Missing

Our rabbit "Crash Bunnicoot" has gone missing.

When daughter went to put him in his run last night, he was nowhere to be found. We always let him roam freely in the garden during the day when we're in the house, and put him in the run at night, as there are some urban foxes around.

Sometimes at bedtime he does a runner, into the tunnel he dug behind the lavender bush. In the early days, heofinfinitepatience would wait with one or both girls, torch in hand, for sometimes over an hour, for him to come out. Then one night, he just wouldn't come out, nothing would coax him, so they left him and next morning there he was, hail and hearty, running around the garden.

Since then, we've adopted a liberal attitude, and if he isn't available at bedtime (ie a bit before dark) we leave him be. And every morning till today, he has shown up. But not a sign of him this morning or all day. This does not bode well.

Sometimes he appears from nowhere when I go near the plum tree, as he loves the leaves and I always cut some for him. Today, however, I cut several branches with the newly-purchased lopper, but no appearance.

It's a strange feeling, not knowing where he is or what has happened to him. He was 7, which I understand in rabbit terms is quite old, so he may have just "passed away peacefully". That's what we hope. While I cursed him many times for eating stuff I planted, and for the stuff I'd love to grow but can't, cos I know that within a few hours of it being planted, he'll have eaten it to bits, I do miss him. However, I got a load of gardening done without interruption today, which was also nice. Maybe I shouldn't write him off yet, he may appear tomorrow. Time will tell, and I'll let you know.