Year of the Rabbit

We live in a suburban neighborhood that is surrounded by wooded areas, so we are no strangers to wildlife. We have deer in our front and back yards fairly frequently, and Miss Ruby will just stand and watch them, wagging her tail humbly, as if to say, "I recognize that you are much bigger than I and have sharp hooves." She doesn't bark at the deer.



The rabbits are another matter entirely. We have only rarely seen bunnies around here until this year, and they have been in our front yard almost daily this summer, feasting on the fine crop of tender clover we have cultivated in lieu of actual grass. (I was not hiding behind the bushes...I took this photo through the kitchen window. Maybe the shrubs need a little trimming? If you click on the photo you can see the cute little bunny.)



For some reason, the rabbits make Ruby totally lose her mind. Is it a breed thing (from one of the many unknown breeds in her questionable heritage)? Is it their sheer cheekiness as they sit there calmly chewing while she barks and whines and tries to claw her way through the kitchen window?



All I know for sure is that it is exhausting work barking at those bunnies.