Best. Day. Ever.

Tap tap tap...do I remember how to do this? Four days incommunicado was tough. I missed you. But it was kind of nice to break the shackles that keep my wrists attached to this keyboard, if only for an extra-long weekend. You didn't miss too much - there was a day of shopping, a day of cleaning, a day of chicken-coop building... But the best day of all? That's the one I want to share with you now.

The boys of Morning Bray Farm arrived Sunday morning.
Bernard couldn't get off the trailer fast enough for his play date. 

And look who was next...Patrick! We all wanted to make sure he had the best time ever, this being his first outing
away from Morning Bray Farm since being rescued from his life as a roping donkey.

Ellsworth was the last to unload. I think he may have sensed that fun and games were not the only items on his agenda.

Anyway, seeing six donkeys in one corral was more than any of us could stand. Hank literally was jumping for joy.
(Don't worry. He knows how to land softly and safely from his airs above the ground.)

Everybody had to show off and establish his place in the new herd.
Me: Yes, George, I do think you look tough with your slicked-back ears.
Now put them back up and play nice.

Alan and Patrick are of like size, and there was a short meeting of the minds.
Or was that a meeting of the short minds?

All the boys lined up for an audience with the queen Lucy.

Bernard: I am not worthy. Get me out of here.

Once the formalities were over, Justina and I saddled up Ellsworth and Lucy for the mane event,
while Don stayed back to babysit brush Hank. Hank can be so demanding. Sorry, Don, but thanks!  

Ellsworth took to the trail like he'd been doing this all his life. Riding in ditches, through narrow pathways between trees, alongside live cows, alongside a dead cow... the boy passed every test we gave him. And you should see him trot and lope! It was tough to take pictures of Justina, though. The glare from her smile kept overexposing the images.

She took this picture of me taking a picture of her. The smiling was contagious.

Ellsworth: Want to come over to my place next time? 
I know this great trail down by the river where we can be alone.

Meanwhile, back at the corral after the best-trail-ride-ever, 

Patrick was in his element. He got to taste his first potato chip...

and his first margarita.

He even went nose-to-nose with Smooch...

...while I was giving a lecture on hoof anatomy. Perhaps it was the tequila talking.

Wynonna got her fair share of attention. She also got her biannual vaccination. It's a three-person job, and Justina and Don were gracious enough to assist. You know who your real friends are when they help you give your pig a shot.

Then it was time to hang out in the pasture and see if we could get everybody together for a group shot.
Lucy: Dare I ask what you're doing, Justina?

Justina: Work with me here, ok? I'm trying to move everyone closer together.

Sadly, all good things must come to an end and it was time to load up the MBF boys for the trek home.

There goes Patrick, the self-loading donkey. (If his cattle-prod-wielding abusers could see him now...) 

Best. Day. Ever.

A line of debarkation

I spent a blissful day over the holiday weekend at Morning Bray Farm's annual crab feast. How can you beat fabulous friends, fresh Maryland blue crabs and cold beer? You can't. We even had an afternoon rain shower to play in. The rain brought down a large limb from a cottonwood tree in the backyard, which was promptly dragged into the corral.

Cottonwood tree bark happens to be a delicacy for the boyz of Morning Bray Farm. Who knew?

They went after that bark as if it were corn on the cob.

Patrick, everyone's favorite rescued roping donkey, was not at all shy about getting his fare share of the green.

Me: Bernard, you're barking up the wrong tree. Ellsworth's not about to let that piece go.

I may be going out on a limb here, but I'm willing to bet Fergus can snatch that bark away from Bernard.

Make a wish, boys...he who gets the bigger piece will have his wish come true.

I'm pretty sure Fergus wished for more cottonwood tree limbs.

A reason to be jolly

After I dropped Danni off at the airport yesterday, I stopped by Morning Bray Farm to visit my new nephew, Patrick.

If you were worried that his spirit might have been broken by three years of abuse,

I'm here to tell you he's quickly getting the hang of how to be a happy donkey.

A lucky donkey finds his pot of gold

Today you might see alot of blogs and facebook entries referring to Adopt the Internet Day. This is part of Petfinder's campaign to spread the word about adoptable pets. I found Smooch via Petfinder and today's post was going to be all about her and her wonderfulness and how adoptable pets seem to know you've saved them from an uncertain future and they bond with you in an extra special way.

But now I think it's more important to help tell the story of an animal who wasn't up for adoption but who desperately needed a new home all the same and now he has one.

My friend Justina from Morning Bray Farm drove past this little donkey every time she left her house. He was used for roping practice – riders on horseback would chase him and rope his head and his feet. (This post explains more about donkey roping.) When he wasn't being roped, he would stand at the back of the corral by himself with his head lowered, looking for all the world like the saddest animal on earth. Seeing him like this was breaking Justina's heart, and she and her husband developed a plan to remove him from the situation. The plan worked - I will let her tell you all about that - and now lucky "Patrick" has a new home at Morning Bray Farm.

This all transpired Sunday night. Monday morning, Danni and I drove up to spend the day with Patrick and help convince him that not all people are abusive Neanderthals.

Can you see the outline of the halter that used to be on Patrick's head? His hair grew around it, but at least the halter was big enough that it had not dug into his skin.

It appears his hooves have never been trimmed, but the dry sandy soil he was living on prevented them from growing too long. Justina's farrier will have these feet balanced and looking great within a few trims. Overall, Patrick seems to be in decent shape physically – the vet will examine him Tuesday morning. Mentally, he doesn't seem to have "shut down" yet, as many donkeys do when they have been used endlessly for roping practice. His youth is on his side.

The rest of the boys at Morning Bray Farm are a little skeptical of all the attention being showered upon the new arrival...

...but Justina came home from work at lunchtime to give them all their mid-day dose of love and affection, and Patrick stood in line with everyone else for his handout.

There is no shortage of characters at Morning Bray Farm.

Justina and Don have opened their hearts and home to Patrick and removed him from an environment which I'm certain would have ultimately led to his demise. I am so very proud and lucky to have them as my friends...and so is Patrick.