Donkeys, You May Not Eat My Flowers!

A lovely fall day in Michigan.  The temperature in the low 60's.  Some sun.  Ahh.  The perfect day to let four miniature donkeys out to wander in the "compound" (the fenced in area surrounding the house).  An idyllic scene, you might say.

And yet... there you would be wrong.  So wrong.

The four buzzards are very adept at destroying anything those adorable little lips can suck into those cavernous mouths.

And so you see how I have to protect my garden.

Surrounding it by any means possible.  Wheelbarrow, planters, bicycle, sawhorses.  Anything that's in the vicinity.  I learned this lesson the hard way.  They don't hesitate at stepping right in and nibbling the delectables.

And so, you say, why are you allowing the destructive beasts out of their area to roam?  Good question.

It's Michigan.  In late October.  The pasture has pretty much had it.  They might think they're grazing, but they're really just walking around pretending, because all the good stuff is gone.  And yes, that means I've upped the ante of hay and straw at mealtimes.  Remember... cavernous mouths with matching appetites.

And yet, those beasts are pretty darn cute.  And so worth it.
Mostly.

A'Molting We Will Go

A Bevy of Bovines

I know next to nothing about cows.  But the ones next door are worming their way into my heart.  Oh yea.

I have now made my reputation clear as the carrot lady and ofttimes when I call and shake my carrot bag, these cuties come on the fly.  Cows and steer running full blast, screeching to a stop at the fence, and standing with expectant faces.

This is mama cow.  Her baby was born at the local county fair in July and, as much as I enjoy treating mama cow, I have cocked an eyebrow at her mothering skills.  They seem a little remiss to me.  But baby appears to be thriving, so, what do I know...

Big boy Blaze I particularly like treating.  I'm sure he's meant for the freezer, which breaks my heart, The point is he's getting pretty large.  I want to indulge him as much as I can while there's time.

 
This cutie knows he has horns and can bully his way to the carrots.  And yet, he's on the carrot team.

Yes, the donkeys do object to "their" carrots being doled out to the interlopers.  I try to even things out, but I'm not sure they'd agree.