Wednesday I almost lost my ass
Let me 'splain ... no, that will take too long, I will sum up.
My wife teaches political science at the university here ... well we are somewhat rural here, so I should say the local university about 13 miles from here. She is the faculty sponsor for the Progressive Club on campus.
She is also the vice chair of the Erath County Democrats.
We love donkeys. That is, we have always enjoyed seeing them ... usually from the other side of the fence. We have even talked about getting a Jenny (female donkey) as they make good guard donkeys for sheep and goats (which we are also planning to add to our menagerie) and chickens (we currently have 7)
We have lost two of our chickens recently to critters (that's another story). Melodie is always looking at chicken sites and other local farm sites on facebook and elsewhere on the net for additions to our flock ... and just because. Last Friday she came across someone who was selling their pair of donkeys because they had just gotten calves and the donkeys apparently did not care for the calves at all.
Anyway, they apparently sold their Jenny and by Saturday the had decided to just give the male donkey away. A FREE DONKEY (Equus africanus asinus) Did I mention that Melodie is vice chair of the Erath County Democrats (and Bernie delegate to the state convention, but that is Yet another story)
We have some land behind the House and will have an even larger place in June. Why not have a donkey .... after all, he was FREE. It just so happened that the president of the Progressives Club had access to his family's trailer and so we arranged to pick up the donkey Sunday afternoon.
It was not too hard to get him in the trailer, but not too easy to get out when we got home. Our good friend -- who is hereby known as "the donkey whisperer" was able to get a halter on him. Did I mention that we had gone by Tractor supply and got a halter ( that is another - nevermind)
After a lot of carrots, an apple, and a lot of pulling we out stubborned the donkey and got him in the back. We fixed a make shift shelter for him from the roof of the loafing shed and some tin that was blown down in last springs storms. We were due to have some rain later.
Pretty soon he was going in and out of the shelter so we at least knew he would be dry if it rained. He decided to stand under the branches of a pecan tree to stay dry. We were starting to get him settled down somewhat and he would even let us touch him ... well, at least a couple of times. But we left he halter on him for a while - anyway, he would have to let us get close enough to take it off.
Early Wednesday morning I observed him standing under the thick spreading branches of "his" pecan tree. Not only does the tre protect him from a light rain, but the branches hang down making the spot somewhat secluded. Did I mention that this is the corner by the gate? Well, it is ... not the one we brought him in ... because the ground was too soft to get the trailer over there.
Oh, and apparently it was not closed very tightly.
You see where I am going with this. Just before lunch I went out and did not see him in any of his usual spots so I walked the property and I noticed the fence was open. I had lost my ass.
...to be continued ...
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