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Image from PixabayBy the time we leave our Berkshire residence – in a little more than a month’s time – we will have been in occupation for just under four years.

We have greatly enjoyed living in such a lovely, quiet, rural location, but we are very much looking forward not only to actually owning the house in which we live in but also to having a whole property to ourselves. Renting an apartment is all very well but it ain’t the same, and it has been more than a decade and a half now since I lived in an actual house.

One thing which I have absolutely no recollection at all of noticing when we first explored the grounds that surround the elegant property of which our apartment is but a portion… is the rabbits!

Which is odd…

Because there are now hundreds of them!

OK – yes – I do know that that is what rabbits do… but from there being no population at all to the current multitude would seem to me to be pretty good going even so.

I throw back the curtains of a morning to greet the day and there – sitting on the lawn in the hazy sunlight – is an arc of rabbits, all sitting perfectly motionless looking up at the house. They are frozen into postures as though having been caught in the act – but of doing what?

“Blimey!” – I exclaim to the Kickass Canada Girl, who is still in bed – “It’s like Watership Down out there”. She scathes me with a bleary look and grunts (delicately!)…

It does make one wonder, though. What do all those rabbits do out there (apart from the obvious)? What can they be thinking? Are they just waiting for us to move out – so that they can move in? Will the next occupants trip lightly across the threshold and throw the light switch to be greeted by a veritable sea of bunny eyes all looking up at them – in a guiltily petrified tableau – from the drawing room carpet?

Who knows?

 

Aaaaaaaargh!!

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Photo by Jane HoltWe flatter those we scarcely know
We please the fleeting guest
And deal full many a thoughtless blow
To those who love us best.

Ella Wheeler Wilcox

I recently made reference to our most welcome guest – our visitor from Canada. As far as is possible for me to discern she and the Kickass Canada Girl are having a whale of a time seeing the sights and catching up with each other. Our dear friend has not previously visited these shores so there is much to be covered in a short space of time. Tomorrow morning the two of them are off to Paris for a few days. Lucky things!

From this you will deduce that I am staying here and working.

Hmmm!

We have – coincidentally – also found ourselves of late playing ‘host’ to an altogether different guest. Some months ago, now, we – in common with those who live in the surrounding apartments – could not help but notice that a rather splendid Pea Hen had taken to paying us irregular visits – popping up in the vicinity of the garage block. Finally – about a month ago – she moved in more permanently, taking up residence and becoming a fixture on our lawns.

Now – I really like peacocks. There is something about the shameless splendour of the bird that just looks right in the grounds of a country house. I personally also love their plaintive and melancholy call – though I do realise that I am in a serious minority in this regard. As is often the way with… ‘other‘… animals the female of the species pales by comparison with the male – but in this case I considered our unexpected visitor to be a welcome (if somewhat messy!) addition to the estate.

The question remained – however. Whence came this unlooked for lodger that had of late adopted us?

One of our neighbours did some digging. It turns out that the Pea Hen had belonged to a lady who lived in a nearby residence. She had moved away – leaving the Pea Hen behind – and the house was in the process of being demolished for redevelopment. The Pea Hen – very sensibly – had located a new safe haven.

Sadly not all of our neighbours feel the way that I do about these magnificent birds. Apparently they object to the increased car cleaning costs that seem to have become a necessity. Moves were made to find our new friend an alternative home and on Saturday last we received this email circular:

“We are sure you will be delighted to know that the Pea Hen has moved on. She was humanely caught this morning by the people at Tri Lakes*. They need to cage her for a few weeks otherwise the home sick bird will return to us. She will be introduced to a number of other peacocks so should have a happy and contented life with lots of friends. She will be happy to receive visitors any time you are passing.”

I miss her already!

 

* a nearby country park!

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