Over the weekend I added three new satin angoras to the herd. Originally, I was only looking for two additional does but this Silver buck was absolutely breath taking and I couldn’t pass him up. His name has been earned and goes along with my other Greek themed names on the homestead. This silver buck is now known as Hades. The reason he earned this name is because on day one he escaped from a pen that Aphrodite and Apollo both had been in several times prior without incident. Ares my cherished lab mix was losing his mind outside while I was inside making pancakes. I glanced out the window to witness a silver fluff ball whirl by. I quickly managed to get Ares inside the house along with Zeus my miniature schnauzer. And the chase to outsmart the little rebel was on!

Luke and I hiked around trying to pin Hades against something so we could capture him as I do not have a net. The poor devil was so terrified he kept running off behind the chicken coop. I thought for sure I would lose him. Hades began to climb the steep rocky hillside behind the house and my heart was absolutely breaking. How is it that my new favorite was the one to get away?! Luke stayed at the bottom of the hill while I climbed up and around to drop back down on where Hades had last been seen. Luke was ready to call it quits as his view of Hades vanished and he thought for sure he was a lost cause. I couldn’t quite yet give up though as I had not seen the little fluff run off into the distance. As I tried not to roll down the shale cliff , I lowered myself to my butt and sat down for a moment, praying that he would not be gone for good. I glanced to my left and there he was! He was prone under a thorny bush. I said a silent prayer as I reached in to grab him, please Lord don’t let him bolt. My prayer was heard and I was able to get him wrapped up in my arms.

His little heart was racing and he was breathing heavily. I spoke softly to Hades; he is quite a keen and cleaver buck. As I spoke to him he began to soften his tension. I will teach him in the coming days I am not someone to fear or run from. I feel so guilty that within his first 24 hours with me he had such a traumatic experience. Apollo and Aphrodite come to me without hesitation yet the newest three hide in the corner as I have not yet gained their trust. I will win them over yet!

Rabbits love their treats and I have found a very special blend of delicious tid bits to add to their evening pellets. I feed timothy pellets with marigold petals (left over from seed saving), raspberry leaf, a few black oil sunflower seeds, papaya tablets (1-2 a week to prevent wool block) and a little pinch of lavender and sage from the garden. They go absolutely bonkers come dinner time when they see my hands full of dinner dishes. I think the new kids on the block will come around quickly. Who wouldn’t want to eat this?!

The other two does I got are now named Hestia (hearth or fireside) for her beautiful burnt orange coloring which just glistens in the sunlight and Athena. Hestia is a little on the timid side but loves the company of Apollo who is in the hutch closest to her. I think he will show her that I am not so bad and they will make a beautiful pair. Athena is a soft chocolate coloring and has a soft eye, she looks at you with a kind of knowing. She is the easiest to handle of the three newbies and has the softest texture.

I went ahead and groomed everyone over the weekend as well as trimmed their very long and sharp toe nails. Hades got me good a few times the first evening so he was well over due for a pedicure. For the most part Hades, Athena and Hestia all behaved inside the house for their grooming, even with Zeus watching from his bed with a slight tinge of jealousy. Apollo and Aphrodite are used to the regular grooming so they acted as normal and relaxed for their spa day. There is something so unbelievably peaceful about grooming angoras. Their soft eyes close slowly as you take each brush stroke and their warmth on your lap melts away the tension of the week.

After grooming I was covered in wool and had a very large pile next to my chair. I went ahead and tucked it away for another day to card and clean the wool in preparation for spinning. I let all the colors mix together this time as I would like an eclectic yarn for Christmas gifts, otherwise I typically separate the wool by rabbit so I can distinguish colors accordingly.