Monday, October 18, 2010

Leon Moves On

The first thing I must tell you is that Leon, the throwaway donkey that the Woman bought at auction, is now in his new home. He had his "brain surgery" and whilst recovering, he met the human of his dreams.

Unseen forces must be at work here because the thread that pulled his human to him was a thin but strong one. Sheila, who runs the sanctuary under PrimRose Donkey's guidance, found an injured Cooper's Hawk in the middle of the road one day. She bundled him up and took him to a nearby sanctuary that helps wildlife recover from various traumas. Helping out that day was a veterinarian who donates time whenever she can to giving medical assistance to the patients. There are two donkeys who live at the sanctuary and of whom this medical woman had grown most fond. Sheila arrived, bearing the towel-encased hawk, and the rest, as they say, is history.

The vet woman visited the sanctuary and was introduced to the residents. Her eyes met Leon's across the recovery paddock and that was that. The normally quite shy Leon rushed to her side and they proceeded to stare deeply into each other's eyes and to breathe deeply up each other's nostrils. They were mutually besotted. Plans were made for Leon to move to her house.

In preparation for the move, Sheila put the metal box on wheels in his paddock for a few days and placed food inside. Leon's three trailering experiences in his short life have not been happy ones and he firmly declined to enter. Sheila warned his new human that he might object strenuously to being moved. Enter the new Leon human with her rather posh wheels. Repeat deep breathing and mutual admiration exercise and cue Leon happily skipping up the ramp beside his new soul mate. Love apparently does conquer all.

He is blissfully ensconsed in his new home with three large draft horses who have become his boon companions. The new human took a week off work to strengthen their bond even further and Leon is feeling like a young emperor surveying his empire. I do like a happy ending.

A mere three months ago Leon was running loose beside a major highway, having been thrown out like so much trash by his worthless humans. He was captured, held at a livestock valuator's facility for several weeks and then put through the stress of a busy meat auction. No wonder he wasn't overly optimistic. With the help of an injured avian he found the path to the person and place he needs. Long may he rule over his new kingdom.

16 comments:

Gazelle said...

Awwww, what a wonderful story !

If your "hits" count is up this week it'll be because I keep coming back to read it over and over again.

ponymaid said...

Gazelle, thank you. And thank you for sending on the photos which I must now help Herself wrestle onto the blog...good thing we donkeys are patient.

billie said...

Oh, I am holding tears of joy in my eyes right now. So very happy for Leon and for his new person, who knows a good thing when she sees it. What a wonderful ending to this saga.

ponymaid said...

Billie, I love happy endings, too. What do you make of the hawk connection? He seemed to play an important role in this.

Dougie Donk said...

Fantastic news! Sheila truely deserves all the good karma flowing her way.

I do hope that the unfeeling person who dumped Leon has received what they deserve too...

billie said...

Sheaffer, what a great question - it didn't hit me as I read that the hawk started this wonderful story!

Ted Andrew says in a nutshell: the hawk represents visionary power and guardianship, and that hawks are messengers, protectors, and visionaries.

I think that says it all in this case!

ponymaid said...

Dougie, you know, I too wonder about these things. Does fate ever catch up with these donkey tormentors? Or do they just carry on, looting and pillaging, at least in the emotional sense, until they shuffle off this mortal coil? One thing I do know, these defective humans always seem to feel compelled to "own" other species. It's nice to know Leon is happy and safe and far away from them.

ponymaid said...

Billie, thank you for that insight - it's fascinating. It would seem that the thread connecting all the players in the Leon story have the hawk playing a pivotal role. He was everything Leon needed to change his life. I hope the hawk is back soaring in the element he calls home.

completecare said...

Hi Sheaffer,

Our human appeared at the barn this morning all weepy. It seems she had just read your story about Leon and his new forever home. What a lucky donkey. Every time we see a hawk fly over our field we will be reminded of this happy ending.

Your Fan,

Willy

ponymaid said...

Willy, I'm with you - I have a new-found respect for hawks now that Billie has explained their role. Leon is only one of many but he's proof that change for the better is always possible on some level.

Dougie Donk said...

Wow, I have a family of buzzards living in the forest bordering my field & the neighbours breed birds of prey.

I feel happy knowing that my herd have resident protectors in place 24/7. Is there maybe a market for hawk feathers in every stable yard? :))

ponymaid said...

Dougie, I'm not sure about the buzzards - their role seems to be more, errrrrr, janitorial as it were - but the hawks are certainly a good thing to have around. I hope they keep good watch over you and your yard at all times.

BumbleVee said...

huraaaay for Leon! I love the story....and hugs and special wishes to that wonderful new human of his dreams....

it's so good to hear happy ending stories isn't it?

ponymaid said...

Vee, I knew you would like that story, complete with happy ending for a change!

Buddy said...

Oh Sheaffer - what a wonderful story for Mr. Leon. His very own human to love him and dote on him for the rest of his days.

He sure looks great in those pictures.

Sorry I have been absent - mom has been very busy at work and when she gets home - she hasn't been keeping up with my communications with my frens!

Still your fren,

ponymaid said...

Buddy, your woman must be laying aside carrot money for the winter. Or perhaps she is saving up to aquire a donkey companion for you? Leon's story is quite an inspiration, isn't it? It's hard to tell who is more pleased - Leon or his new human.