Friday, November 17, 2006
Lessons From The Dark Game
Last night for Family Night, we played the Dark Game. Essentially, it is Sardines played indoors in the dark. One person hides while the rest of the family counts. Then we search for the one hiding. If we find the person, we hide with them until only one person remains. By then, we generally start to giggle and are easily found.
It's generally a lot of fun. Unless Scamp is licking you in the face when you are supposed to be hiding. Toes don't fare too well, as you walk around in the dark stubbing them at every opportunity. But as long as we've been playing this game, six years so far, it never fails to please.
Over time, we've refined the rules to make it more fun. We never play it during daylight savings time. We've learned that during a new moon is best. We now know how many items in our house have lights on them: computers, clocks, smoke detectors, stereos, heaters, microwave, and much more. We know it's more of a challenge if the blinds are down and the lights are off in the barn.
We also know that counting at a medium pace to 50 is usually enough time for someone to hide well. At any time, a player may call out another seeker's name and they must answer - unless they've found the hider. Outside and the attic are out-of-bounds. Lydia's room is off limits (it's a death trap!).
As I played, I thought about some good lessons that can be applied to rabbits (yes, my mind does work a bit like that these days).
First, a complicated process can be refined over time to make it better. I remember losing more kits in the beginning, for example. Yes, I made one big change that made a difference (dropping oats) , but I think I made a lot of small changes, too, that made a difference as well. In the beginning, I had to think about every process, but now, I know when I put in nest boxes, when I worm, when we put up the plastic on the barn walls, when to clean the fans, how much feed to buy, what needs to stay in my rabbit show crate so that packing for a show is not a hassle, and so much more.
Second, when the same things don't work anymore, we have to continually be creative. You can only hide in the shower so many times before that trick doesn't work anymore. You can only breed the same buck and doe together so many times before that opportunity has passed and you need to look for other good matches. So, while we refine our processes and make things more the same, we have to continually rethink our breeding program since the cast of characters is constantly changing. Just when you have a handle on who breeds well with whom, your doe ages out or your buck is replaced by a better son.
Third, it's amazing how much you can tell without the aid of your eyes. Lydia felt under a table and found my foot. We heard the van bench crash when Lydia knocked it over. I felt Scamp's smooches. We heard Andrew laugh when we were two feet away and couldn't find him (standing up on Daniel's bed in the corner).
I've noticed lately that when I evaluate rabbits, I often will take some time to close my eyes and really feel of the bunny. How a rabbit looks is really important. But I think that how the rabbit feels might be even more important. That's debatable to be sure, but with my eyes closed, I concentrate on the width of the shoulder versus the hips, the length of the shoulder, the fullness or hollowness at the hips, the turn over the hip, the fullness or lack thereof at the lowest part of the hindquarter. I feel for good flesh condition, fur density, and an overall sense of fullness.
So, the Dark Game may have some good lessons for us rabbit breeders. But the biggest lesson of all may be to take time out in life just to have some fun.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry “Home Of Grand Champions”
Precious Pet Rabbits
Affordable Web Site Design
¶ 8:09 AM
It's generally a lot of fun. Unless Scamp is licking you in the face when you are supposed to be hiding. Toes don't fare too well, as you walk around in the dark stubbing them at every opportunity. But as long as we've been playing this game, six years so far, it never fails to please.
Over time, we've refined the rules to make it more fun. We never play it during daylight savings time. We've learned that during a new moon is best. We now know how many items in our house have lights on them: computers, clocks, smoke detectors, stereos, heaters, microwave, and much more. We know it's more of a challenge if the blinds are down and the lights are off in the barn.
We also know that counting at a medium pace to 50 is usually enough time for someone to hide well. At any time, a player may call out another seeker's name and they must answer - unless they've found the hider. Outside and the attic are out-of-bounds. Lydia's room is off limits (it's a death trap!).
As I played, I thought about some good lessons that can be applied to rabbits (yes, my mind does work a bit like that these days).
First, a complicated process can be refined over time to make it better. I remember losing more kits in the beginning, for example. Yes, I made one big change that made a difference (dropping oats) , but I think I made a lot of small changes, too, that made a difference as well. In the beginning, I had to think about every process, but now, I know when I put in nest boxes, when I worm, when we put up the plastic on the barn walls, when to clean the fans, how much feed to buy, what needs to stay in my rabbit show crate so that packing for a show is not a hassle, and so much more.
Second, when the same things don't work anymore, we have to continually be creative. You can only hide in the shower so many times before that trick doesn't work anymore. You can only breed the same buck and doe together so many times before that opportunity has passed and you need to look for other good matches. So, while we refine our processes and make things more the same, we have to continually rethink our breeding program since the cast of characters is constantly changing. Just when you have a handle on who breeds well with whom, your doe ages out or your buck is replaced by a better son.
Third, it's amazing how much you can tell without the aid of your eyes. Lydia felt under a table and found my foot. We heard the van bench crash when Lydia knocked it over. I felt Scamp's smooches. We heard Andrew laugh when we were two feet away and couldn't find him (standing up on Daniel's bed in the corner).
I've noticed lately that when I evaluate rabbits, I often will take some time to close my eyes and really feel of the bunny. How a rabbit looks is really important. But I think that how the rabbit feels might be even more important. That's debatable to be sure, but with my eyes closed, I concentrate on the width of the shoulder versus the hips, the length of the shoulder, the fullness or hollowness at the hips, the turn over the hip, the fullness or lack thereof at the lowest part of the hindquarter. I feel for good flesh condition, fur density, and an overall sense of fullness.
So, the Dark Game may have some good lessons for us rabbit breeders. But the biggest lesson of all may be to take time out in life just to have some fun.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry “Home Of Grand Champions”
Precious Pet Rabbits
Affordable Web Site Design
¶ 8:09 AM
