I’ve always wanted to see the Aurora Borealis. I never imagined it would be possible right here in Soddy-Daisy, Tennessee. It is a wonderful surprise! I tried to get a few photos, but so many new builds in our area have caused quite a bit of light pollution. The Light Pollution Map shows we are in a fairly heavily light polluted area.
Lights interfere with astronomical viewing as well as confuse insects, birds, and other animals. Also, leaving lights on around your house does not deter burglars, it only helps them see. Please consider reducing the use of lighting for the well-being of all. And thank you for doing so!
If you are considering giving your child a rabbit for Easter, there is much you need to know beforehand. Bunnies require diligent care and daily attention from a person who is well-educated about them and committed to their care. They should not be lightly considered as a pet. Bunnies are the cutest little creatures. But, they will bite the &#!% out of you! I mean, have you ever seen the drawings of rabbits in medieval manuscripts, for God’s sake?!?
Smithfield Decretals, c. 1300, British Library, London, UK. Detail.Killer rabbits in medieval manuscripts: Decretals of Gregory IX, ca. 1300-1340, Ms. Royal 10 E IV, British Museum, London, UK. Detail.
In November 2019, my then college student adopted a lionhead rabbit, thinking it could live in the dorm becasue a roommate had one. Turns out, you need papers from a therapist saying you need a support animal to keep one in the dorm. Guess who got to care for the bunny until school was out five months later!
Of course, I became attached the rabbit, and she to me. So, she is now my bunny. Her name is Sepia, because she is the color of a sepiatone photo. (I wanted to name her Hasenpfeffer, but Rainn would not allow it.) She weighs a little over 3 pounds. She can be the sweetest little bunny one minute, then the hatefulest critter you ever met the next.
If you have any idea of getting a pet rabbit, please read below carefully.
Rabbits live 8 to 12 years.
Owning a bunny is a long-term commitment. Too many people buy them on a whim at Eastertime, then after the new wears off, the animals end up discarded into the outdoors or taken to animal shelters. (See statistics below)
Rabbits are social creatures.
Rabbits are the healthiest when they become an integral part of the family, meaning they should be allowed to be in your house just like cats and dogs. This requires bunny-proofing any area where the sweet critter roams. Rabbits should be house-trained to use a litter pan if they free-roam.
Rabbits are nervous creatures.
Because rabbits are prey animals, they always think something is after them. Loud noise, activities, and other pets can upset them or even cause them to have heart attacks. This is also why they need to be indoors. I have a friend who tried to bathe a bunny, which caused the bunny to have a heart attack. BTW, bunnies do not need baths and always smell good.
Rabbits do not like to be picked up without warning, and they will scratch and hurt someone out of self-defense (especially those who attempt to lift the bunny incorrectly).
Rabbits are fragile.
Bunnies can easily be hurt. Rabbit bones can break, and their limbs can become dislocated if they are dropped, held too tightly, or jerked around. They also have fragile respiratory systems, so they cannot live in basements or drafty places. Lysol and other smelly sprays are not healthy for them either.
Rabbits need to be neutered or spayed.
As with all pets, neutering and spaying is a must. This will require an exotic pet veterinarian, as will their annual checkup.
Rabbits are expensive.
Even if you adopt a bunny, they are costly. You will need a large cage where they can nest and eat hay. Water and food bowls, toys, and wood. Rabbits’ teeth continually grow, so they have to eat wood to keep them worn down. This may include your furniture if you do not pay attention while letting them roam around the hose. They also love rubber, which tastes sweet to them.
Litter has to be paper pellets, which are not cheap. Cat litter has dust which rabbits fragile respiratory system cannot handle.
Plus, food. Please see the special diet below.
Rabbits like to chew.
Because rabbit teeth continually grow, they continuously chew. And they will chew on anything! Wood is what they need to keep their teeth worn down. They can’t have just any wood because certain types are harmful or even deadly to a rabbit. So, you must research and obtain wood for your bunny to be healthy. If not, they WILL eat your furniture and baseboards. And, IF you provide wood, they will STILL eat your furniture if you don’t pay attention!
Rubber tastes sweet, to rabbits anyway. They will nibble on anything rubber. Think of your device cords! Recently, I saw a post on Instagram where a dude showed a graveyard box of his device cords as he was adding a chewed one into the box while his bunny looked on. Another posts said, “Tell me you have a bunny without telling me you have a bunny.” Someone commented a photo of a tv remote just like the ours in the gallery below.
Rabbits have special diets.
Rabbits are herbivores (plant eaters) and are considered grazers, because they eat continuously. My little critter gets Oxbow hay pellets morning and evening, a tiny piece of fruit every couple days, two cups of greens (ones approved for bunny consumption), plus a green fresh-cut haystack the size of her body EACH DAY. Hay is 80% of their diet. My little queen bunny costs $40 to $50 a month! You can supplement dandelions, clover, and fresh grass for lettuce sometimes during spring and summer. This amount also includes litter.
Per the House Rabbit Society and the Humane Society of the U.S. rabbits rank 3rd behind dogs and cats that are surrendered. Rabbits can live to between 8–10 years if well cared for, however, 80% of rabbits purchased at Easter either die or are abandoned within the first year. *Patch staff, Beth Dalbey. March 30. 21.’
Sepia in the pot of what used to be my tree, but she has claimed.Sepia relaxing on the bathroom rug. Just one of the places she spread hay around.Sepia was traumatized after a day of roofer on our house.“Why are you blaming me for poop balls in the floor?!? I’m quite sure it was Rainn.”Sepia will always growl to let you know she is not in the mood to be handled. If you ignore her wishes she WILL let you know she means it.
Introducing Somewhere in Soddy-Daisy Magazine. Soddy-Daisy, Tennessee is the cultural center of the universe. Located just north of Chattanooga, it has the beauty of the mountains, creeks, and lakes. The Cumberland Trail borders the edge of the most popular nature park. There are mom-and pop-businesses. But what really makes this place unique are the residents.
Our goal is to highlight our fascinating neighbors, their collections, hobbies, and quirks. We will tell their stories with photos and articles. We will also feature places, arts, and other subjects of interest we come across.
In the future we will be adding a community section, occasionally having contests, and other fun.
We invite you to come back often and/or follow our Facebook page, Somewhere in Soddy-Daisy, where you will be alerted to new articles.
P.S. You will neversee a pop-up on this site. They are against our religion!
Black & white feature photo above: Rocky Raccoon and Ann Jackson at the Chattanooga News Free Press modeling for an article on hunting season opening in 1988. Photograph by John Rawlston
Rocky Raccoon and Ann Jackson in 1988. Photograph by Barbara Perry.
Since our area has a prediction for snow this evening, which is a rare occurrence, we are sharing some photos taken after the March 1993 Storm of the Century. Paul Barys was the only local weatherman to predict more than a small amount of snow for our area. He predicted a 20-inch snowfall five days in advance.
Wayne Maxwell, originally from Sale Creek, was living at Spanish Villa apartments on 58 Highway. He cooked big pots of stew on his kerosene heater for his elderly neighbors, who all said they would not have made it without him.
After the first couple days, Mom and I put our freezer contents on the deck in the snow. Then we proceeded to cook on our kerosene heater. We ate good! It’s kind of hibachi style, cooking one thing at a time.
All photos were taken in Soddy-Daisy, except one at the Hixson Conoco (now Mapco) at Highway 153 and Gadd Road. Approximately five days after the storm, the photo shows people standing in line to purchase kerosence. Power was still out in many areas around Chattanooga. 99¢ for regular gasoline!
Apologies for the quality of these photos. They are phone photos of 35mm photos.
Photographs by Ann Jackson
The slue at the entrance of Rivergate Bay subdivision after the blizzard of 1993.
Snow drift against a house on Tadpole Lane after the 1993 blizzard.
The long line at Conoco on Highway 153 a few days after the 1993 blizzard.
99¢ for a gallon of regular gasoline!
A couple days after the storm snow was up to the knees of some people. It’s measured 23 inches at Hixson Pike and Yaphank Bridge.
Whether you want to fish, swim, jump, or dive (shhh), Yaphank Bridge is a favorite spot for these activities. It is also a perfect spot to watch the sun rise or set. There have been some swan dives off this bridge, something beautiful to behold. Feet-first is the most popular jumping style, but there have also been belly flops, and even enemas.
The photo below of what I assume was the second bridge was made in 1986. The daisies growing and burnout on the pavement were the charm of the bridge back then. The sad thing about the present is there is always trash thrown around this area, particularly the cemetery, and signs posted everywhere. If we want a dock built, tree work, or to buy a mattress, we will not be calling the numbers on these signs. It’s annoying they’re destroying the beauty of our hometown and lots of times end up in the lake. Signs are obsolete, get a website or social media!
Our Facebook page, Somewhere in Soddy-Daisy, has several photos of the present bridge and a couple of the former bridges.
Note: Please do not jump just because you are sad. Instead call 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (Available 24 hours. Languages: English, Spanish.)
Photograph by Ann Jackson, 1986.
Hixson Pike at Armstrong Road in 1939.
The Bridge in the background is under construction. The original yellow plank bridge is in the lower right. Photo from Chattanooga Has History Facebook page.
