Flip Friday

Last week, Flip Friday was delayed until Cinematic Saturday.

That was because of Vimeo being a little crazy and not uploading my video.  But you know, then I wondered if maybe it was because the video wasn't JUST RIGHT!  Because, truthfully, it wasn't up to our normal Rabbit Standards.

Was it?

I mean, we tried to film Blueberry digging to China.  And instead, she might have gotten to West Virginia, but that's about all.  It was definitely cute, but it was not the video footage we were hoping for.  It was where Blueberry asserted that She is not a circus animal.  And, She is not.

But, this week?  She is going to China!

Let's Watch (p.s. We were still having trouble with Vimeo, so we went back to YouTube for this week's movie.  We have to get these Rabbit Movies out there in whatever ways are necessary!!):



We at the Lilypad wish you all a LOVELY WEEKEND!!

ENJOY!

Wednesday Wings, Part II

Last week, I wrote about a remarkable set of Wings that I found on the ground in my Favorite Outdoor Sitting Spot.  In case you don't recall, feel free to revisit here.

Now this week, the Rabbits and I present Wednesday Wings, Part II because Wings found their way into my life yet again.

Perhaps this is not so unusual, as it is a Wingy sort of time of the year.  Summer and all.  It brings butterflies and birds, and sometimes things...happen.  Sometimes, this means that you find a set of Wings with no body, and sometimes, this means that you find a set of wings...with a body.

That is the case in this week's episode.  Wings with a body.

I'm not one who likes to overlook a coincidence.  I tend to want to give them a proper examination.  Two sets of Wings in two weeks?  There must be a story in that, right?

I had to work this past Sunday at the Ol' Public Library.  Sundays can be difficult days to work as you can imagine.  It feels strange to work on a Sunday.  It just does.  It's unnatural.

The find at the end of the day made the whole day worthwhile.  We walked out into the parking lot and what did we find right by Seven (Seven, our car, I mean)?  We found this perfectly preserved little fellow:

(He or She was a Red Spotted Purple.)

More Wings.  Which, as I said, led me to wonder if these Butterflies had a larger purpose.  Perhaps, I thought, the Rabbits are trying to send me a psychic message through the use of Butterflies.

And, I think that's true.

(More about this next Monday, when I begin an Exciting New Journey!!!!) 

For now, think about this:  What are the Rabbits trying to teach YOU?  It is something to ponder.

Good Monday To You

It's possible that you've noticed that I haven't been producing much Art lately, and that I haven't talked at all about Writing.

It's not because I haven't wanted to, or because I've in any way given up on projects or chosen a new path in any way whatsoever.

It's because we, here at the Lilypad, have had Other Things going on that needed our attention more than those things.  As Important as Creative Pursuits are, sometimes the act of Life is simply more Important.

In way of explanation, I point you toward the Blisschick's Blog.  Many of you may have already read today's installment.  If you haven't, take a few moments to do so.  This is a pretty Big post for her.  It's not easy for her to talk about herself in such an exposed way.  But, it explains much about what we have been caught up in here, and why creativity has taken a back seat for while.

The good news is that things are changing around here for the better.  We are working on things.  Really working on things.  And that means that Creativity is on the verge of a comeback.

"Thank goodness.  

I wouldn't want to have to do something that we'd all regret."

Don't worry Zoe.  We are taking care of it.

Cinematic Saturday

Rabbits are like snowflakes.  No two are alike.

While it's true that Miss Zoe and Miss Blueberry have adjusted to each other to the point of doing many of the same things at the same time, there are still a few things they do differently.

It's funny to watch their little Rabbit Routines adjust to one another.  In the mornings, for instance, I feed both Girls their breakfast.  They both eat for the same amount of time.  Then they each rest for a few minutes, Zoe in Her Hay Box, Blueberry on Her Slate Tile area.  This is followed by Them both getting up and drinking from their water bottles at the same time (which is pretty loud in the quiet stillness of the early morning), which is followed by Each of Them going back to the Crunchy Dish for a bit more breakfast.

After this, of course, They both ROLL!  And that is the Cutest Thing Ever.

Miss Zoe, Mid-Roll.  Cutest Thing Ever.

You may or may not know that Rabbits are Animals Who Like To Dig.

The way Zoe and Blueberry dig is a Big Difference between them.  Zoe does more of a smooooooothing action.  Her "dig" is more of a dainty pushing away action with a little half-hearted digging.  I suppose She figures if it came down to it, and She needed a hole for something (God forbid!) that someone else, namely me, I suppose, would dig a hole for Her.

And, we all know that is true.

But Blueberry is a Digger Of Extraordinary Power.  And that is what today's video will demonstrate.

If you can see through the Blur of Her Very Fast Arms, you will be able to see that in about 5 seconds flat, this Rabbit could be in China.  If She wanted to be.

I think She is happy here, though.

Observe (And I must say, that in making this video, I found out one other thing:  Miss Blueberry is not a  Circus Animal.  She will not perform on command.  This is by no means Her best digging, but it is what SHe would do on camera.  For better digging, you may have to see Her in real life):


Blueberry Digs! from marcy hall on Vimeo.

And there you have it.  HAPPY SATURDAY FROM ALL OF US AT THE LILYPAD!!

Flip Friday-- NOT!

Technical Difficulties get my Dewlap in a Twist!

Oh dear.

So, I had my post all written for today and the Rabbit Movie filmed and edited, and now it seems as though Vimeo is having technical difficulties.

WHAT?

How can there be technical difficulties when I am trying to post an All Important Rabbit Movie?

We all know-- it is just WRONG!

SO, please stay tuned.  I have to go to work at this point, but I will work on this issue later, and by tomorrow, I promise that you will be wathing a Wonderful Rabbit Movie somehow.  Someway.

Until tomorrow, then.  

HAVE A GREAT FRIDAY!

Wednesday Wings

A few mornings ago, I woke up early and went outside to spend my morning in the Sunshine watching Birds and reading.

Of course, this was much to the Rabbits' chagrin, as I normally spend time with Them in the early morning.

"Outside??  WHY???"

But it was early enough that it wasn't too terribly hot, so I thought, why not go outside and do a spot of reading before the Sun starts to fry the yard?

Out I went.

We usually keep a chair out in the yard.  There is a particular spot I like to sit, right by our almond tree.  It is a particularly calm and lovely spot I think, protected by Green Surroundings.  As I sit there, I often see the Outdoor Bunnies hopping.  If I sit still in the chair for long enough, the Birds cease to notice me and I get a good Bird Show as well.  It is a Good Spot.

My Good Spot

A View from My Good Spot

This particular morning, though, I went outside and the Sun was shining too much in my spot.  The chair was drenched in morning Sun, and I was in the mood for shade.

I leaned down to pick up the chair and as I leaned over, I noticed something amazing.

A Wing.

There was a Beautiful Wing in the grass.  A Moth Wing.

I bent down to pick it up and I realized there was another Wing!

And ANOTHER!

AND ANOTHER!!!!

FOUR WHOLE WINGS!

The Wings!!  I found A Helpful Box to Put Them In.

A Closeup view of the Smaller Wings

I picked them all up.  I wrapped them in a piece of paper and took them inside.

Now, I don't know what happened to the Little Body that the Wings were attached to.  But my guess is that one of the Birds I like to watch....ummmmmm....had a snack that did not include Wings.

Instead, I got them.  Wings.  To honor and protect.  Which I will do.

I feel honored by these wings.  To have found all four seems like an honor to me.

A reminder of the Blessings of this Earth.

Thank you, Moth.  Thank you, Earth.

What a Pithole!

"Well, THAT doesn't sound good..."

Zoe's right.  It might not sound good, but I spent part of my weekend, in...PITHOLE.

Pithole City, Pennsylvania, that is.  Though it's not a real place anymore.

Let me explain.

This past weekend, we had a memorial service for my Grandpa who died in February.  We waited to have the service because our family is pretty spread out (from Vancouver, BC to around the Washington D.C. area to Florida and everything in between), and it just seemed easier than making everyone travel during the winter months.

And, so we gathered, first, for a memorial service in Neiltown, PA, which is where my Grandpa was born.  It is a "blink and you'll miss it town" comprised of about a four-mile radius.

One House.  One Church.  And, a couple of stubborn pheasants who stood in the road and didn't want to move.

The church had no electricity.  No bathroom.  It had pot bellied stoves and wide plank floors and probably wasn't much different than it was when my Grandpa went there as a tiny boy.

After the service was over, the whole family (aunts, uncles, cousins, etc.) caravaned to Pithole City for a picnic.

More accurately, we went to the site of the extinct Pithole City.

My Grandparents were from Titusville, Pennsylvania, which is part of the Pennsylvania Oil Region.   Nearby Pithole City was also part of the Pennsylvania Oil Region, in that it was a Boom Town that grew up almost overnight.  It was a real place from 1865 to 1868, and then it became a ghost town.

Suddenly, there were 15,000 people living there, trying to get rich quick. 

Suddenly, the oil dried up, and they were gone.

Weird.

The Official Sign

The other Official Sign

An Oil Well Replica

A model of the old town

More model

What did you do this past weekend?

Did you visit  ghost town?

I didn't think so.

Flip Friday

If you are a Rabbit here at the Lilypad, part of the bane of your existence is this fact:  cats somehow share your house.  People also share your house, of course (or humans, as they are more aptly called), but at least they occasionally do Important Things like fill the Salad Bowl, the Crunchy Dish, and the Hay Box.

Also, they sometimes order Willow Balls.

Though, not in recent memory.

"Humans are so ridiculous."

The point of saying this is that, though we all know who are the Most Important Residents of the Lilypad, it is sometimes the case that cats wrongly receive the Attention that only Rabbits deserve.

"Cats are so ridiculous."

Take, for instance, this movie:


Toby Loves Daisy from marcy hall on Vimeo.

Also, sometimes, it happens that humans, too, think they are cooler than Rabbits because they can go outside and have jobs in which they get a lunch hour that allows them to walk to the Erie Art Museum and see some awesome music.  

Of course if you were a Rabbit in this house, you would not be impressed by going outside, having a job, or going for a walk.  Of course, Rabbits do support the concept of a Lunch Hour, and They also support Art and Music such as you can see here by our favorite local band, the Heliotropes:


Two Heliotropes At the Erie Art Museum from marcy hall on Vimeo.

So there you have it-- a glimpse into the Most Terrible Life of Rabbits at the Lilypad for Whom Life is Most Certainly Terrible.

Don't worry.  Rabbit movies to come next week, or the cats and humans may be living outside.

Happy weekend!

Wednesday

It is already Wednesday, but finally, today, I am able to tell you what happened over the weekend.  Due to Sabotaging Rabbits, this was not possible before now.

But, NOW, due to the smartness of humans (for the Chick Un-Sabotaged my computer!!) it is now possible to see what we did over the weekend.

What we did involved two major activities.  First, it involved going to our local Greek Festival at the Assumption Greek Orthodox Church.  Here is evidence of that activity.


Greek Festival from marcy hall on Vimeo.
And the second weekend activity involved a trip to Lilydale.  If you are not familiar with Lilydale, look no further, and click here.  The evidence of this activity showcases a hike on the Fairy Trail, which, though this video actually sucks a little and doesn't show it very well, goes way back in to the woods and is really fun to walk.  The Chick took a bunch of pictures which are way better than my video, but I'm going to show it anyhow, because that's just what I'm going to do.  I took it, so I have to show it.  Just be glad that you are getting the short video and not the one that would give you motion sickness.  Actually, I have two of those.  Just know that you are getting lucky here:


The Lilydale Fairy Trail from marcy hall on Vimeo.
Did you see the cute Fairy Houses?  Well there's lots more of them, but as I said a moment ago, showing you my footage of them would require you to wear a Dramamine patch.

That was our weekend in a nutshell.  Sure, we did other tings like forget to feed all the animals for days on end (HA HA HA!!!), but all in all, these are representative activities.

What fun things did you do over the weekend?  What do you have planned for the next one?

Well, whatever it is, HAVE FUN!

The Weekend

Hello, Rabbits here.

That's right, it's US.

Do you remember last week, when our moms went to, like, another country or something called NEW YORK to go do something crazy like BE OUTSIDE???  Do you remember?

In case you've forgotten, look here.

Well, first of all, We say, who would want to be outside when you could be Inside in the Hay Box with your Cats and your Air Conditioning?   Really, such questions make no sense to Rabbits.   If We wanted to be Outdoor Rabbits, we would be, well, Outdoor Rabbits.

We are Indoor Rabbits who have Hay Boxes, Our Own cats and Air Conditioning.

That's right.

Seriously, last weekend was hard enough.  Wasn't it?

Do you remember learning that We did not get our Salads...ON TIME?  They were, like, an hour late!!  Our lunch is really never late, and there is a reason for that.

Actually, there are many reasons for that.

We just don't feel like listing them.  And, We shouldn't have to.

The point is this:  We thought that certain people would have learned their lesson after last week, but apparently, that was not the case.  Apparently, what ended up happening instead is that We were so Understanding and Gracious, that it happened....AGAIN!!!!  ARGH!

We know, right?  UNTHINKABLE!!!

There is just no telling what humans will do next.  They are unpredictable and not very bright.

This is not news, is it?  NO!

And so, We are going to share a secret with you.  The secret is that We have sabotaged the computer so that the movies of their "fun weekend" of going to the Greek Festival (or GEEK festival as We and the Cats call it) and Lilydale cannot be shown.

We're Jealous Animals Who Want ALL the Attention.  What is so wrong about that?

NOTHING!

So, you will have to wait for those videos.  You will have to wait.  And instead, you will need to look at this!

AND, THIS!

Was that so bad?  We didn't think so.

Flip Friday

Today's post has absolutely nothing to do with Rocks.

Except, of course, that RABBITS TOTALLY ROCK!

Who can argue with that fact? (Well, technically, anyone could argue with that fact, but it would be stupid and futile, wouldn't it? I will answer that for you-- YES!!!)

Since Blueberry has come to live here, the Girls have been separated. They like each other OK, but like lots of people, they need their own space. Two girl Rabbits in one room can be like too many cooks in the kitchen, or a This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both of Us situation.

There is fence separating them that has bars spaced about an inch apart. Mind you, they will lay RIGHT NEXT TO ONE ANOTHER, but if you put them together in the Room and let them hope freely, they can get a little snippy.

The longer Blueberry stays, the more acclimated they will become. But Rabbits, especially Girls, are territorial. We don't want any Rabbits Ripping Each Others Faces Off. We don't.

As long as They are supervised, They are pretty OK.

Today's Flip Friday is a testament to that fact. Though, the end kind of leaves you hanging in a "What Happened Next?" kind of way.

Rabbits in a DocuDrama from marcy hall on Vimeo.

Rabbits Like Their Movies to End in Mystery....

ENJOY!

All of us here at the Lilypad wish you a great weekend!

More Rocks

Is this a second blog post this week
that is NOT about Bunnies?  

Sigh.

On Sunday, we hiked in the Rocks.

Panama Rocks, that is.

It was beautiful there and a refreshing and rejuvenating way to spend a morning with the Chick.

On Monday, there were more Rocks in my day as I wrote about the trip to Panama Rocks.

And, on Tuesday, I opened the front door to find...another Rock.

As is my custom, I came downstairs Tuesday morning, sleepily shuffling through the living room, making my way to the kitchen to feed the Monsters their breakfast.  After I gave them each a little something, I then shuffled my way back through the living room to the front door, which I opened, as I do every morning, for Toby the MiniCat.

We have this routine, you see, wherein, I open the door and move Toby's favorite stool in front of the door so that he can see his Morning Birdies while lounging not having to Stand Up.  It is the perfect arrangement for this (LAZY!) Cat.

Well, you have to admit that Standing Up can be quite taxing.  I aspire to more Catly ways myself.

On Tuesday morning, however, when I opened the door, I saw something that made me furrow my brow and then...SMILE!

It was....A ROCK!  A PEACE ROCK!!

For those of you not familiar with Peace Rocks,  it is pretty much that:  A Rock With A Peace Symbol.  An Artist names Sasa makes them.  While viewing her profile through her blog, we learned that she also likes...BUNNIES!!!

Here is my rock:

Here is the Peace Rocks Blog.


Here is the Peace Rocks Etsy Shop.

I think Zoe and Blueb and I are going to order up some Peace Rocks.  Why don't you do the same?  Leave them on the doorsteps of people who love Bunnies or people who have MiniCats.  Leave them for the unsuspecting and in unexpected places.

I love this idea.

Zoe and Blueb endorse Peace Rocks.  This means you cannot go wrong.

Peace Rocks.  Bunnies Rock.  It's really all the same, is it not?

Oh, and thanks, Cathy.  I know you left that Tiny and Wonderful Gift.  You Rock, too!!!  :)

Holiday Weekend Totally Rocks

As I write this, Blueberry is trying to knock over Her litter box.

Does that mean we were gone too much yesterday?  Well, perhaps it does.  It also means that we were gone until 3PM, making the Rabbits' Salads......ONE HOUR LATE!!!!  (They always eat their salads at 2, and they are pretty picky about it.)

Well, sorry Rabbits.  We were Outside having Outdoor Fun.

Which brings me to the title of this post.  The "Totally Rocks" part is sort of a pun.  Let me explain.

We spent our July 4th doing an activity that I completely enjoy, but that the Chick...well....normally doesn't.  She is trying to have more Fun, which she wrote about today.  And one of the ways she is trying to have fun is by experimenting with things I think are fun.

One of the things I like most and that is the most fun for me, is being outside in the woods.  It reminds me of when I was little because that is what I did all summer long.  I would pack a little PB&J and head out into the woods behind our house with a blanket and maybe a book or a drawing pad, and that would be my day.  Walking, plopping down, drawing, eating my sandwich, walking some more.

For the Chick, who is a City Mouse, the woods remind her of horror movies, in which people in hockey masks hide behind trees and wait for you, so they can chop you up into little pieces.

I guess you wouldn't normally think of that as fun, exactly.

But in an effort to up our Fun Level, and in an effort for the Chick to try to do something that pushes her boundaries a bit,  we went hiking on the Fourth of July at Panama Rocks.  Panama Rocks is quite near us-- just a short drive in Seven!-- in Panama, New York.  I can't really describe it, so I'm just going to show you some pictures:

The Chick tries to Cleopatra like a Bunny!

A Very Strange Animal

Closeup of some mossy bark.

Tree roots and a Chick!

And, here is a short movie to show you some of the sights in a moving sort of way:

Hike in Panama Rocks from marcy hall on Vimeo.
Would hiking here up your Fun Level?  I think it would.

Just don't be late getting home.  The Rabbits get Very Anxious about Their Lunch.

Flip Friday: Daisy Edition

FRESH CAT IN THE HOUSE!!!!!

And, you will be pleased to know that she is a HAM!  She loves to have her picture taken.  She loves to be in movies.  She has not been here yet a week, and this is already what we know.

So far, Daisy spends her days in the Rabbit Room.  She sleeps in their window.  She looks around.  She sniffs her bunnies.  She cleans her bunnies.

In her movie debut, then, please welcome DAISY, the Lilypad's FRESHEST CAT!!!

Fresh Daisy from marcy hall on Vimeo.