Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Jack In Charge

Jack is putting in long hours as sanctuary overlord (by his own choice, of course) and is working hard in the field of operations and at his headquarters (the Donkey Bubble). He wields a firm but fair hoof over all species, human, donkey and other.

Sheila sent us some photos, one of which shows Jack washing the resident goat. The goat seems slightly unsure about the prodedure but Jack is adhament. I wonder where he got the idea of washing another species...? He likes the sheep as well but finds their coats impossible to launder properly. As for the pigs - he does not care for those at all and does an abrupt about turn when they waddle into his sphere of operations. He marches off at high speed, looking neither to the left nor right, until he is well clear of any porcine influence. He considers them unspeakable and unwashable.

Jack has also stepped up his supervisory role in the feed room. He glues himself to Sheila while she prepares seventeen different breakfasts and dinners, sticking so close that she can barely move her arms. He inspects and samples all foodstuffs, both before and after cooking. When everyone has breakfasted and gone on their way, he patrols the aisles and checks each stall and food bowl. Then he goes to the various gates in the barn to ensure he knows the whereabouts of every resident. He is a very busy old donkey. He takes his breaks from his self-imposed career with Simon and O'Sullivan, where they stand and munch hay in the sun. They think he is as mad as a hatter.

He continues to astonish and astound, and sometimes even alarm. He has no intention of slowing down and regards retirement as something suitable for the elderly, which he is convinced he is not. Long live the King, I say, and long may he rule.

Buddy sent along this link for Jack to peruse. Jack has completed his perusal and has announced that he plans to beat this record by several decades. I don't doubt it.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1350017/eeyore-54-worlds-oldest-donkey.html

I have included some images of Molly and Sally, who have declared themselves BFFs, whatever that is. As long as Molly is washing Sally, she isn't washing me. Somewhere in the Carolinas donkeys are crafting this year's dust baths and lounging in the warm sun. Sigh.

10 comments:

billie said...

Sheaffer, we wish you were here!!! Maybe Molly's new BFF status with Sally will allow you to pack up and board that mystical, magical, donkey train that comes right to November Hill. I have opened the gate to the front pasture now so I feel sure there will be even more dust circles in process. Yesterday they were too busy marching all over, searching for tidbits of green trying to grow and aiming to dismantle the tarp on their "tree du jour."

I am so happy to hear that Jack is busier than ever, keeping charge of so many. He is definitely a king.

Buddy said...

Hay Sheaffer - thanks for the update on Jack - he sure is a busy guy at Sheila's - keeps him young. Any chance he is coming home for the summer??

THANK YOU for the beautiful pictures of my fair Molly and her BFF Sally - they are both stunning creatures - sigh.

Your fren,

Dougie Donk said...

Sheaffer; your frequent comments about your woman's miserly tendancies with food made me prepared to accept that as the reason for Jack's close supervision of Sheila.

Then I looked at the shots of Sally....mercy! Has she been stealing donkey rations?

ponymaid said...

Billie, I am dust bathing with the donkey lads in spirit. In reality it has been so cold that the foot man last week pronounced our feet to be well and truly frozen. And you say they are sampling tidbits of early greenery? You obviously live in paradise.

ponymaid said...

Buddy, Jack is unstoppable. Sheila has never received so much hoofs-on supervision before. As for the BFFs here - you may notice that neither has lost condition in spite of the savage winter...

ponymaid said...

Dougie, Sally is what you could call an extremely efficient calorie converter. She has spent the winter in her heated bed, requesting Kitty Temptation Snacks. The photos were taken yesterday, which is the first time she has left the barn since December. The woman is exercising her by dragging bits of twine around but so far the feline circumference has not shrunk.

BumbleVee said...

That Jack...what a guy....hahha good thing he isn't laundering the sheep over there....... he's be hacking up woolly hairballs.. ick....

love the pics of Sally and Molly.... BFF's..how nice....

ponymaid said...

Vee, I think Jack finds the sheep a little too full of lanolin. We have been wondering about the possibility of goat hair furballs. Molly has been gagging a bit but that could be because she spends hours washing both Sally and self.

billie said...

Look at how handsome Jack is! thank you for the photos, Sheila and Sheaffer.

ponymaid said...

billie, he is a handsome old devil, isn't he? I think being what Doc calls the Big Kahuna agrees with him. No senile dementia for that boy!