Morning Bray Farm

The fence connecting the corral to the pasture was completed yesterday morning. This is a huge change for the better and we’re thrilled the boys now have the ability to come and go as they please.

We’ve been waiting for something exciting to happen as a result to share with you on today’s Sunday Cinema.  Bernard and Ellsworth would rather show you what being content looks like.   

Don was home waiting for the fence guys yesterday afternoon when it started raining.

This little bird; a purple finch, didn’t seem very happy with the rain. Don saw him through the window, went outside and got a picture.

Then the boys started a ruckus. I’d say Don did a darn good job of capturing the moment.

He can be totally cute and coy just like Bernard. 

He can be a goofball too.

We love you buddy.

First, our contest winner, of course! Congratulations to C in WI, whose name was pulled out of Don’s hat. She’ll be seeing a Morning Bray Farm travel mug in her mailbox very soon.

C in WI Says:
March 16, 2010 at 5:39 am

I love my morning whiskery kisses!

Thanks to all of you for celebrating with us. We had so much fun reading all of your captions!

Our sentinel 

In addition to being the gentle soul that he is, Ellsworth has established himself as the sentinel here at Morning Bray.

He’s always the first to spot everything…

…and anything.

He’s steadfast and refuses to be distracted from his job.

So many words are appropriate to describe Ellsworth. To name just a few:  loyal, constant, faithful.  What an amazing boy.  We absolutely love him.

…patting a donkey is not really viewed as a positive experience by the donkey. Donkeys do not pat each other, and therefore find it difficult to understand what patting means. Patting is very similar to swatting a fly or smacking the animal, therefore it is always best to scratch the animal as a reward for good behaviour.

-The Donkey Sanctuary. “Understanding Donkey Behaviour,” 2006

Ain’t that the truth. The boys love to be scratched.   

Bernard, Ellsworth gets a turn too.

We know how much you enjoy a good scratch…

…however, Ellsworth really does deserve a turn.  

Obviously, you think otherwise.

We’re celebrating our 50th post today – whoo-hoo! –  and would love for you to join us. To commemorate our milestone, we thought we’d have a contest. 

One lucky, randomly chosen winner will receive a Morning Bray Farm travel mug. To enter the contest, leave a comment on this post providing a caption for the above photo. The contest will close Wednesday at 7 p.m. (Mountain time) and we’ll announce the winner on Thursday.

By the way, we’re really having fun with this blog thing. Thanks to each and every one of you for visiting, making us feel welcome and of course, for all of your comments.

This post is for George and Alan; the Burro Brothers, with love from Bernard and Ellsworth; the Donkey Boys.

Dear George and Alan, 

Cone spring training started this weekend and we want you to know we’re your biggest fans.

You’ve set the bar high, which is why we’ll be working extra hard on things like strength training and eye-mouth coordination,

and cone carry techniques…

…because we want to avoid any dropped cones. Sorry Coach!

We’ll also be working on balance…

…and of course, flexibility.

You’ve inspired us to greatness. Here’s to a great Cone season!

With love,

Bernard and Ellsworth  xx00xx

What happens when the doorbell rings at your house? Here’s what happens at ours.

I hope you’ll indulge me because I feel like talking about Africa today. I know this doesn’t have anything to do with Morning Bray Farm, donkeys, dogs or New Mexico, but I do think about Africa all the time.  If you asked Don, I think he’d tell you that once I get started, I could probably talk  about it forever. 

“One time, in band camp Africa…”

I love East Africa and its amazing wildlife, beautiful scenery and wonderful people.  As I was going through old pictures last night, I came across this favorite taken on my first safari in 2002. 

I visited these orphaned chimps in Uganda at Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary. Most chimpanzees in sanctuaries are confiscated from poachers or market vendors.  Unfortunately, chimpanzees are still disappearing in the wild because of massive destruction of their habitat, hunting for their meat and poaching of infants to be sold as pets for the illegal export trade.

Walking with those chimps was a highlight for me on that safari.  Did you know that chimpanzees share 98.4% DNA with humans, which makes them closer to humans than gorillas?

Even better is seeing chimpanzees in the wild. The ability to see them in their native habitat and observe their natural behaviors is unforgettable. This photo was taken at Kibale National Park in Uganda. 

The forecast called for a winter storm to pass through yesterday morning, but as usual, we weren’t expecting any part of it. When we woke up, we were surprised with a dusting of snow.

By midday, you would have never known.