The Nature Trail Rabbitry BLOG
Monday, May 21, 2007
Sandhills Picnic Show, May 19, 2007
I have to make one comment about the Sandhills Club before I talk about the show. They always make every effort to put on the best show possible. The club always attends to every detail they can think of and take the time to evaluate how things went and make things even better for next year.
This show was no exception. Nature provided them with a very nice day and they took care of the rest.
I arrived to see the show secretary smiling and all dressed up in her luau attire. I received a lei, but was glad I didn't try to dress up for the beach - the morning was a bit chilly (much better than being too hot, as we said many times during the day).
There was music and food, fun decorations, and a nice, relaxing atmosphere. The kids got hula hoops for Best of Breed awards. What a great idea.
The only disappointment was that there weren't enough Hollands for legs in every class. I think there were only four legs instead of eight. I took three classes, but only came home with one leg. Oh well. Next year, we'll have to coordinate better to make sure there are a minimum of five in each class.
That one leg was for Lex, my young broken senior buck. He was Best Opposite Sex to Janice Jones' gorgeous black junior doe, Voodoo.
The show was not sanctioned for Hollands. Yes, the leg counts, but the quality point won't. That was nice, too, because there was definitely no pressure on anyone's part to care about points or the big picture. It was all about being in the moment and enjoying the day.
I also showed my new Light Gray Flemish Junior Buck! He got really good comments. I really love that rabbit. He's just like a huge teddy bear. So sweet. Thanks, Charles, for my trio. I love them!
The show was the first of the Master Breeder contest being held by Sandhills this year. The total points earned by breeders in the Picnic Show, their main show in September at the Greensboro Fair, and their Christmas Charity Show will be added together. There will be an award for the exhibitor with the most combined points.
¶ 8:44 AM 0 comments links to this post
This show was no exception. Nature provided them with a very nice day and they took care of the rest.
I arrived to see the show secretary smiling and all dressed up in her luau attire. I received a lei, but was glad I didn't try to dress up for the beach - the morning was a bit chilly (much better than being too hot, as we said many times during the day).
There was music and food, fun decorations, and a nice, relaxing atmosphere. The kids got hula hoops for Best of Breed awards. What a great idea.
The only disappointment was that there weren't enough Hollands for legs in every class. I think there were only four legs instead of eight. I took three classes, but only came home with one leg. Oh well. Next year, we'll have to coordinate better to make sure there are a minimum of five in each class.
That one leg was for Lex, my young broken senior buck. He was Best Opposite Sex to Janice Jones' gorgeous black junior doe, Voodoo.
The show was not sanctioned for Hollands. Yes, the leg counts, but the quality point won't. That was nice, too, because there was definitely no pressure on anyone's part to care about points or the big picture. It was all about being in the moment and enjoying the day.
I also showed my new Light Gray Flemish Junior Buck! He got really good comments. I really love that rabbit. He's just like a huge teddy bear. So sweet. Thanks, Charles, for my trio. I love them!
The show was the first of the Master Breeder contest being held by Sandhills this year. The total points earned by breeders in the Picnic Show, their main show in September at the Greensboro Fair, and their Christmas Charity Show will be added together. There will be an award for the exhibitor with the most combined points.
¶ 8:44 AM 0 comments links to this post
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Knoxville, TN, May 12, 2007
This was an absolutely crazy week. And it seemed to get crazier as the week went by. Why I thought I could squeeze in a show in Tennesee, I have no idea. Well, now that it's over, I'm glad I did.
This show wasn't wildly successful for me, but I did get one very important thing done: I granded Lex. He's the broken buck out of Java who was BIS as a junior in Columbia, SC, three weeks ago. Lex turned senior two days after that show, so he's still just six months old. He granded with a BOSG - over Merlin! Lex now has seven legs.
I also got two more legs on Jocasta, a solid junior doe out of Lord and Padme. She was just a couple days past four months old, so she's got time to chalk up some more junior legs before she turns senior.
Jocasta is a very important rabbit to my herd and to my goals. Both of her parents AND all of her grandparents are The Nature Trail's grand champions. If Jocasta grands, which looks like a distinct possibility, she'll be my first third generation of all grand champions. That means she could be the mother of my first grand champion with an all-grand-champion pedigree.
Of course, I still need to produce a compatible male with the same credentials. The logical choice would be her brother Padawan. He got great comments yesterday but lost out to the BOB rabbit of Gary & Susan Smith (gorgeous solid junior buck who was BOS last weekend in Ohio). Well, theirs will be turning senior soon and Padawan has nearly two more months to collect some junior legs. He'll have his day, I think.
I have another doe coming up in another month - Legacy - who is out of Panache and Lord. She's another candidate for moving my project forward another generation. She also has a promising brother. His name is Nash (yes, that comes from Panache).
Okay, back to the crazy week. Friday was Sarah's prom. Who knew that it took 8 hours to get an already beautiful girl ready to go to the prom? After she finally left about 8:30, I still had rabbits to pack. I got about one hour of solid sleep. Thanks to Angel, who comes to our room, whines to get on the bed, scratches around because she's so nesty after having her puppies, then thinks she hears them, tears down the hallway, finds out it's nothing, comes back and whines to get back on the bed.
I finally just got up and prepared to leave the house early. It was 2:30 a.m. About that time, Sarah came home from the after prom party, glowing and full of stories to tell. Anna and I got on the road a little after 3:00 a.m.
We arrived at the show in plenty of time. The turnout was lower than usual, so it was a very relaxed pace show - maybe a little too relaxed.
I worked with tans for the very first time. I definitely learned some things.
I showed my Flemish for the very first time, too. She got really good comments, though she's still too young to really compete.
We finished up around 2:30. We packed up and started to leave. I stopped in the parking lot to call my brother, whom I was planning to have supper with in Kentucky after the show. It's a good thing. I got a tap on the window. I had just won a drawing and if I didn't get in there now they were going to redraw. I want a large breed single carrier with a carpet grooming top! Actually, since I was the first ticket drawn, I had my choice of a large 1, medium double, or small breed quad! I believe there's a water bottle and two dishes in there, too!
Cool.
So, Anna and I got a tiny bit lost but eventually ended up in the right now in the corner of Kentucky. We had some Mexican food with my brother and then hit the road.
Believe it or not, we managed to get home just a little after 10:00 p.m. I think that's enough for one day. Don't you?
Laurie ¶ 9:02 AM 0 comments links to this post
This show wasn't wildly successful for me, but I did get one very important thing done: I granded Lex. He's the broken buck out of Java who was BIS as a junior in Columbia, SC, three weeks ago. Lex turned senior two days after that show, so he's still just six months old. He granded with a BOSG - over Merlin! Lex now has seven legs.
I also got two more legs on Jocasta, a solid junior doe out of Lord and Padme. She was just a couple days past four months old, so she's got time to chalk up some more junior legs before she turns senior.
Jocasta is a very important rabbit to my herd and to my goals. Both of her parents AND all of her grandparents are The Nature Trail's grand champions. If Jocasta grands, which looks like a distinct possibility, she'll be my first third generation of all grand champions. That means she could be the mother of my first grand champion with an all-grand-champion pedigree.
Of course, I still need to produce a compatible male with the same credentials. The logical choice would be her brother Padawan. He got great comments yesterday but lost out to the BOB rabbit of Gary & Susan Smith (gorgeous solid junior buck who was BOS last weekend in Ohio). Well, theirs will be turning senior soon and Padawan has nearly two more months to collect some junior legs. He'll have his day, I think.
I have another doe coming up in another month - Legacy - who is out of Panache and Lord. She's another candidate for moving my project forward another generation. She also has a promising brother. His name is Nash (yes, that comes from Panache).
Okay, back to the crazy week. Friday was Sarah's prom. Who knew that it took 8 hours to get an already beautiful girl ready to go to the prom? After she finally left about 8:30, I still had rabbits to pack. I got about one hour of solid sleep. Thanks to Angel, who comes to our room, whines to get on the bed, scratches around because she's so nesty after having her puppies, then thinks she hears them, tears down the hallway, finds out it's nothing, comes back and whines to get back on the bed.
I finally just got up and prepared to leave the house early. It was 2:30 a.m. About that time, Sarah came home from the after prom party, glowing and full of stories to tell. Anna and I got on the road a little after 3:00 a.m.
We arrived at the show in plenty of time. The turnout was lower than usual, so it was a very relaxed pace show - maybe a little too relaxed.
I worked with tans for the very first time. I definitely learned some things.
I showed my Flemish for the very first time, too. She got really good comments, though she's still too young to really compete.
We finished up around 2:30. We packed up and started to leave. I stopped in the parking lot to call my brother, whom I was planning to have supper with in Kentucky after the show. It's a good thing. I got a tap on the window. I had just won a drawing and if I didn't get in there now they were going to redraw. I want a large breed single carrier with a carpet grooming top! Actually, since I was the first ticket drawn, I had my choice of a large 1, medium double, or small breed quad! I believe there's a water bottle and two dishes in there, too!
Cool.
So, Anna and I got a tiny bit lost but eventually ended up in the right now in the corner of Kentucky. We had some Mexican food with my brother and then hit the road.
Believe it or not, we managed to get home just a little after 10:00 p.m. I think that's enough for one day. Don't you?
Laurie ¶ 9:02 AM 0 comments links to this post
Friday, May 11, 2007
Summer BLOG Break
It's time already for a summer BLOG break. Between now and mid-August, there will be occasional posts. Mostly the posts will be show reports. Occasionally I may post other information or news. I'll post progress on our two new puppies that were born on Tuesday.
Have fun this summer. Enjoy your rabbits, your family, and opportunities to be outdoors. And come back in the fall, refreshed and ready for another show season!
Laurie ¶ 10:25 AM 0 comments links to this post
Have fun this summer. Enjoy your rabbits, your family, and opportunities to be outdoors. And come back in the fall, refreshed and ready for another show season!
Laurie ¶ 10:25 AM 0 comments links to this post
Send A Note
I received an email saying that Cathy Patrick is in the hospital again. As far as I understand, she's undergoing another round of chemo. Each one gets worse.
Cathy is the district 8 director and an ARBA judge. She has a great rapport with rabbits and people alike.
If you would like to express your support for Cathy, please send her a card. Since hospital stays are unpredictable in length, you might want to send it to her home. I'm sure Bill will make sure she gets it.
Don't feel that you need to be a personal friend of Cathy's to send a card. Just sign your name and add your rabbitry - she'll know that she's getting an outpouring of love and support from the rabbit community.
Cathy Patrick
618 Horning Road
Atwater, OH 44201
Thanks, Roman, for giving me the heads-up.
Laurie
¶ 9:54 AM 0 comments links to this post
Cathy is the district 8 director and an ARBA judge. She has a great rapport with rabbits and people alike.
If you would like to express your support for Cathy, please send her a card. Since hospital stays are unpredictable in length, you might want to send it to her home. I'm sure Bill will make sure she gets it.
Don't feel that you need to be a personal friend of Cathy's to send a card. Just sign your name and add your rabbitry - she'll know that she's getting an outpouring of love and support from the rabbit community.
Cathy Patrick
618 Horning Road
Atwater, OH 44201
Thanks, Roman, for giving me the heads-up.
Laurie
¶ 9:54 AM 0 comments links to this post
Thursday, May 10, 2007
What's The Word?
One of the few things that I dislike about our hobby is how difficult it is to know who did what at a rabbit show.
It reminds me of baseball a bit. When you listen to a baseball game on the radio or see it on television, you know exactly what's going on. But if you attend the game, things can happen and no one - except the person who is also listening to it on the radio - knows what happened. Just let the pitcher balk and watch 50,000 people get puzzled looks on their faces.
Likewise, have you ever been standing at the show table and had the judge call out the final placements only to hear everyone start saying, "What happened?" "Who won?"
Now it's possible that the judge will shake hands with the BOB and BOS. But want about the class winners? Best of group? Best opposite sex of group? Okay, in a small group of friends, you can probably ferret it out. But what about when you are in a large group and/or there are exhibitors that you don't know (or even those who are tied up with other breeds)?
For those of us who did not attend Nationals this year, it was so frustrating waiting to hear the results. There was lots of buzz, but it was mostly, "Have you heard anything?"
I love to have Keat Hor for a show secretary. He prints up a nice chart that shows who placed and who won specials. Now I realize that it is for a specialty show and that kind of work would be too much for an all-breed show, but it is so nice, for once, to really know what happens at a show!
But even for large all-breed shows, I've occasionally gotten a letter, note, or chart saying who won Best In Show and Best Reserve, and even occasionally, BOB and BOS. That's really nice when it happens.
For now, I guess the best we can do is look over the writer's shoulder (or be the writer) to see what's going on. I suppose we'll keep saying, "Whose rabbit was that?" for some time to come.
So if you are the writer, expect people to want to see the paperwork. And if you are ever a show secretary and have the opportunity to send out show results, keep this idea in mind. People want to know. You can pass on the word.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry “Home Of Grand Champions”
Precious Pet Rabbits
¶ 7:13 AM 0 comments links to this post
It reminds me of baseball a bit. When you listen to a baseball game on the radio or see it on television, you know exactly what's going on. But if you attend the game, things can happen and no one - except the person who is also listening to it on the radio - knows what happened. Just let the pitcher balk and watch 50,000 people get puzzled looks on their faces.
Likewise, have you ever been standing at the show table and had the judge call out the final placements only to hear everyone start saying, "What happened?" "Who won?"
Now it's possible that the judge will shake hands with the BOB and BOS. But want about the class winners? Best of group? Best opposite sex of group? Okay, in a small group of friends, you can probably ferret it out. But what about when you are in a large group and/or there are exhibitors that you don't know (or even those who are tied up with other breeds)?
For those of us who did not attend Nationals this year, it was so frustrating waiting to hear the results. There was lots of buzz, but it was mostly, "Have you heard anything?"
I love to have Keat Hor for a show secretary. He prints up a nice chart that shows who placed and who won specials. Now I realize that it is for a specialty show and that kind of work would be too much for an all-breed show, but it is so nice, for once, to really know what happens at a show!
But even for large all-breed shows, I've occasionally gotten a letter, note, or chart saying who won Best In Show and Best Reserve, and even occasionally, BOB and BOS. That's really nice when it happens.
For now, I guess the best we can do is look over the writer's shoulder (or be the writer) to see what's going on. I suppose we'll keep saying, "Whose rabbit was that?" for some time to come.
So if you are the writer, expect people to want to see the paperwork. And if you are ever a show secretary and have the opportunity to send out show results, keep this idea in mind. People want to know. You can pass on the word.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry “Home Of Grand Champions”
Precious Pet Rabbits
¶ 7:13 AM 0 comments links to this post
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
For My Part
It's been one of those crazy weeks. We started off Sunday by going to a tea dance in the afternoon.
Monday afternoon I spent in the barn with my three-month-olds, sexing and doing a preliminary sorting. My arms look like hamburger from handling all of those first timers.
Monday night, we had dance lessons. Tuesday night was family night. It was a sort of family day because the power company cut our telephone wires (aren't those the guys who always advertise to call before you dig?). Tuesday night brought bad badminton. Yes, the "bad" was on purpose. We're terrible.
This morning, Andrew and I went to Sarah's school to demonstrate and teach a little about Latin ballroom dancing (thankfully there was only time for a little since that's all we know!). For three hours, we demonstrated and taught.
For the life of me, I can't believe I ever thought that being in the arms of a sixteen-year-old was an exciting thing.
Anyway, on the way home - totally exhausted from dancing on hard floors and communicating with a total of about sixty students, I had a thought. "Well, we've done our part today to promote our dancing hobby."
Sarah, by the way, reports that her friends think her parents are "way cool" and some of them want to learn more dance steps!
This afternoon, I spent more time in the barn, this time doing my least favorite chore - tattooing. I've got to get ready early for this weekend's show because Friday night is Sarah's prom. After we get her out the door, we'll pop the rabbits in the van and I'll try to catch a few winks before doing that crazy middle-of-the-night-drive-to-the-next-state-to show-my-rabbits-and-then-drive-back-home-in-the-same-day routine.
So as I was out there clipping nails, checking teeth, and seeing which rabbits would still have some of their fur left on their bodies by Saturday, I started thinking about doing my part to promote our hobby.
I've been struggling lately with how much is reasonable for people to ask of me and how much I should do. Sometimes I feel that I'm at people's beck and call. I get letters asking me to send folks show information and directions to shows that I'm not even associated with.
So where's the balance between helping people and promoting our hobby, and letting a hobby take over your life? As you can tell, my life is already pretty full as it is.
For my part, I don't want to be totally self-absorbed only worrying about me and mine. I do want to do things that encourage and promote our hobby in general and help people individually.
But I'm also learning I have to draw the line somewhere.
Rumor has it that the Spanish II teacher at Sarah's school is interested in having us come and dance with her classes. I think the answer has to be, "no." I've got to start setting limits now.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry “Home Of Grand Champions”
Precious Pet Rabbits
Affordable Web Site Design ¶ 6:54 PM 0 comments links to this post
Monday afternoon I spent in the barn with my three-month-olds, sexing and doing a preliminary sorting. My arms look like hamburger from handling all of those first timers.
Monday night, we had dance lessons. Tuesday night was family night. It was a sort of family day because the power company cut our telephone wires (aren't those the guys who always advertise to call before you dig?). Tuesday night brought bad badminton. Yes, the "bad" was on purpose. We're terrible.
This morning, Andrew and I went to Sarah's school to demonstrate and teach a little about Latin ballroom dancing (thankfully there was only time for a little since that's all we know!). For three hours, we demonstrated and taught.
For the life of me, I can't believe I ever thought that being in the arms of a sixteen-year-old was an exciting thing.
Anyway, on the way home - totally exhausted from dancing on hard floors and communicating with a total of about sixty students, I had a thought. "Well, we've done our part today to promote our dancing hobby."
Sarah, by the way, reports that her friends think her parents are "way cool" and some of them want to learn more dance steps!
This afternoon, I spent more time in the barn, this time doing my least favorite chore - tattooing. I've got to get ready early for this weekend's show because Friday night is Sarah's prom. After we get her out the door, we'll pop the rabbits in the van and I'll try to catch a few winks before doing that crazy middle-of-the-night-drive-to-the-next-state-to show-my-rabbits-and-then-drive-back-home-in-the-same-day routine.
So as I was out there clipping nails, checking teeth, and seeing which rabbits would still have some of their fur left on their bodies by Saturday, I started thinking about doing my part to promote our hobby.
I've been struggling lately with how much is reasonable for people to ask of me and how much I should do. Sometimes I feel that I'm at people's beck and call. I get letters asking me to send folks show information and directions to shows that I'm not even associated with.
So where's the balance between helping people and promoting our hobby, and letting a hobby take over your life? As you can tell, my life is already pretty full as it is.
For my part, I don't want to be totally self-absorbed only worrying about me and mine. I do want to do things that encourage and promote our hobby in general and help people individually.
But I'm also learning I have to draw the line somewhere.
Rumor has it that the Spanish II teacher at Sarah's school is interested in having us come and dance with her classes. I think the answer has to be, "no." I've got to start setting limits now.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry “Home Of Grand Champions”
Precious Pet Rabbits
Affordable Web Site Design ¶ 6:54 PM 0 comments links to this post
Monday, May 07, 2007
On The Way To A Rabbit Show
How many miles has your bunny mobile clocked? Mine has over 165,000 miles now. I have a feeling that is pretty typical, especially for those of us who travel a lot to shows. I know that I put over 14,000 bunny miles on my van last year alone!
So with all of these miles on the road, we bunny people have exceptional awareness of road safety, right? We're prepared for any emergency, right?
Okay, so we're not as prepared as we should be. I know I'm certainly not. I had my head so firmly planted in the sand that I traveled widely for well over two years without so much as a cell phone!
But now I'm ready to get ready. Why? Because a rabbit friend of mine had a bad experience Friday night as she attempted to drive from North Carolina to Ohio. And I know that it could have just as easily have been me and my daughter instead of her and her little girl.
So here's Lisa's story.
First, she ended up in the emergency lane off of a ramp that transitioned from one interstate highway to another. The cars just zoomed by her. How much of that was from inconsideration and how much was from limited sight or just the sheer busyness of the highway, I don't know. But I do know that it made Lisa very uncomfortable. Her first wish was that she had some cones, flags, flares, triangles or some other kinds of markers that would give drivers the heads up that there was a car in distress.
Please remember that you are safest inside your car with your seatbelt fastened, but if you need to get out, please crawl out the passenger side, no matter how uncomfortable it is.
Years ago, Andrew's first cousin stopped to help a stranded motorist. She was standing at the end of the car when it was struck by another motorist. She lost her leg in the accident. Do not assume that because you are in the emergency lane that your car will not be hit.
Lisa called the state Troopers on her cell phone. She had charged it before the trip, which was a very good thing. But she wished that she had brought some method of recharging the phone, just in case she were there a long time. She also wished that she had purchased some roadside assistance. She'll be looking into that now.
Be aware of any services that your auto insurance may provide. Join an auto club if your budget allows.
And if you have to call to have your vehicle towed, make sure you tell them that your vehicle contains live animals. I know of one case where the presence of the animals, especially since they didn't have water in their dishes, moved the bunny mobile to the top of the list with the towing company. That's handy thing to remember.
But of course, you are not going to be traveling without water for your rabbits, now that we've brought up that topic, are you? I never do, but I know that many people make short trips without water. Well, I shouldn't say I never do. If the trip is about an hour or less, I wait until I get to the show. But over an hour from home, which most shows are, my rabbits all get water in their dishes. And, since I always carry water from home for the trip anyway, I'd have enough to refill their dishes if we got stuck for a long while.
And Lisa was there for a long while. The Troopers never showed up and it got dark. Now she was very glad that she had her pepper spray with her, but very sad that it was out of date. The next thing on her to-do list is to make sure she has a fresh can of spray before she hits the road again.
Whether you use pepper spray, a taser, or a personal alarm, make sure you have some sort of personal protection. Not everyone who stops to help you wants to really help you.
Lisa was also pleased that she had a flashlight with her as it got darker. Too bad her batteries were dead. So, you guessed it, fresh batteries will now be on her list of things to carry in the car on trips.
She did have snacks, pillows, and blankets. Blankets are especially important during the winter.
During the summer, traveling with water, ice, and rags is a good idea. If your rabbit becomes overheated, wet the rags in the water (no ice needed) and cover the rabbit's ears, armpit, and groin.
One thing Lisa did very wrong was that she didn't call me. All of this happened about an hour from my house. I told her she's in big trouble if that ever happens again.
It's great to carry numbers of people who live in the area you are traveling through, if possible. When I was planning my trip to Oklahoma (I'm still going to make it out there one of these days), a breeder from Maryland gave me the number of his father in Oklahoma. Chances are that I'd never need it, but it was nice to know I'd have one number to call if I ended up in an emergency.
In the end, things turned out okay for Lisa. She made it home about 2:00 a.m., exhausted, but with her head full of ideas for traveling safely. The next day she wrote me and suggested that I write a BLOG post on the topic. I thought it was an excellent idea.
This is certainly one BLOG that I hope you never personally get any use out of. But I hope you'll prepare all the same. Maybe it will turn out to be your good luck charm against trouble with your bunny mobile.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry “Home Of Grand Champions”
Precious Pet Rabbits
Affordable Web Site Design
¶ 10:15 AM 0 comments links to this post
So with all of these miles on the road, we bunny people have exceptional awareness of road safety, right? We're prepared for any emergency, right?
Okay, so we're not as prepared as we should be. I know I'm certainly not. I had my head so firmly planted in the sand that I traveled widely for well over two years without so much as a cell phone!
But now I'm ready to get ready. Why? Because a rabbit friend of mine had a bad experience Friday night as she attempted to drive from North Carolina to Ohio. And I know that it could have just as easily have been me and my daughter instead of her and her little girl.
So here's Lisa's story.
First, she ended up in the emergency lane off of a ramp that transitioned from one interstate highway to another. The cars just zoomed by her. How much of that was from inconsideration and how much was from limited sight or just the sheer busyness of the highway, I don't know. But I do know that it made Lisa very uncomfortable. Her first wish was that she had some cones, flags, flares, triangles or some other kinds of markers that would give drivers the heads up that there was a car in distress.
Please remember that you are safest inside your car with your seatbelt fastened, but if you need to get out, please crawl out the passenger side, no matter how uncomfortable it is.
Years ago, Andrew's first cousin stopped to help a stranded motorist. She was standing at the end of the car when it was struck by another motorist. She lost her leg in the accident. Do not assume that because you are in the emergency lane that your car will not be hit.
Lisa called the state Troopers on her cell phone. She had charged it before the trip, which was a very good thing. But she wished that she had brought some method of recharging the phone, just in case she were there a long time. She also wished that she had purchased some roadside assistance. She'll be looking into that now.
Be aware of any services that your auto insurance may provide. Join an auto club if your budget allows.
And if you have to call to have your vehicle towed, make sure you tell them that your vehicle contains live animals. I know of one case where the presence of the animals, especially since they didn't have water in their dishes, moved the bunny mobile to the top of the list with the towing company. That's handy thing to remember.
But of course, you are not going to be traveling without water for your rabbits, now that we've brought up that topic, are you? I never do, but I know that many people make short trips without water. Well, I shouldn't say I never do. If the trip is about an hour or less, I wait until I get to the show. But over an hour from home, which most shows are, my rabbits all get water in their dishes. And, since I always carry water from home for the trip anyway, I'd have enough to refill their dishes if we got stuck for a long while.
And Lisa was there for a long while. The Troopers never showed up and it got dark. Now she was very glad that she had her pepper spray with her, but very sad that it was out of date. The next thing on her to-do list is to make sure she has a fresh can of spray before she hits the road again.
Whether you use pepper spray, a taser, or a personal alarm, make sure you have some sort of personal protection. Not everyone who stops to help you wants to really help you.
Lisa was also pleased that she had a flashlight with her as it got darker. Too bad her batteries were dead. So, you guessed it, fresh batteries will now be on her list of things to carry in the car on trips.
She did have snacks, pillows, and blankets. Blankets are especially important during the winter.
During the summer, traveling with water, ice, and rags is a good idea. If your rabbit becomes overheated, wet the rags in the water (no ice needed) and cover the rabbit's ears, armpit, and groin.
One thing Lisa did very wrong was that she didn't call me. All of this happened about an hour from my house. I told her she's in big trouble if that ever happens again.
It's great to carry numbers of people who live in the area you are traveling through, if possible. When I was planning my trip to Oklahoma (I'm still going to make it out there one of these days), a breeder from Maryland gave me the number of his father in Oklahoma. Chances are that I'd never need it, but it was nice to know I'd have one number to call if I ended up in an emergency.
In the end, things turned out okay for Lisa. She made it home about 2:00 a.m., exhausted, but with her head full of ideas for traveling safely. The next day she wrote me and suggested that I write a BLOG post on the topic. I thought it was an excellent idea.
This is certainly one BLOG that I hope you never personally get any use out of. But I hope you'll prepare all the same. Maybe it will turn out to be your good luck charm against trouble with your bunny mobile.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry “Home Of Grand Champions”
Precious Pet Rabbits
Affordable Web Site Design
¶ 10:15 AM 0 comments links to this post
Friday, May 04, 2007
Summer Travel
Summer is around the corner. If there are shows in your area, you may find yourself traveling with rabbits in the heat of summer. Here are some ideas to keep in mind:
- Plan to arrive at your motel after dusk. If your rabbits will be staying in the car overnight, you want them to be cool from the time you park your vehicle and turn off the AC. Likewise, make sure you are back on the road a little after dawn.
- Take two sets of keys. If you need to stop in the heat of the day - or even on a mild day when the sun is shining - you can leave your car running with the air on and your doors locked.
- Pay attention to where you park your vehicle - and think ahead to how the sun is moving. Shadows can change a lot during an hour-long meal break.
- Make sure that your rear air is working and/or that rear heat has been turned off. Passengers may be very comfortable in the front of the vehicle while rabbits are dying in the rear.
- If your windows are not tinted, consider purchasing car window shades intended for use with babies. Again, one or two rabbits may be traveling in direct sunlight and die while other occupants are very comfortable.
- If you normally transport your rabbits in the back of a truck, you may want to skip summer shows that require you to travel during the day. Last year, rabbits transported that way died on the show table.
- Make sure you travel with supplies to treat your rabbits for heat distress during the summer.
- Check out your fans, extension cords, and adapters now to make sure you have enough for your show string.
- If you haven't attended a particular show before, make sure that electricity for fans will be available.
- Frozen bottles, misters, and spray bottles can help keep your rabbits cool.
- Minimize the time that your rabbits spend inside your vehicle while loading and unloading. The first rabbits loaded could die before you get all of them loaded if you spread out the task over a long period of time.
- Consider leaving your oldest, best, and youngest rabbits at home during the summer.
I hope you and your rabbits have a fun, cool, and safe summer.
Laurie
¶ 12:42 PM 0 comments links to this post
Thursday, May 03, 2007
Condition
Our standard refers to the ARBA definition of condition. Have you ever read it? I hope so! But if not, here it is:
So, if a judge marks down a rabbit in poor condition more than five points, he or she has plenty of room in the body and fur categories to borrow some.
But reality is that we often see judges who evaluate rabbits according to their own values and belief systems and not according to ARBA standards. "On my table, a winning rabbit must be in good condition," I've heard judges say. According to the standard, though, a great rabbit in poor condition should win over a poor rabbit in great condition.
We also have other types of judges who don't understand the intricacies of our breed so they fall back on generalities. Condition is something they understand and can comment on, so that's what the place the Hollands on (plus ear carriage - a defining quality in their minds, it seems). I suppose that is to be expected. There are precious few judges in this country that are equally at home with any breed.
Sometimes the table is judged almost solely on condition and whether the Hollands ears are down. As a breeder recently said to me, "It's just a $3 opinion; just take it and go on." I'm going to have to remember that when I don't feel that the Hollands are being placed according to the standard. It's just a $3 opinion.
I've also talked with judges who hold the opposite opinion. "With just five points on condition, I'd never keep a good Holland home." In theory, I agree with that. But in practice, it doesn't always work the way it should. Judges, being human, often have a hard time looking past condition issues. I was very impressed with a judge who once placed a sable point in horrible fur condition as Best of Breed. He checked the points and announced that he felt that the rabbit was the best even after deducting for condition. That's the way it should be.
There are other reasons, of course, to keep rabbits home that are in poor condition. The number one reason would be that rabbits already in poor condition do not need the extra stress of traveling while they are trying to put on flesh or grow a new coat. You'd hate to stall out their recovery and delay the time when they can hit the table fit and in good fur.
There are also situations that fall a bit in between. Perhaps you have a rabbit whose coat is just starting to break. Should you show it? Well, if it's the last show before a summer or Christmas break, why not? If you are trying to get a doe granded and into your breeding program, go for it. You may not want to delay her first litter while she molts or puts on extra weight for the show table.
Here's wishing you great condition on all of your rabbits or, if not, judges who know how to apply the points correctly!
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry “Home Of Grand Champions”
Precious Pet Rabbits
Affordable Web Site Design ¶ 10:25 AM 0 comments links to this post
- "Condition - All animals . . . are to have a definite appearance of health and vigor. They are to be bold and bright of eye. All animals are to have a good coat, firmly set in the pelt. They are to be firm in flesh covering, neither too fat, with soft, flabby flesh, nor too thin in flesh, creating a bony effect when examined. Flesh is to be deep and even over the entire body."
(If you don't have a copy of the Standard of Perfection, you can order one at http://www.arba.net.)
The standard for Holland Lops allocates just five points to condition. That's not really a lot and it shouldn't make a huge difference to judges, right? Well, yes and no. Some of the same qualities that define condition also creep into the basic description of the body - especially where we see "well-filled" or "full." There is also some overlap with the fur points of 7. "Even in length" can be disrupted by either the rabbit's natural coat type or by fur condition, which is part of the overall condition standard.So, if a judge marks down a rabbit in poor condition more than five points, he or she has plenty of room in the body and fur categories to borrow some.
But reality is that we often see judges who evaluate rabbits according to their own values and belief systems and not according to ARBA standards. "On my table, a winning rabbit must be in good condition," I've heard judges say. According to the standard, though, a great rabbit in poor condition should win over a poor rabbit in great condition.
We also have other types of judges who don't understand the intricacies of our breed so they fall back on generalities. Condition is something they understand and can comment on, so that's what the place the Hollands on (plus ear carriage - a defining quality in their minds, it seems). I suppose that is to be expected. There are precious few judges in this country that are equally at home with any breed.
Sometimes the table is judged almost solely on condition and whether the Hollands ears are down. As a breeder recently said to me, "It's just a $3 opinion; just take it and go on." I'm going to have to remember that when I don't feel that the Hollands are being placed according to the standard. It's just a $3 opinion.
I've also talked with judges who hold the opposite opinion. "With just five points on condition, I'd never keep a good Holland home." In theory, I agree with that. But in practice, it doesn't always work the way it should. Judges, being human, often have a hard time looking past condition issues. I was very impressed with a judge who once placed a sable point in horrible fur condition as Best of Breed. He checked the points and announced that he felt that the rabbit was the best even after deducting for condition. That's the way it should be.
There are other reasons, of course, to keep rabbits home that are in poor condition. The number one reason would be that rabbits already in poor condition do not need the extra stress of traveling while they are trying to put on flesh or grow a new coat. You'd hate to stall out their recovery and delay the time when they can hit the table fit and in good fur.
There are also situations that fall a bit in between. Perhaps you have a rabbit whose coat is just starting to break. Should you show it? Well, if it's the last show before a summer or Christmas break, why not? If you are trying to get a doe granded and into your breeding program, go for it. You may not want to delay her first litter while she molts or puts on extra weight for the show table.
Here's wishing you great condition on all of your rabbits or, if not, judges who know how to apply the points correctly!
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry “Home Of Grand Champions”
Precious Pet Rabbits
Affordable Web Site Design ¶ 10:25 AM 0 comments links to this post
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Before I Die
I got one of those email games this morning from a youth breeder friend of mine. One of the questions was, "What do you want to accomplish before you die?" Now this takes a little more thought than deciding on my favorite color or flower. I had to stop and think. I'm not sure I came up with THE answer for the game. But I did decide the question was worthy of a lot more thought.
I decided rather quickly that achieving something with my rabbits would not be the one thing that would top my list. I love my bunnies, but accomplishing something bunny-wise isn't big enough to be that one thing you want to have done before you die.
I flirted with the idea of putting down that I wanted to be a great, great, great grandmother before I die, but too much of that is out of my hands. Besides, length of life is not so nearly as important to me as quality of life.
So what is that one thing? I thought about seeing the world or, probably more importantly, seeing our country. That's a good one. And I'm working on that. I've already been to several places for the first time because of bunnies. And I've become familiar with parts of the country that I would not have become familiar with were it not for bunnies.
But that still doesn't seem big enough to be the one thing I want to accomplish before I die.
Now all of this is not to say that I wouldn't want to be BOB at Nationals or BIS at Convention. Sure. Why not? But if I die without that happening, I don't think that my life will have been for nothing.
I suppose that one big thing would have to be something that would transcend my own life. It would have to be something that I believed really made a difference somehow.
For the game, I listed that I wanted to become an accomplished social dancer - and I do. But I know there are things much more valuable to me than that.
Now if you are waiting for me to list that one big thing that I want to accomplish before I die, you'll be disappointed. Although I'm starting to get my arms wrapped around it, I'm not certain about what it is. I do know that the answer will be very personal when I arrive at it.
Just thinking about this question has been a great mental exercise for me. It helps put rabbits into its proper perspective in my life. If I continue to think about it over a longer period of time, it may even help to refocus my time and attention. Who knows.
I've certainly thought about this issue before. But it's been a while. I'm so glad for that game because it was definitely time to think about one of the most important questions we can ask ourselves: What do I want to accomplish before I die?
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry “Home Of Grand Champions”
Precious Pet Rabbits
Affordable Web Site Design
¶ 10:35 AM 0 comments links to this post
I decided rather quickly that achieving something with my rabbits would not be the one thing that would top my list. I love my bunnies, but accomplishing something bunny-wise isn't big enough to be that one thing you want to have done before you die.
I flirted with the idea of putting down that I wanted to be a great, great, great grandmother before I die, but too much of that is out of my hands. Besides, length of life is not so nearly as important to me as quality of life.
So what is that one thing? I thought about seeing the world or, probably more importantly, seeing our country. That's a good one. And I'm working on that. I've already been to several places for the first time because of bunnies. And I've become familiar with parts of the country that I would not have become familiar with were it not for bunnies.
But that still doesn't seem big enough to be the one thing I want to accomplish before I die.
Now all of this is not to say that I wouldn't want to be BOB at Nationals or BIS at Convention. Sure. Why not? But if I die without that happening, I don't think that my life will have been for nothing.
I suppose that one big thing would have to be something that would transcend my own life. It would have to be something that I believed really made a difference somehow.
For the game, I listed that I wanted to become an accomplished social dancer - and I do. But I know there are things much more valuable to me than that.
Now if you are waiting for me to list that one big thing that I want to accomplish before I die, you'll be disappointed. Although I'm starting to get my arms wrapped around it, I'm not certain about what it is. I do know that the answer will be very personal when I arrive at it.
Just thinking about this question has been a great mental exercise for me. It helps put rabbits into its proper perspective in my life. If I continue to think about it over a longer period of time, it may even help to refocus my time and attention. Who knows.
I've certainly thought about this issue before. But it's been a while. I'm so glad for that game because it was definitely time to think about one of the most important questions we can ask ourselves: What do I want to accomplish before I die?
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry “Home Of Grand Champions”
Precious Pet Rabbits
Affordable Web Site Design
¶ 10:35 AM 0 comments links to this post
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Work or Play?
A friend of ours mentioned last night that she and her husband had managed to turn every hobby they've ever had into work.
That statement really made me stop and think about my rabbit hobby. Am I turning it into work?
Sure, there's a lot of work involved in every hobby. Rabbits may even have more work involved than the average. I believe the joy of doing a job well isn't something to avoid, but when do we cross over from hobby to pure work?
I don't think we can judge by the amount of physical labor involved. Being physically tired after doing work is often a good feeling, as long as you don't overdo it. I enjoy how mentally freeing manual labor can be. It's a time when my mind relaxes and takes some time to explore possibilities or work through issues or, more often than not, to wool gather and daydream.
Unless you hate to learn new things, then I don't think we can judge whether a hobby has gone over to the "work" column by the amount of learning to be done or the amount of studying required. That's probably a very individual thing, but I personally LOVE to learn new things. My mother often says that if she were independently wealthy, she'd probably just go to college for the fun of it (she already has three degrees as it is). I can see that. Teach me something new and you have my full attention!
So what makes a hobby turn into work? Here are a few ideas:
That statement really made me stop and think about my rabbit hobby. Am I turning it into work?
Sure, there's a lot of work involved in every hobby. Rabbits may even have more work involved than the average. I believe the joy of doing a job well isn't something to avoid, but when do we cross over from hobby to pure work?
I don't think we can judge by the amount of physical labor involved. Being physically tired after doing work is often a good feeling, as long as you don't overdo it. I enjoy how mentally freeing manual labor can be. It's a time when my mind relaxes and takes some time to explore possibilities or work through issues or, more often than not, to wool gather and daydream.
Unless you hate to learn new things, then I don't think we can judge whether a hobby has gone over to the "work" column by the amount of learning to be done or the amount of studying required. That's probably a very individual thing, but I personally LOVE to learn new things. My mother often says that if she were independently wealthy, she'd probably just go to college for the fun of it (she already has three degrees as it is). I can see that. Teach me something new and you have my full attention!
So what makes a hobby turn into work? Here are a few ideas:
- Attitude - how we view the activity makes it work or fun - remember Tom Sawyer painting the fence?
- Freedom - whether you choose to do an activity or feel forced to do it makes a huge difference - when your hobby becomes a series of obligations, it turns into work
- Motivation - if your motivation changes from personal satisfaction to profits, power, or vengeance, then you've lost your hobby
- Volume - bigger is not always better - if your hobby grows too large, the sheer volume of it can turn it into work
- Choices - control of your own hobby, whether it be the time you choose to spend in it, how you spend your money, or how you define success, helps keep it in the 'fun" column and out of the work arena
- Rejuvenation - though your hobby may tire you out, it should still rejuvenate you and send you back to your workaday life with a feeling that you've had a break
- Anticipation - when something is fun, you look forward to it - when you no longer look forward to bunny-related activities, it's time to get out.
Anyone may have a bad day with their hobby or even a slump or low period. It's probably not best to throw the baby out with the bathwater. But if your hobby has become work in the long run, it's time to pull back, re-arrange, cut down, or maybe even change hobbies.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry “Home Of Grand Champions”
Precious Pet Rabbits
Affordable Web Site Design
