WE GOT RAIN, RAIN, RAIN.............!!!!!!!

Ocklawaha Florida, 1898

Yesterday afternoon we got 1 1/2 inches, & the washes ran.  We need the rain of course, BUT, getting it in quick downpours is getting old in a hurry.  

We were suppose to go stock car racing tonight, but last nights deluge cancelled the races.  So this afternoon we went into Benson to get what I forgot yesterday.  No rain in Benson, but when we turned on the main road to come home, it was flooded.  Hmmmm, we made jokes about making sure to watch the washes, so we didn't get any big surprises.  When we left home I asked John if he thought we should take the Bronco, at that time the sun was shining, & he just laughed.  

We have to cross the big wash that crosses our property 7 times out on the main road, before the final crossing that we waded a few days ago.  As we saw the first crossing we noticed 3 or 4 vehicles sitting in the road.  Sure enough it was running big time, & in fact large chunks of the pavement were standing upright with the water crashing around them.  A few more neighbors showed up & we all milled around for 1/2 an hour or so.  Finally a couple of trucks went thru & although there were deep holes where the pavement was missing, they made it.  Our years of 4 wheeling has made us feel invincible I guess, cause we tried it.  Unfortunately a 3 ton van is a little different that a high sitting 4 wheel drive Bronco.  We got high centered, & had to be pulled out by a jeep.............bummer.  Once we got on the road it was terrible, lots of big rocks, tree limbs, huge piles of sand & gravel to climb over.  We figured when we got to the final crossing, we might have to wade again, but by that time the water was going down, so we made it.  

Got home to absolute chaos.  Although we hadn't driven in much rain it obviously had rained somewhere & flooded our property. The wash jumped a large berm, covered with very large rocks, & flooded the pens.

(This is the dike usually over 10 foot high.  The break is on the right & goes directly into the pen area.  The rocks are 18"-36", & a lot of them are missing.  I'll be calling for a load tomorrow, to give John some extras to work with, rather than having to walk the wash to find the ones that are missing.)

The pens are filled with rocks, dirt, gravel, limbs, & all sorts of junk.  Mud everywhere, & the 3 fences across the wash all down, which means nothing to stop the donkeys from going on a walk-a-bout once they figured it out.  I started trying to organize the pens & John & a neighbor started working on the fences.  Of course any time we do anything out of the ordinary, it is very interesting to the donkeys.  The next thing we know they are headed up the wash.  I finally had to quit working on the pens & start wrangling donkeys.  Thank goodness a couple more neighbors showed up to help with the fences.  Of course once the donkeys figured out they could go where they normally can't, that's where they wanted to go.  And of course they don't go in one big group, so I would chase one group back from one area, turn around & there goes another group in a different area.  After chasing Tula & her little band all over Burroland, I decided it was time for them to go in their messed up pens.  The mud is so thick it almost sucked my shoes off my feet & they really didn't want to go in it.  But by this time I was taking no prisoners & if anyone wanted to argue with me, the consequences were going to be theirs. (G)   Up until I got them all in the pens, I really didn't know if any were missing or not, but thank goodness they were all present & accounted for.  

I don't know if there is more rain in the forecast or not.  Hopefully it will hold off until we can get the pens cleaned up.  The mud was so thick & heavy it even knocked some of the walls loose where mud flooded into the shelters.  The mud will have to be removed before the walls can be fixed.  Poor John he's going to have a lot of work for the next few days.  I told him not to be in any hurry to fix everything, because if we get more rain, the ground is so wet, I'm sure it will flood again.  As long as we can close the gates & keep the bunks cleaned out, we won't worry about the pens.  

I spent yesterday afternoon, sewing up some new leggings for Jenny & Quilla.  They aren't very durable & if they fall off out in the brush, are almost impossible to find.  

This morning I replaced some of the worst ones they were wearing with new ones.  Put new ones on Quilla & about 5 minutes later noticed one of them was wadded up in a ball in Chico's pen.  Quilla will stand beside Chico's pen, Chico reaches thru, grabs a legging & they usually look like he tries to eat them.  This one was very wet, & covered with green slobber.  YUCK! 

Chico's Mom called this morning to see how he's doing.  Dr. Weaver will geld him in August if it cools off, & then he can go home.  In the meantime we are having fun with him.  He is a very nice little boy, & loves attention.  He doesn't understand why everyone else gets to go out & he doesn't though.

Lucy's foot looks terrible.  Dr. Taylor said local vets could cut it off, but I couldn't get an appointment until next week.  I hope she doesn't get that piece caught on anything in the meantime. She's walks rather gingerly on that foot, so I assume it is sore. 

It's getting harder & harder to round them up.  The problem is we are getting enough rain to really make all green things grow, & they are scarfing up everything they can find.  John even cutting down on their hay, they aren't eating all of it anyway.  There are a few mesquite beans in their poo, but not many yet.  There actually isn't a lot of beans this year on our trees, so hopefully we won't have to close burroland to the donkeys & open it up to the range cattle to eat the beans. 

Lucy has horrible feet, she is what they call a sinker.  That means her coffin bone is sitting right on the sole & the sole is sitting right on the ground.  She gets trimmed about every 5-6 weeks, & Courtney has to use a dremel tool to clean up the weird growth on the front of her hooves.  

This morning I noticed a lot of flies on her foot.  When I checked it out I noticed a large piece on the front has completely come loose, & is only being held on by the coronet band.  The coronet is where the hoof grows out from, & hers has been damaged.  It's like if you injure the back part of your fingernail, so bad, that the nail grows in weird.  

I tried to cut it off with my hoof nippers, but it's obviously sore & she didn't want me to do it.  As many flies as there were I assume the hoof material is missing underneath the piece & the foot is open like an open wound or sore.  I sprayed hydrogen peroxide behind the piece to make sure there weren't any maggots or anything like that.  Nothing came out & believe me maggots will try to run if you spray them with hydrogen peroxide. 

 

So I took pictures, covered it with Alu-shield to keep the flies at bay & sent an e-mail  to the Equine Center up in Gilbert.  If they say any vet can handle it, we'll have it worked on locally.  But I want to make sure as little damage is done to her foot as possible.  I just hope the piece doesn't get caught on something before we can get it cut off.  I'll call them in the morning after they have a chance to look at the pictures & see what they say. 

A CRISIS I DON'T WANT TO FACE

Last night after feeding I was filling water buckets, & when I got to Tula I saw that she was choked.  Tula has been here for a long time & still just barely tolerates having a halter or fly mask put on her.  And then it is on her terms, she stands in a certain place in her pen, headed the same way, & you better approach her in the same way every time or she takes off.  At sometime in her life she has really been mentally abused & she's not about to forget it.  

I watched her for awhile, as I figured out what the next step would be if she didn't clear on her own.  Which incidently I never came up with a really good idea, except, "boy I sure hope she can clear on her own".  Finally she started licking her lips instead of dropping green slime.  WHEW!  John checkd on her later, & she was back to eating again.  

We got 1 1/2 inches of rain yesterday afternoon.  When we came in about 5 o'clock from town our wash was running bank full.  We have to cross it to get home, so we had to park the van & wade it.  Knee high, cold & running hard.  John found a 2 x 4, used that to feel his way, & I attached my little self to his belt  & we managed to get across without falling.  After chores it had gone down, so John went out & repaired the road with his little tractor, so we & the neighbors could use it.  When the wash runs, it really makes a mess of the road.  

On the way home we got stopped at one of the washes on the main road.  We probably could have made it but the van has running boards & if the water is deeper than that, even a 3 ton van might float.  When we pulled up, we noticed a young woman on the other side, on a cell phone, & her car crumpled in some trees along side the wash.  We figure she probably came around the corner,  saw the water running, jerked the wheel or slammed on the brakes & ended up in the trees.  By the time we crossed some people drove thru in a jeep & were with her.  In fact that's how we decided we could make it, by watching the jeep go thru. 

The Vet just left after working on Friolita.  He said she probably fell in a hole (I would guess a rock squirrel hole) & wrenched her back.  He manipulated her spine & then did acupuncture on her back & right rear leg.  She actually was a little better today, but I'm hoping that she'll get better quicker now.  

Last night Lynn, one of the minis came in 3 legged & "don't make me move, because I won't, lame.  So she had to stay in last night with Friolita.  Friolita has become fairly resigned to her fate after almost a week, but Lynn wasn't too impressed.  This morning she seemed a little better, & using Courtney's theory that as a flight animal unless it's really bad or broke, they are probably better off being able to do as they want, we let her out for the day.  She seems to be doing good this afternoon, so she'll probably get to go out tonight.  I think Friolita will have to stay in, so we can see if her treatment helped.  At least it will keep her from falling in another hole for awhile.  

END OF THE ROAD, NEW YORK CITY, 1902

One of the problems with being "out in the boonies" is getting a vet when you need one.  I have been trying since last Thursday to get a particular vet out here.  He does acupuncture & manipulation & has been out here before to work on some of our guys.  But it is off his usual path & so far he hasn't made it out here for poor little Friolita.  She acts like she's got something hung up in her hip or back, & even though we've been keeping her in a pen & giving her bute, she isn't getting any better.  Friday I was told he'd be out today, this morning I was told maybe tomorrow.  This afternoon, I was asked if we could haul her, I'm not sure we could even get her in a trailer.  I understand the amount of time coming out here eats up, but that's just the way it is.  It doesn't look like she is going to "fix" herself.

Yesterday I got a call from Bennie & Nina's Mom.  Bennie & Nina have been in their new home almost 4 years, along with Rosie a large standard donkey & Lucy a rather tiny mini mule.  Oh! & a couple of horse buddies too.  About 3 weeks ago the vet came out to do dental, etc.  Rosie is not the most cooperative girl in the world.  We tried to move her from her old home, to this home, years ago.  She took one look at the trailer coming on the property & promptly jumped the fence.  They had to get a couple of cowboys to rope her.later.  She's friendlier now, but on her terms.  She had no reaction to the sedative even after being given more.  When she finally laid down, when it was time to get up, she couldn't.  She finally got up around midnight, but couldn't walk & couldn't stay up.  She had beaten her knees & head till they were bloody, & over the next few days of being up & down ended up down in the mesquite bosque, a long way from the corrals.  After 2 weeks of her not moving out of the bosque area, the call was made for the vet & backhoe to come the next morning.  That morning when Mom went out, she was standing in her corral.  I often wonder if they have a mental path to our minds, especially when things like that happens.  

Donkeys have a problem with anesthetic that isn't always addressed, especially if a vet hasn't worked that much with donkeys.  They usually take more for their size than a horse would, but they also can have a problem with their lungs stopping if they are down for too long.  A friend that runs a sanctuary, lost a 6 year old jenny not long ago.  She had a lot of sarcoids on her head & face.  They put her on the ground & it took a lot longer than they planned, so rather than quit & work on them later, the vet gave her more anesthetic.  Her lungs stopped & they had no oxygen or any way to inflate them, so they lost her.  What a sad situation, to happen, & actually preventable.  I always wondered why my vet went into hyper mode when gelding a jack, I think I know now.

This is Lupe pushing Miguel away from us today at Mae's.  When we drove in we put Chico in the trailer as soon as we got there, & then went out look for Lupe & 5 day old Miguel.  Lupe was upset because we put Chico in the trailer I guess, she came in without Miguel, snorting & looking around.  When we went out looking for the baby, she kept snorting & looking off in the distance.  I went in the direction she was looking, but she had him hid the opposite direction.  John said when he got close to him, he was standing like a statue, until she came up to him & started making him move away from us.  Mae said the first day he was born, Lupe brought him in & let Mae mess with him, but since the 2nd day she has kept him out on the acreage & won't let Mae touch him at all.  

I don't know if she was worried that Chico might hurt the baby, even though Mae was keeping him separated or what.  We'll see, now that Chico isn't on the property anymore.  Mae said Lupe has kicked at Chico thru the fence, so who knows. 

Chico basically loaded himself for a peppermint, silly boy..........!!! (G)  He's really a good little guy, came out of the trailer here into his pen, & let me put a fly mask on him, which I think is probably a new experience for him.

Dr. Weaver is suppose to come out Monday to see if he can figure out what is wrong with Frijolita's rear leg.  While he's here I'll see if he thinks it's OK to go ahead & geld Chico, even though it's hot & of course flies to contend with.  If not, he will be here probably at least until October.   

Yesterday John & I went over to Susan's to help with getting Martin & Sandi's feet trimmed.  We got there early & the trimmer was right behind us.  WOW a trimmer that is early......!!! (G)  Susan wasn't there, so we went in, rounded the girls up & started trying to work with them.  Susan says she's been working with them, but if she is, not enough.  They aren't any easier to work with than they were a couple of weeks ago.  

 Ernie, bless his heart is a patient man.  He never lost his temper even though he was on the ground a time or two.  So was I, but I knew what I was getting in to, he didn't although I  did warn him.  Two & a half hours later, they were trimmed, & just about the time he got done a little monsoon shower came thru.  Sure felt good, we were all sweaty by that time.  

Ernie is even willing to come back for another go round.  His daughter wasn't available after all this time, but he says he will bring her next time.  I sure hope Susan will do some work with them, so it makes it easier.  

Wednesday night Frijolita came in with a gimpy hind leg & really jerking her hind legs with her stringhalt  problem.  She's been doing real good for quite sometime, but something has happened.  I poked & prodded her hip down to the foot & nothing seems sore or swollen.  She still isn't getting around very well, we have her in a pen & I'm giving her bute.  Dr. Weaver will try to get out Monday.  He does acupuncture & she acts like something isn't right in her hip.  But I don't know enough about lameness to really know what I'm doing, so I'll appreciate someone that knows what they are doing look at her.  

We are suppose to pick up Chico tomorrow, so we have a pen problem as usual.  We made a pen for Frijolita & Daisy to eat in, so Chico could have the "suite".  But Daisy started picking at Friolita, I guess she wants her to get moving, so Daisy is using the new pen, & Frijolita is back in the suite as of yesterday. We will move Friolita in with Jenny today.  They usually hang out together more so than Daisy & Frijolita,  anyway,  so that should work, & Chico can have the big pen.  It's like figuring out the sleeping arrangements when a bunch of relatives come to visit..........!!! (G)

MORE ON LADY MOE

Lady Moe

Lady Moe, a Tunisian donkey, was the mascot of the 96th Bombardment Group. She was found starving in an Algerian slum in August of 1943 by a B-17 crew taking part in the famous Regensburg-North Africa shuttle mission. She accompanied the crew back to England on August 24, 1943 on the return leg of the shuttle mission. On this return trip the crew bombed Bordeaux, France, making Lady Moe the only known jackass ever to fly on a combat mission.     She adapted well to her new home at Snetterton Heath. She participated in many patriotic events in England and served as the Army mule mascot at the Army-Navy football game at London's White City Stadium on November 12, 1944. She had stories written about her in newspapers and magazines all over the world.     On October 3, 1945, she wandered onto a railroad track near the airbase and was killed by a train. She was buried at the airbase in a simple ceremony. To those who served with her, she will always be remembered as the "Queen of the Heath". Photos of Lady Moe Just after her arrival in England At the 1944 Army-Navy game Selling war bonds On control tower watching the planes come in With co-pilot Tom Dempsey According to this information, the 2 Lady Moes that are  registered in the Donkey Registry for the U.S. wouldn't be  her, since she was killed in England.  Perhaps some of the  guys that knew her in England named their donkeys in her memory.

LUPE HAD HER BABY.......!!!

 CHICO, the big brother

Of course it's a boy, since we were all hoping for a girl........!!!!  Lupe was Paladin's girlfriend & he got in one last use of his "boy parts" before we rounded him up & brought him here from Dos Cebezas to be gelded & find a new home. 

We will go pick Chico up within the next 10 days & bring him here to stay until it cools off & we can have him gelded.  He is about a year old & could breed Lupe, which none of us want to happen.  

Mae called this morning all excited & thinks the new baby is the cutest thing she's ever seen.  She wanted me to name him.  I named Chico because she was calling him "the baby" & said she couldn't think of a name.  This time I gave her 5 choices, so she can choose the one she likes best.  I like Miguel & John likes Benito, but Pedro, Diego, & Pancho are also on the list.  

Chico will be going into a pen & unfortunately will have to stay there, until he's gelded.  The jennies turn into hussies when a new boy comes on the property, & this one is still armed & dangerous.....!! (G)  So that means Frijolita & Daisy are going to get ran out of their pen & will eat outside with Quilla, Lucy & Buster.  Actually being outside we can spread them out as far as necessary, to keep them from getting in each other's business. 

I need to have a jar of Swat permanently attached to my hand this time of year.  Every little scratch & scrape needs to be covered or the flies & gnats find it.  Actually they make it easy to  find, by ganging up on the spot.  

Sha'ba & I are still fighting the battle of the habronema larvae on his sheath, but we're not losing ground.  The vet gave me some Animax ointment, which use to be called panalog.  I wish they'd leave the names alone, my brain is full & doesn't need to learn anymore names.  But it is really helping with the inflammation & oozing serum.  That is what draws the flies that bring more larvae, since I've been using it, we are really making progress.  I'm hoping once I get the 6 open areas on his sheath cleared up maybe we can stay ahead of the game for the rest of the summer.  I have to keep Cisco "greased" up too, this is the first year he's not had sores on his sheath, so having to make sure he has zinc oxide on it, is a small price to pay.  

Saturday we had a nice couple come out to visit.  They have 4 donkeys of their own & 2 donkeys were found wandering close to their place.  Everyone thought it was 2 of theirs, but when that turned out not to be true, the couple said they'd take care of them until the owners were found.  No owners showed up so they were actually hoping we could take them.  Of course we are over our quota, BUT, I got an e-mail from them yesterday & a daddy with 2 little girls in the neighborhood, is going to give them a home.  YIPPEE!

Then yesterday a woman & her husband came out to visit with the donkeys.  She had called a few days ago, when a donkey wandered into her yard & wanted to know if we could take him.  Same story, we couldn't take him, but we gave her some ideas, put up signs at feed stores, etc.  A man that lives a few blocks away called & was very happy to find his missing donkey.  BUT, in the meantime Gabbie had fell in love with donkeys & now wants to get a couple of them.  She has rescue dogs & they both were just wonderful people, that will be a great home for a couple of lucky donkeys.  She's busy right now reading & trying to learn all she can before she gets donkeys.  What a novel idea...........so many people get the animal first & don't have a clue how to take care of them or how to work with them.  She'll be a great donkey Mom.

A HISTORY OF LADY MOE

LADY MOE & "FRIENDS"

 MILITARY INFO ON LADY MOE
(double click to view)

CONTINUING HISTORY OF LADY MOE by Pat Scanlan

I have Lady Moe #1 listed in the donkey tree. She was a bit tall for the miniature registry but was accepted as the SECOND donkey listed in the mini donkey registry, Registered 4/7/58.  Registered

number M1-A Born 2/18/43 in Africa, 38" tall, brown.  Adopted by the 338th Bomb Squadron

USAF.  Very probably the same donkey as in your picture.  This is the first picture I have seen of her.  Small world.

There is also a Lady Moe #2 born 11/11/54 in Pecos, Texas.  She was 41" black, 237 lbs.  She was also the mascot of the 338th Bomb Squadron USAF. Probably this squadron was stationed at Pecos after the war.  Her registration number is M1-H.  I wonder if they were related?

Pat Scanlan

former home of the donkey tree.

A data base of over 56,000 donkeys.

Ancestry, descendants, and much more.

BREAKFAST...........????

John came in this morning & said there was a snake eating a lizard in the dog pen.  Not a real good place to be, as Nicky thinks of himself as a great hunter.  John got a bucket & needless to say the snake was pretty easy to catch.  They are really venerable when they are eating, especially when their meal is about the same size as they are, & not built as streamlined.  

So where to put him?  There is a brush pile pretty close to where he was, but we don't know what's in it, so decided on the back yard.  We put him in a good place, went back about 10 minutes later & the lizard was gone, I didn't know they could swallow something that large that quick.  A few minutes later, we thought it might be OK to move him back to the brush pile.  So John got his bucket, went out to move the snake & it had already, coiled up under a large rock.  Later on in the day it was gone, so I guess they can move around even after such a big meal.  

Not sure what kind it was, John thought at first it might be a hog nose, but then decided it might be a young king snake, but we really don't know for sure. 

I found a trimmer that specializes in "problem" equines.  He doesn't use drugs or scotch hobbles or anything like that.  Said he can usually get the job done.  So we are all going to meet at Susan's next week, & give it a go........!!!  She said she's been working with Sandi in the pen, but Martin so far hasn't gone in for her.  I told her to work with them as much as she can between now & then.  Ernie is going to bring his daughter with him, she's learning to trim, so I guess he thinks this might be an educational experience..........!!!  (G)  I certainly hope not.  The girls are really pretty good, they haven't done anything dangerous or mean, they just don't know what is expected of them.  

It's really been hot the last few days, the donkeys come out of their pens in the morning & head for the shade of the trees.  They all have shelters in their pens, but they prefer the trees.  So this afternoon, BlackJack & Chester were play fighting in the driveway...............!! Rearing & biting & all that.  Good grief, I don't even want to go out there.  

Sha'ba & I are still fighting the good fight with the habronema on his sheath.  Just about the time I get a cluster of them cleaned out, another one pops up.  The problem is not being able to completely  keep the flies off of his skin, anywhere they land, if they drop some larvae & they stay there long enough to hatch, they start burrowing in looking for a stomach, which of course they don't find.  But they keep burrowing until they die I guess.  Just today I asked the vet if she had any miracle "fixes".  She listed all the usual treatments up to & including cutting out the cluster of larvae.  But unless you can control the flies landing on them, the problem will be back.  Very frustrating, & I feel sorry for poor little Sha'ba, he puts up with my "doctoring" & I know it's got to be very sore, since I work on it twice a day.

BELLA NEEDS A VERY SPECIAL HOME

I just heard about a little  miniature 6 month old jenny that is going to need a very special home with wonderful caring people.  She is blind & I don't know for sure but assume it is permanent.  I wish I was in a position to take her, but I'm not.  I don't know about one blind at such a young age, but equines that go blind later in life actually do quite well.  In fact there was a blind dressage horse that even the judges didn't know he was blind when he was performing.  

If anyone would like a lifetime project or knows of anyone that could give this little girl a chance at a good life, let me know. 

Friday we went to visit with Susan & the 2 jennies, Martin & Sandy.  Susan had the pen ready, & I brought all my toys, like, ropes, halters, whips, (no chains) & even a pig paddle, (sounds like a rattlesnake) & of course treats.  

I asked her which one was the "friskiest" & she said Sandy, so I figured might as well start with her.  But 1st John & I had to get them in the pen, when they have probably 1/2 acre or more to look at us & think to themselves, "I don't think so".  Of course it was early afternoon, so it was hotter than blue blazes.

At first it seemed like it was really going to be a challenge, but we moved slow & all of a sudden after a few false starts, they both went in the pen.  We ran Martin out, & it only took about half an hour of working with Sandy & I could scratch her, stick my fingers down her ears & put the halter on her nose, & take it off & on.  Let her out of the pen & she let me go up to her & scratch out in the large area & even let Susan do some scratching.  

Next was Martin.  She did real good too, they've just learned to be evasive, they never kicked, didn't try to run me down or anything like that, they were good girls.

 MARTIN & I DOING A LITTLE DANCE

Susan is going to work with them, hopefully she will be able to get them in the pen by herself.  Once they learn the routine it shouldn't be a problem, but until they do, they will try to give her the run around.  The primary objective is to get their long feet trim as soon as possible.  We talked about taking them to the vet again for a happy shot so they could be trimmed.  That would give some time to get them use to having to behave themselves, when people want them to. 

I found a man that advertises working with hard to trim equines & he is willing to come out & trim them now.  He said he usually can get the job done.  Wow!  I'm willing to give it a try.  Otherwise we will have to haul them out here, overnight, get the vet & trimmer in the same place at the same time, & then take them home.  This sounds much easier, even though we will of course be there for the trimming.  

I got a call yesterday about a donkey found in the desert.  The people don't have equines, so she's trying to find a place for him.  We are "SO" over our self imposed limit.......!!! SIGH!  I gave her a couple of leads & so far she hasn't called back, so hopefully it will work out without us having to get involved.  

Friday since we were in the neighborhood, we took some hay to Georgette for Remington.  She was going to show us how his training is going, but we got there while he was eating ,  he got grumpy & stood out in the field, probably glaring at us the whole time we were there.  He's become the neighborhood entertainment, quite a few people that walk their dogs or exercise, stop & "visit" with him, so he's getting a lot of interaction with different people.  Georgette said he really looks forward to the people stopping by, & enjoys some children that live across the road.  Of course he has no donkey friends right now, so people & dogs are just about it.