...And yet so slow.  I know that made absolutely no sense what so ever... but still.

There has been some drama in my life the past couple of weeks.  And I've found writing about everything seems to help me see it all in perspective.

I sold a pair of rabbits to a new teacher at a well known high school before school started... so almost a year ago.  This teacher was very gung ho about starting up the rabbit program in the FFA established at the school... yea, she paid a pretty penny for my animals, but my animals were worth every bit of it (not trying to brag...)

All throughout the first eight months or so, she kept emailing me about the doe(female) not raising her litters properly.  She has had three litters in the short time the teacher owned her... rabbits only have thirty day gestation periods, mind you.  The rabbits were raised with chickens.  Before she took the animals home, she did ask if they would be ok... I advised her that they should be as long as they're seperated.  I was assuming she meant meat chickens that are housed on the floor (they're too big and bulky to really fly).  Well I was wrong and she failed to let me know... they had bantams- they're tiny birds that flit and fly and roost in high places.  The rabbits were being pooped on and everything!  After a visit to the facility... she invited me to an ag promotion day I told her again, the chickens and rabbits could not live like that.  That is most likely why the doe was not raising her babies to the fullest of her ability.  At that time she had her second litter and did have one live baby... it was probably 5 weeks old.

Fast forward to May... onoe of the fairs I regularly go to.  There she is with the rabbits and leaves them on the outskirts of the rabbit area and badmouths the breed to the rabbit judge WHILE he's busy judging animals that my 4-Hers as well as other exhibitors have worked hard at preparing for the show.  Thankfully the judge is wonderful and keeps his attention to the task in front of him... the youth and their rabbits.  She comes over to me (I'm clerking the table at that time... writing the comments the judge states about the bunnies as he places them).  She tells me the rabbits from me aren't right for her program and she's going to try and sell them.  Ok, you're bunnies, no worries.  I don't see or hear from her the rest of the day.

About 1 or so, the show is over.  The Poultry people have left for lunch and the rabbit kids are loading up their winnings and rabbits to go home.  The rabbits from me that she brought are sitting in the sun... I go over to check them out.  They're covered in bird feces... urine... they're terrible.  The doe is capable of weighing a good seven pounds when fully conditioned for show... she was barely five pounds- SKIN and BONES.  Her fur was hideous and she was mean.  The buck was thin and dirty also.  I didn't weigh him... the doe was in worse condition.

The teacher was no where in sight when I left... so I took the rabbits home.  I put shavings in the bottom of their cage to soak up the urine and I gave them fresh water.  They were in the sun when I was ready to leave.  At home I wormed and cleaned them up.  After two weeks I saw some change in their physical makeup and one week they were back to their loving selves.  After she was back in good health, as well as he, I bred her.  I wanted to prove she would raise her litter and take care of it properly in the correct surroundings.  Who would want to have their babies live in filth?

About three weeks AFTER the fair, my mom got an email from the teacher asking about the lops and other small animals she raises.  In a passing note she asked... "by the way did Jaci take home those spots?"  What the heck?  She asked three weeks LATER!  Obviously she didn't miss them did she?

Now, the doe is happily raising four babies of her own and two that I fostered to her last week.  Her babies were born the week of July 4th and the new ones are about a week younger.  She's doing wonderfully!  She hasn't lost any condition and is feeding all six equally.  She's loving and a great mother.

We just got done with our Summer Fair.  She talked to me on Thursday about the "Sitiution"  but I was busy with the rabbit show and told her how well she was doing with her litter.  Mind you, I was at the fair Saturday through the following Sunday and she had just enough time for me on Thursday... then she interrupted another meeting I was in on Sunday telling me she wanted something in trade, them back or something since she paid the money.  I told her I don't have any other animals to trade, she brought up cages... told her go to my parents... then she said then I'll take them back.  She said she'd call and make arrangements for next week.  Obviously she didn't remember the doe had a three week old litter at home!  Why uproot a doe and litter with two that don't even belong to her!?????!?!?!?!?!  Ugh!  I am so scared these animals are going to go back to the bad health they were in when I got them.

I have consulted some people that are more experienced in the business end of livestock than myself.  Technically these rabbits were abandoned... so I have that for me.  But... if she was reimbursed by the school, they are school property.  Do you see my predicament?  I am very scared for these animals.  Yeah, I feel a little better after writing it all down for you all to read, maybe some of you legal people can help me too... What do I do?

That was my major drama.......

The fair as a whole was great.  I was four weeks out from my tummy tuck Thursday.  I did get super tired and swollen at the beginning of the week... but then I decided to take it easy and have been ok.  The rabbit show was also on Thursday.  Anyone who knows me, knows the rabbits are pretty much my life, lol.  Over the past few months, I've worked with the local FFA chapter, my own 4-H group as well as another group that's about 45 minutes away.  The FFA chapter's meat pens did wonderfully!  One received Grand Champion and the other was awarded fourth.  The kicker is that my mom was the one who sold the pens to the kids!  They were all from her rabbits and breedings :)  Out of the top ten... she was 6, 5, 4,3,2, and 1st!  ALL her breedings!  How awesome is that!?  All the kids I worked with did great at the show... definately a pick up from last year ;)

This was the first time in years that the fair has had a great entertainment line up... Josh Gracin on Tuesday, Bowling for Soup on Wednesday, Phil Vassar on Thursday, The Tempataions on Friday, Collin Raye on Saturday, and Graciela Beltran on Sunday.  My sister, Julie, drug me to Josh and the Soup... both great performances.  Julie's favorite band was the Bowling for Soup and she was in the front of the mosh pit right in the middle!  She had a great time.  I'm glad she did... she deserved it.

Alright... I suppose I should just sign off now, lol... I've written a book comparable to Harry Potter!  LMAO

Bye for Now!

Jaci