Dianne's Quiltworks

04/28/2026

true

04/07/2026

The Ghost in the Brush: The Hidden Fate of the Easter Pet

To a hawk, a white rabbit in a spring meadow isn’t a holiday symbol. It’s a target.

Every year, in the weeks after Easter, parks and fields quietly become the stage for a tragic mistake—one rooted in a persistent myth.

A Common Misconception

The Myth:
Setting an unwanted pet rabbit “free” in a park or forest is a kind, natural choice.

The Reality:
For a domestic rabbit, release isn’t freedom. It’s almost always a slow, stressful death—and it can put native wildlife at risk.

The Scientific Reality

Domestic rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) are a different species from native wild rabbits like the Eastern cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus). They cannot interbreed—and they aren’t equipped for the same environment.

More importantly, domestic rabbits lack key survival traits:

No natural camouflage—many are bright white or patterned
Reduced instinct to freeze or react quickly to danger
Heavier bodies and slower escape responses from selective breeding

In an open meadow, a domestic rabbit is highly visible. To predators like hawks, foxes, and coyotes, it’s easy prey.

What’s Happening Right Now

In early spring, native cottontails are raising their first litters.

They hide their babies in shallow, grass-covered nests—small, nearly invisible patches on the ground.

Introducing a visible, disoriented domestic rabbit into this environment can attract predator attention. That increased activity can put nearby wild nests at greater risk.

Why It Matters Ecologically

The impact doesn’t stop with one rabbit.

Abandoned domestic rabbits can carry Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus Type 2 (RHDV2)—a highly contagious and often fatal disease. It can spread to wild rabbits and hares, threatening local populations.

When those populations decline, the effects ripple outward—impacting predators and disrupting the balance of the ecosystem.

Simple Actions You Can Take

1️⃣ Surrender, never release
If you can’t keep a rabbit, contact a local rescue or shelter. Domestic rabbits depend on human care—they are not wild animals.

2️⃣ Protect native wildlife
Before mowing or clearing your yard, check for hidden nests.
Cottontail nests often look like small patches of dead grass—and are easy to miss.

Conclusion

Nature isn’t a refuge for animals unprepared to survive it.

Respecting wildlife means recognizing the boundary between domesticated animals and wild ones—and not crossing it.

What feels like kindness in the moment can have lasting consequences.
The better choice is simple: don’t release.

04/07/2026

Back then…
you didn’t just answer back and walk away.

If you disrespected someone,
it didn’t stop there.

The whole neighborhood knew.

And they didn’t ignore it.

They corrected you.
Right then and there.

Then you were walked home.

And you knew what was waiting for you next.

Your parents didn’t defend bad behavior.

They didn’t make excuses.

They made sure you understood.

Respect wasn’t something you talked about.

It was something you learned.
Quickly.

And it stayed with you for life.

It wasn’t always gentle.

But it shaped who you became.

04/07/2026

Totally True

04/07/2026

Fair trade chocolate though please. 🍫

04/07/2026

Amen

We worked hard.
We paid the mortgage.
We sacrificed, saved, and did everything right.

And when the house is finally ours…
the bills never stop.

Year after year, we keep paying just to stay in what we already own.

It doesn’t feel right.
It doesn’t feel fair.
And deep down, we all know it.

A home should mean security.
A place where your hard work finally pays off.
Not something that still feels like it belongs to someone else.

This is why so many Americans are frustrated.
Because ownership should mean ownership.

Plain and simple.

02/02/2026

"Dogs have a funny way of taking up all your space without asking.
They lean in, curl up, and somehow make themselves the center of your day.
And instead of feeling annoyed, you realize it’s actually a kind of trust.
Because to them, your presence means safety, comfort, and home.
That closeness isn’t clingy, it’s love in its purest form.
What a privilege it is to be someone’s safe place."

02/02/2026

🌈🐾❤️

12/17/2025

Note from Mom: Words of wisdom from our Baker.❤🐾