Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Just A Little Crazy
More often than not, I attend a rabbit show on the weekend. Before each show, it is my habit to go to the country store around the corner from my house (that would be a country corner - one mile to the stop sign, and about another mile to the store). They still pump gasoline there for you and still know most of their customers by name. They inquire about my parents or sister. And one member of the owner-family keeps up with how I do at the shows.
Last year when the final sweeps points were posted, I announced that I was 15th in the nation. I was so pleased. I got a very enthusiastic response. "Oh my gosh. That's amazing! You mean there are 14 people in this country crazier than you are?!?!?"
And what, exactly, do you say in response? He does have a point after all. You don't have to be crazy to show rabbits, but I think maybe it helps.
It is a little crazy, after all, to ride for hours with stacks of rabbit carriers in your vehicle. Although good feed, clean carriers, and absorbent material help a lot, there is a certain "fragrance" to traveling bunnies. And yet, I've come to associate that smell with the excitement of an upcoming show. "I love the smell of bunny in the morning!" I often say. (I can't say I'm quite as excited about the smell of bunny in the evening, however.)
And how crazy is this: I've even slept in the car with a bunch of bunnies and a traveling partner in a highway rest area. That was after Convention 2004, having spent the week in a luxurious penthouse suite. Talk about going from high to low!!
And it helps to be a little crazy if your hobby involves going out into the snow, sleet, driving rain, heat, and blustery wind - whatever nature has to offer 365 days per year. My favorite is working with water on the coldest day of the year. I can't seem to keep those fingers dry.
I knew I was truly crazy when I started driving to shows by myself. When I started out showing, I always went with a partner and, besides enjoying the company, there was safety in being with another adult. But, it didn't always work out that others in my area were going to shows I wanted to attend, so I learned to just go by myself or with my youngest child. It was especially crazy before I got my cell phone (I know, that was not a good idea). Never before bunnies would I have thought that a weekend trip from Virginia to Indiana, middle Georgia, or Kentucky was a normal thing to do.
I'll just skip talking about shoveling manure. The craziness in choosing a hobby with a huge manure component is just too obvious.
It's also crazy to go to a night show and put bunnies on the table until 2:00 a.m. - and then go pitch a tent for a campout. Been there, done that. And again, It's crazy to drive 10 hours, one way, to show just four bunnies. Been there, done that, too.
But for all of the craziness in showing rabbits, the best part is meeting all of the wonderful bunny people all over this region and across the nation. It's a lot of fun and I really enjoy it. Of course, it probably helps that they are all just a little crazy, too.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
Holland Lops Of Distinction
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Pet Rabbit Breeders, and Rabbit Fun ¶ 10:24 AM
Last year when the final sweeps points were posted, I announced that I was 15th in the nation. I was so pleased. I got a very enthusiastic response. "Oh my gosh. That's amazing! You mean there are 14 people in this country crazier than you are?!?!?"
And what, exactly, do you say in response? He does have a point after all. You don't have to be crazy to show rabbits, but I think maybe it helps.
It is a little crazy, after all, to ride for hours with stacks of rabbit carriers in your vehicle. Although good feed, clean carriers, and absorbent material help a lot, there is a certain "fragrance" to traveling bunnies. And yet, I've come to associate that smell with the excitement of an upcoming show. "I love the smell of bunny in the morning!" I often say. (I can't say I'm quite as excited about the smell of bunny in the evening, however.)
And how crazy is this: I've even slept in the car with a bunch of bunnies and a traveling partner in a highway rest area. That was after Convention 2004, having spent the week in a luxurious penthouse suite. Talk about going from high to low!!
And it helps to be a little crazy if your hobby involves going out into the snow, sleet, driving rain, heat, and blustery wind - whatever nature has to offer 365 days per year. My favorite is working with water on the coldest day of the year. I can't seem to keep those fingers dry.
I knew I was truly crazy when I started driving to shows by myself. When I started out showing, I always went with a partner and, besides enjoying the company, there was safety in being with another adult. But, it didn't always work out that others in my area were going to shows I wanted to attend, so I learned to just go by myself or with my youngest child. It was especially crazy before I got my cell phone (I know, that was not a good idea). Never before bunnies would I have thought that a weekend trip from Virginia to Indiana, middle Georgia, or Kentucky was a normal thing to do.
I'll just skip talking about shoveling manure. The craziness in choosing a hobby with a huge manure component is just too obvious.
It's also crazy to go to a night show and put bunnies on the table until 2:00 a.m. - and then go pitch a tent for a campout. Been there, done that. And again, It's crazy to drive 10 hours, one way, to show just four bunnies. Been there, done that, too.
But for all of the craziness in showing rabbits, the best part is meeting all of the wonderful bunny people all over this region and across the nation. It's a lot of fun and I really enjoy it. Of course, it probably helps that they are all just a little crazy, too.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
Holland Lops Of Distinction
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Pet Rabbit Breeders, and Rabbit Fun ¶ 10:24 AM
