Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Advanced Herd Dynamics

Spending time with my animals is my #1 favorite thing to do on earth, and watching them interact brings me more happiness than any one person deserves. Sure, I'll put words in their mouths and thoughts in their heads for a few cheap laughs on this blog, but attributing human thoughts and emotions to them is really an injustice. They relate to, and with, each other in ways only they understand.

I'll offer up this series of pictures with the facts as I know them and let you decide what's going on.

It was early Sunday morning. The horses and burros had come up to the barn for water and a little hay. I went outside to hang out with them. Alan finished eating, then picked up the remains of an orange traffic cone. He pushed it along the ground for about 50 yards, directly toward the fence line he shares with Smooch.








22 comments:

  1. LOL!!!
    Poor Alan only wanted to show the cone shard to Smooch. He didn't want her to have it.
    "Hey, don't eat it."
    Thanks for the advanced lesson. :)

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  2. There is something truly special about donkeys, and I love reading about George and Alan as much as I love watching Rafer and Redford. I don't know what we did before they came to live with us!

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  3. Very funny. Smooch has wanted that orange cone for so long and he finaly got it...na, na, na, na na!!

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  4. Now that was too cute, sharing that 'precious' piece of the cone, BUT suddenly it seemed like not such a good idea, for Alan anyway! Smooch, on the other hand, seems quite thrilled of her 'catch', and she looks like she put some work into getting it.

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  5. I didn't hear Smooch say "thanks" even though Alan went to a lot of trouble to get that piece of cone over there. I wonder what each of them was thinking, was there communication before Alan began moving the cone piece? Our critters are amazing. You're amazing for catching it with your camera.

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  6. I am sitting here, shaking my head from side to side, in awe of the dynamics between these animals AND your ability to capture it so perfectly ..........*sigh*..........

    Thank you !

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  7. I'd say they want to play with each other, or at least include Smooch in their morning playtime.

    I agree...my time spent with my animals is the highlight of my day. I'm still trying to figure out how I can make a living at it....

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  8. That is a hoot! I think Alan wants to play and Smooch wants to chew. Aw Too cute.

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  9. Those full furry tummies are darling! They so obviously are a family -- I would watch them all the time, too! Thank you for sharing your world.

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  10. Too, too funny, thanks for the laugh! You are truly blessed to live with this crew. :-)

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  11. Learning to share is something all species could work on....now, I want to see the pictures of Smooch tiring of the cone piece and deciding to give it back....riiiiiight.

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  12. Your critters antics always make me laugh! So great to catch them playing with each other LOL LOL

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  13. I think Alan wanted to "show & tell" and Smooch wanted to "chew & tear"?! But it was nice of Alan to move it over there and Smooch did a great job of doing her share of the work as well. The pictures needed no words, they explained it all very clearly....even the part of Alan asking for his cone back!

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  14. Wow! Just amazing photos! A picture is worth a thousand words...

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  15. Smooch is one fast girl, I think he was just trying to show her what he had and she snatched it. Poor guy, I'm sure there are more cones for him to play with though.

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  16. Carson,

    Thanks for that. It is an interesting study. We can attribute anything we want to that exchange, but we will never know and somehow that is just fine with me.

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  17. Great photo story on the pleasures of sharing!
    Tracey

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  18. That is too funny! I am thinking he did not want Smooch to keep it for long. LOL!

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  19. That communication fascinates me, too. It is a thing full of wonder (not to employ the overused "wonderful") to see. Thanks for this perfect example.

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  20. I am so in love with all the critters at 7MSN but George and Alan! Oh! Be still my heart! Someday I so hope to adopt a burro!

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  21. He's no dummy...he knew exactly what he was doing!! Great series!

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