TIME SURE DOES FLY THESE DAYS.......!!

 I have no excuse for not updating the blog, except I looked up and a week had past.  Where does the time go these days?  I always have good intentions, but they don't always happen...!!! LOL

Dr Jeremy came out to evaluate Gigi's split hoof with proud flesh.  

This was before the blob was cut off.  Proud flesh has no nerves, but has more than an abundance of blood vessels.  Consequently there is a lot of blood to deal with.  Got it slowed down and bandaged and when I took the bandage off a couple of days later it looked pretty good.  Wasn't bulging out, in fact Dr. Jeremy said it might sink in.  She's walking much better, he said there was probably a lot of pressure internally that was causing pain and she didn't want to walk. 

 

 

We celebrated our 60th wedding anniversary this month.  Our good friends Larry and Terry, found a perfect gift.  John always says he learned to say, "yes" early in the marriage...!!  LOL 
 

Speaking of John, here he is trying to figure out his next move.  He is staring at the top of the septic tank for the feed room.  When I say tank, I'm being kind.  Years ago when we built the feed room, and were trying to figure out how to get rid of the water from the sink, a friend said why don't you get one of those heavy plastic barrels and use that, since there probably wouldn't be 5 gallons of water a day going thru it.  So that's what he did, ran pipe for laterals and it's worked like a champ ever since.  Until the metal plate he put on top of it rusted thru.  It caved in the top of the barrel.  Not long after this, he was digging with a shovel to get the metal plate out, fish out the top of the barrel and start all over again.  It's fixed now, hopefully for good.  

 

This is Suzanne's grandson with Harley one of the minis.  Harley is a little spitfire when it comes to the other donkeys, but he loves kids and loves to be messed with.

This is youngest granddaughter with John Henry.  John and I went up to Chandler a few days ago and picked him up.  His elderly owner could no longer take care of him and asked if we would take him into sanctuary.  He is a mammoth, although not a huge one, we keep talking about measuring him, but haven't gotten around to it, he's only been here a couple of days.  Since one of the things we like to do is educate people on the different sizes of donkeys when Turbo and Link went back to Colorado, that left us without a mammoth.  Although Big Gus is pretty big, he isn't a mammoth.  John Henry is in his 20s, he's blind in one eye and has sarcoids on his legs, so he wouldn't really be a good candidate for adoption anyway, he will stay here.  

Although he isn't really big, he's big enough to make some of the donkeys look pretty small.  I guess yesterday Siggy the 28 inch micro mini was trying to catch up to John Henry and I was told his little legs were really flying and JH was just moseying  along.  

This is Big Gus meeting John Henry for the 1st time.  There is a slight problem, John Henry is in Gus' pen, the set of Gus' ears shows he's not happy.  He now has a pen in the mare motel and Justice will be going in there too.   The next morning after John Henry went out to explore, Gus went in the pen, smelled poo, turned around and walked over to the mare motel.  I assume the pen is now too compromised for him to be interested in it.  LOL

It's unfortunate someone wasn't watching John and I load him.  He's not been in a trailer for at least 5 years, but we brought all our leads and straps, figured how difficult can this be?  Two hours later after dealing with a donkey with a sense of humor, we were both exhausted and he was still fresh as a daisy.  The reason I say he has a sense of humor is he was playing with us the whole time.  He walked out of his pen, put 2 front feet in the trailer looked around for a few minutes, shifting his weight to make us think he was ready to go in and then backed out.  No drama, just "nope don't want to".......!! 

OK, obviously this isn't going to be as easy as we thought.  Used a cargo strap inside the trailer  not pulling on it, just not letting him back up, once he had his front feet in the trailer again.  And in fact he had all 4 feet in the trailer and decided to show us again.  He backed out of the trailer and the hook on the strap flipped up in the air, and he just stood outside the trailer, looking at us, like "is that all you got?"  LOL  Denise would come out and check on us every once in awhile, I think she thought we'd give up.  Obviously that wasn't going to happen, we came to get a donkey and we're going home with a donkey.  

He walked into the trailer again, had all 4 feet in and I couldn't get the back gate closed because we hadn't notice a handle in the way that needed to be moved.  So he leisurely backed out again, pushing the almost closed gate out of the way.  Grrrr...!!  

I asked John if he had another cargo strap, which he did.  This time we put both straps on him, one of either side, tightened them enough so he couldn't back up........hopefully and he walked in like it was his idea.  I don't know if he was tired of messing with 2 old people, or if he knew he couldn't back out of 2 straps, but we got the gate closed and hit the road......finally.  Whew...!!

We are going to be in the Benson 4th of July parade next Saturday the 3rd with 8 donkeys and handlers.  Should be a lot of fun if we pass inspection.  I'm not sure what type of inspection, maybe the woman in charge thinks they are wild or something.  This will be the 1st time we've done their parade, so if you are in the area, come on out and join in the fun.....!!!

 

THE GREEN MESQUITE BEANS ARE HANGING IN THE TREES AND LOTS OF THEM.....

 Don't think there are as many on the trees as there was last year, but there are plenty.  It is probably going to be another season of the donkeys having to be on confinement, although we have a better idea this year of what to do and will probably start raking beans earlier than we did last year.  We'll just have to see how it goes.  The donkeys are all looking really good, well except for Harley and Ziggy, they are still little butterballs.  Hopefully they will look as good when the mesquite bean season is over. Harley does his best to make up for the food deficit in what we feed him.  He obviously prefers more food, he knows which pens might have leftovers after everyone is let out.  If he doesn't get there first, no problem, he comes in like a little buzz saw and clears everyone out of the pen in a hurry.  No one will stand up to him even the large standard geldings.  

Right now Gigi is having a hard time.  She was probably born crippled from her legs getting wadded up before she was born.  That happens sometimes most of the time after a few days they get straightened out.  Or the people have the vet come out and put a cast or brace on for a week or so.  Her people didn't do that unfortunately.

She has to wear shoes on her front feet to keep her feet from twisting back the way they were before we got her.  

She has a place on the coronet that's damaged and scarred and splits easy.  

I was suspicious this little piece of flesh sticking out was proud flesh.  This morning when I soaked her foot, I'm pretty sure that's what it is. 

 

I sat with her while she was soaking and she knew I had cookies.  I was willing to give a cookie now and then, but she seemed to think they should come quicker.  She is one of the donkeys that has learned to stick her tongue out to the side to get people's attention and of course the results she wants is to get a cookie.  I don't think I could have fed them as quick as she could grab a cookie and get that tongue out begging for another cookie.  So we did cookies at my speed, not hers much to her disgust.......LOL

The vet is going to come out when he can, but in the meantime, I soaking and as of this morning trying to keep it covered with a diaper and duct tape.  I hope she just has a plain old abscess and not an infection inside her hoof.  Infections are almost impossible to treat below the knee because of naturally poor circulation, years ago we tried with Jenny for months and ultimately lost her.

Gigi isn't real happy to be worked with, but I was surprised this morning when I stuck her foot in an IV bag to soak and she accepted it.  It would have been nice to have a little more cooperation when I was trying to put the diaper and duct tape on, but we did finally manage to get it done.  Don't know if it will still be on when they come in for feeding this afternoon.  She hasn't been roaming around much lately, but John said she is with Rosie and Jasper down by Sha'ba's grave that is way below the house and is laying down.  I had been wondering if she could lay down and get back up, they usually won't lay down unless they know they can get up.  

The donkeys seem to be handling the oppressive heat we are having right now.  They basically eat, go find shade, and stand until the evening feeding.  I think they run around all night taking care of donkey business.  Casper the creative little white mini mule has been watching John, where he feeds the birds that yummy bird seed behind the house.  The bird feeding area is surrounded by 4 corral panels.  Rather than use a chain or something to make sure they stay closed, John has just been pulling the panel he goes in and out of shut.  

Guess where John found Casper this morning?  Inside the corral panels enjoying a snack of bird seed.  He had probably watched John push the panels and figured he could do that too.......!!! Ha!  John has now attached the corral panels together, which will take longer to open, BUT, hopefully will keep Casper out. 

Did you ever wonder what birds and cats do when it is 113+ degrees?  The birds hang around water, drinking and splashing and enjoying the shade on the back porch.  Sunny the cat, is enjoying watching the birds.  A little something for everyone. 

 

IT'S GETTING HOTTER...........!!!

 The next week is going to be a scorcher, it's already 110.6* on our back porch this afternoon.  Everything is already so dry, a string of days over 100* isn't going to help the situation, I'm sure.  

People are still coming out to see the donkeys, we had 3 tours this morning and more on the schedule for next week.  

I have noticed the type of flies I'm catching in the fly traps lately are not as numerous and are a different type.  Last week I took down the 4 traps because they were full of flies and replaced them with just 2 bags.  A couple of times a year the bags that are suppose to hold 40,000 flies fill up quickly.  I have no idea who counts trapped flies, doesn't sound like a fun job to me......!! LOL  Most of the flies in the bags had little white round butts, that I think are eggs so the more we catch the better.  

The 2 new bags have been hanging for about 3 or 4 days and just barely have enough flies in them to cover the top of the water and no white butts.  Not sure what all that means, I hope it means less flies to contend with.  The donkeys are wearing their masks 24/7, and that keeps the flies out of their eyes.  But they are still flying around being obnoxious.  

This is a video Mikaela took when Harley and Jackson were playing.  It's hard to catch donkeys playing, if they see you they will stop, like they aren't suppose to play.

 

I'm not sure who is licking her arm in this "selfie", but they do seem to be enthralled with probably salt.  As hot as it's been I would imagine we're all a little salty......!!

Joe and Adam from the Oasis Exotic Bird Sanctuary north of us were here today, in the heat to get hay for their 2 horses.  For years they've come down and got hay from us, rather than from the local feed store.  Not sure today was a good day as hot as it is, but everyone managed to survive.  

The plywood became a necessary accessory when the new hay was delivered awhile back.  It filled the barn all the way to the front and it's amazing how much a donkey neck will stretch when hay is involved.  

They managed to get all their hay loaded with only one donkey figuring out what was going on.  With hay bales there is always fall out, which is deeply appreciated by which ever donkeys find it.  LaRoy was the only one to come out of the shade, to "help", so he really had fun.  

 

IT'S GETTING HOTTER.......

Next week is suppose to be over 100* every day as high as 107*.  The only saving grace about their forecast is they are usually wrong......!!  LOL

 The family that was interested in Ruthie as a companion for their jenny decided they want a younger donkey.  Their jenny is 10, Ruthie is probably late teens, which isn't old by any means.  So neither home happened, Justice because of bone chips in his foot and Ruthie being too old.  

Heard this morning that Zeke has passed away.   Mike and Zeke for many years were a large part of Tombstone color.  They were in town almost daily for many years, walking Allen street, an old miner and his burro.  There is no way to know how many pictures of these two are all over the world, or how many children have petted Zeke, maybe their first time to see a donkey in person.  

 Years ago Mike and Zeke did some walks to raise money for our rescue.  The first one they walked from Ft Huachuca to Tombstone.  A group of horseback riders joined in the walk for awhile and some of us even walked on foot.  I got to ride Zeke a little while, which was the first time I'd been in a saddle in decades. 

A few years later they raised money for us again and also raised money to buy an all terrain wheelchair for a Wounded Warrior.  That walk was for days ending in Kingman because Zeke got a stone bruise.  But it just so happened when they got to Kingman the town was having a parade to honor one of their famous residents, the actor Andy Devine, who grew up in Kingman.  They asked Mike and Zeke to join in the parade, which they did much to the delight of the spectators.

When Mike died Tombstone had a "walk down" in his memory.  Anyone that wanted to show their respect joined in the walk down Allen street in Tombstone.  Someone said it was the largest walk down Tombstone ever had for anyone.  Wouldn't be surprised, Mike was a special person and loved by many.  Zeke was there to lead the walk down for his best friend.  Now they are together again.

 

 

 

IDAHO SPRINGS COLORADO

 Last week-end was the start of the pack burro racing season in Colorado.  The 1st race was in Georgetown on Saturday and Sunday they raced in Idaho Springs.  One race had 84 teams running, I would imagine the other one was about the same.  It seems like every year the team count goes up, as more and more people discover this amazing past time which has actually been going on since 1949.  

This is Lynn with Pepsi, one of our alumni.  Pepsi was adopted in Colorado a couple of years ago, and has been having a great time ever since.  He's been to school, played in snow, has his own little girl to play with and is involved in a program where children can write to him and he will correspond with them.  We hadn't had an update in awhile on Pepsi, so was glad when Linda said they saw him at the races this week-end and gave him a hug.  I think this desert boy is living the dream in Colorado......!!

NOT GOOD NEWS........

We had noticed Justice has issues with his right rear foot.  He has somewhat of a limp, not bad, and his fetlock seemed loose.  His feet had not been trimmed in awhile and that foot was not pretty on the bottom.  

 

He's on the ground, I guess I bragged too much on how friendly and cooperative  he was. right after we picked him up.    Dan showed up to trim and it became rodeo time.  Dan said "no problem" brought out a cargo strap made just for the occasion, put it around Justice's neck and in the ensuing battle Justice he lost his balance.  Dan said "no problem" I'll do him on the ground.  Dan doesn't get excited about anything........!!! LOL

Even if you don't know what a foot is suppose to look like underneath, you can probably look at that and think it probably isn't suppose to look like that. 

Dr. Jeremy came out to do x-rays and unfortunately he has 2 bone chips in that foot, one off the navicular and one off the other side.  The tendons are probably stretched which accounts for the "loose" fetlock motion.  What I got from the discussion was we don't know how long it's been this way.  He had been in the home we got him from for about 9 years, he's about 20 years old, so it isn't a new problem.  Dr. Jeremy's best guess is roping damage, especially with the way he behaves about ropes and he is very protective of that leg.  

So what to do about it?  He mentioned 2 ideas, both over my head.  We'll probably talk with Tyler and see what he thinks.  We will need to get him more comfortable having a trimmer/farrier work with him.  Something tells me he hasn't had a lot of foot work done in his life.  

The sad thing is a woman in Silver City was interested in adopting him as a companion for her donkey. 

Animals don't get to choose their people, if they could there would be a lot of people without animals in their lives, which would probably be a good  thing..........!!!