A Melancholy Remembrance

She started her show career with a bang ... and she ended it with a bang! Bastet’s Dahliah’s first time out as a Jr. at the Dover , OH show, Howard Keller picked her as Best of Breed and said he knew a special one when he saw it. She was very special. Dahliah had her first litter over the summer and like many first litters, it didn’t make it. She went on to win BOSV at the ARBA Convention in Grand Rapids . She took a BOV and a very close ALMOST BOB on Sat, 2/2/08 in Lebanon , PA. and a BOB in the very last show on Sun. 02/03/08 in Lebanon , PA. She was not quite two weeks bred at those four shows.

Dahliah was due today 2/22/08. I found her dead in her nest box last night upon my arrival home. It was my first experience at trying to save unborn kits and although neither of them made it, I think the whole process helped put my mind at rest. It appeared that one had died prematurely and had gone toxic on her. They hadn’t even descended into the birth canal.

This raising bunny thing can really be for the birds sometimes. It still amazes me what we do as parents for our fur babies in the time of need. To top it all off, there was a full moon last night and I was scheduled to breed again. I honestly was NOT in the mood. I kept reminding myself that ‘trials, temptations, disappointments -- all these are helps instead of hindrances, if one uses them rightly. They not only test the fibre of a character, but strengthen it. Every conquered temptation represents a new fund of moral energy. Every trial endured and weathered in the right spirit makes a soul nobler and stronger than it was before.’ (*James Buckham) … and so I bred. And shortly later, Lady Balthazar kindled six, a day early. She was bred on a Full Moon and kindled on a Full Moon. I can’t WAIT to see how these turn out! The circle of life continues.

~ Dawn