Road Block

We’re hunkering down for a winter blast tonight. I’ve just come in from the barns where all four donkeys are tucked in nice and cozy. Good old Paco is becoming quite the affection seeker. We sure have come a long way from his being nervous in the barn if I was in with him … or even if another donkey was in with him. Each morning I put him in the Bully Barn with the stall door closed so he can eat his carrot breakfast in peace. Then I join him and fuss him up, give him a good body rub and a few times a week check his hooves. In fact yesterday I was able to check all four – back hooves too! – with no fuss. Tonight he moved the jennies out of the way to line himself up with my perch in the corner. He wanted a good rub down. He even moved to get me to give his butt a good scratch. 😉
Our four are not nervous about much these days. As you can see – my arrival in the Bully doesn’t phase them one bit. Bella is curious about just what this ‘appendage’ of mine is.
Darby – boss of the world – is intent on staring the Bully down. Right up to the last …
… inch of space! She too has really settled down these last few months. She is eager to play clicker games with me. She comes now and presents her ears for scratches. And the other day she even lifted up a hoof, without being asked, to show me she had a small rock stuck in there. There is a whole vocabulary of body language and sounds that ‘we’ use to communicate out there. From my tongue clicks meaning ‘clear the barn’ to Darby’s nip at her side meaning she is frustrated. There are Paco’s nudges to move me or any of the others over. And he uses his ears to show you what he is thinking. Rosie is a ‘lurker’. Sometimes I’ll turn around and jump because she managed to cross the paddock and line herself up right behind my back for some attention without my hearing or noticing. Rosie has a ‘purr’ that she uses to tell me she loves where I’m scratching her neck. Bella is the comedian these days. She has a way of wrapping her neck around and turning her head upside down to show us all she’s in the mood for some fun. It never ceases to amaze me how smart donkeys are. Maybe some day I’ll catch up! 😉