LOVELY WEATHER

I don't think we could ask for nicer weather.  Fall in the desert is wonderful, chilly nights and warm sunny days.  All the grasses and ground covers are dried up, but it won't be "winter" until the mesquite trees start shedding their leaves.  So far that isn't happening, it's usually in late November or early December.

The donkeys are a little less mad at us about time out and Burroland time.  They are up to 2 1/2 hours over in Burroland and actually aren't eating beans as much as we thought they would.  Although the beans still look pretty good, I guess they've been on the ground too long to really be tasty.  They do seem to think going into Burroland is a right and we aren't very smart.  I think they are also tired of short rations.  The other day Bill, Don, Buddy and BlackJack figured out how to break into the hay barn.  Don figured out how to push in the corral panels across the front of the barn and get them close enough to the hay that a head thru the panels on the end of a long neck could reach the hay bales enough to grab hay.  Doug and John had to put in more T-posts and finally stopped them.  

They spend most of their time after we let them out of the pens, standing over by the gate to Burroland.  I look at it like, if they are standing they aren't eating, so that's a good thing.  Unfortunately when it's time to come back over here for evening feeding, they have forgotten how to do it on their own, and we have to go get them.  Needless to say they aren't very cooperative and seem to know they can run much faster than people can.  And if they can't see the slow people behind them, it's OK to just run past the gate, rather than turning and coming over to the pen area.  Tula is very good at it, yesterday I was hiding by the gate, when she and her little band of about 6 followers came in ahead of John.  She's been just bypassing the gate, so  she was quite surprised when I hopped up, pointed where I wanted her to go and told her to git..........!!!  SHE GOT..........!!!!!   LOL  Sure would be nice if they would remember to come in on their own, so we don't have to chase them, maybe when they are out longer they'll be more cooperative.  

Lynn and Linda took Turbo and Leddy to a training session last week-end.  Turbo is learning to coon jump.  It's amazing how high donkeys and mules can jump from a standing start.  Maybe that will be more of his style than running, who knows.   I've often wondered once they learn to coon jump, how do you keep them in a fenced area.........LOL

I raced as planned Saturday night.  Brought the Kia home in one piece no major crisis', but it's not the car the Neon is.  I managed to finish 9th, I actually thought it was worse than that, seemed like everyone on the track passed me at least once......!!!  LOL  It's not an easy car to drive, and John came in this morning and thinks he's found out why.  The rear wheels aren't tracking in line with the front wheels.  

The Hornet lineup, the #18 parked on the left of the Kia is in first place for end of the year points and he won again Saturday night. 

At least the 2 brothers that seem to think pushing me into the wall is fun, left me alone and finished in front of me.   Oh! well, I'm still in 3rd place for end of the year points and John has figured points and thinks the 4th place car would have to win our next 2 races.  I don't think that will happen, the 2 cars in front of me for points are both really fast and are close enough in points that they aren't going to be very open to anyone getting in their space.  

John has made a date with a racer than has a frame jig to see if he can straighten the frame on the Neon this week.  If they can get it straightened and patch it together I'll probably drive it for the last 2 races the 14th of Oct.  He's also making arrangements to have the Kia aligned, so the rear wheels aren't doing their own thing.  It should make it a lot easier to drive.