Anyone read 'Raising Hare?'

[FizzingAda]

I heard this serialised on R4 and bought the book. During lockdown a woman finds an abandoned leveret, and saves its life, and they have a sort of relationship, the hare actually has two litters in her house, though it can come and go as it pleases. It's unsentimental and full of interesting observations,and the writing is beautiful and uplifting. It will stay with me for a long time. The hardback has lovely drawings too.

There are also hares in suffolk near Wkyken vineyards. In fact the restaurant there is called the Leaping Hare.

I read a strange novel last year called something like Starve Acre, sort of rural gothic (if that's a genre). Anyway the hare was a baddie - I didn't approve of that at all!

That's the one, Tonton, I couldn't remember the name. It's an amazing place. I'd love to visit, but I'm up in NE Scotland.

@TonTonMacoute
I think I remember the cover of that book with the iconic image of the leaping hare.
Hares should never be baddies!

I've had this painting a few years now, it was in a local gallery and has some local landscape features in the background.

That's a happy looking hare, Tonton.

@TonTonMacouteThat is beautiful. Reminds me of Albrecht Dürer’s drawings somehow.
Due to the popularity of hares, it’s quite hard to find images of them that aren’t “twee”!

I heard this on R4 and the beauty of the prose just entered my bones; it was v beautifully read. I felt very calm hearing it. Masterpiece.

It brought back wonderful memories for me having raised two abandoned leverets in the 1990’s

Ooo, do tell us more please.

Another lovely book is John Lewis-Stempel, the Running Hare (it was also serialised in R4 and read by Bernard Hill. It's a farmer who for one year uses no chemicals on one of his fields, and the wildlife and plants that return, especially the hares. It's beautifully written, a lovely intelligent read.

Looking forward to reading this. My birthday is next Monday and I persuaded DH to buy it for me. Ordered and on its way

I heard this on R4 too: bought the book but haven't started it yet - this type of book is right up my woodland path.

I realised just how much hare stuff I have around. Got out a clean tea towel and it's one of my Angela Harding hare designs. It's hanging on the Aga next to my oven gloves with the boxing hare design...

This beautiful coaster is one I bought a couple of years ago, and I use for my evening cup of tea.

I've also got several other hare related items around the house, including an Angela Harding jigsaw puzzle and a picture on my bedroom wall.

I was watching Miranda Mills' booktube video this morning and she mentioned they had a hare living in their garden. As she was filming, it ran across the garden and she turned the camera to film it. So beautiful.

Here's my hare - I'm not an ornament person and have very few but this was my aunts - one of very few items I kept together with a very old Swiss penknife, an old butter knife and a small pair of scissors - stange how little was kept.

This picture was in the Times photo section today, and several people in the comment section said they loved hares. There's obviously quite a lot of hare-mad folk out there.

I have many ornamental hares, hare mugs, hare stationery, in my house.
It’s bordering on an obsession but a nice obsession.
It always gives people an idea of what to get me for a gift.
Although, god help them if they give me something “rabbit-related”.

Hares are a Priority species (due to their massive decline over the last 50 years) and are under constant threat from development and definitely from current planning reforms in the UK - if you love them then firstly you could report sightings to your local environmental records centre so their presence is alerted to your local government ecologist to consider when proposals that impact them come forward and secondly let your MP know that you want legislation that protects this sort of biodiversity from destruction.. or these beautiful creatures will be lost from England (along with many others..)

I love hares and I am a local government ecologist who is tired of seeing them forgotten :(

Here's a watercolour of the Moonhare I did, and an embroidery from that painting.

@FizzingAda
wow!!!That’s stunning!

Absolutely beautiful @FizzingAda!

Thank you, Monkey and Tonton. Love seeing the pics of the hares.

Calling fellow hare lovers, you may be interested in signing this petition

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/724795