Scurry away, Little Rabbit!

   Ms. Ez, the old Bayou Dog, doesn't run or frolic near as much as she used to in the past.  As she ages, she is content to tag along behind me as I take my hikes.  Whereas we used to play fetch for hours on end, she now tires easily after about ten tosses.  Of course, when she chases the ball, it is at a breakneck speed both downhill and back uphill. After less than a dozen throws, she is exhausted and must head back inside to her bed.   She and I have resorted to leisurely hiking the hillside.  I have noticed that she even ignores the squirrels a good bit of the time.  This is something that she used to love doing but now, it is more of a chore.  I think the critters all realize this as they scamper to the nearest tree just to humor the old dog.  So goes the afternoon hike.

  One of the critters that we usually encounter as we make our way down the hill to the pier, is a tiny rabbit.  This little bunny was born early in the spring and is now fully on its own.  I guess our daily hikes have become so mundane to the rabbit that it has come to expect our visits.  It does not race away any longer and rarely even makes the effort to move off to the marsh.  Yesterday, I started tossing the ball to Ms. Ez.  She did her best to race down the hill to capture the bouncing ball before it reached the marsh.  Just out of curiosity, I kept tossing the ball nearer and nearer to the bunny.  Before long, Ms. Ez was practically stumbling over the rabbit during her chase.  Not once did the bunny hurry away.  It just kept munching grass.

  This lack of fear worries me a bit.  If the little rabbit has grown this accustomed to the big, lumbering dog, what about the coyotes or fox? Would the little bunny have sense enough to scamper to the safety of the marsh or would it just stand there assuming that the predator is just another Bayou Dog?  Oh, Ms. Ez, what have we done? Bunny, Bunny! Wise up!  Scamper away to the security that the thick marsh offers you! Do not become dinner for the coyote!