Donkeys


Look at what we received in the mail yesterday. Postcards from France. The boys were absolutely thrilled to know that someone across the pond was thinking of them. Thank you Vicki!

Vicki from I Need Orange recently returned from an amazing trip to France with her daughter. Be sure to check out Vicki’s blog to get the inside scoop.

Vicki found this postcard in Bayonne. It says, “You have cousins in Basque country?”  Vicki was sure she knew four guys in Albuquerque who did.

Then she got to La Rochelle, and there were donkeys everywhere. Donkeys everywhere – in pajamas! Sea salt is a major product of the area and donkeys help haul the salt. The “culottes” (typically described as stockings, leggings or knee-high boots) help to protect donkeys there from mosquito bites.

The postcard says the donkeys in culottes are one of the main folkloric elements of Ile de Ré – right by La Rochelle.

Needless to say, Bernard might be in a bit of a bind. I’m thinking Bernard would look adorable in a couple of pairs of culottes. We just happen to know someone who knits… Hi Cathy!

And then, goodness! Vicki said she saw this brochure and picked it up, but only as she was mailing it to us did she read it. They are keeping donkeys for their milk!  The brochure says that visitors can taste the milk, and that they make skin-care products, including soap, from the milk. As Vicki said, “Who knew??”

We’re surprised too! Vicki said that she ate lots of goat yogurt and sheep yogurt while she was in France… and just think, maybe she could have had donkey yogurt!!! ♥

Don and I were sitting out in the corral relaxing and enjoying the company of the donkey boys and burro brothers on Sunday afternoon.

Watch what happened to Don’s chair when he got up and went into the house for just a few short minutes. Heathens, I tell ‘ya. ♥

What a goober…

Work is taking me away for a couple of days to what is meant to be one of the most beautiful places in New Mexico… Georgia O’Keeffe country. I hope I’ll be able to bring back even an ounce of its beauty to share with you upon my return. ♥

I’ve told Ellsworth all week that one of his biggest fans is coming to visit. He can barely wait to meet her.

For those of you who follow Carson’s blog, you know that Carolynn from A Glowing Ember is visiting The 7MSN Ranch this weekend.

We’re so excited that today, they’re coming up to visit Morning Bray Farm. Carolynn, Ellsworth is sooooooo looking forward to hugs and scritches from you. ♥

There is no character, howsoever good and fine, but it can be destroyed by ridicule, howsoever poor and witless. Observe the ass, for instance; his character is about perfect, he is the choicest spirit among all the humbler animals, yet see what ridicule has brought him to. Instead of feeling complimented when we are called an ass, we are left in doubt.

– Mark Twain, Pudd’nhead Wilson

We try to take Bernard and Ellsworth on as many walks as possible to acclimate them to new sights, smells and sounds.

We’re very fortunate to live right next to the Rio Grande and its network of irrigation ditches and paths.

The boys are very observant and rarely miss anything new. Just as he is at home, Ellsworth is a remarkable sentinel out on our walks.

Every now and then, we catch a lovely sight on the trail. Yesterday, it was a new bird. A very blue bird.

A blue grosbeak. Stunning, isn’t he? He was as blue as the sky.

Like life, the trail is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get. ♥

Bernard turned two yesterday. Happy Birthday to the donkey boy who changed our lives forever. ♥ ♥ ♥

We so love you.  Always. ♥ ♥ ♥

We’ve all heard of wingspan measurements in birds, but we had never heard of measuring ear spread in donkeys.                      

It was inevitable that after we read this exchange of comments on our For the love of donkeys page, we had to measure the ear spread of the Morning Bray Farm boys.                     

 Mel N.Y. Says:
July 24, 2010 at 5:05 am Linda, Sweet picture                     

Whats her ear spread ? I’ve met two mammoths with a 33 inch spread !                     

Reply

July 27, 2010 at 10:47 pm Hi Mel,                     

Sam has ears that measure 34 inches, from the tip of one ear down across her head up to the tip of the other.                     

Linda                     

We headed out yesterday afternoon to measure some donkey ears. As usual, we had to put up with Bernard’s antics.                 

                 

Don measured Fergus first.                 

                 

24 3/4″ give or take.                 

                 

Then Ellsworth.                 

                 

26 1/2  inches.                 

                 

Naturally, Bernard wasn’t interested in cooperating because he’s going to be two years old on Friday.                 

                 

                 

We’ll give Bernard 22″.                 

           

From The Donkey Companion:           

A donkey’s hearing isn’t quite as acute as a dog’s but is much better than that of a  human (or even a horse). When a donkey picks up a sound or sights something unusual, he pricks both ears in that direction to capture the minutest sounds and funnel them down to the ear canal and on to his brain. The donkey’s huge ears can each swivel and capture sound independently; separate sounds from each ear are processed and analyzed at the same time.           

Pretty cool, huh? For those of you with donkeys or burros, what’s their ear spread?  

For Carolynn:  

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