Slippers, Rain, and a Baby Bunny: What Could Go Wrong?: an Ishtar story.

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At midnight on Sunday, Tigre, one of my feline fur babies, gave me my Ishtar gift. I had been in most of the day with rather a sore back and was ready for bed. I was trying to get Tigre in before it poured down with rain again.

Where usually he would come bursting through the door, he was rather reluctant to be in the warm and kept returning to the same spot. It was dark outside, so I could just about make out when he picked something up.

He jumped onto steps, slippery from the rain, up onto a wall and into an enclosed flower bed. I continued to call him as he busied himself behind a tree. He finally came in and I went to investigate.

Peering into the darkness, I could just about make out a little bundle of fluff. I wasn't sure if the poor creature was moving and needed to get closer in my slippers on the slippery steps.

With a twinging back, I climbed over the wall into the flower bed and saw the very faint outline of a rabbit. I could see the body moving and wanted to ensure to handle gently.

Making sure they were not hurt, I went back into the house for a towel, leaving the door ajar to return swiftly.

What I hadn't taken into account was t ready at the second door, he swirled around my legs, then realizing his swift exit, slid promptly through the ajar door to outside. He jumped onto the wall with yours truly in tow, cooing at him to distract him and get him to stop. Fortunately, it worked.

He stopped and I swooped him into my arms. I took him back inside and closed both doors. This time I selected a suitable towel, fuchsia pink, and returned to the flower bed.

Doing my best John Wayne with a lumber issue impression, I got myself into the flower bed. The bunny had not moved at all and I was concerned they had passed gently approaching.

ny to make a run for it and a: 1980

This poor defenseless creature's best hope was me in my dressing gown and slippers, stuck standing in the flower bed. I had to get back over the wall to return the bunny to safety. In not such a graceful manner, I began my rescue mission.

Leaning forward with the bunny outstretched in one arm. I placed the other hand on the wall to balance us and managed to land one foot onto a slippery step.

I prepared to swing the next leg around with as little upset to the bunny as possible and as little upset to my lumbar area as possible as my leg came over the wall. Dipping my foot for an efficient swing. My slipper fell off landing into the deep flower bed.

Standing on the slippery steps with the petrified bunny and one slipper, I felt my decision of not looking for outside shoes for efficiency had not been my best one to date. My next manoeuvre was to retrieve said slipper.

Another not so graceful moment as I now had to lean over the wall semi barefoot on slippery steps whilst keeping the bunny safe. I retrieved the slipper and our adventure continued. Walking up the slippery steps, the bunny continued to shiver.

The shivering stopped when I stroked the top of their head. So we had a few stop start soothing moments. We reached the top of the steps and started to walk onto the gravel.

The rain started again as we ventured further into the night. I felt so much love for this beautiful being in my arms and owl hooted in agreement.

We reached the end of the garden and ready ourselves to continue out towards the warren. We stopped and I looked at the abundance of wildflowers that were between us and the warren.

I contemplated releasing the rabbit here as slippers, a dressing gown and tall wet wild plants in the dark were possibly not the best combination. That contemplation was short lived and and we continued on. The rain kept us company as we waded through to get to the open space.

I did have the foresight of having my phone on with a torch, albeit in my pocket to guide us. Reaching the open space with olive trees. We went from tree to tree with me trying to remember where the rabbit hole was from the rain.

The countryside had had a beautiful growth spurt and had covered the usually visible rabbit holes. We stopped for a moment and then I remembered the hole that was actually on the golf course.

I had a brief memory of being with another rabbit there and found myself in the rain in the middle of the night. Instinctively knowing where to go. We found the exposed rabbit hole and I gently crouched down with the bunny.

I placed the towel on the ground and began to unfurl the fluffy bumble. This was the first time I saw the rabbit completely. It was a baby bunny.

The little soul gazed up at me with the most beautiful eyes and I could see now that they were not hurt at all.

I scooped them up in my hands, pondering if they were ready to go back or if I should stay with them a moment longer or take them back into the house. They wriggled in my hands. I placed them on the slope just in front of the hole.

They scooted forwards a couple of steps, and then I watched them push further into their freedom. They stopped for a moment within the warren.

I could still see the fluffy bottom and tail, and willed them to move forward into safety where they would not be seen from outside. With one further scooch, that is exactly what they did. Returning to the house, I realised Tigray had provided me with another visceral lesson.

He often does this. This time I felt I was reminded of a beautiful gift of creativity.

How important it is to nurture Easter as we know is all about rebirth and beautiful creation in the spring.

Here I was reminded to tell us to accept the gift of creativity, nurture this gift, handle it gently, weather the storm, trust our instincts, and go down the rabbit hole of the unknown, trusting we are safe.