Bernard

September 22, 2010

Save the drama for your mamma

Posted by Morning Bray under Burros, Donkeys | Tags: Bernard, Ellsworth, Fergus, Nigel, sweet feed |
[24] Comments

If anyone ever tells you donkeys can’t tell time, be assured they don’t know what they’re talking about. Every evening, right about 5:30 or so, the drama begins. If you didn’t know better, you’d think the boys were starving and hadn’t been fed for three days. It usually goes something like this:

Bernard thinks flaring his nostrils and sucking in his breath makes him look super skinny.

Ellsworth prefers to play the sympathy card.

Ellsworth: Oh mamma, I’m so hungry I can’t hold my head up.

Ellsworth: Bernard, let’s try puppy-dog eyes and see if that works tonight.

Ellsworth: I wish Carolynn was here. I bet she’d feed me right now.

Nigel and Fergus: Oh my gawd. Can you believe these clowns? Do they have no shame?

Bernard: Heck no, I have no shame! Look mamma, I’m flaring my nostrils again! I’m so hungry and skinny.

Ellsworth: Mamma, we need sweet feed, stat! I’m just going to pass out this instant!

Me: Oh, Ellsworth. I love you, my angel. You do save the drama for your mamma. ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

September 14, 2010

When the cat’s away, the mice will play

Posted by Morning Bray under Donkeys, Friends and Family | Tags: Bernard, Don, donkeys, Ellsworth, mischief |
[22] Comments

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. ♥

September 8, 2010

The Energizer Bunny of Morning Bray Farm

Posted by Morning Bray under Donkeys, New Mexico | Tags: Bernard, donkey, playing |
[36] Comments

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. ♥

August 14, 2010

Happy Birthday Barnyard

Posted by Morning Bray under Donkeys | Tags: Bernard, Bernard's birthday |
[55] Comments

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

We so love you. Always. ♥ ♥ ♥

August 11, 2010

Like peas and carrots

Posted by Morning Bray under Donkeys | Tags: Bernard, donkeys, Ellsworth |
[10] Comments

August 7, 2010

Saturday Stuff – A reflection

Posted by Morning Bray under Donkeys, Saturday Parts & Stuff | Tags: Bernard, reflection |
[10] Comments

July 26, 2010

Driving Mister Bernard

Posted by Morning Bray under Donkeys | Tags: Bernard, driving, driving donkeys |
[31] Comments

On Friday, the mailman delivered a special package for Bernard.

Bernard always needs to be doing something, so it was quite fitting that while the other boys were each off doing their own thing, Bernard was solely focused on the contents of his package… a driving harness.

Because the harness and its accoutrements didn’t come with instructions, we were thankful we saved the handout from the driving clinic we attended back in February.

Bernard acted as if though he was born to do this. I mean to tell ya, he was really into it.

Bernard with a bit in his mouth for the very first time. Just like that.

A lot of time was spent making adjustments to get the fit just right.

It was right about now I think Bernard started singing…

Get your motor runnin’
Head out on the highway
Lookin’ for adventure
And whatever comes our way…

When Don took a short break to make some tedious adjustments, Bernard got impatient. Hurry up, Dad!

Look at our boy!

Driving Mister Bernard.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

July 19, 2010

The patience of a saint

Posted by Morning Bray under Donkeys | Tags: Bernard, Ellsworth |
[19] Comments

Ellsworth has the patience of a saint.

We know there’s no question that he loves Bernard, nor is there any question that Bernard loves Ellsworth.

But, lord have mercy, we can’t figure how Ellsworth puts up with Bernard’s relentless antics.

Take the fly mask situation, for example. Oy.

Re-lent-less, I tell ya.

At the end of the day though, we know Ellsworth wouldn’t want it any other way. ♥

July 7, 2010

Bernard has internet access

Posted by Morning Bray under Burros, Donkeys | Tags: Bernard, fly mask |
[46] Comments

Bernard has internet access. That’s the one explanation Don and I can come up with for what happened on Monday.

Only one of the boys has a fly mask on in this picture. Surely you can name the masked wonder…

And why don’t Ellsworth and Fergus have their fly masks on, you ask?

It was Monday morning. I had literally moments earlier posted Shoo fly, don’t bother me on the blog when I walked downstairs and looked out the window to see something amiss. Fergus didn’t have his fly mask on! But we had put it on that morning… Then I looked for Ellsworth. No fly mask on Ellsworth either.

That could only mean one thing. Bernard had read Aunt Linda’s comment on the post.

carson Says:
July 5, 2010 at 11:03 am

I remember the first time I bought a fly mask…going in the feed store and trying it on to see how much my horse would be able see once he was wearing it.

I’m very impressed that your boys are not trying to rip them off each other’s heads. (Later highlighted for emphasis.) They must realize how much better off they are with them on.

I continued my scan of the corral to find Bernard dragging one of the destroyed fly masks across the ground. Oh Bernard, you are so cut off from the computer. I mean, heavens to Betsy… Don bought the fly masks on Thursday morning. That gave the boys most of the day on Thursday, all day Friday, all day Saturday and all day Sunday to have their fly masks on without incident. Why now?

If you had been here, you would’ve heard words and phrases straight from an episode of Deadwood being muttered once we discovered the carnage. (Bernard separated the velcro from the netting on both of the destroyed masks, and we’ve since tried to sew and/or pin the velcro back on to no avail because Bernard has discovered a fun, new game called Rip the fly mask off the donkey!)

We’re back to fly spray, we have fly predators (thanks, Leah!) and new fly masks on order (they were much cheaper online than at the feed store) and are planning on trying the other remedies you’ve suggested.

Meanwhile, Bernard is grounded. No more internet access for you, buddy. It’s a good thing you’re so darn cute and we love you so. ♥

June 18, 2010

Big Red

Posted by Morning Bray under Donkeys, Friends and Family | Tags: Bernard, Ellsworth, riding, riding donkeys |
[22] Comments

We’re thinking that Big Red might be a good nickname for Ellsworth on riding days. He continues to improve and gains confidence each time we put the saddle on him. And, while we’re really proud of Big Red’s accomplishments, it looks like Bernard is his biggest fan.

Because we had the luxury of having my mom here to take pictures over the weekend, we discovered some things that may have otherwise been overlooked.

I was seriously shocked to see this picture. Because I was so focused on Ellsworth Big Red, I had no idea Bernard was back there sucking on the saddle pad.