Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Someone Turn Off the Wind Machine

The weather gods have obviously decided to hit all the buttons on the weather machine simultaneously. That can be the only explanation for this nonsense. We may have to fashion a sail for our barn and just go where the wind takes us. South, hopefully.

Jack hates the wind even more than I do. His, ahem, rather large ears don't cope well with anything over a light breeze. He tries to keep them folded along his neck but the wind keeps prying them loose and tying them in a corkscrew shape. He shakes them out and it starts all over. Coupled with the last of the autumn leaves, which today are more like flying missiles, the weather is extremely donkey-unfriendly. Doc and Molly just turn their considerable backsides to the wind and keep eating.

I think we have finally solved the Jack dinner bowl crisis. He has had a dish just like mine since he arrived but he suddenly decided he didn't like it. He finds the woman makes his dinner too sloppy, even though he knows it's because he has had choke. He began treating the dish like a curling stone, shooting it around on the mat and finally tipping it over in utter disgust. Then she tried a feeder like Doc and Molly's, which hooks over the stall front, and that was too high. The woman snatched it away when he started making gargling sounds. Now he has one of the big water buckets, hung over the stall front with a long hook. He likes this the best because he can whack it back and forth to mix things to his liking, but the bucket stays upright. And, as the woman rudely noted, I can't jostle it under the partition. Don't know what she's complaining about - I leave it spotless.

Fortunately, her heaves seems to be abating, though at one point they wanted to keep her in the human vet clinic. She explained that, owing to our needs, she could not possibly stay and made them do all the tests in an afternoon. Much better that way- our routine remained undisturbed and she's here where I can stare at her from a distance.

11 comments:

billie said...

Sheaffer, we're having the windy stuff here as well. I'm not a fan of it either!

I'm glad to hear that Jack's feed tub issues are over. It's very important for a donkey to feel comfortable with his tub!

Please give the woman a nice donkey hug - that will surely fix things right up with the rest of her recovery process.

(and Rafer Johnson is now cast-less! The vet decided the bone has healed well and removed the cast - he now has a spiffy little splint on the ankle for support as the hairline fracture heals!)

Dougie Donk said...

Sheaffer, I am somewhat perturbed that you are not showing a bit more concern for your woman. After all, if she ended up staying in the vet clinic, who would tend to your needs?

Our woman also has the heaves & is coming out at midnight every night in sub-zero temperatures to make sure that we are all warm & have enough hay.

This is just as I would expect from my staff, but to show my appreciation, I have taken to a giving a little bray as she comes up the path! Our neighbours have started making references to the Titanic. As I understand this was a very majestic boat, I am rather flattered!

Billie - what good news about Rafer. Please pass on my best wishes.

Buddy said...

When I read there were wind issues I assumed it was your woman with her flu issues - we all were hoping she was feeling better - but its the weather?? Well we have wind more than we don't - I keep my eyes closed if I'm not wearing my fly mask - but its getting to the time of year where the flies are dying off - THANK GOD! I will have issues when the winter winds blow through - which is alot of the time.

You all take care of yourselves!!!!

ponymaid said...

billie - I will give the woman a virtual hug - she looks too germ-ridden to me for any sort of close contact. I'm very excited to hear of Rafer's progress. I have been trying to post comments on his - oops, I mean your, blog and they evaporate into the ether. Did you take my advice and contact Degas to do bronze busts of their remarkably handsome profiles? Degas may be a bit elderly by now...but I can't think of a better equine sculptor.

dougie -if you are being likened to the Titanic, you are progressing very well indeed with your donkey education. I've been mistaken for a rutting moose but never a large ocean going vessel. Good work! Keep your woman moving about in the cold air as much as possible - it's good for their lungs.

buddy - is Chicago in Nevada? I hear it's very windy there. I don't mind a nice hot, dry wind, but not the kind we have that tries to drive icy pellets right through a donkey's skin. I love the picture of you with the desert backdrop - I imagine myself standing next to you (with Jack, of course), soaking up the sun and having endless dust baths.

billie said...

Sheaffer, I have had similar commenting issues with some blogs lately - I have no idea why it is happening, but I appreciate your efforts to leave comments for us.

I have tried to contact Degas but unfortunately my husband put his foot down about the expense. Being a photographer, he feels the pictures do a fine job of portraying the handsome profiles of Rafer and Redford.

We are actually expected to remove the splint every third day, give Rafer's leg a break from it, and then put it back on! I seriously wonder if I'm up to this task. Rafer is a sweetheart but once this thing comes off, I suspect getting it back on will be very difficult. The vet used sedative!

Rafer has been standing by the gate to the front field, longingly gazing at the wide open space. He wants so badly to be out there.

But we can manage. We're in the final stretch now. And we appreciate all the fine donkey wishes (and horses) we have received via you and your readers.

Hope that wind is blowing out of there!

robert5721 said...

Sheaffer,
PLEASE tell Billie to be careful letting Raefer out in that big pasture....the LAST thing he needs is to re fracture that leg!! some limited running in a slightly smaller pen might strengthen the leg a bit before taking the big plunge!! I bet that the Vegetablearian guy there might have already mentioned that to them, but in case he/she didn't, I mention it here.

We have missed the snow here so far, thank God, but it will come sooner or later....putting by a bit of firewood for the heat and hat for the dinners....lots of work !!
Keep good care of the Woman....ones like her a few and far between....just ask Jack about THAT one....

I am placing a write in vote for you in the election on the 4th, so you are GUARANTEED to win, as YOU are the only nominee for the DONKEY party here in the United States....Hope that you are ready for all of this....you can rely on Jacks experience and knowledge of history to help you run things....
Your friend and advisor,
Mr Gale

Buddy said...

Hay Sheaffer - we are in a valley of some sort and it gets pretty windy. During the summer its not so bad but the winter months it gets pretty cold. You are welcome anytime to come and spend some time in the sun with me - you could bring Molly with you too. Its nice here during the day during the winter - but cold at night - last winter it got to 16 degrees at night - now that I live with mom she can put my blankie on me when its gonna get that cold.

What temperature does it have to be when you and the horses get their blankies on???

Inquiring minds want to know.

billie said...

No worries, Mr. Gale - Rafer is contained at all times until this is over - our barn is organized so that each end of the barn aisle connects to enclosed barnyards. One is very small, and the other is a bit larger. We use the stall, the stall plus barn aisle, and the two barn yards for Rafer and Redford, depending on where Rafer is with his newest leg contraption.

Sheaffer, it got down in the twenties last night and we thought of you and Jack. It would have been an especially good night for those Sheaffer and Jack glasses of port. :)

robert5721 said...

Billie,
that sounds just right..I have seen cases where doing too much too fast re fractured the callous that forms, and it got so big that it interfered with operation of ligaments and tendons and muscles and stuff..it was not pretty! It had to be surgically pared down after the calcium formed hard and set to make room for stuff to work..
Mr Gale

ponymaid said...

billie - I can picture Rafer in his new, lighter sports-splint. He must feel like a great weight has been removed - and it has. Young Redford obviously knows exactly what his role is in all of this. Smart lad - Jack says he is related to him because he once has exactly the same star on his forehead - before his face became white with age.

Mr. Gale - I'm pleased to hear of your ongoing support in this very disappointing election year. That Palin person has distracted everyone with her antics while the Obama person has brazenly usurped my image. The world of politics is a sordid one.

buddy - she waits till it's freezing before encasing Jack and Doc in their woolies. Molly is covered in Yak fur and doesn't know what cold is. I rip off all clothing and prefer to suffer stoically. I cannot say why clothing appalls me so, but I can't stand the feel of it.

Buddy said...

Sheaffer - I understand not wanting clothes on - mom showed me the blankie and I took off - not sure if its the noise of the buckle thingys but a blankie - its nice and blue - but not sure about it. I guess we shall see. I have quite a coat on myself without the blankie - not quite yak fur but I'm pretty fuzzy.

I'll report my first experience with the blankie when it happens.

XXOO