunny rabbit?" Would you believe---twenty-five hands went up?!
By the luck of the draw, Eddie was selected as the new owner. Written permission came from his mother. (They were apparently animal collectors and raisers.) So one very cold evening after work, we finally caught that rabbit, though I don't remember how. We put him in a big box and delivered him to Eddie and his mom down on a street off
Maybe the moral to this is: if you have an enemy, whom you wish to cause problems, dump a rabbit in his backyard!
-------30-------
By Mil
5/5/12
Sent from my iPad
I used to have a hermit crab when I was little named Mr. Krabs. I always forgot to feed and give him water but somehow he lived for like 2 years, don't ask me how.
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