Crate? Bunny doesn't have a prayer

Happy Friday before the weekend bone chill!

Three words for today’s blog: Bunny, crate, and Bible. Let’s get to it.

Buddy had been gone for six months when I brought Bunny home. Buddy, as you recall, was not a planned adoption. He appeared on the road, and next thing I know, he was lounging on my couch.

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We learned quickly that Buddy needed a crate and he took to it right away. In time, he was so comfortable going in and out of the crate on his own, I decided he had earned his freedom.

Bunny came along, and I tried the same approach. When we moved to World Headquarters III, every trip away from home more than 20 minutes meant crate time.

Eventually, I decided she earned crate freedom.

Hold that thought.

Let me tell you a little about my Bible. I have several Bibles in the house and a pocket New Testament in the car, but one is the main Bible.

A friend gave me this Bible shortly into my sober life. It’s a large-print Bible, so it’s thick as a textbook. It’s my go-to. Yellow highlights throughout.

This is the Bible I read at my dad’s bedside during his final days. It’s the Bible I carry like armor into hospitals when visiting sick friends or relatives. The Bible that accompanies me on vacation.

Judge if you want, but the Bible often stays in bed with me at night. A Jesus-like Teddy bear. Especially during difficult or heavy meditation times, such as my life since Oct. 24. 

OK, so now we’re up to speed. We know I started allowing Bunny out of the crate while I’m gone, and my Bible is extremely valuable to me.

See where this is going?

I’d started noticing that Bunny's freedom might not be smart. A few things chewed up here and there. Nothing major, but enough to get my attention.

Bunny enjoys mornings on top of the bed. Something about the sunlight hitting the bedroom at that time of day, I guess. I’d leave her sound asleep on the comforter and come home to see she’s happily chewed up a pen during my absence. Or, a roll of toilet paper.

One Saturday morning, I headed out to meet with friends in Spring Hill. About 10 minutes into the drive, three thoughts burst into my head:

• Bunny is on the bed.
• My Bible is on the bed.
• The program from Deb’s service is inside the Bible.

I swung around and hurried home. Bunny had chewed the front and back covers off the Bible, but no further damage. Deb’s program was intact, and it now sits protected in a frame on the electronic keyboard she gave me years ago.

But that spelled the official end of Bunny’s freedom.

She’s now all-crate, all the time when I’m not home. She likes it. The crate is her safe place; I often arrive after a few hours to find her fast asleep.

(The Bible is taped so it won’t fall apart. Someone suggested I should have it rebound. That's way outside my talent zone. Anyone who does that sort of thing, drop me a line.)

—Thursday’s Facebook post about the passing of Judge Richard “Ric” Howard elicited plenty of comments, not a surprise considering his 20-plus years longevity on the Citrus County bench. Judge Howard earned a reputation for being particularly tough in some criminal cases, and not so tough on others. Just about anyone who appeared before the judge has an opinion.

What disturbed me, though, was that some comments were downright nasty about the man. I deleted them. I kept the ones that were critical of his decisions but not personal or crude.

Never thought I'd have to say this, but: We’re not going to denigrate the dead here, folks. Please pick another site if you feel the need to do that.

Judge Richard Howard served our community honorably with grace. Prayers for comfort and peace to his family.

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