CHAPTER 46 – WEEPING WILLOWS
A row of green weeping willow trees lined the creek bed, their branches gracefully swaying in the breeze. As Dad and his friend Joyce strolled between the trees on this sunny day, Joyce explained, “Bunnies love willow leaves!” “Really!?” asked Dad. He never would have guessed. They didn’t seem to fall into a rabbit’s natural habitat—but then, neither did bananas—and most bunnies love bananas.
“The good thing about these trees is they are in a nature preserve so there are no pesticides on them,” she continued, as she gave a tug on a branch. A long branch full of willow leaves came down in her hands. She collected a satchel full of branches as they walked through the park. A park ranger had granted her permission to harvest the willow branches.
“Here’s what you do,” she instructed. “Grab a few branches and weave them into a wreath. Soak them in a tub of water overnight to rinse off anything that might be on the leaves. Then, hang them on a pole to dry. That’s it! You can feed them to your bunny fresh, or wait a week until they’re dry. Some bunnies prefer fresh leaves, others like dried leaves. But I never met a bunny that didn’t like willow leaves!”
Dad took his treasures home and made about 30 little wreaths. Once they were clean and dry, he placed one next to Abigail’s foraging tunnel. “Here, sweetie. See if you like this,” he said.
Always curious about new things in her territory, Abigail came over to investigate. She gave it a sniff. It smelled good. She took a nibble. “Yum!” she thought. And sure enough, before long, she was devouring the wreath. Dad had discovered a new treat for Abigail. And not only was it healthy, it was free!
