rainy days and donkeys

We're into a string of rainy, cool days, and the donkey boys are getting so tired of it. This morning when I went out, I found halters and lead ropes strewn throughout the barn.

The blue barrel that operates like a sort of sink beneath the water pump had been emptied and shoved against the barn doors.

Brushes were tossed about.

The step ladder had been knocked over.

A bucket of plastic flowers and pinwheels (for decorating jumps) had been emptied.

And in the middle stall, quite a large hole had been dug in one corner.

It was quite a mess out there!

Last night I brought the geldings into the arena to give them some exercise before setting them up with hay for the night. The donkeys let themselves in as well and suddenly there was a horse/donkey stampede.

Keil Bay went into his big bold Bay mode and took off after the donkeys. Then Cody got into the act, and the pony was bucking and kicking right behind them.

I couldn't stand it. The donkeys were in the lead but it was just too scary. As Rafer Johnson approached the gate, I opened it out into the barnyard, giving him room to run right through, which he did. Redford stayed in the midst of the stampede for another half-lap, and then saw that Rafer had escaped, so he ran for the open gate to join him.

Salina was in the barnyard with me, tsk tsking away at the silly boys.

Meanwhile, the oak trees are dropping acorns like mad, and I'm spending time each day raking them, mucking them out of the fields, and in some areas mixing horse manure into them in an effort to keep the equines from eating too many.

Where are all the squirrels when you need them?

(I'm almost afraid to answer that, since we've been finding squirrel remains in our barnyard of late)

Otherwise, the gray wet days are perfect for reading books, writing, and eating pumpkin pancakes with hot cocoa on the side.