cute rats

As we hurried across the grass towards the parking lot, a squirrel seemed to be hurrying across the grass towards us!
Closer and closer it bounded until it was nearly at our feet, eyes locked on ours. Then standing on its hind legs it gazed hopefully up.
My co-worker spoke suddenly from just behind me. "I'm sort of scared of them," she said hesitantly.
"They're really just cute rats," I said by way of seeing her point of view.
Moments later as I sat behind the steering wheel looking right and left and back and forth before backing out of my parking spot, a small rabbit glanced mildly my way whilst thoughtfully chewing a long strand of grass just where I had walked moments before.
I wound down the windows of my car and joined the traffic pouring out of Abbotsford towards the freeway.
As I skimmed along past a marshy parkway, a squadron of Canadian Geese flying in very tight formation overhead was lowering landing gear. A flash of tail feather and wing and they were banking to the right, dropping down out of sight behind me.
I was reminded of the story of the Country Mouse and the City Mouse and the amazing way animals make themselves at home even as what is city and what is country blur.

stashed

I really love hand work.
I love to take bits of this and that, and snip and sew.
The screeching and honking of life waft up, up and away and I am left calmly and contentedly creating.
I had thought I was going to make a doll or two, but my scissors had other ideas.
A little felt, pigeon-toed rabbit with bright black eyes and soft, twitchy, pink nose seemed so much more inspired.
I am delighted to report that I had the absolutely most perfectly matching thread EVER in my stash.
And I had black beads for eyes.
And a little scrap of pink felt for the nose.
And tiny buttons to make joints so Bun could sit and stand and bend...
And I had stuffing. A nice big frothy bag of it.
And fabric scraps from my mothers scrap bag for the dress.
And I had ric-rac.
And even the crocheted flower.
Oh, and a pom pom for the tail in just the right color and just the right size! What are the odds I ask you?
Now that is a stash to be proud of.