J is for Bad Interior Design Choices

I'm doing the A-to-Z Blog Challenge. 


Today is for J, and J is going to spark a lot of controversy.

At least, it will in my family.

That's because J is for this guy right behind me...

That's right, the jackalope, the MYTHICAL half-jackrabbit/half-antelope beast that is said to roam the North American prairies.

According to Wikipedia -- because Wiki is the most reliable source on the internet, right? -- the legend of the jackalope began with a bored taxidermist who had an abundance of rabbit carcasses, some leftover antlers and access to people who had a knack for taking advantage of gullible visitors to great state of Wyoming. 

A couple of hotels had the stuffed critters on display and people whose disposable income was apparently greater than their interior decorating prowess began purchasing the novelties.

Over time, the legend of the jackalope has grown. Tourists can now buy all sorts of jackalope-related paraphernalia, including postcards featuring photos of the animal and poop (which is actually just candy). And, at the Douglas, Wyo., Chamber of Commerce, you can apparently buy a Jackalope Hunting License, but it's only good on June 31 and has very specific limitations on who can use it. (Again, this is according to Wiki, so it must be true.)

The existence of the jackalope is a source of contention between myself and my husband and daughters. The argument started during our first trip out to the Black Hills of South Dakota in 2005, when I caught the old man convincing our impressionable little girls that the creatures could be spotted in the wild if they were knew what to look for.

By the time I intervened, the damage had been done. My children were thoroughly convinced that jackalopes were real.

It didn't help that my cousin and her husband later got in on the fun by sending pictures of packaged jackalope scat to us during one of their vacations.

I'm the odd girl out in this argument, the only jackalope denier in the Harris household.

That's okay.

It's not like it's the Easter bunny or anything. In fact, I'd hate to see what that thing would leave in my basket. 

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Kathryn Harris is an award-winning journalist and author of the contemporary novel THE LONG ROAD TO HEAVEN. All royalties she receives from April 2016's online sales of The Long Road to Heaven will be donated in memory of the late Caylee Hoehne to the United Way for use with the Court Appointed Special Advocates program for abused and neglected children. Please consider helping this worthwhile cause.