Remembering Giol

Giol, #1 daughter's pet rabbit, died this week.

My wife came in Tuesday evening, worried, and told me that Giol was lying on his side and not breathing. She wanted me to make a closer inspection, and I can't say I blame her for doing so. We all liked that little furball.

He was in his pen, lying on the grass, on his right side, eye open, and definitely not breathing. His death probably came some time during the afternoon or early evening: and was, from all indications, quite peaceful.

My daughter had found him, years ago, at a animal clinic/pound in Alexandria. He was one of a number of rabbits recovered from a botched breeding operation, and was nervous: even for a rabbit. I gather that he had not been treated well by the humans or his fellow-rabbits.

#1 daughter thought he was cute: nothing unusual there. There are very few critters she doesn't think are cute. She named him Giol, and took him home with her. Giol was something in the neighborhood of a lop rabbit, with ears drooping and a lovely fur coat. A grayish fuzzy patch on the back of his neck gave him 'character,' and was a legacy of his less-than-happy experiences at the breeding operation.

Giol calmed down rather quickly, under the circumstances, and lived at various times with #1 daughter, in our house, and in a portable rabbit run we built for him. My daughter was moving back to Sauk Centre, having found a place where she could keep pets. We liked the little fellow, but several members of the household are very sensitive to pet dander: which made life a bit more complicated.

I wish that Giol could have lived long enough for #1 daughter to take him back to live with her. But he had a long (for a rabbit) and rather good life. At least, I hope so. We made a point of moving his rabbit run periodically, giving him several square yards of fresh grass to supplement his rabbit kibble. Then there were the occasional apple cores and other treats. He was particularly fond of mint.

I picked up #1 daughter around 10:00 p.m. Tuesday, driving her back to Sauk Centre. We picked up a styrofoam cooler and several pounds of ice on the way, which we used to preserve Giol's body until the next day. #1 daughter and I stayed up rather late, distracting ourselves by watching a few episodes of an anime series we like.

By early Wednesday afternoon, #1 daughter had picked a spot under some lilacs in the back yard and dug a rabbit-size grave. It had been Giol's favorite spot on those occasions when she had him out of the rabbit run. She and I laid him there, still looking as I'd seem him Tuesday evening. She set an apple core by his head, and plans to plant mint there.

Sentimental man that I am, I'm weeping while writing this. I miss that little fuzzball.

These photos, taken a few years ago, are from earlier posts.

---

(September 28, 2009)

Giol, #1 daughter's rabbit, under the back stoop: his new favorite place outside.


Giol has this "cute" thing down cold.


As #1 daughter observed: from this angle, Giol looks like a fuzzy eggplant. With ears.


Caught in the act! The infamous "chips" incident.

---

(June 23, 2009)
My wife came up with an excellent idea for keeping Giol out of the way.


Simplicity itself: Place laundry basket on floor; place rabbit in laundry basket. Result: instant rabbit playpen.


Then, the rabbit realizes how easy it will be to jump out.


Putting another laundry basket, upside down, on top of the first worked quite well: until Giol learned that he could push the top one off. #1 daughter eventually used duct tape to fasten the top on.

---

(April 10, 2008)

#1 daughter brought her rabbit, Giol, along with her. That was a treat, for me anyway. Our son likes the rabbit too. Giol likes to nap behind the couch, and under the chair I use in the living room. It's a bit of a treat, feeling his whiskers when he sniffs my feet.

Related posts:

• "A Rabbit This Time"
  (June 17, 2013)
• "Big Hail, a Rabbit's Fox Hole, and Sunday"
  (May 20, 2012)
• "A Mouse? A Really Big Mouse?"
  (April 3, 2010)
• "A Rabbit, a Vest, and My Family"
  (January 29, 2010)
• "Another Day, More Posts; Some Research; and a Rabbit"
  (January 12, 2010)
• "Giol, #1 Daughter's Rabbit; and 'Just Your Average Small Town America Household' "
  (September 28, 2009)
• "Tuesday: A Rabbit's Playpen, and Sunset"
  (June 23, 2009)
• "And Now for Something Completely Different: Cat and Rabbit Meet"
  (February 3, 2009)
• "Wednesday: Back to School, and a Little Spring"
  (April 10, 2008)

A Rabbit This Time

I drove to Alexandria, about 20 miles down the road, to get a pair of pants this morning. More accurately, to select two pairs. The legs will be cut to length in about a week. I'm not particularly wardrobe-conscious, but needed to replace a seriously worn pair.

On the way, on Interstate 94, I saw work in progress on the new power line. A crew was stringing something, using a helicopter. Unhappily, I couldn't get a photo.

This afternoon I took #1 daughter's rabbit to the vet here in Sauk Centre, to check out a lump in his nose. Apparently he's been bumping it into something: with results like what I'd experience if I tried opening doors with my forehead.

The rabbit took his trip pretty well. On the other hand, he had his nose pointed toward the door of his carrier on the way out. On the way back, his backside was pointed toward me. I don't think I was on his 'favorite people' list just then. ;)

Big Hail, a Rabbit's Fox Hole, and Sunday

I didn't get photos of Friday night's thunderstorm and hail. I'm told we had inch-and-a-quarter size hailstones here in Sauk Centre. Father Statz, the parish priest, says that he left his car outside that night - and the next morning it looked like someone had gone over it with a ball peen hammer.

That would explain what I heard around 11:00 p.m. Friday night. Hail usually makes a fairly light "tap" when it hits the roof. This sounded more like someone dropping gravel on the house.

When #1 daughter went out to check on her rabbit, Giol, the next morning, she found that he'd dug a Giol-size trench by his shelter. It was deep enough for him to lie in, with his back flush with the surface of the ground: a sort of fox hole for a rabbit.

I went to Mass yesterday, with #1 daughter, as we often do on weekends. My wife, son, and #3 daughter left for church a few minutes ago, and I'm looking forward to a comparatively relaxed Sunday.

Not Much Done, and All Day Doing It

#1 daughter and a friend of hers came visiting a little before noon today: an expected event. We talked, I grilled burgers while they observed Giol, her pet rabbit, and eventually they went over to see my father-in-law, his clocks & violins.

I went up to the attic, got some reading done and made a few notes before they were back - and we talked some more. Later, after the evening meal, her friend and I talked about Jung; Freud; philology, linguistics and the history of the English language; and Road Runner cartoons - in that order, in the space of about a half-hour.

Which, for me, is about par for the course. Him, too, I understand.

They're off again: and it's time for me to start thinking about getting down to the task of setting up tomorrow morning's posts. Or deciding to give them a miss until Monday.

A Rabbit, a Haircut, Soo Bahk Do, and Phone Calls

It's been a a good day. My wife gave me a haircut this afternoon: no more 'ancient wizard' look for me. I haven't measured, but my hair's maybe a quarter-inch long now. Probably less. Tomorrow, I trim the beard to match.

There's plenty of time for it to get long and curly for the 'Santa Claus' look next Christmas.

I ate an apple today - not entirely so that I could give the core to Giol, #1 daughter's pet rabbit. But that was a factor. This time Giol hopped a couple feet away from me before starting to eat the apple core. He does that, sometimes: more often when I make it a little harder to get the thing. I think he may be protecting 'his' treat.

My wife and #3 daughter went to Soo Bahk Do class this evening. They're preparing for a test. My son stayed home this time. The rationale was that he wasn't going to be taking the test - and prep for the test was all that'd be happening in class.

I didn't get out for a walk today - but I did go through some of the Wii Fit routines. I'm rather serious about undoing the effects several years (decades) of comparative immobility.

And, I'm catching up, more or less, from the break I took to write about lint. Earth Day and all that, you know.

Prayer, Hair, and a Rabbit

My son gave me the 'chaplet' (a crucifix and knotted cord of the sort we pray chaplets on, actually) - looks like I'm the one he's been praying for during this Lent. Well, I can use all the help I can get. I'm wearing it now: swapped out the one I've been wearing and using through Lent.

And, I've already used the 'new' one: Someone on Twitter suggested: "Please pause whatever you are doing and pray for your family and country." It took me the usual six minutes to run through the particular chaplet I've been doing: but who's counting?

My wife got a haircut this afternoon: a sort of rite of spring. Also a practical matter of staying comparatively cool during summer. A - tech school grad, I think - did the work, and a fine job it was.

Giol, #1 daughter's rabbit, is doing fine. He doesn't say much, but he's been using the pet taxi and rabbit run my wife set up for him with evidence of satisfaction with the arrangement.

Apart from that? I'm probably forgetting something: But so far, that's what I've pulled out of memory.

A Mouse? A Really Big Mouse?

I got finished with my tasks a bit late yesterday. Fridays are challenging, sometimes, since one of my 'creative' blogs has a post due then. And, as often happens, I had nothing in the net when I trawled my imagination until rather late. So I wrote about ducks.

The rest of the family was quite sensibly in bed by that time and the lights were out on the 1st (ground) floor where my desk is. Except for my task lighting and a light in the kitchen.

It's quiet at night in this neighborhood: except when there's an event at the school. But that's another topic.

Anyway, I heard something. In the living room. A sort of skittering sound. In the dark.

Okay: once, it might have been a pile at one of the kids' workstations sliding into a more stable configuration.

I heard it again. Definitely a skitter. And another sound: something sliding? It didn't last long enough for me to identify.

A mouse. Maybe. They get in, sometimes, in the fall: and we'd had at least one in residence in the early winter. We couldn't catch it. Them? I think they're getting smarter.

I heard it again. Sounded like a mouse. Sort of. A big mouse.

There it was again. A really big mouse.

I was not at all sleepy by then.

Since I wanted to pinpoint its location and at least identify the critter before taking further action, I didn't want to spook it: so I left the light off.

And waited.

After hearing a whole lot of skitters and shuffles, and another possible sliding sound, I had a pretty good bearing on the source of the sound.

Whatever it was, it sounded like it must weight several pounds.

A five-pound mouse??

It wasn't entirely dark: some light comes in from the kitchen. Which wasn't all that reassuring. I might not have seen a mouse, in the direction I was looking, but I'd have expected to see some trace of a critter weighing upwards of two or three pounds - assuming that it was moving around.

Nothing. I saw nothing.

Finally, around 4:00, with skitters not happening quite as frequently as they had at the peak, a few hours previously, I decided that whatever it was, wasn't going anywhere.

And I needed sleep.

Turns out, my wife had decided - correctly, in my view - that since it was so windy out, the rabbit should be let in. She'd moved his enclosure outside yesterday, I'd secured its entry, and Giol had been energetically nibbling grass yesterday afternoon.

So, my wife told our son to tell #1 daughter to go out, put Giol in his carrier, and take him in. Which #1 daughter did: leaving the carrier in the living room and returning to bed.

Without telling me that we now had a pet carrier in the living room, with a rabbit in it.

I hope to get to bed in better time tonight.

Burgers, a Rabbit, and Family

Excellent day: I grilled burgers in company with #1 daughter, read Garfield and sang with my son, talked about her writing with #3 daughter, and watched Giol, #1 daughter's rabbit, engulf two apple cores, and a small tub of (old) sprouts. Don't worry: the sprouts weren't that old. We could have eaten them, but my wife probably wanted to start a fresh batch.

And, I think she has a soft spot for the rabbit.

#1 daughter and I watched another episode each of Bleach and Princess Tutu. Watching those two back-to-back makes for a fast shift of mental gears.

I've gotten some work done, too: including long-overdue graphics for the Easy Griller blog and website; and Apathetic Lemming of the North posts for tomorrow and Monday.

That'll give me tomorrow for family - also reflection, silence (no small feat for me), cultivation of the mind, and meditation - all with a view to furthering the growth of this Christian's interior life. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2186 - we've got rules for just about everything. More: "Working on Sunday: At Growing the Christian Interior Life," A Catholic Citizen in America (January 2, 2010))

Enough with the link-dropping.

It's been a long and enjoyable day: and it's time to turn in.

Of Routines and a Rabbit

#1 daughter is back from the Red River Valley of the North; Giol, her pet rabbit, has had two apple cores for treats (dancing each time); my wife and #3 daughter have been to Soo Bahk Do practice; and I've finished Sunday's Sauk Centre Journal post.

It's been a good day.

And now, goodnight and may God bless.

Of Yogurt, a Rabbit, Movies and Routines

I'll be switching yogurt brands, after using up the current supply. According to the charts I've been using, that half-cup of yogurt with rice puffs should have been good for breakfast.

But before-and-after blood sugar readings say otherwise. No real surprise, in 20-20 hindsight. Sugar comes pretty quick on the heels of milk on the ingredients label. Oh, well: There are alternatives.

My son and I read Garfield and sang tonight, as usual. That's a pleasant ritual. My wife and #3 daughter were watching a "Nancy Drew" video while I've been catching up on today's posts.

Good grief! That's a syntactic monstrosity, but I'll let it stand.

I watched "2001: A Space Odyssey" this afternoon. That makes three movies I've seen on television withing the week. The others were (part of) "Aliens" and (part of) "The Incredibles." The latter I enjoyed. The former? I know more about the approach of the franchise - and congratulate myself on not spending money on a movie ticket.

Add "Avatar," (a week ago tomorrow), and I've been spending a whole lot of time this week, watching movies. I don't intend to make that a habit.

Giol, #1 daughter's rabbit, has had an apple core from my son this evening, and one from me. He likes those things - and has gotten quite good at walking/hopping on his hind feet to take them from our hands. My son's reasoning is that Giol enjoys the apple core more, if he has to work a little for it, so he makes it a bit more difficult for the rabbit. He could be right.

#1 daughter is, presumably up in the Red River Valley of the North, visiting #2 daughter and my son-in-law.

Which pretty much sums up the day's happenings. Right. My wife and #3 daughter have been out, getting groceries and something at Wal-Mart - the latter including a refill of my glucose test strips.

And now, I can call it a day. Good night, and may God bless.

Another Day, Another Apple Core For the Rabbit

I'm still catching up on Tuesday's posts, in other blogs, and decided to defer seeing "Avatar" until the weekend - or maybe next week. After that, it'll be gone from the local theater. I've felt better. I've felt worse, but I've felt better. Actually, none of the family here in Sauk Centre has been quite up to par.

Except for #1 daughter's rabbit, Giol. He's as fluffy as ever. And let me hold him for five minutes the other day. I think he liked getting his head stroked.

I went out in the afternoon, running errands. My wife, prudently, stayed in and rested.

#1 daughter called this evening, just after supper. Not-entirely-good news involving finances. 'Nuff said. I'm looking forward to seeing her on the weekend.

We got a call from #2 daughter & son-in-law, and viewed a work-in-progress marketing trailer for a video they're producing. He's producing, mostly. I'll be filling in details as that project moves along.

I've fed Giol an apple core - he's getting quite good at standing on his back feet and reaching for it - but haven't yet read Garfield and sung with my son.

Of a Rabbit, a Song, and Proofing

Another day, ending with #1 daughter's rabbit, Giol, getting an apple core for a treat: and my son and I first reading Garfield and then singing that song I've sung with each of the kids as they grew up.

My wife and #3 daughter have finished putting a correction slip in each of over 300 bulletins for a Knights of Columbus mailing. I discovered a glaring error - as soon as the bulletins came back from the printer. For 'upcoming events,' I'd left last year's in place, instead of updating them. Embarrassing, very. Particularly since I'd proofed the bulletin.

Next time, maybe I'll be smart and have my wife proof it. It's an old principle: the person who composes something shouldn't be the one who proofs it. People - myself included, obviously - tend to 'know' what's supposed to be there, and perceive that, instead of what actually comes in through their eyes.

Anyway, I've gotten the day's tasks done - and now it's time to turn in.

Good night, and may God bless.

A Rabbit, a Vest, and My Family

My wife's fitting a new harness/vest onto Giol, #1 daughter's rabbit just now. The rabbit chewed through part of his old one: which was pink and a sort of bright yellow-green. This one is a tannnish brown. Giol looks like he's wearing a vest now.

#1 daughter came home for the weekend, arriving a little before supper. She's been researching towns in this general area, looking for the optimum place to live after Tech. school.

Back to the rabbit.

As #1 daughter said to Giol, "now you're very stylish: and your butt looks big." Well, it did before: Giol's a rabbit, you know. The new harness does look a bit better on him than that, ah, brightly-colored one did. And, seems to work quite well as an attachment for his leash: which is the main idea.

I'll be reading Garfield with my son, soon.

Another Sunday Done

#1 daughter's gone back to Alexandria. She visited family friends - and their baby rabbits - late this afternoon, after spending the weekend here.

I've read Garfield and sung with my son: a pleasant routine.

And, the New Orleans Saints are going to the Super Bowl: Which is quite a big deal. It's the first time the team made it that far.

I'm a bit divided in my feelings about the Saints' win. I'm not a really huge football fan - but they were playing the Vikings, and I've a long and deep history with the state of Minnesota.

And, since late January of 1986, as I recall, I've been living near the center of Minnesota - and loving it.

Of Sinks, a Rabbit, and an Apple Core

Another day's just about over.

My wife and #2 daughter were out today, looking at sinks. I have no idea what their selection process was, but my wife told me that she's found something suitable. Now, the issue is finding faucets, I'm told.

She'd have been doing this last year, but this household was in crisis mode for most of 2009, economically anyway. Typically, the new sinks are being selected partly on aesthetic grounds: but the need is practical, not decorative. The hardware we have now could be repaired - but I'm told that repair costs would be about what it takes to replace the things.

Giol, #1 daughter's rabbit, had is 'people time' up in the kitchen this evening. And got an apple core from me. He's calmed down a great deal since #1 daughter picked him up from - the pound, I think - in Alexandria.

My son and I read Garfield and sang, as usual. And, I see I've still got a task left to finish.

Another Day in the Heart of Darkest Minnesota

Fog overnight and this morning left frost on the trees.


South Ash Street here in Sauk Centre. I took this picture about 9 this morning. Yes: It was that dark. January 19, 2010

My wife and #3 daughter watched the shop for my father-in-law this afternoon. I'm glad we're in town, to take care of that sort of thing.

My son mentioned that he could build a computer for me, when I mentioned wanting to separate webcam support from my 'main' computer. I may take him up on that.

I lost the habit of checking on Facebook and MySpace late in 2009 - that was an interesting year. Now, I'm getting touching base with those communities back in my routines.

Another hour or so, and I'll be reading Garfield with my son.

And, I see that someone brought Giol, #1 daughter's rabbit, up. He's in the kitchen. I've got an apple core - two, actually - waiting for him.

Three-Day Weekend

A three-day weekend is over for #1 daughter. She spent it with us. I rather liked that. She's now back in Alex, and is scheduled for classes as usual tomorrow. I learned that she's planning on taking an 'extra' course in animation next fall: pretty good idea, I think. Particularly considering some of her interests.

#2 daughter & my son-in-law are (or were, up to yesterday, I think) in Colorado. Skiing. With his parents. #2 daughter was quite impressed with the scenery. Good for them: it's great to be able to travel. There's quite a remarkable world out there.

I heard a guitar earlier today: I suspect it was #3 daughter, but I haven't confirmed that.

Giol, #1 daughter's rabbit, has had two apple cores this evening. That's quite a treat for him. He'll get up on his hind feed and reach for them.

My son and I read Garfield tonight, as usual, and I sang the tune that I've sung for each of the kids. It's pretty close to something my father sang to me.

Another Day, More Posts; Some Research; and a Rabbit

I had a short talk with my son-in-law today, and an insurance agent. He - that's my son-in-law - is getting insurance for the house he and #2 daughter are living in. Good idea, too.

And, if I heard it right, I'll have a new niece or nephew soon. The extended family's growing. For which I'm duly grateful.

The task-list system I started last year is working. Which reminds me of the story of the speckled axe. If you've heard this before, skip the next paragraph.

A father and son were getting ready to chop wood. This was in the days when you sharpened an axe by turning a stone wheel by hand and holding the axe blade against it. The son didn't want to have a speckled axe when they were done. He wanted to get the axe perfectly sharpened and polished, with no rust left at all. The father agreed, on the condition that the son turn the wheel. After a while the son got tired and said, "Dad, I think a speckled axe is okay."

Well, I decided to accept a speckled-axe approach to the task list. I had all the tasks that could be done listed. But each day I only did those that really needed to be finished.

Today, I only have thee left undone. Not bad, actually. And, improving.

My son and I read Garfield tonight, as we usually do, before he went to bed.

He gave an apple core to Giol, #1 daughter's rabbit, on his way upstairs. Giol's a bit mellower now, than he was over the last few weeks. Still, he hopped energetically on his back feet, reaching for the apple core.

Which brings me up to the present. Giol is sitting under a chair in the kitchen, washing himself. He reminds me of the cats I knew, growing pu, when he does that. Good memories.

And, good night.

Saturday: About a Rabbit, a Leash, and School

My wife is putting Giol, #1 daughter's pet rabbit, in the basement for the night. Uneventfully tonight. He'd finished a sort of salad bar we set out for him on the floor, and I gave him an apple core earlier. I'll admit that we're a bit soft when it comes to that nibbler.

Yesterday evening, when my wife came to get Giol, he was at the end of his leash. Which was remarkable, since he'd gotten out of his harness. Apparently, he's learned that he's only supposed to go as far as the leash does.

#1 daughter is in Alex now, preparing for the start of classes on Monday. My son's homeschooling has already started - it only slowed down for the holidays, I think.

Me? I've got tomorrow's posts for Apathetic Lemming of the North to set up, so I need to get back to work.

The Startling Case of the Rabbit, the Refrigerator, and the Notepad

Giol, #1 daughter's rabbit, had quite a fright this evening. As he was stretching out to a more relaxed position under a kitchen chair, a notepad fell off the refrigerator.

It's amazing, how fast a rabbit can get on his feet.

I don't think he's too traumatized, though: he's settled down again, chin and the tips of his ears on the floor.