01 February 2007: Another winter storm has arrived. We woke up to find snow covering the ground.
More snow and wintery mixes of sleet and rain have passed through this area than any time in recent memory.
Come with me to a special part of our yard. We walk past the empty rabbit cage,
which can accommodate up to three bunnies in separate quarters.
We walk past the fort, which has been flying our Nation's flag since 911.
A straight shot now to the Northwest corner of our property.
Here is the spot where Smokey the rabbit was buried just yesterday.
This rabbit meant much to Aric, as demonstrated by the sign he fashioned.
The words, which were literally burned into the wood, read as follows:
"Smokey was a good pet. It is good to know that she died from age not by getting sick. Good by Smokey."
Aric wants the world to understand that he cared for his rabbit. He fed her and gave her water each day. He brought Smokey in from the large wooden cage in the yard to a smaller cage in the garage or even in the house during cold weather, or extreme hot weather.
Aric's care for Smokey showed: she would run around the cage as you approached her, and displayed even more energy when she detected clover and Johnson grass in your hand, soon to be in her belly. Smokey would hold still while you pet her long, soft,
thick gray and black fur; she was never in a hurry if attention were being directed her way!
After school, Aric returns to see Smokey. The snow has melted, as has my heart, to think that a boy so young would display such care and concern for his pet. "Goodbye Smokey" still rings in my ears as an illustration of our final destination - the grave.
But the story doesn't stop there. We can live forever in a celestial kingdom.