You will be relieved to know we made it to the Keys safely!
I am one tired bunny. The day started at 1 a.m. That was confirmation that it really was going to be a long drive day. I thought Mama mentioned an early start last night while she chatted excitedly at me before bedtime. If she’s stroking my ears, I usually drift in and out. Last night was no exception.
We left at 3 a.m., and everything was pretty standard: drive for two to three hours, stop at a gas station. I can always tell because Mama announces “Bathroom time,” and her and Little Girl head toward the building while Big Rabbit gets out, makes noise outside my door, and then there’s that unpleasant smell. Between being left alone in the vehicle, the stink and the temperature rising, I start feeling a little queasy. Luckily, it never takes too long before the truck rumbles to life again and the blessed air conditioning comes back on.
I see Big Rabbit go into the building, just as Mama and Little Girl come back. My door opens, Little Girl’s rain coat that covers the top of my carrier gets pulled off, Mama unzips the top, and her giant hand descends, groping around for my fur. Because I love her, I restrain myself from chomping at will. Also, her hand is nearly as big as me, and she can’t really see from way up there, so there’s a good chance I would go flying around my netted carrier after being accidentally swatted after a little love bite (or three). She coos to me and tells me what a good bunny I am (she can probably sense deep down that she deserves a nip), and I settle in. I won’t admit that it feels good and I appreciate the cooing. I simply deserve those things. The giant hand disappears and I suddenly have a lot more space again. The top gets rezipped and it gets a lot darker as the rain coat is replaced. Bunnies like to feel protected but also like we can get away. The rain coat helps give it that feel. The wing closest to Little Girl (my carrier has two wings; I take up the rest of the bench seat in the back of the truck and Big Rabbit always bemoans how I have the most space per square inch of anyone else in the family) is completely uncovered, so it’s not claustrophobic.
After hours and hours, we were within a half hour of our campground. However, we were apparently too early to check in. Big Rabbit said something about the better traffic was worth it, but I was ready to get out of the truck. After we had two failed attempts at finding somewhere to park the camper, we ended up in a bumpy parking lot. Then I heard ominous noises, my door opened, and there was my stroller. Mama’s favorite color is purple, in case you couldn’t tell. I’m very thankful I’m a girl bunny, because how embarrassing would that be otherwise? Anyway, it’s a million and one degrees outside with loud traffic noises coming from the road we just got off of. A few minutes before this I was tired, but then I found myself bouncing down a dirt and rock strewn parking lot in my stroller toward an odd looking building.
It was a milestone: my first restaurant visit! It was like a giant wooden patio but it had a ceiling with fans twirling above, giving off a nice breeze. We had a waterfront view with boats lined up by the restaurant. I looked around, trying to take it all in. Well, I was definitely the only bunny there. The hostess and waitress wanted to reach right in and pet me, but thank goodness Mama had the sense to politely decline. Just because I’m cute doesn’t mean I want you to touch me. Admiring from afar is always a healthy choice.
Little Girl and Big Rabbit were scribbling away at a game on her placemat while Mama cooed to me, soaking up having the entire family out together. It was fascinating watching the people come and go, seeing my humans in a new environment, and watching the water lap gently against the sides of the tied up boats. Mama kept wanting me to eat while they were eating. Although I kind of wanted to eat the lettuce offered, I knew I still had to go back across that bumpy parking lot, so I just gave her a look that said, “Not eating right now.” She finally gave up and just let me be for a few minutes.
When I started getting sleepy again, I was pleased my humans got up to leave. At the very least, after bumping all the way back to the truck, I was actually glad to see my carrier. Happily, it didn’t take us long at all to get to our campground, and then our campsite. Everyone jumped out of the truck, leaving me, but at least they kept the air conditioning running. I could hear the squeals of joy coming from Mama and Little Girl; apparently our site was as good as expected, if not better. Excellent! I love hearing Little Girl happy. Since I knew it would be a few minutes before the truck was unhooked and the camper cooled down for me, it was finally time for my nap. We’re officially on vacation!
