Our Big Day started out auspiciously on our own road. One of the watch donkeys in a neighbor's goat herd had given birth very recently, and Bill slammed on the brakes for the opportunity to see such a young creature. The kids were grabbing for the binoculars even as we came to a stop.
Mama was very protective of her baby, walking circles around it and nuzzling it gently.
It was curious, and kept swiveling those impossibly long ears our way. I love its little white nose, and wonder if its coat will lighten as it ages, like many gray horses' coats do.
We'll enjoy watching it grow up.
We're back from the land of bison, horses, pronghorns, eagles, coyotes and mountain bluebirds, having driven 400 miles from Bismarck, ND to Great Falls, Montana, floated down the Missouri for three days on the trail of Lewis and Clark, then having driven the 400 miles back, then flown on home yesterday. Oh, and working two festivals somewhere in there, kids along for everything, trooping through, completely unplugged. It's the true test of a child's mettle, and they passed with honors. We left June 2 and got home June 15. It was a two-week odyssey with thousands of images I can't even face downloading right now, each one a postcard of stunning beauty. Oh, wild horses....they canter through my dreams. Phoebe's smitten. Liam's fixated on bison the way he used to love trains.
I'm buried in weeds and laundry and long lawngrass, needing to clean the pond and aquarium while swimming in mail and work deadlines. But I felt like we got ourselves back on that trip, spending 24 hours a day together, the four of us, and realizing that we're pretty good company. It was an amazing journey, and I look forward to sharing it with you. Picked up The Bacon from his foster mom and dad this afternoon. He has some bunnehs to correct! and a lot of kisses to make up.
15 comments:
Love the photos of your habitat and offspring a lot! Hey, if you have any chance at all while going through ND stop at Teddy Roosevelt NP (north). We birded and camped there a couple of years ago - lots of birds, wild horses and buffalo!
Colene,
We drank in TR Park, South Unit, immersing ourselves in the landscape and animals. I'll be blogging about it soon. We'd love to go there and spend a week or a month. I'd like to go there and sketch, photograph and paint wild horses, that's what I'd like to do. Maybe there's a grant somewhere.
AAAHHHH!! I love donkeys almost as much as I love Turkey Vultures. I don't know squat about them but my dream, if/when we build our house up at Hasty Brook is to have a donkey or two. There are probably a million good reasons that it's a bad idea, but I'll dream it anyway.
Better donkeys than goats; they don't eat everything. Lovely animals. I hope you get your donkeys someday, Lynne!
Wonderful that you all enjoy each other...and all the critters that I am waiting to see.
www.wildlifearoundus.blogspot.com
Isn't it grand when the best company you could ever hope for is your own family ?
Sounds like you all had a grand time together out west. It's wonderful that you all love each other's company so much. I'm envious. And I am also suffocating from all the cuteness that is this bebeh donkeh. Oh my.... (swoon)
What a sweetie. I grew up listening to the sound of donkeys braying (somewhere on the mission station--though I don't know where). But the bray sound is so distinctive, and so imitable.
The best part of coming home is coming home. The worst part is catching up.
"....floated down the Missouri for three days..."
PLEASE tell more. We live in Northern Wisconsin and best friends live in Hamilton Montana, so this would be a great "in between" place to meet. We all love to float, what a wonderful idea. Can't wait to hear more!
Boy, would I love to see your sketches of a bebeh donkey! (By the way, have you ever drawn His Chetness?)
So glad you had a good trip, and in such good company.
Welcome home Julie.
That baby is all ears! Too cute.
Oh that little donkey is so cute. Looks like they're born with full-size ears!
There's nothing cuter than a baby donkey--our neighbor had jacks and jennies for a long while, and we were treated to the innocent faces peering from beneath bowl-cuts every morning by our mailbox.
The noise isn't so cute--but easily forgiven, given the faces!
I can almost hear Sir Elton singing: "Hold me closer tiny donkey..."
Love, love, love the donkey pix, but the most priceless is Liam with his father.
Beautiful.
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