Rabbit Walk

While I did have aspirations of starting a "Couch Potato to 10k" plan on this, my first official day of summer break, when that plan dematerialized after I had been awake for about ten minutes, I quickly switched gears and decided to head out for a walk to my local Bruegger's Bagel Bakery to pick up my traditional morning cup o' joe. Despite Bruegger's only being about one mile from my home, it did provide a nice opportunity to get out and about on a very beautiful June morning, and to have the opportunity to interact with some of my neighbors, human and animal alike.

Full disclosure: Not this morning's rabbit but one photographed on our sidewalk Sunday afternoon (6/24/12).

It has become the norm of late that when I do go for a walk (a practice I hope will increase with the summer months ahead), that I come across one of our neighborhood rabbits. Perhaps it was the unseasonable warm winter and spring, but there appears to have been an explosion in the urban rabbit population this year--a phenomena I have been sort-of following for the past two summers now. When I was training more diligently for road races the past few years I made a game out of trying to spot at least one each morning. Now, it has become difficult not to trip over at least one, especially as there has been a level of socialization taking place on their part.

This morning, a rabbit stopped not six feet from me, and I, in turn, stropped to look at it. Though it did shake slightly as it assessed my intentions, it soon continued on its way in no apparent hurry. I guess I seem harmless enough to a wild rabbit. Or it could be that I had inexplicably slipped on a pair of brown Crocs for my walk. It's my understanding that rabbits can have a very discerning fashion sense.