Meet Harley...

[maherwoman]

This is so hard to post about, just because posting my reasons will definitely make me cry...but I think it's time you guys heard...

So, you guys know that I lost my baby girl, Drew, on the 21st (so three days ago...though it feels like a LIFETIME). I've also commented that I was struggling with the reason WHY I had to lose her...and just couldn't come up with an answer...so I thought I would CREATE one. Given that I was just going 'round and 'round in thought about WHY...SOMETHING had to happen to show me WHY.

The other day, I realized (with some help by Robin, Peg's daughter) that Peg had retired bucks and does that she wanted to rehome as pets. It also soon occured to me that something that would help (as it has in the past when I've lost a pet) would be to have someone new to concentrate on...NOT to replace Drew...but just distract me. And that someone needed to be someone that hadn't been placed in a home for some silly reason, that was older, that was sad and wanted his own home.

Enter Harley (AKA Qball). (And, Peg, please correct any information I get wrong...it's been so crazy over the past few days, I might have heard this or that wrong...feel free to correct IN my post, even. )

Harley was overgroomed by his mama at a very young age. Peg had received calls from people interested in bringing home a handsome buck, so she would tell them about him and let them know he had an ear that had been overgroomed, and they would seem okay about it...then take one look and shy away from taking the poor boy home.

This happened enough times that he soon got kinda sad...and is now about a year and a half in age, and still has no pet home.

This is not to say that he's not WELL loved by Peg and her family...quite the contrary...he's quite the star over there!

When I mentioned to Peg what I was going through, and that I was looking for a WHY...and that I would feel better if it was something like another bun needed a home that lived with her, they thought of about nine different bucks (as I was kinda more interested in going with a fourth buck instead of a fifth girl), and Harley just JUMPED off the page to me.

I immediately though this ear was ADORABLE and thought it gave him SUCH character! When she sent me the nine different bucks, she sent along personality information as well as pictures, but no names. She said to pick out two or three I liked the best, and she would then get more pictures and possibly videos of them when she could here soon, and then I could pick the one out of those three that I liked the best.

Once I saw Harley, though...I knew he was my boy. It was immediately apparent to me.

So, before I throw you pictures of his GORGEOUS face, let me tell you a bit about him!

Harley was born on 4 January 2006 by one of Miss Bea's daughter, ShopGirl, and a GORGEOUS buck named Cousteau, so he's the amazing Miss Bea's grandson. (Did I get that right, Peg?)

So, he'll be my oldest boy, and certainly the most fiery! He has a personality to match Miss Bea's, which I think is FANTASTIC!

One other fact I want to add: he's 4lbs 4oz, which makes him bigger than Dusty or Bun Bun, but not quite my biggest boy...Fiver takes the cake on that one!

So, here are pictures of my new boy...I'm so proud he's mine...and I'm happy to have somebun new to look forward to!

First, some pictures of him as a baby...at I think four months of age.

Now some that she took of him yesterday...

And goin' for a piece of banana

And my favorite of the bunch, just because you can REALLY see that sparkle in his eyes...

So there's my new little boy! I'm happy, because his arrival will even out the herd to be four girls and four boys.

I will still mourn for Drew...but I've already found that looking at pictures of him when I'm feeling the saddest helps remind me that there's a REASON for it all...and that's Harley getting a home with us.

I think the thing I love the most about him is that he looks TOTALLY DIFFERENT than our other buns...I LOVE that firey color he has...he's so special...

 

[tundrakatiebean]

:biggrin2:I'm glad he can find a home with you! I agree with you on his ear, definately adds character.

 

[Bo B Bunny]

It does add character and...... I'm thinking he's already got a whole bunch of personality! He's SO cute! I can already see how spoiled he's going to be! (if he's not already!!! )

I'd have to be stopped from doing fun stuff with his hair tho. I'd want to put bows and stuff in it and then comb it like some sexy man.

Love those colors too!

I can't believeanyone wanting a pet couldn't handle his little ear like that. Sheesh!

 

[slavetoabunny]

Congratulations on your new boy!! What an adorable little bun. Just wait until that little guy finds out what a fantastic forever home he is going to - he's going to be in bunny bliss!

 

[spoh]

He is adorable! Love the fur!

Joy

 

[cheryl]

Oh Rosie,he is just gorgeous...and i will just say that a 'true' bunny lover would neverturn awaya bunny just becauseit has a little bit of his ear missing,

I'm so happy for you Rosie

Cheryl

 

[Thumpers_Mom]

He is so adorable! :inlove:I am glad he found a home with you.

 

[HoneyPot]

He is SO cute!! And so smart figuring out why Drew left you - to give Harley a chance at a great home.

His ear is precious, as soon as I saw it I thought of VanGogh (and his cut off ear). So cute. It does give him personality... and he DOES look really spunky. haha.

Bucks really are the sweetest, you should definately have more of them.

___________
Nadia

 

[TinysMom]

Well - Rosie got most of the information right - I'll start out w/ the corrections and then a bit more about Harley.

First of all - Cousteau (who was somewhat well known for a lionhead) is the dad to Dusty and Bun Bun. QBall's dadis Mossy Possum Akil....a harlequin buck who is now in a pet home.

Also - his litter was being weaned from mom when his littermates chewed on his ear during the middle of the night. We heard a cry a couple of times during the night but whenever we'd run out to the rabbitry - we couldn't figure out who had cried...so we stayed in bed. BAD MOVE. We came out that morning to see what had happened to him and I felt so bad.

So for a bit more information. Some of you may remember that way way back I had a little girl that another poster looked at and said, 'What a little meathead"....and she wound up getting that name. Her formal name is ShopGirl - but her name is really Meathead because that is what she learned and that is what she answers to. Anyway - she is his mama - and she is from Miss Bea - so Miss Bea is his grandma.

In addition, his dad, Akil, is a brother to our beloved Sport (a sport marked harlequin doe). Some of you may remember that I think I've shared Sport always has the smartest babies that usually get out of the nestbox the earliest, etc. (many times even when they're blind they get out and crawl around).

So Harley is related to both Miss Bea and Sport.

Now for a bit more about Quinn - soon to be known as Harley. First of all - he got the name Quinn from the show Sliders - the guy who was known as "Quinn" on there. Robin named him that based on the fact he was a harlequin. However, the character was frequently called "QBall" and that just seemed to fit him better. That is how he got his original name - now we're going to get him used to the name Harley.

But what about his personality? Well....here is what I wrote Rosie when I sent her the photos...

LOVES and DEMANDS ear scratches - will thump if he's not fed first when the rabbitry is fed - he hates being ignored and will thump, etc. to get attention - often wants attention before food and almost acts like he'd trade the food for the attention - but he'll take both. One of our favorites - notice the partial missing ear....he got chewed on as a weanling. Robin points out he seems to have a quick mind for noticing opportunities. I have tried to rehome him in the past but people could not get beyond the damaged ear. He is Miss Bea's grandson. He doesn't act real affectionate but when he gets ear scratches he then settles down as if to say, "Finally...I got my attention."

Of course - he also isn't the most cooperative. For instance, last night Rosie called so she could hear him thump when I was feeding the rabbitry - and he just sat in his cage and stared at me as if to say, "Me? Thump? Why would I want to do that?" I could've strangled him....any other night he'd thump....

In addition - his mom - who I told Rosie is just the opposite and so laid back that she'll look at me as if to say, "Me? I'm getting food? My word...I didn't know you were going to feed me today....I guess I can eat..." was instead sitting by her food bowl waiting at me and practically drooling over her food.

I swear they decided to switch personalities last night just to drive me crazy.

Anyway - Harley is just a wonderful guy and I'm so happy he's going to live with Rosie and her family. I've tried to rehome him a couple of times and I'd bring him back in his cage and he'd be so depressed. I finally told him the last time that I would never ever try to rehome him again and have him get disappointed like that - he'd always be a pet bunny here and have a forever home. I'm sure he'll be glad though when he gets to Rosie's that he has a home of his own and I won't be surprised to see him wanting to rule the roost as far as getting attention.

I want to address something else and then I'll add a video for y'all that I made for Rosie....

Rosie and I both are still grieving over Drew and in no way do either of us feel like we're trying to replace Drew or something. She can never be replaced...no bunny can ever be replaced. However, somehow it seems like doing this is honoring her memory and what she would have wanted. Harley is probably the rabbit I have here that is closest in her temperament. By many standards he is "unadoptable" because of his ear (I almost didn't include him in the pictures of 9 bucks I sent Rosie) because I didn't want her to think I was offering "2nd best" or something....but his personality is so unique and he is such a character that I went ahead and did pictures of him just in case. (I also did pictures of one of my heart bucks that I always swore would never ever leave here....and I would have let Rosie have him if he'd called out to her in the picture...).

Drew will always live on in both our hearts and our families....but she "sneakses" to the Rainbow Bridge early - and maybe that was fate's way or God's way of opening up a way for Harley to make it to Rosie's....

and now...for the video...

 

[TinysMom]

Not to hijack the thread - but here are pictures of his mama....at various ages..

 

[TinysMom]

and his dad....

 

[~Bracon~]

Love the pics, very cute

 

[MsBinky]

Wooohooo

Rosie's getting another boy! :biggrin2:I am so happy that he is getting a forever home :biggrin2:It made me so sad to hear that people couldn't look past his ear. Baaaaaaaaaaah to them. He sounds like quite a character and it will be so fun to hear about him.

I love his mama btw. Hehe.

Yaaaay happy stories

Oh btw... About notreplacing Drew... You can't ever replace a bunny but it doesn't mean that because you are mourning you can't help another bunny. It's a way of honouring the one that passed I think. You can say "Hey, I'm taking in this bunny because it needs a home and I wanted you to know that I can't replace you, but you taught me to love bunnies and save those I could." Nothing wrong with that. I am happy that it gives you both something to look forward to. :hug:

 

[katt]

very cute!!!!!!



i love hearing the story of his 'connection' to you peg as a special bun. . . i remember during my breeding days having that connection to many rabbits (any baby that was a son/daughter, grandchild, or greatgrandchild out of my heart-bunny trixie was special to me)

i love his ear!!! i think it is completely adorable, and his coat color is wonderfull as well (i have a soft spot of harleys)

i am so happy for you rosie!

 

[Ivory]

Oh Harley is a little bae. Whenever I was looking for another rabbit...I always go for the "problem children". If he came into the rescue I think I'd have to take him. He's so beautiful.

 

[Michaela]

Aww he is gorgeous!! :bunnyheart

A harlequin lionhead is one of my dream bunnies.

I'm so pleased that you can take something positive out of the loss of little Drew, Rosie. Harley is a lucky boy to be coming home with you.

:hug:

 

[LuvaBun]

Oh, this is such lovely news . Harley just oozes character, and I LOVE his colouring. I am sure he will help ease the pain of losing Drew!

Jan

 

[maherwoman]

Oh, thank you so much, guys. I was so worried about posting something, because I didn't want you guys to think I'd replaced my sweet baby girl. It's so far from that.

Peg words it so perfectly...we're honoring her memory by taking in a bun that needed a home. He would've been happy with Peg, but I think he'll also be happy to have a whole herd of friends here, and have a pet home. I think he's going to flourish here...and I can't wait until he fully realizes he's got a home!

And MsBinky, I love what you say here:

Oh btw... About notreplacing Drew... You can't ever replace a bunny but it doesn't mean that because you are mourning you can't help another bunny. It's a way of honouring the one that passed I think. You can say "Hey, I'm taking in this bunny because it needs a home and I wanted you to know that I can't replace you, but you taught me to love bunnies and save those I could." Nothing wrong with that. I am happy that it gives you both something to look forward to.

It's all too true...

I love my Harley so much already, and he's already helping me so much in the grieving process. Between him, and Peg, and my Danny and Em, and our own furkids...I know I'll get through this.

I will never forget little Drew...in fact, we're trying to figure out some sort of memorial to create for her. She's be buried at Peg's, so we'll be buying a memorial stepping stone type thing for her to place where Drew's little body lies. And Peg is sending her stuffy on over with some other things, and we'll make a little memorial here for our house to always have a reminder. And we're going to put the memorial in a prominant place so people always ask about her. It'll include a picture of her beautiful face as well.

I'm sorry my posts aren't containing quite the amount of information I intend...I don't think I'm quite thinking straight yet after all this. In fact, last night, Danny and I were trying to figure out what day something that happened recently happened on, and we couldn't quite separate the days...it took a LOT of thinking and figuring out when other things happened. The past four days have been such a mush...and it's been so hard to think straight.

But...I can see things getting progressively better everyday. I'm still sleeping with my bunny stuffy that we bought at the BunFest, and Em's still carting around her own bunny stuffy (both occurances from our mourning), and I can guarantee that I'll sleep with Drew's stuffy for a few nights when it arrives...but it's all in it's own timing.

The healing has started, though...and that's something I really didn't think would ever happen. I still cry now and then...but it's getting better...and all your guys' support and love is helping so much. Thank you, my RO friends...you mean so much to me...

Oh, and by the way, when I decided to bring Harley home to us, that night my husband said, "Does that mean my wifey is coming back to me?" I've been so caught up in my own thoughts, I kinda lost track of everything else. I can tell I'm slowly coming back...so I know I'm doing better.

Hugs to everyone!

Rosie*

 

[Bassetluv]

What an adorable baby boy Harley is! His coloring is gorgeous, and that ear of his seems to really add to his personality...I swear you can actually see the twinkle in his eye! I'm so glad you and he found one another Rosie... Can't wait to see more pics of him!

 

[maherwoman]

Aww...thank you so much, Bassetluv. I'm surprised my heart could handle loving another after losing my Drew...but he's really special, isn't he?

I can't wait to see more pics, too...and maybe more videos...