It was the rabbits that made me realise it was Easter. Nicole and I were out on one of the cultivations hooking the utility up to the fuel trailer when I saw them. It was last Thursday night and I must admit with the moon still full I was a bit nervy. You see earlier in the week we’d had that blood moon. Apparently it was an eclipse but it just seemed wrong for it to go that strange colour. I was expecting the worst, like the dog food factory being hit by a fire ball or some well-meaning nutter espousing on national television that red meat was bad for us mutts. Luckily it didn’t happen, but you never know these days, there are some real looneys out there, but back to those rabbits.

The cheeky little fellas; eyes agog, noses twitching hopped out from behind a tree and watched us at work. The moon was rising through the trees and I could make out their beady eyes and come-and-get-me stares. I bristled and edged to the rim of light created by the head lights on the utility.

Just a bit further, I whispered. Just one more step and I’ll have myself some fresh bunny.

Rabbit number one, we’ll call him Whitey on account of his light brown and white colouring sat back on his haunches and tilted his head. His mate Joe, clearly a follower not a leader kept glancing back and forth from Whitey to me.

Whitey lifted his top lip, I snarled.

Joe moved closer to his friend.

I gave a single bark. Whitey took a hop forward.

That was it. I hurtled towards them and the rabbits took off, over logs and around trees, rushing back to the safety of the ridge and the sandy spots where they could dive into their burrows. The moon was rising quickly. It shone through the trees, spot-lighting their white tails as they dodged and dived and jumped… speedy little critters. I caught up with them as they disappeared down a burrow. I was a bit knackered by then but I’ve always been a patient dog and I was prepared to sit it out until they came up for water.

I can lay siege for days, I barked. You’ll come up for air eventually!

Jack, Jack. Then I heard Nicole’s voice. There was a  grumpy tone to it. Women.

Jack what are you doing? Leave the rabbits alone. It’s nearly Easter.

Well no-one told me I barked gloomily as I padded back to the vehicle with her. The next day we were out delivering chemical and there’s Nicole talking on the two-way radio and biting into the head of a chocolate Easter bunny. Feeling me staring at her she turned towards me.

What? It’s not like it’s real Jack.

But I noticed after a few more minutes of me eye-balling Nicole that she wrapped the chocolate bunny back up in its foil and left it sitting on the seat beside her. Fair is fair, I say.