Surprise Under the Chocolate Flower

Today dawned with clear skies, sun, and a high of 82 F at home.  I've been sick for the past couple of days (one of the reasons I decided to work on this blog--otherwise, I would have been outdoors), and I ventured out early in the morning with Acadia for some sun.  She, as well as her brother, Baxter, likes to chew on fescue plugs I planted just for the cats' folic acid cravings.  When I checked out some of my Tufted Primroses to see if buds were forming (and they were!), I saw some movement from underneathe a chocolate flower plant only inches away.  There, huddled together, eyes wide and bright, were three baby desert cottontail rabbits (did you know that baby rabbits are called "kits?").   I wasn't sure how Mama Rabbit got them into our front courtyard.  We've tried to seal up rabbit size entry holes with rocks and hardware cloth since the rabbits seem to find my daylilies and oriental lilium epicurean delights.  I've just planted a new batch of lilium sp. "Uchida" to replace those devoured in our back courtyard by hungry bunnies.  (The back courtyard is open to wildlife, except for areas where I've protected delicacies with metal screening.)  I really don't want to see my replacements eaten as well.  However, I left the babies--which were about 3 inches long--alone in their hiding place.  They are pretty safe from predators there.  Obviously, I've got a soft spot for furry critters.  While I longed to bundle the kits up in a basket to keep warm in the house, I've learned long ago that nature really is the best caretaker.