trystinn | Who's in charge around here, anyway?

This morning, as I left for work, I glanced over to check the level of birdseed in the feeder and noticed Cassanova was munching about underneath. I slammed the door shut behind me, locked it, and let the screen door bang shut. Cassanova shrugged and went back to munching. I got in my car, backed out of my parking spot, then drove down the drivway for the street when I notice under my Japanese smoke tree is yet another cottontail - Romeo - all stretched out on his side in the shade, his ankles crossed. I continue to drive towards him until I'm literally two feet from him. Nothing, just looked over at me with "We got this" expression.

I head off to work laughing. When I get back, Romeo is still (or again) stretched out under the smoke tree and ignores me as I turn in the driveway and park. Concerned, I walked over to him, stopping a few feet from him - no response at all. I get within a few inches, realize he's still breathing and realize that for wild rabbits these things sure are pretty tame. I go inside, make a few phone calls, then head out to feed the mini-lops. There's Cassanova sitting in front of my garden shed munching on hay I must have dropped last night. I step closer, he ignores me. My toes are inches from him and he's completely unconcerned, so I knelt and in doing so, blocked out the sun - which irritated him enough that he ran under the Pavilion as if to say "if I wanted the shade I'd have been over here." At this point, I'm laughing out loud, and when I get to the back porch there's Romeo drinking out of the dog's automatic waterer (I'd wondered about that). Ignoring him now, I march right by him and head back into the house.

The way I figure it - a few more months of this and they'll be coming through the doggie door into the house. Must go now, there's some sort of finch council on the front step complaining that the birdfeeder is empty and orchestrating bombing raids against my office windows in protest. I need to get to this before they start making formal demands. And yes, I'm on the lookout for that crane - haven't seen him yet today and I'm almost afraid of what requests he may have.

Edit: As I'm coming out of the garden shed, Cassanova ran by, stopped as if to say "good day" & tip his hat, then ran off with Gracie (border collie) in hot persuit. I head out front to the birdfeeder, where Romeo is still sitting there, waiting for the birdfeeder refill.

And if anyone's wondering - Cassanova's fur is a bit more mottled, where Romeo's is a tad darker and more uniform. We see them so often and so close, we can tell them apart now.