the picture that would have been worth a thousand words

But can't be, because not only can I not upload, my camera battery is dead!

When I went out at mid-day, Rafer Johnson was lying curled up in the soft, clean hay left over from the round bale, in the sunshine, with Redford standing right behind him, like a little guardian.

It was the sweetest thing I've seen yet with these two, and it made me so happy. Rafer hasn't been able to lie in the warm sunshine since he broke his leg. Today, with Redford's company, he was totally "in the light," soaking it in.

technical difficulties!!

I tried last night late and again this afternoon to get some photos uploaded - but we're having internet issues over here, and until things are working well again, the uploading is out.

We learned last night after doing radiographs yesterday morning that Rafer Johnson's puffy fetlock is due to a hairline sesamoid fracture. :/

Apparently this can happen with full casts, and sadly it has happened to Rafer. The bottom line is that he had to have the full cast initially, so even had we known this was a possibility, there weren't really other alternatives. And the good news is that they assume it will fuse on its own. But he will need to stay in closer confinement for now. Thank goodness, he has Redford with him!

Next thing on Rafer's schedule is Oct. 28th when they will take the cast off, bi-valve it, and put it back. That way we can take it on and off to check for sores, let the leg "breathe," etc.

He's getting a homeopathic remedy and a bit of Banamine last night for discomfort. The swelling is again better today and he is moving more normally. Interestingly, Salina has stayed up at the barn, keeping an eye on BOTH donkeys. :)

Send some healing light his way. Photos when I can get them up.

a shocking turn of events (with a really wonderful outcome)

It became quite apparent this morning that Salina has gone into a full-blown cycle of heat. :0

She went out to the field with the geldings after breakfast and by 2 p.m. had not come back up to the barn. She stuck to Keil Bay like glue and then decided (poor Keil Bay!) that maybe the younger man was the one to pursue. She followed Cody all over the back field all day long. He was quite flabbergasted that the black monster mare suddenly wanted to be with HIM, the lowly bottom of the herd order gelding.

At one point she was sniffing his hindquarters and he turned slowly around at the neck with the funniest expression on his face. What's going ON back there?

It would be hilarious if not for one lonely little donkey stuck inside the barn.

Rafer Johnson and I spent the morning and much of the afternoon listening to NPR while I did chores. He was clearly missing Salina and didn't understand why she wasn't coming when he called. I opened up his lick ball, gave him lots of neck scratches, and we got caught up in "Car Talk."

Rafer's little fetlock, having been unused for 6 weeks, was a bit puffy yesterday. The vet came by to check up on him, and said he felt it would resolve pretty quickly on its own. But Rafer is stall-bound until it improves. I have given him a homeopathic remedy and it is less puffy today, but given the whimsy of the mare, I decided it might be time to make a change.

So I emailed our donkey experts and we have all agreed that it's time for Redford to come cheer up the troops!

Ken and Marty have generously offered to bring Redford tomorrow morning so that Rafer Johnson doesn't have to spend another day wondering what in the world his best friend Salina is up to. He will have Redford right next door to keep him company!

And when he can resume his twice daily turn-outs, he can do so with Redford, at least until Salina passes through this phase. My worries about the suddenly agile and unpredictable mare bumping into a casted donkey are over.

We are so excited - I have been thinking of Redford for the past few days, and now he will be here tomorrow! I think it's just what the doctor ordered for phase two of Rafer's convalescence.

Thank you, Ken and Marty. You are the very best.

old cast new cast

My wonderful husband got up early this morning and managed the entire re-casting process before he went to work, so that when I went out to feed breakfast, there was little Rafer, slightly subdued still from his anesthesia, but newly casted and standing once again with all FOUR hooves on the ground.

Salina is in fine spirits this morning, insisting on being in the paddock where she can interact with the geldings in the back field AND Rafer in his stall. She seems to know that this healing process is approaching the halfway point - and thus she can hang out halfway between the members of her herd. There is no pacing or sense of urgency - she simply seems like she's ready to move back toward the herd life. We are all eager for this to happen, with Rafer Johnson, and with Redford!

Rafer will be completely stall-bound for several days, until he gets used to using his fetlock and hoof again, and builds those muscles back.

His pressure sore is not bad at all, but it's tender, and a good thing it is now completely untouched by the cast so it can heal.

What a little trooper! Today I'm so much closer to seeing things back to normal here on November Hill. And looking SO forward to seeing two donkeys running together with Salina not too far behind!

harvest moon afternoon

We had a warm day today and decided to give equine baths. Salina went first, and then Keil Bay snuck into the small barnyard in front of the pony, so we did both of them together. Cody will get his tomorrow or Thursday, and Rafer Johnson did his own bath rolling in the grass paddock. No water for donkeys!

After baths, Keil Bay and Apache went into the front field and had themselves a 20-minute play session. They galloped up the hill, they reared and bucked, they did collected trot in 5-meter circles, they did passage. They were both floating. It was so nice to see, particularly with the pony, who I believe was feeling quite good to be doing all that work from the hindquarters.

I did some cleaning in the tack room, and when I came out, this is what I saw.



A very distinguished Dickens E. Wickens surveying his property. And two of his cohorts enjoying the round bale.




Our very most favorite hay is once again available, but only in round bales until next spring. We've been feeding from the bale with a pitchfork and hay barrow but since the bale is in the barnyard it makes a nice buffet for the equine crew.

We're getting ready to re-fence the grass paddock and move Salina and Rafer back to the near side of the barn so the geldings can have their stalls, but until then there is a fair amount of free access to the buffet. As you can see, it's quite the hot spot.

I meant to get a photo of the harvest moon as it rose up over the trees tonight. I was doing a client call outside, and watched the moon rise. Just at the pinnacle of the call, when the good insights happened, Keil Bay walked over and bowed to me. After that I forgot all about the moon.

But it does feel like a full harvest day.