The Age-Old Tale of David and Bathsheba

Your faith was strong but you needed proof
You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew ya . . . .

It was just after 5 p.m., and my husband was sitting on the front porch with his book. He came in to get me, with some story about "the rabbit is taking a bath!" Well, when I got there, no fewer than FOUR bunnies scattered in all directions. And what was left . . . well, that's the photo you're looking at: two bunnies!

One rabbit (on the right) was bathing languidly, a process that had been going on for 20 minutes or more before I'd even gotten there. But the funniest part was that she had an audience: there sat a bunny to her left, transfixed, watching her bathe!

And this was not her FIRST suitor. My husband reported that yet another rabbit, somewhere around the same size as this one, had approached to watch her bathe, and sort of bowed down, and lay down in front of her like a little dog or something. The one in this photo is apparently admirer and suitor #2.

Now, there have been lots of wild bunny shenanigans in our yard these past few weeks. We've seen rabbits hopping at each other, rabbits chasing each other, and rabbits simply lying down close to each other, looking happy. We suspect that if there aren't baby bunnies in the yard yet, oh, there soon will be!

I asked my husband later what we should name these rabbits. Of course, some of them are from our own yard, and from the ancient and storied franchise of the Bunzini Clan. But some of the suitors, I suspect, are from as far away as several yards over.

Anyway, he said Bathsheba, for the bathing rabbit, which absolutely cracked me up because it's perfect for her. There she sits, bathing - well, not on the roof, but on the drive way - luring suitors to her side. So, meet David and Bathsheba!

In other news, I met dear friends for lunch on this day. It is getting to be nearly an annual tradition where, during Memorial Day week, we think we are going to Duffy's in Boalsburg for lunch, but it turns out we're not, and we end up at nearby Angelo's instead.

Oh yes, we THOUGHT we were going to Duffy's. And I'd perused the menu in advance. Picked out the French dip sandwich ($14); thought I'd probably substitute fries for the standard side they offer (another $1.50; easily $20 total with tax and tip). Planned to eat half there and bring half home for my husband to enjoy. Packed containers for the extras. But no, it was not to be.

I'd written a Facebook email to Duffy's on Monday inquiring about what their schedule would be for Tuesday. They wrote back around 10 a.m. Tuesday, telling me that NO, Duffy's is NOT open for lunch on Tuesdays! At just the same time, one of my friends checked their website and wrote an email to all of us with the exact same news. So we regrouped, and we went to Angelo's for pizza instead.

Yes, this is a red-letter date, for it might be the first time we all ordered the same thing. They have a daily special of two slices of cheese pizza and a drink for $6.50. Two of us ended up skipping the drink and paying slice prices. There's also a discount for paying cash. So I walked out of there, paying just $5.30 plus tip for a very nice pizza lunch.

Which ended up being quite a bit less than I'd have spent for the original lunch I'd planned. So guess what. I went shopping! And bought two pairs of pants at the Goodwill store with my savings on lunch alone. (And returned a pair of jeans purchased during my last visit that just . . . didn't . . . fit.)

After that, we went to Big Lots and used a coupon for $10 off $40, and I got three more of my favorite Zac & Rachel dark charcoal gray ultra comfy fleece lined leggings (aka "butt pants," as my husband calls them, as in "You're not leaving the HOUSE in those butt pants, ARE YOU?") for the all-time low price of $2.90 a pair. Good shopping, great bargains. Hooray!

Well, that was a rambling tale, that went from rabbits in love, to a pizza lunch date with friends, to a (pants) shopping extravaganza! Oh, and I bought one more plant: a white osteospermum. So it was a pants and plants type of day. :-) Let's have some songs to go with this story.

For the rabbits, of course you knew the song had to be this one, and here's my all-time favorite performance of it: Bon Jovi, with Hallelujah. For the four ladies eating the pizza special, let's have Billy Joel, with Scenes from an Italian Restaurant.