Saturday, March 15, 2014

Donkey Zen

One of my favorite places to look for inexpensive books is Daedalus Books.  As you will recall I am contemplating adding chickens to the mix of backyard critters next year (see post of 3/9/14) and toward that end picked up the book,  the Way of the Hen, Zen and the Art of Raising Chickens by Clea Danaan from Daedalus.


In the first few pages I found this passage:  "In the midst of cell phones that connect to the Internet and cars that tell us where to go, fifty-hour work-weeks and three-hour lines at the airport, we long just to sit on a hill and feed grass to a chicken... Our true nature is to slow down.  Sit.  Watch the clouds.  Chickens, in their simple scratches and pecks, call us back to our true nature."  

That struck a strong chord with me.  That's exactly what my sweet donkeys give to me.  A re-connection with my true nature. When I let them.  When I'm not angry at having to push a wheelbarrow through the slush or getting exasperated with Luigi's penchant for blocking my way on the narrow snow paths.  When I stop and listen to the soft munching of hay and feel their gentle nibbles on my hand.  That's when I reconnect.  And that's how they help me slow down, look up at the sky and enjoy.

5 comments:

  1. Donkeys are masters at making us stop and connect with the moment. Thank God they are so good at getting in the way.

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  2. Donkeys are such wonderful, smart animals. I was fortunate enough to meet my donkey friend, Two Bits, in Colorado. We spent 5 years getting to know one another and he tolerated a lot more from me than many others, it was tough to leave him when i moved back east but he belonged to the ranch and he loved it there. Twelve years after i left i made it back for a visit and 'Bits was still there, older and a bit crankier. He didn't recognize me, turned his head away and moved out of my reach. I was disappointed but it had been a very long time. I sat down nearby to talk to friends and we noticed that Bits had turned around and was watching us with his ears up... i kept talking and he kept moving closer until he was standing right in front of me. He pressed his head against my chest and took a deep breath that he let out in a soft bray. He had recognized my voice. He lived a few more years and finally passed away at the grand old age of 41. Such a wonderful fellow.
    Thank you for the blog and the pictures, it brings back such great memories. Cat

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    1. Cat, what a truly wonderful story. Was Two Bits a full-size or miniature?
      41... wowzers...

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  3. I love your post. I so much enjoy keeping chickens. But when I look out and they are all scratching and throwing the compost our of a new garden bed!!! Well, I get frustrated too. After all, these chickens have acres and acres of leaves to scratch in, but they all gather in a garden bed. The thanks I get for letting them out of their lot everyday to free range!! :)

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