“We have to keep feeding the cats. They are not doing so great” Pedro said.
He and Bibi left them three open cans in an old building nobody lives in on our street. That’s where some of these cats live. They also put out water and crunchy food. They said they would take turns every day. I don’t like it when they scream and fight. Maybe it’s because they are very hungry.
The birds had babies. In their nest in a dead tree in our backyard there are no eggs anymore but there are little bony birds with beaks and no feathers yet. Their mother brings them worms all the time.
Farmer George stayed with us for two nights. He says things like: “I’m amazed you get any full sun back here, but you do! You’ll have a blooming garden in no time. You get more heat than we have upstate. And you don’t have to worry about deer and groundhogs.”
That is true there are no deer here. And we have not met any groundhogs in Brooklyn yet.
He said he wants to go home with some magic pellets too. Bibi gave him two bags full. He was very happy.
He brought so many little plants that we didn’t even have room for them all. I only told you the things we like, but that day we planted things people eat too, like tomatoes and jalapenos. He started them all in his house when it was still wintertime. We gave Sara and her brothers and sisters three plants each of these five things: carrots, dill, brussel sprouts, endive and peppers. Then we gave Pedro and his family three of each of: tomatoes, basil, lettuce, parsley and arugula.
Since they have different things they can share whatever comes up.
Farmer George got to see the new bunnies across the fence. Their magic pellets were put into the ground when Pedro planted his things. Emily and Hugo are a little bit shy. They are very careful and they stay together. I smelled their noses the second day they were there too. Emily is the same size as me and Hugo is a little bigger like Bella.
His father came out and thanked Farmer George for the plants. He explained all the things they are planning for their garden. “We have lived here for six years and we have never seen the backyard like this! Did you see that butterfly there? There are fireflies at night. And the soil is so alive! You can feel it and smell it. I’m planting in this whole space. We have two rabbits now, just got them. From what I see, this is going to be an incredible summer. The cardinals, blue jays and even the bees have returned. It’s really something.“
Farmer George said: ”I can tell, something very special is happening. The soil is supercharged. Bibi is putting food scraps down 12 inches in the ground. If you can do that too, you’ll cut down on garbage, discourage the rats and nourish the soil.” Miguel said: “Yes of course! I had not thought of that.”
Sara and her brothers and sisters are friends with Pedro now. They wanted to see the new bunnies. Then they helped each other with garden things. They pulled up weeds. They said hello to all the worms and counted how many different kinds of bugs there are in the ground. Sara and Pedro are both eleven years old.
Sara said: “I want bunnies now too.” Her sisters said: “yes we want bunnies.”
It got to be a little bit darker and something that was flying around lit up bright green. “It’s lightning bugs!“ all the children screamed. Pedro went inside to get jars that he poked holes into the tops so they could try to catch them.
His mother said: “Pedro – from now on you will bury all of our fruit and vegetable food scraps into the backyard. Deep so the rats don’t get it. You can start tomorrow.”
Pedro thought that would actually be fun and his new friends could help him. He got Emily and Hugo in for the night and they drank water and ate hay and cleaned each other.
We went inside too and got our treat, it’s a little vitamin cookie for rabbits. We cleaned each other, and then I started to fall asleep. I was thinking about Emily and her white fur with brown spots. I never saw that before. I don’t know that many other indoor bunnies. The outdoor bunnies all look the same, brown with a white tail. I fell asleep and I dreamt there were also brown bunnies with white spots.
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Welcome if you’re just joining us! This is the story of three bunnies who moved to Brooklyn, and revolutionized the gardens in the neighborhood, using the magic of something only they can produce. This tale is told by Sandra The Free Range Super Bunny. The working title is: ”Sandra and the Backyard Revolution”
As she has never written a kids book before, we’re sharing this first draft on Substack to welcome your feedback and participation, as we grow our community.
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We intend to have them printed in time for the holiday season of 2022.
You will receive two chapters a week in your inbox. We’re jumping in with simple text, and illustrations will be added subsequently as they are finalized.
For those just joining us: Sandra has written a whole book on her adventures prior to this. You can read it HERE.
Click on NEW to have them desplay in chronological order.
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So glad Bibi’s including the younger humans, Sandra. You got the draw of a gentle, caring mama. And now I also know a little more about the color you dream in. Never really considered a body dreaming in brown, though.
Always, always, makes me smile!