Dust Bunnies
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I’m always so impressed when I walk into a clean house.  It’s never my house, mind you, which is probably why I’m so impressed.  Seeing something new is always a surprise, and often impressive.  “How do people do this?” I wonder.

Mostly what I see as I walk around my house are dust and dust bunnies.  Part of the reason is because I live in the country.  Living in the country by itself introduces all kinds of dirt into your house.  It’s not like we’re surrounded by a sea of concrete and asphalt (thank goodness!).  With the windows open during the warm weather, plenty of outside dirt finds its way inside to settle on every flat surface inside the house.  I find it turns them into good writing surfaces.

Then there’s another problem when the weather turns cold. The windows are closed (for the most part … I keep them open in the bedroom, where my personal power surges require a cold bedroom if I’m going to get any sleep at all).  We start feeding that beast called the wood stove, and with that comes the winter problem of ash dust.  No matter how carefully I try to empty the ashes, they escape, fly everywhere, and settle on every flat surface in the house.  Please don’t come to my house thinking you’re going to do that “white glove test” – I will dissolve into hysterical laughter.

Dust is dust.  I’ve seen dust in other homes and it all pretty much looks the same.  But I think I have the dust bunnies to beat all dust bunnies.  They’re GINORMOUS!

major dust bunny

If I don’t vacuum every day, these creatures are everywhere, in every corner.  They multiply like rabbits, which is why, I suppose, they’re called dust bunnies.

out-of-control bunny

If you study these bunnies closely, you will see that they appear to be made up mostly of … DOG HAIR.  So I went looking for the likely suspects.

I found Hellan outside, basking in the sunshine.

whatever it is, I didn't do it

They don’t call this breed “German Shedders” for nothing.  No matter that I brush her at least once a week, I think she is the biggest offender.  The hair comes off her in unbelievable amounts.  Always.

Lucky offered to help with the vacuuming.

see how short my hair is?

He’ll deny it, but he contributes his share of the hair to the bunnies.

Although Celony’s name rhymes with “felony”, I do have to give her credit where this is concerned.  She’s not much of a shedder.  A thief, yes.  A garbage can raider, yes.  A shedder, no.  And she cannot tell a lie, which I find hysterically funny.  She’s not allowed outside unattended, due to her recurring pancreatitis, but she asks to go out all the time (because she wants to eat acorns, turkey poop, rotting tomatoes and any other disgusting thing she can find).  When you open the door for her, she walks out and all you have to do is ask, “Celony, do you really have to pee?”  If not, she turns right around and comes back in the house.  The dog, although bad to the bone, cannot tell a lie.

I see no silky gray hairs in those bunnies!

And finally we have Barney, who does shed a little, but really hates being guilty of anything.  He, however, cannot control his behavior because he is dumb as a post.  He cannot, for instance, stop barking at the horses (hence he has to wear a citronella bark collar when we’re not home).  He also hates the vacuum cleaner and barks at it, and if he’s brave enough, will actually attack it.  Poor, poor Barney.

Bunnies?  I don't see any bunnies!

I think they can all share in the blame for the monstrous dust bunnies.  The alternative would be to have no dogs, and we’re not going down that path.  Maybe I’ll just give the bunnies names and make them part of the family!