The Dancing Donkey

A Hard Goodbye

2026-05-13T21:05:15.887-04:00

Our girl Tessa had colic on Friday with an unfixable twisted intestine. We did the only thing there was to do and laid her to rest next to her best friend Hawkeye.

Another beloved friend gone too soon.

Daisy's Irish Jig (aka Tessa)

3/17/2008 - 5/11/2026

A Mother's Day Story

2026-05-10T13:20:00.004-04:00

Happy Mother's Day!

The More Things Change....

2025-02-22T08:17:00.000-05:00

Best in Show

2022-07-16T22:34:00.001-04:00

The dogs and I all went to the annual summer Windsprite show this afternoon. Dog shows aren't generally our thing, but it is good to see all the extended Windsprite families. Orrie took 2nd place in his class. Cora decided she really wanted no part of the show ring and tried to climb into my lap while we were supposed to be trotting around and showing off for the judge. She got no ribbons but I assured her that she was the best dog in the ring and a perfect farm dog and that is enough for us.

Connor brought home the greatest prize....He didn't have any classes but went along for fun. I took the crew for a walk and Connor veered off into a dense patch of weeds and came out with a frisbee. Only Connor could go to a dog show and go on a search-and-rescue mission for a long-lost frisbee none of us had ever seen before.

We're all back home now where it is very clear these guys are always Best In Show.

Just Ducky

2022-07-03T22:22:00.001-04:00

Every spring a pair of Mallard ducks stop by for a rest stop on my pond. This year, they finally decided to stick around and raise some babies. I think it is because part of a tree fell into the pond and some shrubs have grown up around, providing more cover.

Mallards have always been my favorite.

The pond-otter likes to spend these hot, summer days hanging out with them.

Ten Years!

2022-07-02T18:43:00.000-04:00

How do donkeys celebrate a double-digit birthday?

You talk the naughty, oversized, teenaged mule into orchestrating a breakout.

And you invite all your friends out for a party in the tall grass.

Happy Tenth Birthday Ramsey!!

It is so hard to believe this was TEN years ago.

Still Kicking

2022-02-19T10:21:00.002-05:00

Anybody still out there? Lots of boring job and other unfun stuff this year that sucked out all my blog life but I wanted to let you know that my real world is still ticking along....

Anti-invisibility Cloaks

2021-12-10T07:11:00.001-05:00

Can you find the puppy?

Hint: He is right in the middle. Can you see him now?

The Miscreants find enough trouble when I can see them, they don't need invisibility to help them.

Around the Farm

2021-10-29T12:15:00.000-04:00

Generation Gap

2021-08-21T10:54:00.000-04:00

Can you believe it? Mom didn't even celebrate my birthday this year?

Wait, why would we bother with your birthday? I'm the one who turned two. Two is a big deal....you're like...old or something. Nine years! Holy smokes that's old!

A very happy, belated, birthday to my two "babies"!!

Still Here

2021-08-13T09:33:00.000-04:00

We're all still alive and kicking despite overwhelming amounts of rain, heat, bugs and, most of all WORK. The new job has been intense. I think it is coming together, but it has been like trying to get a masters degree done in a month. But....we're all still here.

A different kind of new addition

2021-06-19T18:13:00.000-04:00

So.

This happened....

I started a new job last week as a Grievance Specialist for a company focused on providing value-based medical care. It is a bit of puzzle-solving combined with investigation, troubleshooting and problem solving.

The pace of the first week was a bit over the top, but I am hopeful that it will smooth out and I think it is going to be interesting once I figure out where all the pieces go. Given that I can't keep my brain from trying to solve problems whether I want it to or not, it might as well be useful.

Best part.....It is a permanent work-from-home job which makes me and my assistants very happy.

After 18 months of not commuting and being home all the time, I am about ready to roll up my driveway and put it away for good. If they did grocery delivery out here in the boondocks, I might never leave home again.

Since I have been preoccupied with all things job related and have been (once again) neglecting the blog, I figure you are due for a good puppy fix. I'll get some donkey/mule pics up as well. Just know that we are all doing well in our little hermitage and I am busy trying to figure out the insane intricacies of the medicare system and how to fix the tiny part I am involved with.

Being Mulish

2021-06-16T09:56:00.003-04:00

Multiple Personalities

2021-06-05T13:27:00.001-04:00

Cora: OMG!!!! MONSTER!!! MOM! There's a MONSTER! MOM!!! What is THAT? Do I chase it? Bite it? Run AWAY?! MOM, come NOW mom!!! OMG!

Connor: Turtle? What turtle? I don't see a turtle. I refuse to see a turtle. Turtles do not exist in this reality. I refuse to believe in the existence of turtles. Frisbees exist. Frisbees matter. Would you throw the FRISBEE already?

Orrie: Look guys, I brought the paper!

Snapping Turtle:

*sigh* Dogs. Would you just make them ALL go away?

Decadent Hedonism

2021-06-02T08:49:00.000-04:00

Windsprites are such hedonists.

Dandy Lion

2021-05-17T22:16:00.000-04:00

Another Contentious Election

2021-05-15T12:04:00.002-04:00

I know you have all been waiting on pins and needles for the outcome of the name election. I apologize for the the delay in reporting the results, but you know how elections are these days......Here's what happened:

I was trying to find the name that stuck to this little guy and I had some great candidates. Names have term limits, though, and can't be reelected after already serving a full term. That knocked out my first choice, along with many others given that I am getting older and have known a lot of animals. Under pressure from lobbyists and special interest groups, I finally narrowed the choice down to two options and the election began.

That is when the lobbying really started.

Under pressure from all sides I became disillusioned by both parties. While the politics were flying hot and heavy, I did what I always do - I hunkered down and played with my puppies. This particular puppy has an extremely strong sense of self and opinions on everything. He was completely uninterested in either of the name candidates. Instead, every morning, he climbs to the highest possible peak (his chair), and proclaims I AM.

The name is something like: grawrie-arri-orrruuuu

Who am I to argue with such a clear statement? The only problem was how to translate that into something we pitiful humans can pronounce and use on all those pesky adulting things like vet records and recalls. So, after even more debate about the pronounceability of Rory or Roarey or Rawrie, Farm Buddy and I did something that seems to have been forgotten in our modern politics - we compromised and agreed on:

Orrie *

*Please note that this was a legitimate election. My vote counts more than yours because I buy the food, pay the vet, and share my bed with Orrie. Farm Buddy's vote counts because she is my best friend of nearly 30 years, has to provide babysitting, and will never let me hear the end of it. Orrie gets a vote because dogs (even baby dogs) should be respected for the amazing, wonderful, intelligent creatures that they are. There will be no recounts and insurrection attempts will be put down with the shame and ridicule they deserve.

Welcome to the farm, and to the deep parts of my oft-cracked heart, little Orrie.

Cast your vote

2021-04-27T22:17:00.001-04:00

The puppy is either going to be Leo because he is a fierce little lion or Aero because he is already very aerodynamic. What is your vote?

Language Barriers

2021-04-23T21:56:00.000-04:00

A visual essay on the fundamental differences between Border Collies and Windsprites....

Connor may not do cuddling and all the touchy-feely stuff, but he loves Cora and is totally accepting of the new puppy. He is amazingly good with all puppies and he loves having his very own pack. You aren't ever going to see cute pictures of him snuggling in bed, but he is the best pack leader and mentor a puppy can have and he is very happy with his Windsprites. Even if the rotten little devil does steal his Frisbee.

You Can't Have Just One

2021-04-22T21:50:00.002-04:00

Windsprites are unusual dogs - quick, clever, silly, snuggly, endearingly naughty. Sooo naughty.

Their people kept telling me that you can't have just one. I didn't believe that and we were doing just fine with one - Border Collies and Windsprites go well together. It is true, though, that they don't always speak the same language. So, when my friend Ann, who introduced me to the breed in the first place, had a litter of puppies and asked me if I wanted one, I said NO WAY. But, then I asked Cora and all the other Windsprites I see playing Windsprite-games and agaonized over it for ages.

Well.....you can see where this is going.

Say hello to Bright Light's Dash of Brilliance:

I was going to call him Dash, but now that he is here, he makes me think of a little lion cub every time I see him. He even has this insanely cute little roar he does. I haven't found a name that sticks to him yet. Suggestions??

Spring Days

2021-04-16T23:41:00.004-04:00

Spring Fever

2021-03-16T07:53:00.004-04:00

I know it's been a while, but there hasn't been a whole lot to blog about recently other than how utterly sick of deep snow we have all been. Between the snow, the job, the pandemic...it is hard to find words that feel relevant and equally hard to find words that feel creative or interesting.

All of the donkeys are doing well, though they are as sick of snow as I am. Qilin continues to grow mentally and, most definitely, physically. He is taller than Ben now, but still at an awkward, gawky stage. His relationship with Cora (and dogs in general) is interesting. He and Kaia were kindred spirits, siblings of sorts as they were born at nearly the same time. They were quite fond of each other and played together all the time. Qilin is good with Cora - now anyways - but does not have the same relationship with her that he had with Kaia. I doubt that could be recreated. He is totally accepting of my dogs and dogs he is familiar with. Strange dogs on the other hand.....let's just say the dragon half of his hybrid soul comes out in spades and I'm not talking about the friendly sort of dragon.

The mind of a mule is an interesting and many layered thing.

And, of course, there is Cora. She is a blessing that has helped all of us cope with the loss of Kaia though that is a gaping hole that will never be filled. Cora is a bridge over that chasm.

She is very different from Kaia and yet, like most siblings, every now and then she does something so similar to Kaia that it steals my breath away.

Cora is maybe a bit softer, not quite the bold, fearless adventurer that Kaia was but some of that is also that she has been as constrained by deep snow as the rest of us. We have finally had a reprieve from that and she is able to really stretch her legs. She just turned 6 months old and is suddenly realizing that she can fly.

Connor is very glad to have her as is Ian. Border Collies and Whippets go well together.

Of course, she is also very naughty. Happily, delightfully, maddeningly naughty.

And weird. Windsprites are so endearingly weird😇😂😂😂😂😂

There are signs of Spring, my favorite season, all around. We had a few really nice, warm days that wiped out most of the snow. A huge flock of blackbirds has shown up at the feeder and we are all able to get out and stretch our legs. The Spring Rush is nearly on us and we can't wait.

Still Here

2021-01-27T21:46:00.002-05:00

We're all still here. The new job is intense, exhausting, interesting. Hard but mostly good. I talk to people who have been positively diagnosed with COVID all day. Some have no symptoms, some have the sniffles, some are really, really sick. Some can't talk to me because they aren't ever going to speak to anyone ever again.

Mostly, the people who get tested are the ones who can afford it if they need to stay home. They have sick leave and savings. Jobs they can go back to. The ones who can't afford it are mostly doing what they always do - survive or die quietly.

This isn't the flu and everyone should have worn their Goddamm masks last March.

Morning "Walk"

2021-01-04T21:07:00.001-05:00

A Donkey a Day

2021-01-01T22:11:00.002-05:00

They say that seeing a donkey first thing in the day brings good luck. Seems like we better start this new year out with lots of donkeys every day.