GOOD NEWS.............!!!!

It's about time we had some good news around here.  I went to the doctor yesterday, & the x-ray shows the crack is pretty well healed, just a little discoloration in the area.  The doctor said I don't need to wear the immobilizer or use the crutches, but I'm still using the crutches when I'm outside.  I doubt that he realizes, what my normal routine is.  He said something about I could go out of the house & walk around.  I've been doing that since day one........!!!  Now it will be just a little easier to "moto-gait".  

I asked him if I could drive a car & he said yes, so John's getting the race car ready.  Next race isn't until the 17th of Sept, so I've still got time to figure out how to get in the darn thing.  Too bad the doctor didn't know the right questions to ask, huh?  

A friend & I had planned on going to the Cottonfest at Miles, Texas the 10th of Sept, but it was on hold until I went to the doctor.  Miles is a town of about 900 people & this will be their 34th year for the event.  I've never been to Miles but the draw to get me there is one of the large holding areas for Peaceful Valley Donkey Rescue, is at Miles & they are having an Open House in conjunction with the festivities.  Georgette & I have already talked this morning & our plans are in full swing.  Should be a fun trip & maybe I can get some good Texas tamales.........!!!  Arizona likes to use beef & put green olives in their tamales, which to me is just plain weird.  I was raised on yummy pork tamales made with lard, & can't quite get use to the regional changes.  

On our way back home we plan on stopping at Lucy's Pasture in Deming, N.M.   From their website, they are a small sanctuary ran by a family & aren't that far away from us.  Maybe we can help each other, who knows.  It's always fun to see how other people do it, I always learn something when I visit other sanctuaries. 

Everyone seems to be doing pretty good.  Jenny is actually cooperating every morning when John takes her boots off & puts them back on.  Believe me when Jenny doesn't cooperate it makes life REALLY difficult.  I think she likes wearing her boots, she has a longer stride, so I'm sure her feet feel better.

I wish there was someway to keep Pepper from getting down to rest or dust bathe & rolling over on his right side.  Once he is on his right side there is no way he can get up, poor old guy.  Sunday Patti came out & brought a bale of timothy hay that another friend sent out for Mocha & Thelma.  Letha has gorgeous Morgans & obviously they get the "good" stuff.  They thought maybe the girls would enjoy the timothy, which is a whole lot better for them than alfalfa as they transition to bermuda.  It is a big hit, I just hope they don't expect it forever, I think it's shipped out of Colorado, so the cost of gas & hauling probably really makes it pricey.  

Anyway John & Patti were roaming around visiting with all the donkeys.  I came out & noticed Pepper was down in the dusting spot by the dog pen.  I yelled for them & they put ropes on his down side legs, rolled him over & he popped up like he was on springs, so he hadn't been down long enough to wear himself out.  But he was really sweaty from laying in the sun, so they hosed him off.  Not sure he appreciated the experience, but it did cool him off.  

John said he was going to figure out some way of keeping him from rolling on that side, but so far nothing practical has come to mind.  Pepper is still very lively, he goes out & roams around doing his thing, & enjoying being around the girls, it's a shame the body isn't in better shape.  I worry about him getting down when we aren't here & thrashing around for a long time. 

HOPEFULLY WE'VE TURNED A CORNER

 LOUISE, 

(I forgot I took a couple of pictures of her)

After sharing Louise's necropsy with friends that know a whole lot more than I do about a lot of things the consensus was, the other 2 girls were probably about as compromised as Louise had been.  

The problem is & believe me this is simplistic, otherwise I'd really be confused.  With fatty liver disease, if they quit taking in enough calories, the fat in the liver breaks off & gets in the blood stream.  They can end up with hyperlipidemia which is probably what Louise had.  It can be caused by stress, (left her home, got her feet trimmed, went from eating alfalfa & sweet feet to bermuda & beet pulp, etc)  And of course was about 10 months pregnant.  

The other 2 girls weren't eating very good either, so I was told that I had to get them to eat.................!!!!   Friday night John brought them some of the chicken's alfalfa, but they just picked at it.  So I spent a lot of yesterday on the internet e-mailing back & forth trying to figure out what they might eat.  Then John took me to the store to get just about everything anyone suggested, although I couldn't find Fenugreek.  John said I need to shop a little higher up the food  chain than Wal-Mart........!!!!  We also brought home a new cutting of alfalfa, needless to say John got that unloaded & hidden in the hay barn first thing when we got home, & before anyone figured out what was going on or he would have been mobbed.  

I have piled on my kitchen table, assorted jellos, such as strawberry, lime, orange, cherry.  Apple juice to spritz their hay if necessary.  Applesauce if the juice doesn't work.  Cheerios, & peppermint & banana extract to use for "spritzing".  Baby foods such as carrots, &  peas.  So far I tried orange jello powder sprinkled on pellets.  Mocha said, NO.........Thelma seemed to think it was pretty good. 

I got a little over 4 pounds of pellets down them yesterday & this morning they ate pellets pretty good.  But the bermuda hay from yesterday was still there this morning.  John took it up to the hay barn, mixed it 50-50 with some alfalfa & the last I saw of them, they were plowing thru it, looking for...............the alfalfa of course.  So hopefully we won't have to use all the exotic "flavors" to entice them to eat.  If they do have fatty liver disease and/or hyperlipidemia or both, it is absolutely vital that they eat & keep their systems operating thru-out. 

One suggestion that was really neat was to make a tea from alfalfa, put it in a spray bottle & spray the bermuda with the alfalfa tea.  I might try that this afternoon just to see if it works.  What a great idea, they wouldn't be getting much alfalfa that way.  

Old Pepper is managing to either get up or stay on his feet the last few days, John hasn't had to get him up anyway.  He's still got 3 nasty "bed" sores on his hip where he was down for quite awhile the last time.  But the ears are up & he is still upset that Burroland isn't open. 

Everyone else is doing good.  Jenny walks so much better in her boots, I've about decided she's just going to wear them all the time, rather than try to work her out of them & back to barefoot.  It isn't worth the effort, if she's comfortable wearing them.  The only real problem is, we have to keep a close eye on her to make sure the boots made for horses, don't make her coronets sore. 

Saw our first rattlesnake yesterday.  He was on the back porch & the outdoor cats showed John where he was.  This morning I looked out the bedroom window & saw Selena half rear, spin & move about 15 feet, stop come back & start using her nose to figure out what was making all that noise.............!!!!  YIKES, I started screaming for John, he was having breakfast.  The snake was still rattling like crazy & Selena is still acting like she's going to put her nose on it, or at least close enough that I could envision another rattlesnake bite.  By the time John got out there, the snake had decided he'd had enough & had crawled into a convenient Rabbit Bush.  There is everything in that bush, including rabbits, it's about 20 feet across.  Of course when Selena saw John she went to him, in case he had a treat, so that got her away from the area.  WHEW!  sure don't want no more rattlesnake bites.  Everyone says to kill them, but our theory is, if you know where your snakes are, you're better off than having new snakes coming in & surprising you when you least expect it.  Wish we could explain that to the donkeys. 

Louise's Necropsy

 HIESTAND, LETISHA Fax:
360 E ROCKSPRINGS RD Accession Date: 08/22/11
BENSON, AZ
Case: 11-4137 Species: Burro, Ass, Donkey
Animal ID: LOUISE Breed: Burro, Ass, Donkey
Owner: HIESTAND Age: 6 Years
Necropsy
Page 1 of 3

Received is the cadaver of a 6 years old female donkey. History includes heavy breathing, went down, gums
white, temp. 102.2, breath very nasty smelling (stomach smell, not bad tooth). Got up and walked in small
circles, went down, front legs stiffened, rear legs spasmed. Convulsed and died, all in about one hour.
Gross Necropsy Findings:
EXTERNAL FINDINGS: The animal has the typical body conformation and hair coloration of the breed. The
hair coat is clean and in good condition. There are no abnormal discharges from any of the body orifices.
INTERNAL FINDINGS:
General: There is ample fat in the subcutaneous and abdominal regions. Mild to moderate icterus is present. The
peritoneal cavity contains a small amount of bloody, cloudy fluid.
Respiratory System: The trachea and large bronchi are clear. The ventral zone of the lungs have a pattern of
small depressed foci interwoven with inflated lung parenchyma, accompanied by mottled light and dark red
coloration. There are no areas of definitive consolidation. Bronchial and mediastinal lymph nodes are normal.
Digestive System: The mouth and esophagus are empty and the mucosa is normal. The stomach is filled with
green forage. The small intestine is empty. The colon and cecum are approximately half filled with normal
ingesta. The rectum contains a few normal fecal balls. The mucosa of the gastrointestinal tract is normal
throughout. There are several patches of ecchymotic hemorrhage on the serosal surface of the small intestine
with extension to the mesentery. Several small ecchymotic hemorrhagic areas are present on the serosal surface
of the colon. The mesenteric lymph nodes, and pancreas are normal. The liver is uniformly pale yellow-brown,
fatty, extremely friable, and appears to be moderately enlarged. There is a large area of necrosis of the fat of the
mesenteric root, extending prominently into the perirenal fat of the left kidney and to a mild degree into the right
perirenal fat.
Cardiovascular System: The myocardium, chambers, and valves of the heart are normal. The associated large
veins and arteries are normal.
Urogenital System: The kidneys are unusually pale. The urinary bladder is half full with clear normal urine. The
uterus is gravid with a well developed fetus that has a full hair coat and appears to be completely developed and
in the last month of gestation. There is a small amount of milk in the mammary glands.
Lymphatic System: The spleen is congested and enlarged. There is ample fat in the suspensory ligament of the
spleen and most of it is necrotic. The thymus is not identified
Endocrine System: The thyroids, adrenals and pituitary gland are normal.
Nervous System: The meningeal vasculature of the brain is very congested by the brain appears normal. The
large femoral and brachial nerves
are normal.
Musculoskeletal System: The musculature is normal. The bones and proximal joints of the limbs are normal.
Histopathology:
Liver: There is extreme fatty degeneration characterized by the presence of fat vacuoles in the cytoplasm in most
of the hepatocytes.
Fat tissue from mesenteric root and left perirenal regions: There are extensive, coalescing foci of necrosis in all
the sections.
Kidney: There is marked fatty degeneration of tubular epithelial cells.
Brain, Heart, Lung, Spleen, Small Intestine: There is postmortem autolysis with many saprophytic bacteria
present in these tissues. However, there are no visible lesions in any of the sections.
Diagnosis and Comments:
Hepatic lipidosis. This condition, more commonly known as fatty liver syndrome, is one of the more common
liver diseases in donkeys. It is a metabolic disease and is usually associated with stress or nutritional problems.
This jenny was pregnant with a fetus that was near full term. Pregnancy is an acknowledged factor that can lead
to hepatic lipidosis. The current hot, humid weather was undoubtedly another stress factor. Nutritional factors
can also contribute to this condition. A check of the diet as related to the condition of the animals is indicated.
Fatty liver syndrome is a rather common problem in dairy cattle that are overfed and overweight.
Reported on: 08/26/11
Jack A. Schmitz, DVM PhD
Diplomate, ACVP
Bacteriology
Culture, Aerobic Verified on: 08/25/11
Animal ID Specimen Isolate
LOUISE Tissue, Fresh Liver 4 + Escherichia coli
LOUISE Tissue, Fresh Liver 4 + Staphylococcus aureus
LOUISE Tissue, Fresh Lung 4 + Escherichia coli
LOUISE Tissue, Fresh Lung 4 + Staphylococcus aureus
LOUISE Tissue, Fresh Spleen 4 + Escherichia coli
LOUISE Tissue, Fresh Spleen 4 + Staphylococcus aureus
FAT Tissue, Fresh 4 + Escherichia coli
FAT Tissue, Fresh 4 + Staphylococcus aureus
LOUISE Swab, Abscess 4 + Escherichia coli
LOUISE Swab, Abscess 4 + Staphylococcus aureus
Page 2 of 3
Case: 11-4137 - HIESTAND, LOUISE
END OF REPORT
Page 3 of 3
Case: 11-4137 - HIESTAND, LOUISE 

 * If you have donkeys DO NOT feed them alfalfa & sweet feed, unless you want their insides to look like this at the age of 6 years. 

NOW JOHN KNOWS WHAT I DO.........!!!!

 Carol Grigg - Mule in Bath

I think he might have thought I was sitting around eating bon-bons or something.  He's getting baptism under fire now..........well except for the medical, trying to figure out what would be best to do, part.  I'm still getting to do that.  When Lisa comes over she & I do the doctoring, but she wasn't here this morning, so John got to be the medic.  Number one, he isn't the medic type, he doesn't like all that icky stuff & when it comes to bandaging something...........well let's just say it's very frustrating to watch...........!!!! (G)  I keep telling myself he's doing a much better job than I would if I was doing electrical or plumbing or changing a fuel pump.  Hopefully I'll get good news Monday & this little bump in the road will be just a memory & we can get back to normal, whatever that is.  

It was a little easier to round them up this morning because they were on the 10 acres, but of course there are always a few hold outs, to keep the game interesting for us & for them.   Especially them, for the most part we just find it irritating.  

We're taking Jenny's boots off every morning & making sure they aren't rubbing too much on her coronets.  The major problem is I don't think any company makes boots specifically for donkeys.  So as usual we're trying to use a horse product for a donkey.  Donkey feet are not horse feet & hers are deformed from years of chronic laminitis & neglect.

Courtney said she has left them on more than one day at a time up to 5 days & had no problems...........on horses.  But Jenny needs more supervision than that, so every morning we take her boots off, & check her over.  It wouldn't be so bad except she has a sense of humor, at least I guess that's what it is.  If you try to pick up her foot she will lift the other one off the ground & just stand there.  She's always done it, so I can only assume she gets a thrill by being in charge.  

Sure will be glad when fly season is over.  Saw an ad on TV yesterday, from Spalding Labs & they said the leg biting flies are stable flies.  They were saying that in order to control flies you have to use the right methods.  Guess I need to read up on stable flies to see if fly predators & fly traps will get them.  The fly traps are keeping busy, we have 8 bags hanging away from the pens, & when you walk in the area you can hear them "partying" like there's no tomorrow. Guess for them there isn't, good riddance.

BURROLAND IS CLOSED FOR BUSINESS...........!!

As of this morning Burroland is officially closed until the monsoon & mesquite bean season is over. 

Last night John asked if I had felt the minis crest's lately.  No, I spend most of my time trying to keep my balance on crutches, if I can't find some place to sit down.  Besides I've been pretty careful about getting real close to even the ones that don't spook.  I don't want to mess up my doctor's appointment next Monday.

I guess they are getting pretty big & hard.  I would imagine the others are about the same, at least the sugar/starch dependent ones...............soooooo.......... the party is over.........!!!!!!  When John let them out this morning, they all marched over to the gate & just stood there, waiting for him to come to his senses, I guess.  

It won't take them long to glean the 10 acres, although a lot of the mesquite are blooming again, so we'll probably have a late crop of beans for them to enjoy.

This afternoon John is going to open the 2 outside gates to Burroland, so the cows can go in.  He will also put out some loose salt, especially at the gates to encourage the cows to go where they aren't use to going.  It usually takes them a few days to find the open gates, but after that it doesn't take them long to clean up the beans.  

The University called again yesterday to tell me the fetus had hair & Louise had milk in her mammeries.  I had no idea what that meant, so got on the internet donkey group I belong to.  The concensus was the foal was at least 10 months, & probably Louise was within a month of delivering.  

So I have dug out a foaling book someone gave me that I never thought I'd use & will try to get myself prepared.  I would assume the other 2 probably got PG about the same time, although neither of them look PG, but neither did Louise.  

I know it would be better to have 2 little babies so they could grow up together, but Mocha is only a little over 2 years old herself, so I really hope she isn't PG.  John is already in a panic, not sure he will be much help.  I know they have babies all the time, but we certainly don't want anything to go wrong if we can help it. 

 DONKEYS FOR RENT - ITALY

This morning when John went out to find everyone, he found Pepper down on his right side again.  Had been there awhile, trying to get up.  This is about the 5th time he's needed help to get up since I broke my leg. John & our neighbor Vic rolled him over on his good side, & after he rested about 10 minutes up he popped & was headed for Burroland.  It took both John & Vic to stop him & John said he wasn't about to give up without a fight.  It's hard to watch him, his mind & determination is still good, but his body isn't.  At least once he's up he actually moves around pretty good, he just can't lay down on that right hip.  The knee on that side isn't any good either.  

They got Louise loaded yesterday & we headed for the University Diagnostic Lab, got there about 3pm, which was too late for them to start, so they put her in a cooler until this morning.  We were pretty sure the 3 girls were pregnant, because Beau is 26 months old & has had plenty of time to figure out what he was put on the earth to do. They were letting me know that there would be an extra charge, she weighed over 500 pounds because of a fetus.  The charges for necropsy goes by size, & we paid for the 200-500 pound size. Guess there isn't any leeway in their rules. They will let me know the age of the fetus, I would imagine the girls all got pregnant about the same time, so that will give us an idea of when they are due.  All she would tell me was that Louise had other problems.  Originally they said if would take about a week to get the results, so we'll get a report of what they found eventually.

Everyone else seem to be fine, although they are bound & determined to not come in to be fed.  I don't blame them, there's all sorts of goodies out there growing.  But they could at least be polite enough to pretend they want to come in because we want them to.  Not only do they not come, some of them have started taking off when they see John headed their way.  That does not make him happy..........!!!   It takes a long time to do chores when they don't cooperate.  It would be easier to just not feed them, but unfortunately some of them do show up, or wander in & expect their routine to be followed.   

I will find out if it's surgery or therapy next Monday.  I think everyone is hoping for therapy, even that will take awhile for me to get back in the groove, but it would be a lot better than surgery.  At least I could start transitioning back into helping. 

LOUISE RIP.......!!!!!

A horrible morning........Louise hadn't been acting right for a couple of days, but we just thought it was her feet.  Because her feet were so bad, it's been hard for her to walk, but she was going out of the pen & moving around, which is a good thing.

Yesterday John saw her hanging her head over the water a couple of times, not drinking, but he didn't really think that much about it.

This morning when he went out he noticed she was breathing heavy when he put her in the pen.  Lisa that's been helping with chores said her breath was absolutely horrible & her gums were white.  She had a little temperature, & when I called the vet she said she'd be here in about an hour.  

Louise went down, Lisa & John got her back up & she started walking in small circles.  When she went down again, I sent John up to get a bale of hay to help keep her up on her chest rather than laying out flat.  By the time he got back with the hay, she was have convulsions, legs stiff.  By the time I went to the house to call the vet again, & was headed out of the door, John met me to tell me she was dead.  Called the vet to have her come out anyway, in case she had some idea of what happened.  My first thought was noxious weed of some kind, but like the vet said, these donkeys are well fed, we've had donkeys on the acreage for years, so we really don't know.  The vet noticed the horrible smell & when she reached in Louise's mouth she found rotten stuff of some kind, not from her teeth, probably from her digestive system.  The vet couldn't draw blood, it had been too long & suggested if we really wanted to hopefully find out what happened, that we could have a necropsy done at the UofA in Tucson.  I really want to know what happened, so John & Vic our neighbor are working at loading her in the stock trailer.  

When I called the University the woman I walked to said to keep her on ice..............!!!  I know it would be much better to have her on ice, but they'll just have to work with her as is.  We were going to haul her on the flat trailer covered with a tarp, but decided she wouldn't get as hot if she was in the stock trailer uncovered.  

She was Mocha's mom, only 6 years old, & we had high hopes that her feet would get straightened out & she would have a good life, hopefully in a Forever Home of her own.  I really hate to lose them & this makes 3 this year, too many. 

I didn't even get a decent picture of her, didn't know there would be any hurry.  But we won't forget her. 

DESPERATE SITUATION

This is a long shot, but stranger things have happened & this old boy needs a home.  A man got in touch with me awhile back, said he had been foreclosed on & needed a home for his 30+ mule that eats mush, can't eat hay.  The man is running out the clock on his home, hoping for a place for his old friend.

I've tried to come up with something, a friend has gotten in touch with 8 individuals & 3 rescues & there's no place for this mule.  One of the rescues said to just euthanize him.  Not exactly the type of help one would hope for from a rescue right off the bat.  

If I wasn't crippin' around on a broken leg I might try to talk John into adding just one more to the mix, I know Rusty & Jack wouldn't mind.  But that would be a lot of ask of John especially when we don't know if my leg will have to be operated on or not.  

So if anyone in the area might like to give an old gentleman a retirement home, please let me know.  He wouldn't take much, just some mush & a little attention.

Thelma, Louise & Mocha have really caught on to this, going in the pen routine twice a day.  They go in better than some of the old timers..........like Jenny for instance.  This morning most of them were over in Burroland, & eventually it got down to Cisco, Pepper & Jenny.  Lisa hauled Cisco back by halter & lead, & John got the pleasure of escorting Pepper.  John said they have to go the way Pepper wants to go thru the brush.  If there are 2 or 3 paths they can take, John says he finds out real quick, if he's trying to take the "wrong" one.  And with Pepper it's much easier to just "go along to get along" with him & do it his way.  

Jenny is still over there, in fact Lisa took the zinc oxide over there to doctor her "in the field" so to speak.  They tried everything to get her to come over here, but there are just too many mesquite beans ripe & ready to fall, for her to leave them.  

Selena & Falena are about the 1st ones to greet John when he goes out in the morning.  Then they walk around with him as he gets organized.  But they are very judgemental when it comes to wasting their valuable time.  If they don't think things are moving along at an acceptable pace, they take off & go back to Burroland, which is what they did this morning, just about the time we were ready to feed.  They move faster than any of the other donkeys, I told John I think they've been on a lot of acreage, they don't move like they've been in a pen that's for sure. 

1.1 inches of rain, sure seemed like a lot more than that as hard as it was coming down. 

When John went out to let the ones that had come in for supper, none of the hold outs had come over.  This morning looked like it was going to be a repeat performance, so John had to go over to Burroland & get them to come over.  Most of them eventually wandered over.  Thelma, Louise & Mocha were already over here, & Louise's feet are really bothering her.  John told her she shouldn't wander so far off from her pen.  Actually yesterday she stayed in the pen all day, although the other two went off exploring. 

The wash ran last night & it looks like we might get some more rain today, so Burroland is closed for the day.  Cisco & Justin tried to come across after we had fed, but of course wouldn't put their little toes in running water, & later on they had disappeared into the brush of Burroland with the rest of the hold outs. 

Had to take Jenny's boots off this morning.  All the rain & moisture has made both her coronets under the boots soggy.  Hopefully the ground is soft enough that she won't get too ouchy going barefoot for a couple of days.  She's the only one in boots right now. 

GULLY WASHER

For over an hour at feeding time, starting as John went over to Burroland to encourage the brats to come over here for supper.  He said he found them, & when he aimed for Cisco with a halter & lead, Cisco took off running & when he ran thru the middle of the herd they all took off.  John said it was amazing considering their usual speed is pretty much below "slow".  Of course they didn't waste all that energy on coming over here, they just scattered all over Burroland.  About that time it really started to rain, so we decided to feed what we had & to heck with the rest.  

Fed 12, which actually wasn't too bad.  Of course it didn't take long for the wash to start running & about that time John saw 2 trying to figure out how to get over here across the wash without getting their feet wet.  I told them they should have started sooner.  

I told John if they do show up tonight when he goes out to let the "well behaved" ones out of their pens, he can spread a line of hay down between the pens, & they can have a picnic.  Of course if the wash doesn't go down, it won't be a problem.  

Won't know how much rain we actually got until John checks the rain gauge in the morning.  Feels like a couple of inches to me, but we'll see. 

The girls weren't too bad to get in last night.  By the time I got outside Louise  was standing by the outside bunk about 15 feet from their gate.  Mocha & Thelma showed up pretty quick & they actually followed John into the pen.  Well after Mocha took a left turn into Frijolita's pen to look around.  Louise wasn't interested in moving, I would imagine after a day of roaming around her feet were probably really sore.  Must have been she actually stood for John to put a halter on her, & she went with him without too much trouble.  

Mocha is really moving good considering how nasty her feet looked.  She's hardly knuckling over at all & seems comfortable.  They've been all over the 10 acres, & we let them out again overnight.  Haven't been out yet this morning to see what's happening, although John did say Louise is out by the well house.  If everyone is OK this morning I guess we'll let them out today when Burroland is open.  Hope they have enough sense, especially Louise to not go too far.  

Last night when John went out to round up he found Pepper down in a dusting spot, not able to get up.  He seems determined to lay down on his right side, which has an old cracked hip & a blown front knee on that side.  And once he's down on that side, enjoying his dusting & "nap", when he gets ready to get up, he doesn't have enough "oomph" to get his feet under him.  Then he flops & thrashes around until he wears himself out.  

John got a couple of ropes to put on his bottom legs to flip him over to his good side, but said he kept spinning around.  Michelle was here cleaning house, so she went out to help.  John said when they got him up he was so wore out they didn't know if he was going to stay up or not.  Of course now he has a "reputation" for breaking legs, so they have to make sure if he does go down he doesn't take them with him.  John said they just stood beside him until he stopped teetering & could follow John.  Poor old guy, the mind is certainly willing, but the old body just can't keep up. 

NOW HE'S DONE IT...............!!!

Since BlackJack was the 1st donkey we ever got he has pretty much ran this organization since day one.  He's usually got his big nose in anything going on, & enjoys his primary status like royalty. 

 

Last night he pulled a stunt that really has John's "knickers in a wad"..............!!! For the last couple of weeks, round up for feeding has not gone well.  There is too much good stuff out there for them to get excited about coming in to get stuck in a pen to eat old dry hay.  It's bad enough on the 10 acres, but add Burroland to it, & if they don't want to come in it's probably not going to happen.

We went to Tucson yesterday & got home just in time to hit the ground running.  Well I'm not running with a broken leg & crutches, but John did.  Low & behold a lot of them were on this side, & most of the others came over from Burroland to see what was happening.  Usually when they come over the first thing they do is get a drink, no water in Burroland.  John was busy putting them in their pens & noticed BlackJack was getting a drink.  John went ahead putting some of the others in, turned around & BlackJack had finished his drink & was headed back for................Burroland.......!!!!  Needless to say, John was "miffed".  Didn't see him again, so today NO ONE IS GOING TO BURROLAND.......... and they can blame BJ, that is if he bothers to come over this morning........!!!!!  

Well actually it's going to work out pretty good because we're going to let the 3 girls with the trimmed feet out today.  Louise isn't laying down as much as she was & Thelma has learned how to open the gates, so I guess they are ready to do some exploring.  When we first let them out we like to keep them on the 10 acres, just in case going back in the pen, is a problem for them.  Hope not, because I sure wouldn't be much help for round-up.  The 1st time we let Tula out years ago, it took the 2 of us about 2 hours to get the point across to her that she was going back in that pen because, even though she could out run us, we would still be trailing her until she did.  

Our helpers are coming every morning which really makes a difference.  Yesterday I had Lisa help me put boots on Jenny.  She's been ouchy since her trim, but we couldn't put boots on her until her coronet healed from her boots being on too long last week.  John didn't know you can't leave them on without checking them, & I didn't think to tell him.  I just assumed that he would check them like I do, & I guess he assumed I would tell him what to do.  We padded the coronet area, so she should be OK.  She walks much better with boots on. 

CRISIS DU JOUR...............!!!!

 

 Our helpers got across the San Pedro this morning, & the donkeys were on the 10 acres, so the morning was going really well..............except they couldn't find Cheyenne, the smallest mini.  We went ahead & fed & started looking for her again.  It was strange, she didn't bray & of course the others weren't paying any attention to anything except what personally pertained to them, like "where's my stuff".  

Lisa & John went out after everyone was fed, & searched the 10 acres & didn't find her.  By now we're really starting to get worried, that she might be down behind a bush, & she is so small unless you were on the side she was you might miss her.  

John walked the perimeter & didn't see any "escape" prints.  Now we're REALLY starting to worry.  John went out to let everyone out when they finished eating, & they headed straight for the closed Burroland gate.  John went with them, & saw something flopping around in one of their many many dusting holes.....................GUESS WHO?  We have no idea how she managed to get over on Burroland but there she was, happy as a clam.   GRRRRRRRRR.......!!!!  When John gets a chance he's going to check the fence between this side & Burroland to see if he can figure out how she got over there.  We didn't get in from the races last night until after 2am & John went out at 7:30, so she didn't have a lot of time to "do her thing".  BRAT.......!!!!

We have to get one of the spa room screens fixed.  A donkey nose trying to play with cats inside house, destroys screens.  The screen didn't tear, the whole frame came apart.  We had all the screens fixed this year with metal screening, rather than the flimsy mesh, the cats went thru that stuff like hot butter.  So we were pleased to see the screen hold up.  Of course I would imagine it costs more to fix the frame than to re-screen it............!!!!  SIGH!

WHEW! GLAD THAT'S OVER.............!!!

Tyler trimmed the 4 new ones & Courtney trimmed either 2 or 4 feet on 8 others, so all in all it was a busy day.  Well for everyone but me, I just set on the golf cart & watched.

 

This is what Tyler was facing.......!!!!

 

The fun begins........of course the first chain of events was getting halters on them for the 2nd time in their lives.  Even in a small pen that was a lot of fun for those involved.

Don't have anything to compare this piece of hoof, so you can tell how long it is, but it's long.  Just imagine hauling it & 3 others around wherever you tried to walk, for years........!!!!

This is Mocha with her club foot & 3 knuckled over.  Once she was trimmed I swear she looked straighter, certainly not perfect, but doesn't seem to be doing so much knuckling over.  I didn't get an after picture of any of them unfortunately.  Tyler wanted to trim her & then check her in 6 weeks.  She's 26 months old, & he's hoping that she's young & resilient enough to strengthen those tendons on her own.  If not he might try  shoes like he put on Falena.  Falena came waltzing by during the pedicures & he thought she was walking pretty good.

I didn't get pictures of Louise's trim for some reason.  She had a bunch of pebbles caught in the false sole, no wonder she was walking so crippled.  They are all a little slow & crippled this morning, which is normal for this type of trimming.  It's like wearing a pair of shoes that runs up in the front for years, & all of a sudden taking them off.  Your ligaments & tendons would rebel, & so do theirs.

This was Beau's turn.  His feet were long but not as much as the girls.  Tyler might know of a good home for him with another "guy" donkey.  But first it has to cool off so we can have him gelded.  Even if someone wanted to take him as a jack & told us they would have him gelded, we wouldn't do it.  We want to make sure he isn't capable of adding to the over population of donkeys out there that need good homes. 

 

On the other side of the pens, Courtney was doing her thing.

Went from the tall...............

to the small............!!!!  Don't know how her back holds up..............!!!!!

This morning our helpers made it across the San Pedro by wading, that's what I like devoted & dedicated workers..........!!!! Ha!  Good thing they were here, the only donkeys we had were the ones in pens, the others were on Burroland & not the least bit interested in coming over here for hay.  

When Lisa & John found Pepper & he was choked.  A vet will tell you they usually only choke on pellets or something like that.  I've given up on feeding pellets, & Pepper the old buzzard had been over on Burroland eating "weeds & seeds", no pellets, but he managed to choke.  

Got him back & gave him a shot of banamine.  The usual drill is give shot wait 45 minutes & call the vet if they don't clear.  They were trying to get him into his pen, & all of a sudden he barked & a big blob of thick saliva hit the ground.  Didn't have much in it, just a little green tint.  But by the time they managed to get him to his pen, he was ready for breakfast.  I swear he is going to drive me crazy before it's over.  And it would be such a short drive, certainly wouldn't need a full tank of gas..........!!!!!  Ha!  Of course we'd do whatever necessary to keep him going, our world would certainly be less interesting without him in it.  But at over 35 we know it's only a matter of time.  He doesn't know that, he's still trying to chase the girls, when he can get one to stand still.......!!!  Which isn't often thank goodness, not sure his heart could stand it.......!!!! Ha!

They managed to entice, drag, push & in general "capture" the whole group, except for Jenny, BlackJack, Frijolita & Quilla.  So John closed the gate, which means no water.

The help picked up poo, filled water buckets, probably hadn't been gone 15 minutes & John came in & said Mocha had gotten cast under the corral panels around their pen.  These girls aren't use to being in a pen & I guess she laid down too close to the edge. 

Since then every once in awhile, John hears a mournful bray from the gate, goes over & lets whoever has decided to come home in.  To me it would save steps to just leave the gate open, but he doesn't want the ones on this side, going back over there, since we're going to the races tonight.  We tried to get a wheelchair, but in Benson it isn't easy.  John is loading up the golf cart again this week, so I can putt around in the pits.  I am really tired of dragging this leg around, & REALLY REALLY hope when I go to the doctor he says, I've been a good girl, & won't have to have surgery, just therapy.  I'm still trying to figure out how good I have to be..........!!!!

BUSY DAY TODAY...........!!!!

This morning our helpers couldn't get across the San Pedro River, it was running about 3 feet deep.  We didn't get any rain yesterday but obviously someone south of us did.  So John & I "got it done".............!!!  Well he's still got to pick up poo, but everything else is done.  

Tyler & Shawn are coming early this afternoon to trim Beau, Mocha, Thelma & Louise.  He's pretty good on handling the more difficult ones & has trimmed long feet for me before.  I'm sure Tyler will want to check Falena's shoe he put on her a couple of weeks ago.  Most of the time she walks with the foot flat on the ground, but about 25% of the time she walks with it turned under or stands with it turned.  We'll see what he has to say, it might take awhile to retrain the tendons, I just don't know. 

Courtney & Dorothy will probably be here later, to trim bad feet, ie, Jenny, Pepper & a couple of others.  If they all get here at the same time, John's going to be a busy boy, rounding up victims.......!!!! LOL

THE TROOPS HAVE ARRIVED..........!!!!

I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THIS MEANS...!!!!

Well maybe not the troops but a couple of our neighbors are going to take turns helping us feed & pick up poo in the mornings.  That will sure make it easier on poor John. 

When I went out this morning, they were here talking to John.  No one ever tells me anything, sure was glad to see them though.  Then John told me the donkeys had gotten into the hay barn.  That is a first, either they've figured out how to open the gate or John forgot to latch it last night.  Which ever happened, there were 7 of them in there including Jenny who isn't exactly "dainty", & they had managed to get the hay cart across the gate, so "no one was going anywhere" until someone came to let them out.  John said they had strung hay buckets everywhere, & the bale he had just opened last night was strung from one end to the other.  Of course BlackJack was in there, he's always where the action is. 

It's interesting that at a different time I would have been upset, for some reason I thought it was funny.  Guess not having to clean up the mess has something to do with it......!!! Ha!  

The neighbors helped John get Beau in the panel squeeze, so John could trade his regular mask for a crusader mask.  The flies are really bothering him, & he has a snotty nose, so I started him on antibiotics tonight.  He's actually getting pretty friendly, John let him in the 6 pens today, & he spent quite awhile running up & down from one end to the other.
 

The 3 girls spend a lot of time laying down & Louise spends a lot of time standing in the founder stance, with her rear feet under her to take the weight off her front feet.  I'm hoping when they get trimmed Friday, that they will be a lot more comfortable. 

It took John about an hour to get everyone "captured" tonight.  Even then Falena & Selena went over to Burroland with John when he went to find the missing culprits & didn't come back.  BlackJack didn't come over until everyone had been fed.  John's still talking about opening Burroland up for the range cattle, he says there are tracks down by the gate.  Guess it just depends on how PO'ed he gets at them wandering in or not, depending on their mood.......!!!

Only fed 8 this morning & 5 of those were in pens overnight.  John went over to Burroland took medications with him, made sure Pepper was up & OK, doctored who needed to be doctored & came back over here to feed the few we had.  It just isn't worth the effort it takes for him to get them all rounded up & in their pens.  Obviously they are finding plenty to eat. 

Wonder what tonight will be like?  Selena & Falena like to cruise thru 2 or 3 times, never staying, just seeing if anything interesting is being offered I guess.  

Sure will be glad when the green season is over & we can get back to what passes for normal around here........!!!! LOL

When John picked up poo this morning he found little red wigglers in Beau's poo..... UGH!  It's been about 10 years since we've actually seen worms after worming, that was when Punkin came in with her momma Lucy.  She had a heavy load of worms.  John said he couldn't tell in the 3 girl's pen because they have pretty much walked everything in.  We'll give them a month or so, & worm them again.  

ROUND UP WENT WELL..........!!!!

Everything went very well, considering how much could have gone wrong.......!!!! LOL  There was 8 people, & one horse, which we didn't need thank goodness.

Ann brought fourteen 12 foot panels, wanted to make sure we had enough if we needed them.  I think they actually used about 7 of them, here is some of the people setting up panels, while some of the others went down on the property to "introduce" themselves to the herd.  

They actually were pretty good to "herd", weren't very spooky & walked along in front of their new "friends", until they got pretty close to the trailer.  This is about when they came to a screeching halt to look at the thing.........!!!  The 2 younger ones were born on the property & probably didn't even know there was a world out there, so it was all new to them.  

 

 The 3 girls went into the corral pretty quickly.  Getting them into the trailer took a little bit longer.  They were scared & their feet are long & it's been a long time since they were even in a trailer, & in Mocha's case never.  

Lots of feet in a small area, they never offered to kick or anything, they were just a little confused on what we wanted them to do.  A little pushing, shoving & pulling & they were all in. 

Beau had been keeping his distance & watching what was going on without getting too close.  Now it was his turn.  

He went in pretty good & we all breathed a sigh of relief, didn't even have to use the horse because they never tried to run or get away from us.  

Congratulations & thank you around, loaded up all our "toys" & everyone headed home.  We got home & John backed up to Beau's pen to let him out.  

But first he had to be gawked at & checked out............!!!!!

When it came time to get out..........................nope.........not going.  Didn't want to come in, don't want to go out.  John finally had to put a lead on him & use the corral panel to drag him towards the back of the trailer.  He finally got the idea & hopped out.  

Thelma & Louise, (they came with their names) stumbled out as best they could with their feet, but Mocha of course had never been in a trailer before, & like Beau, decided she wasn't going out.  Finally watching the moms outside was too much & she stumbled out too.  

John had put the others in pens so he could back up the truck without running over someone.  They've never figured out that vehicles could be dangerous.  So the new ones were surrounded by nosy neighbors, that checked them out real good.  

This is what Thelma's feet are like.  Louise's are more round like a pancake, rather than growing out in front.  Either way makes it difficult for them to walk.  They have an appointment with the trimmer Friday.  

So far Mocha seems to be the most curious.  The moms are fairly friendly, like to be scratched.  Beau seems to be sure we are up to something.  This morning John tried to spray him with fly spray.  Not going to get a chance to do that again for awhile I guess............!!!!! To say Beau was unimpressed with being sprayed is an understatement. 

John opened Burroland today & tonight 7 didn't come in at all.  There is so much green stuff everywhere right now that they are trying to eat it all.  Green stuff I don't mind, but they are also eating mesquite beans.  I told John we might just start making sure Pepper is OK, & to heck with the rest.  Have talked to a couple of friends & their animals are doing the same thing. 

GOING RACING TONIGHT...............!!!

 PIKE'S PEAK

Well not exactly............we're going to the races & John is taking the golf cart, so I can get around the pit area.......while our son races the Super Stock.....!!!! That is if it doesn't rain, right now it looks pretty dreary.  If the races were cancelled tonight that would be one less race I would miss, so that wouldn't break my heart.  But I know how disappointing it is for everyone when the races are rained out, so guess I won't wish for that.

The donkeys were really uninterested in coming in this morning, so John is still talking about closing off Burroland.  Even Cisco was dragging his feet, he usually goes along to get along with whatever is going on.  At one time John gathered up a group of 5 or 6 & he said they kept going thru the thick brush because they've figured out he can't.  Once they figured out he was keeping up with them anyway, he said they started peeling off one at a time & going back to the "snack" area until he didn't have any by the time he got to the gate.  Even Jack & Rusty the mules held out & they weren't even in Burroland they were up by the hay barn.  Quilla just looked at his lovingly prepared beet pulp & Lakin Lite with supplements & walked off.  I've been pretty neutral on this power struggle, but as difficult as it is for me to stand & mix supplements, I might get a little more militant if it continues.  

Everything is set for tomorrow & getting the 4 donkeys.  Sure hope it isn't raining when we're rounding up, that would really be messy.  I'm taking fly masks to put on them, & also wormers.  I hope our helpers can worm them for us.  Otherwise no telling when it would get done.  John has held donkeys while I wormed them, but he's never wormed one by himself, especially an unhandled one.  

I'm hoping to get some pictures, but not sure how close to the action I'll be able to get. 

HMMMMMM......!!!!!

John is talking about driving down today & opening the outside gates to Burroland & putting out some salt to entice the range cattle in, so I guess he's had it with independent donkeys.  I hope there are enough cows to make a difference, we don't hear or see them as often as we use to.  The owner died & I don't know what the family is going to do long term.  Right now it is humid enough that the little rain we've gotten has really made everything grow.  If the donkeys get to munch on it everyday they keep it from over growing.  But if he closes it off for a few days, & no cows show up, & then decides to let them back on, there will be a LOT of new growth on all the weeds they've been keeping chewed down.  I think I'll have a talk with him about maybe not doing that.......!!!!

The round-up is set up for Sunday afternoon for the 4 donkeys we'll be adding to the herd.  Ann Jost from Care for the Horses is bringing corral panels, & a friend of hers is bringing his roping horse, just in case.  The donkeys are on acreage with no way to get them into a small area.  The 3 girl's feet are so bad I don't think they will be a problem, but Beau has decent feet & a little bit of attitude.  No one wants to run around in the heat of the day, chasing a donkey, so he might get his little self roped, hate to do it, but it would be much easier on everyone, even him.  I'll make it up to him later.........!!! Ha!    

Tom that got the 6 mammoths is also going to help.  He will be our expert, since he does so well with the unhandled ones.  We'll take halters & all that, but the plan right now is to just run them into the trailer.  

NOW THEY'VE DONE IT........!!!!

John is threatening to close off Burroland permanently to donkeys & opening it up for range cattle, until the beans are gone.  

The minis were left in this morning again, much to Lynn's disgust, she really let's us know that she isn't happy with this change in her lifestyle. 

We were gone most of the day, & Michelle came to clean house.  She said about an hour after she got here the dogs were barking & when she went out to see what was going on she noticed that the minis had gotten locked in the pen.............so she let them out.  Not the end of the world, but where they made their mistake was, in not coming in for supper.  Justin finally wandered in, but the other 3........nope.  That also goes for Tula, her handmaiden Daisy & Quilla.  When we got thru feeding John went over to Burroland, but by then it was getting so dark he couldn't find them. 

We'll see if he changes his mind tomorrow.  If they don't show up for breakfast, I have a feeling it isn't going to help their cause............that is once he finds them.............!!!!!! 

NO GOOD DEED GOES UNPUNISHED........!!!!

Nassau, Bahamas 1898

Yesterday when John picked up poo, he said the minis are getting more mesquite beans than other stuff in their poo.  So we decided to keep them in during the day when they have access to Burroland & let them out at night when they only have access to this side.  

This morning when John let everyone else out, the minis made a judgement call & decided he had lost his mind.  They ran around, & squalled & bawled, & everytime during the day when they saw him, they continued to plead their case. 

At feeding time, he said they were thrilled to see him, & to have something happen to break the monotony of being stuck in a pen.  Tomorrow we'll put some of the toys in with them & see if that helps, poor little guys, they don't realize this is "TUFF" love..........!!!!

Looks like we'll be picking up the 4 new donkeys Sunday afternoon as planned.  We should have plenty of people to help, & I even have some people that will be available if needed.   

LOOKS LIKE THINGS ARE FALLING INTO PLACE.......!!!

Everything is still up in the air, but it looks like Sunday afternoon is going to work out for rounding up the 4 donkeys.  I'll "blog" more when the arrangements get a little firmer.  We won't even have to take our corral panels, so John can go ahead & build an "overflow" pen for Frijolita.  She doesn't know it yet, but her pen is going to be for the 3 girls.  And Falena & Salena will not eat in a pen, they will eat from a bunk out by the feed room so Beau can have their pen.  Quilla eats "out" too.  If they don't have any dietary requirements there's no reason for them to be in a pen.  

Right now they are all eating mesquite beans, & really could care less about beet pulp & old dry hay.  In fact the 4 minis have more beans in their poo than other stuff like hay, etc.............so as of tomorrow they will only be going out when Burroland is closed at night.  At least John won't have to try to find them & get them in their pens.  All of the donkeys are reluctant to come in, even when John rings the bell because of the bean crop.  Last night Old Pepper didn't come in & didn't come in.  Since the being down adventure, we worry about him.  John finally went to look for him, & he was perfectly happy eating beans.  At least he will follow once you find him.  But it's our responsibility to find him.............old buzzard........!!!! 

A couple of days ago we did some hauling for a friend.  She had 2 mules & 2 donkeys, along with a generous assortment of geese, ducks, chickens, & quite a herd of pot bellied pigs.  Last month she lost one of her donkeys, to liver failure.  The other one was very lonely, so she asked if I had a friend.  Not a healthy one unfortunately, cause it would be an outstanding home.  She got in touch with one of Peaceful Valley's satellite adoption centers north of Tucson & worked out a swap deal.  She had been looking for a good home for one of her mules & the woman had been looking for a companion for her molly mule & had a nice little jenny that she was willing to swap.  So we hauled Ljuba the mule & picked up Honey now known as Olivia to bring home for George.  

PRETTY GIRL, LJUBA  (NAMED FOR A BULGARIAN OPERA SINGER)

HONEY AKA OLIVIA

GOING TO MEET THE BOYS

 OLIVIA & GEORGE HAVING THEIR FIRST MEAL TOGETHER

When we left everyone was eating & seemed to be doing just fine.  Terry says George follows her all over, & she makes sure he does it right.......!!!!  Jennies have a way of being in charge, so he better get use to it...............!!!   Zeke her other mule just ignores  Olivia, like he did Ljuba when he wasn't trying to make her go away.  He is 36 years old & I think wants to have Terry all to himself, he either ignores or tries to intimidate anyone in with him.