Soakin’ Up Sunshine

You can tell there is a west wind when the herd is sunning in the ‘northern’ paddock. As we popped out this morning everyone had found some place to be in the lee of the wind. I have never in my life day dreamed as much about spring as I have since I’ve been living with donkeys. I remember when Paco still lived at the farm on the other side of the village and I was desperate for spring to arrive. It was a terribly icy winter and he was not able to move about as much as he liked. Then we had last winter’s unrelenting snow and freezing winds from December clear through to the end of March. Sure hope it doesn’t take that long to warm up this year…
Our two donkey barns are perfect for keeping the wind at bay. Their smaller size is also good for keeping the warmth in. When you put the four of them … or even two of them … into one barn their body heat warms up the space quickly. Rosie often claims the ‘Condo’ as her own. In fact, while Ede was scooping poops this morning Rosie had decided she wasn’t going anywhere. She lifted each hoof up as Ede would need to rake underneath her. Such a polite little thing! 😉 We had to laugh when as Ede finished and walked out of the barn – out came Rosie too.
When she realized Ede wasn’t going to indulge in the post work rub down she reclaimed the doorway and promptly fell asleep in the sunshine. That door faces southeast. It is a favourite roost on days like today.
Meanwhile … little hot body Bella was soaking the sunshine through her deep black coat and soaking up some coolness from the snow on her belly. I wish I could take better pictures of Bella. It is hard to get a good shot in the winter because the white snow makes her fur blend into one black blurr. Close ups work better.
I had a wonderful soak myself by sitting down beside her to brush her face and rub her ears. By the time I got up she was softly snoring away. It sure is a lot easier on my heart strings to come inside when I leave the four donkeys in a warm sunny place! Hope you are staying warm in your neck of the woods too!