Beagle Finds Baby Rabbits

 

Zoe has two dogs. A female beagle and a chihuahua. The chihuahua is about half rat terrier and half regular chihuahua. The two really are a pair. Bella lays on the couch and Odie lays on top of her and he can't hold his licker. He loves to lick the couch or Bella's ear.

The other day I took Bella out for a walk in the yard. She loves to sniff for everything. She has to be on a leash when out because she will let her nose take her away on a scent. She loves to ride in the car and would make a great hunting dog.

While she was sniffing on the ground she found a baby rabbit nest. I didn't know it until it was too late. I noticed she was sticking her nose in the background and quickly snatched a baby rabbit from the nest. The baby rabbit let out a little squeal and Bella dropped the baby. Immediately four other baby rabbits ran from the next. I pulled Bella away and took her inside the house.

I went back outside to see the babies. I had a quick thought to get a couple of baby rabbits and show them to my two daughters that were at home at the time. It was a dad move for me because I wanted to see my girls smile while holding the cute little rabbits.

I took one to Zoe my youngest daughter and then one to Jewell my second daughter. They were elated. It was a cuteness overload and I enjoyed them enjoying the baby rabbits.

I was worried the momma rabbit would not return the babies after being touched by humans. Zoe looked at videos on YouTube to learn how to take care of the babies. She made a box with some greens and water. After researching, the girls decided to put the babies back in the nest.

That night they said the momma rabbit was out by the nest. Then today I saw one of the tiny rabbits roaming around the same area. I can only assume they are doing well. I didn't bother the nest again.

I might have done the wrong thing by taking two of the rabbits for the girls to hold but it was worth it to see their smiles. As far as I can tell the baby rabbits are doing well.

Thanks for reading!

If you like outdoors and wildlife, read my story called Fishing With Grandma

My Mother And All You Other Mother’s

 

This post is about my mother. It’s also about all other mothers out there in the past, present, and future.

First of all, the picture above was taken when I was about sixteen years old. It was a crazy time in my life. I was too old for some things but not old enough for most adult things. It was a very frustrating period for me. My sister, who is four years younger is to the far left. My mother is on the far right side of the picture.

My mom was married to my step-father at the time. He adopted me and I took the last name of West around 1984-1985. I liked getting that name. My first last name was Snow. I liked West better. I thought it sounded more Western or rugged, although I didn’t like watching Western movies as a kid, I most definitely love them now.

My stepdad had never had kids. My sister and I never had a stepdad. My sister didn’t seem to have an issue with my stepfather but I did a lot of times. Sometimes he could be a little harsh. He was, and still is an outdoorsman. I remember on occasions he would attempt to take me hunting. My feet would freeze. I was so cold. My hands would freeze as we marched through the woods like soldiers. All I wanted to do was go home and be warm. I hated it. He hated I hated it.

Today, I don’t get to do much hunting because I’m so busy doing other things. I love the outdoors though and love guns now as a grown man. If my limbs freeze while being in the woods or near the water it makes me feel more alive. It’s primal.

I have always thought my mom got pregnant with me when she was sixteen and gave birth to me when she was seventeen but I found out it was earlier than that. She brought me into this world when she was just sixteen years old. She was a baby that had a baby.

I don’t write this to shame her at all. It is what it is and it happened. It still happens today to many young girls. She just got pregnant young.

My earliest memories of my mom is sleeping with her in the bed. She always made me feel safe and loved. She still does today by bringing me soap from Bath and Bodywork’s. She also tries to give me old food sometimes, I think because she can’t stand to throw it away. I think it’s sweet and funny.

While I was growing up I remember my mother consuming romance books. She worked at the local Walmart and would bring a new book home almost everyday it seemed. She would read and read. She smoked while she read and would sip Coke from a bottle as she would turn each page. I think she lived on cigarettes and soda.

I never picked up a romance book and read it but I would ask her what her books were about. She’d just say they about romance.

My mother would teach me many things. She was, and still is a very independent woman. She taught me to be an independent man. To be strong, loyal, loving, and nurture being sensitive. She would teach me not to lie. She also said she hated liars. I didn’t want my mother to hate me so I dared not lie to her.

She seemed so much older to me. So much wiser. There was a great gulf in my mind between her and I in regard to age and wisdom. Now that I’m grown and lived many years I see she was just a kid with a kid. Read my story about Navigating Parenthood.

I watched my mom work very hard to provide for us. She would by milk for us and never drink it so we would have milk for cereal all week.

Today I’m very proud of my mother. She is in her retirement years and has worked as a hospice nurse for many years. I don’t know how she does what she does but I’m glad there are people who do that job. She brings comfort and care to dying people everyday.

I live in the same city as my mother and when I get a chance I like to visit with her. I don’t get to see her every day but it’s nice ti live close. When I was much younger and lived away, I didn’t value the closeness as much but today it’s important. It’s amazing how life and time changes personal values. Ages and stages we journey through this life.

Maybe you have a mother. If not, maybe you have mother figures in your life. You know who they might be. You might want to be a mother yourself. If you can’t, you can always be a mother figure to someone. You can shape a younger mind to be the best they can be.

Here’s some reasons why mothers are important.

Do You Believe In Angels? My True Story

Do you believe in angels? If you do or don’t believe in angels, no judgement here. I do have a true story you might like to read about me. I think I may have seen an angel.

This is a true story and it happened many years ago when I was a young boy. This event took place before I learned to swim. To the best of my memory, I believe I was around ten years old.

If you have been reading my posts you will know I grew up in Southwest Missouri. There are many places to swim in the summertime. It is very common during the warm season to see people at lakes and rivers in this area.

One day during the summer, all us kids convinced the adults to take us swimming. We packed up sodas, sandwiches, chips, and took off in the cars to a local river that was popular for swimming and fishing.

We went in the late afternoon so the spot we chose had no swimmers except for our family. We parked down the road at a good spot and had to walk down the road, across the river bridge, and then down to the riverbank to enter the water.

It was a great time. It was always fun swimming with my cousins durning summertime. We would always feel exhausted once we got back to the house from swimming and playing at the river. Do you have childhood swimming memories?

We swam for hours and would splash water on each other. The river scenery was so nice until we would spot a snake in the water and it would scare all us kids back to the riverbank until the snake disappeared. Once we were sure the snake was gone, the swim party would continue.

After swimming for some time, we would complain of hunger and being thirsty. Everyone decided to walk back to the cars where the food and drinks were.

I was ok without eating or drinking. I was too excited about being at the river. I didn’t want to miss a second of water time so I asked if I could stay in the water while everyone else went up to eat. After convincing the adults I would stay close to the riverbank, the family group walked across the bridge, down the road, and out of sight. I was left alone to enjoy the water.

I stayed close to the riverbank as agreed. I didn’t know how to swim at the time. The water was about waist high for me and I would bob up and down along the river. While doing this, I came to a washout and my feet slid downward taking my head completely under water.

The washout had me. I knew the second it happened I was in trouble. I tried my best to get above the water. My head could barely seem to break the surface of the water. I could feel my hands reaching above the water as they tried to grab the air. My legs seemed like they were filled with concrete and no matter how hard I kicked them I just kept going under.

I could see the sun shining through the water surface as I flailed to save my life. I remember thinking this was the end for me and visions of flowers flashed in my minds eye. You know, like the big flower arrangements you see at a funeral. I couldn’t help but be amazed that this was how it was going to end for me. How I wished I knew how to swim.

The seconds seemed like minutes. Just when I thought I was going to sink out of pure exhaustion, I felt someone grab me by the arm and give me a good tug to the surface. I grabbed the arm that was pulling me with my other hand and could finally make my feet touch the steep edge of the washout.

I had swallowed a lot of water and even inhaled some water into my lungs. It burned like fire. I coughed and coughed until I got all the water out.

Once I gained a moment of sense about myself, I looked to see who had pulled me from my watery death sentence. It was another boy. I guessed maybe he was at least five years older than me. He asked me if I was ok. I told him I was ok and I thanked him for saving me. He asked me if I knew how to swim. I told him no. He said he was glad he was there to save me and then asked if I was there alone. I told him I came with family and they had went to the cars for food down the road.

I gave him a thank you again and began walking to the bridge to cross it to meet my family. I left the other boy by the bank of the river. There was a good amount of space between the riverbank and the forrest line. As I was walking across the bridge I looked back to get a final view of my hero.

He was gone. My bloodshot eyes quickly scanned the entire riverbank for the boy. He was nowhere to be seen. There was no way he could have made it to the forrest before I got to the bridge. I was in sort of a shock that I almost drowned and in even more shock at the fact the boy seemed to vanish.

I walked across the bridge and could see my family enjoying snacks at the parking spot. As I met them I was asked if I wanted something to eat and drink. The food burned as it went down my throat. I thought maybe it was sore from all the coughing I had done.

I didn’t tell any of my family what had happened. I kept it to myself until many years later. I was afraid if I said anything about it I would not get to swim again. In a way I didn’t want to swim at all.

I set a goal to learn how to swim. I learned how to dog paddle swim after that. Then I learned how to swim under water. I never wanted to feel that fear again in my life because of water.

I have heard many stories of angels in the past and I don’t know if that boy was a real angel or not. I know he was not there when I was alone. I know there was no other people when we came to swim. I just know that he saved my life and then vanished. He was an angel to me and I will always be grateful.

Do you have a similar story about an someone you thought was an angel? I would like to read your story. Please share with me. Maybe your story will inspire others to believe.

10 True Stories of Angel Encounters

You also might like my post on Navigating The Journey Of Parenthood 

#angels #neardeathexperience #swimming #childhood #summer #missouri