Our Christmas Photos 2009

Our domestic animals celebrated with Christmas treats and with varying degrees of tolerance to a Santa Hat.

The Donkeys

The Donkeys, Coco and Meshak just after their Christmas Treat.

Meshak enjoyed his treat.

Coco

The Horses

Kia was not interested in Christmas just the treats that she could get.

Players in her Christmas hat.

Players is a beautiful, placid affectionate mare. She is 25 now.

The Dogs

Gabby is about 14, she is deaf and losing her sight but still very fit. She is not so sure about the hat.

Monty was a stray we adopted 10 years ago. he brings great joy to many people.

Puppy Knows that he is the cutest dog in the world.

He can be very cheeky though.

The Cats

Shumba is 10 and finds the whole Christmas thing a bit ho hum.

My Thabo died at 19 years and 2 weeks of age in 2008. I said that I wouldn't get another cat unless one found me. Jeremy found Timmy in the shed, alone, 3 weeks old and very hungry on 10th January 2009.

My beautiful Thabo in January 2008, he was 18 years and 3 months old.

Timmy Tiger Twoshoes shows no mercy to the Santa hat.

Not attending the photo call were the eight bunnies and Peter the Cockatiel.

Donkey Tales or something to do with that end ..

Yesterday we went for a drive on our property. We got down to the creek and saw the two donkeys. when we called they put their heads up and looked at us then returned to munching as if to say “you are not near the house, you didn’t expect to see us, so you won’t have carrots.”

I went to pat Meshak who is very cuddly and he jumped back and away very quickly, most unusual but I thought that it might have just been the noise of the motor bikes next door. I had cuddles with Coco and then went toward Meshak and he ran away from me again. It was then that I saw that he was swollen and the back end.

We have a Helpx 4th year vet student from Portugal staying with us at the moment and she thought that he was gassy. We left him and went back to get head stalls and ring our vet who agreed that we should bring him in. Back in the car again and no donkeys to be seen.

Looking for Donkeys

We eventually found them about a half a kilometre away from where we had first seen them and Diana and I started the slow walk back towards the house.

Our donkeys are not keen on walking uphill and have created zig-zag trails anywhere that they regularly ascend or descend. Unfortunately the path we took was designed fo cars and the donks were not keen on the upward incline. We put them in what used to be a dressage arena before we brought this property (my apologies to all those keen dressage individuals but the arena is severely neglected).

Meshak was a little bit happier after his walk and would let us touch and cuddle him. Ted, our vet wanted us to keep him confined to see any evidence that what was causinghim pain had been passed.

I came back to feed the other babies – (see macropods, other wildlife and wombats.)

I went up to check on him and both of them had left the arena. they were nearby and although he was still swollen and gassy Mesh was busy eating. I gave him a rub where all the gurgling was coming from. He didn’t object. I’m not sure if it helped him but I felt a lot better. Two hours later they were nowhere to be seen. I drove all over the property and along the road but they had done a donkey ‘we don’t want to be in a yard’ disappearing act.

When Jeremy arrived home at about 7.30 we decided to go out with the spot light to find them. Both donkeys had halters on and I did not want them getting caught up on anything overnight. We had barely got away from the house and there they were and Meshak had the look of a ‘man-on-a-job’, a serious look at the front and a tail up at the back. Within a minute the deed was done and we knew that the immediate cause for worry had gone. We took their headstalls off and went back inside in front of the fire.

This morning they were both near the house and demanding carrots so all was well. I didn’t take my camera out this morning so I don’t have a photo but will add one of both the donkeys where they usually come and wait for their morning carrot.

11.8.08 Meshak and Coco - the grass was wet this morning.

Meet the Donkeys

Coco and Meshak are our foster donkeys from the  Good Samaritan Donkey Sanctuary. Our donkeys are very loved and as they are at the back door waiting for a carrot and a cuddle I shall take a break for some donkey therapy.

Just back, there is nothing better than donkey cuddles to lift your spirits.

Meshak and Coco