The Story Behind Howard
It started with a hike
The story begins with an Alaskan cruise.
The family was staying at the Lodge at St. Edward Park in Kenmore, Washington as a getaway before the getaway. After a fairly typical post-check-in self-tour around the hotel and dinner, there really wasn't much time left in the day to go exploring. It would have to wait.
It's just about 7 o'clock in the morning, and the cruise boards at 10:00am. There isn't much time to get out and about, so a newly wed husband and wife decide to go see the surrounding Saint Edward State Park.
A picnic table
A long, winding trail heads down toward Lake Washington.
As the base of the hills sits a rest area. A nearby picnic table is empty except for a little stuffed bunny. It doesn't look like it's been there for too long. Despite the morning dew, the bunny is dry.
"Just leave it," she says.
"No," he says. "I'm keeping him."
"That thing has bugs on it."
"No, he's cute. He's clean."
A fitting name
Wandering around the park, a new bunny in-hand, it's time to get back to the hotel and get ready to head to the cruise terminal.
"He needs a name," she says.
"He's totally 'Howard,'" he says. "And he's going to be a social media star. 'Howard, the Hare!' It's perfect!"
Howard was along for the ride.