Long-eared culprit

I walked out of the house this morning and was startled by a noise in the bushes less than three feet from the door. I cautiously looked and didn't see anything, but then heard the noise again. At this point, I'm thinking worst case scenario - snake.

I then stepped out of the covered porch area and was shocked to see a jackrabbit loping across our lawn. It then entered the street and went down to my neighbor's house. It was HUGE, easily 18-inches, not including the ears. It's clearly had a good summer & fall.

Amused with myself, I got in the car and started driving, only to see the jackrabbit racing me down the street along the neighbors' yards. I was totally stunned. I then fumbled to get a picture, but that didn't work very well. It was crossing the street before I realized how neat this was. But it was pretty fast. There's a little blurry dot in the left quarter of the screen. But not very visible.



Then it just kept going and settled in a little depression in the not-yet-park by the house, where I saw two other pairs of ears! I think I know where their hidey-hole is! Maybe I can figure out how to set up a little webcam there or something.

Anyway, I then stopped in the middle of the road, turned my hazards on and proceeded to take out my real camera and take a picture. I cropped and zoomed the picture and there is a jackrabbit!



Please note, there were no moving vehicles anywhere near me, so no, I did not stop traffic so I could take a picture. And I would have pulled over if there had been anything resembling a shoulder instead of a drainage ditch.

Of course, I was half-way to work before I thought about what the jackrabbit was doing in my front yard, and whether, if I plant stuff, the varmints would get into my garden. I'd feel like Mr. McGregor, only these varmints wouldn't be of the cottontail variety, and not as cute. I'm sure Drew would flip out in excitement if there were jackrabbits hanging out in our garden. Until he realized they were eating his peas, that is.