Before moving to Tiree I was always understood to be a rabbit and in my relatively long life I have moved around the country. I cannot remember where I came into existence, but I came to live when my present owners when they lived in Oxfordshire. I was given to them as a present, so I guess you can say they adopted me. After Oxfordshire, I spent 10 years with them in the small market town of Wiveliscombe in Somerset. It is almost 8 years since I came to live with them on Tiree.
You may have noticed a cat sitting by my side, I guess it is a church cat. I have a book tucked under my arm, it is a Bible. I have heard some people call it the ‘Good Book’. It is more than just a good read. Far from a rule book, when you get to know the author it transforms your life for the better. I prefer not to wear what they call a ‘dog collar’ but for me this clerical collar is a fixture.
As I have said, I have always thought of myself as a rabbit, but now I am not so sure. Rabbits, which build their homes in burrows, could wreck havoc on Tiree’s fragile landscape. Perhaps after all I am a hare.
Shortly before I moved with my human family to Tiree, I can remember them watching a four part television series called ‘Islands on the Edge’. On one episode there was a female hare that led the males on a merry dance. I have a feeling this particular scene was filmed around Balephuil. Perhaps that’s why my adopted family thought they had to go to Balephuil in an attempt to photograph hares.
Hares are certainly not unknown around Scarinish, but in the past two weeks my adopted family have been excited on more than one occasion to look out the window and watch a hare feeding. Their excitement knew no limits when they spotted two hares. Mr and Mrs? They could not be sure. It was a good thing it was a digital camera they were using – the number of photographs they took. Somehow it has made them take more notice of me, but they seemed to think I needed to go under cover – perhaps they still think of me as a rabbit.
Today they decided to cut the grass. (They have never ever mowed the lawn.) Perhaps they ought to go on a driving refresher course. They almost ran over a young frog. Just in time it hopped out of the way of the mower. I certainly felt safer tucked under the shrub.
Hares are not the only visitors to my patch. I particular like when feathered friends call, There was a time when the birds were more numerous but since my adopted family have stopped feeding them numbers have dropped off. I have heard them say they don’t want to encourage vermin – furry friends!
In the past week or so they have renewed their interest in my surroundings. Lettuce and potatoes have been planted in containers as well as flowers. I think they might have been challenged by a colourful display they regularly pass on their daily walk around the township.
Rabbit or hare, I certainly enjoy ‘Life on Tiree’.
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