The Bunnies we know

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 This summer rabbits have appeared on lawns across the Eastern United States. For us, the rabbits have been a message that life continues in times of trouble. 

Melissa first identified Rusty by (his or her) reddish brown collar of fur around the neck. Bunnies appear in the morning and evening, eating grass and flowers. 

They are alert but not frightened of humans -- they keep their distance from any dogs being walked, even when the dogs don't notice them.

Bunnies don't speak. In order to learn about their body language, we have relied on a guide from The Bunny Lady. We were delighted to learn that when a bunny trusts you, it will lie down and rest. She said that the rabbit is resting -- not distressed -- when it does this. 

We particularly enjoy watching bunnies interact with each other. Mostly we see them chase each other. This is either play or domination behavior -- we don't know.

These days, Rusty is usually accompanied by a junior rabbit (does that mean that Rusty is female?). 

One of the smaller bunnies, which Melissa named "Meerkit" because it likes standing, has a version of the rusty collar. Other bunnies have suggestions of the rusty collar. Are they all related? If so, how?

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