Brrrrrr

This is what effective begging looks like.  I think it's Justin, but can't be sure....LOL

I'm sorry to be such a whiny wimp, but 16 degrees this morning is just the latest in a long line of early morning surprises....!!!  It is nice and sunny this afternoon, and looks lovely, BUT, I'm inside.  I have stuck my head out a couple of times, and looks can be deceiving, so I think I'll just stay in here.

John as usual is out and about.  Tony and Mike, came out from Tucson today to work some more on the shelters.  They've really been a lot of help with doing some of the work that gets forgotten in the daily routine of crisis management.  Right now John is busy cutting wood, which we use to heat with and building race cars to get ready for the new season which starts the 5th of February.  Between those 2 "jobs" and trying to keep all the water pipes and hoses from freezing, not much building or remodeling would get done until spring, if it wasn't for the guys coming out.  Jenny is working today and I guess they got bored.   

Yesterday John did put an engine hoist together.  He has to exchange the engines out of two Kias, which was going to be a lot of fun with just his tractor.  His hoist is in at our son's in Tucson, and probably would never make it back home anyway, so he might as well get another one.  I'm sure he'll need it in the future.  

We've been a little worried about Penny, because of the cold.  John noticed she was shivering a few mornings ago, when he was putting everyone in their pens.  She's had a broken jaw and probably was born with something like spinal bifida.  She has a hunched back and her hind legs aren't right, although she gets around just fine.  But for some reason the cold seems to be bothering her more than the others.  

Penny and her best friend, Coquette

Over the years we have had others, generally older ones that needed a blanket when it got cold.  The problem we have is, if we put a horse blanket on one, they have to stay in the pens, because of the brush and mesquite trees we have.  I'm sorry to say these donkeys are so use to being loose on the property if we make them stay in the pens, it's like we are torturing them, for no reason.

John has been putting a microfiber blanket on her in the morning when she comes in the pen for breakfast and leaves it on until she goes out.  We tried putting the blanket on overnight one night.  Took John quite awhile to find it the next morning, who knew they roamed so far at night.  It was all the way over by the north fence line in Burroland.  That morning when she came in, we put another blanket on her and Saddik the dog promptly grabbed it and hauled it under Doug's RV.  That's where we know to look for things like missing gloves, towels or anything else that looks "interesting".  

We were surprised he got it off her, she hates him with a passion.  One afternoon when it finally warmed up enough so I ventured out Penny was as usual begging for cookies.  She doesn't like people, but she will put up with us as a necessary evil, for treats.  We make sure she gets more than the others, she probably hasn't had a lot of goodies in her life.  

Most of them love the fruity Tums.  The only time they get them is when I bring the bottle out of the feed room and sit on the porch.  For some reason she was by herself, usually Coquette is glued to her side.  So I got the bottle and, sat down and we had a love fest.  Well maybe I did, she was just in it for the Tums.  So here comes Saddik, he's still enough of a puppy to lumber into just about anything without thinking of the consequences.  As I said she doesn't like him, but she wasn't about to run off.  He's bound and determined to see what she is getting and she was bound and determined he wasn't.  What gets me is he's been here long enough to read donkey body language.  She started out, ears in "not happy" position.  Then she went to hind legs just rising in place a couple of inches.  No reaction.  Then she started getting into position to send him somewhere he probably wouldn't want to go.  That's when I got up, and put the Tums back in the feed room.  I would imagine he did a fly-by, grabbed the blanket before she could react and never slowed down, because if he had been there for any amount of time, she would have nailed him, if she could.  

So between the brush and trees, and the dog, she's not going to be able to be blanketed at night, unfortunately.  I am making sure she has all the mush she will eat.  I'd like her to have a little more meat on her bones, but she will only eat, what her body needs I guess.  And with her back and legs she doesn't need to carry more weight than necessary.  Sure hope it warms up soon.........!!!!