Herbert & Alayna

We all have creatures we are attracted to. Many find tigers mysterious or the great white thrilling. I happen to enjoy donkeys. Big ones, tiny ones, scrawny ones, ornery ones. I am really not picky. Something about the stubborn burro makes me smile. (I also have a deep attraction to Basset Hounds, so maybe it has something to do with out of proportion ears). One day I was going to own a donkey and he was going to be named Herbert. Why Herbert? That is my husband’s first name. In my opinion, Herbert really suits a donkey. Up until about 5 years ago, our place of residents was not donkey friendly. We were able to move onto our small Kentucky farm and began raising a small herd of cattle and a couple of long legged, skittish sheep who eventually found a happier place after standing under a tree during a lightning storm. We now had the space for Herbert. I spent lots of time gogglin donkeys and mug shots of donkeys. I had settled on adopting a longear from the Bureau of Land Management at some point.

Then I went to The Kentucky Horse Park and laid my eyes on miniature donkeys. OOHHHHHH….talk about the cutest little creature ever created. And the babies, words can’t even describe the cuteness factor of a baby miniature donkey. Herbert now had to be a miniature. Of course I rushed home and goggled miniature donkeys. One tiny problem squashed my dream quickly. $$$$$. But they are so little. How could something you can stow in the back of a minivan rack up that kind of price. A miniature would be a luxury pet, so back to the Land Management site.

I had the biggest surprise roll up my driveway about a year and a half ago. It was an early 16th wedding anniversary present. Arthur got a mysterious phone call about a week prior. He and our son Mitchell rushed off one rainy evening. Told me “don’t ask questions or try to figure out where we are going”. Great, now I had to find out what’s going on. The following weekend, Arthur hollers for Mitchell to come down stairs and they both go running down the driveway, barking at me to stay in the house. A short time later, Mitchell calls me on his phone. He tells me to come on down to the corral. I slide on my shoes and start to walk down our long gravel driveway. I see a trailer and pickup in the distance. He did it, Arthur bought me Herbert. When I approached the trailer (of course my boys were all smiles) I noticed I couldn’t see a head. And with the slits and openings in the large trailer, I should see at least ears poking up. By this time, I am holding back tears. Not only did I get Herbert, but I believe Herbert is a miniature, because I can’t see him. The lovely lady Pat, who trailered over my surprise, kept referring to donkey as plural while she was unhitching the back of the trailer. I thought well, she is just talking about the breed in general. Pat opened the back, and there was a divider, still no glimpse as to what is back there. My heart is pounding and tears are running down my cheeks. Pat pulls back the divider and there stands Herbert and a friend. Arthur immediately calls her Alayna (my middle name).
Now, just over a year later, Herbert and Alayna are inseparable. They quickly made friends with our cows and spend their days cruising around, grazing and stirring up a little mischief when the feeling suits them. I love to watch them chase each other in the field, making circle eights, through the cows and calves. Occasionally giving chase to a calf that is a little curious. In the evening the couple approaches the fence by our house letting loose a little asthma wheeze. All of my day’s troubles immediately melt away when I cross that fence and receive a dose of donkey love.
The amazing pictures were taken by my cousin who visited last week. She has captured my heart with her talent. Thank you J’Non.