{7} I love...

our Miniature Donkeys.
Yep.
I just do.  Can't help myself.
I know it has everything to do with how we found them, and their journey to now.

In this photo, Savannah is holding Jenni.
Over 3 years ago, I had mentioned to someone that I would love to own a miniature donkey.  Just days later this same lady called me and told me that she knew of 2 miniature donkeys that may be available.  The uncomfortable circumstances were that their current owner was not taking care of them.  They needed rescuing, immediately.  She gave me the phone number to the owner and I somehow got up the gutso to call him.  I explained that someone had given me his number because I was desperately seeking miniature donkeys and they thought he may be looking to get rid of his.  He actually seemed very relieved.  We arranged to go pick them up days later.  Shawn and I rigged our trailer to be able to transport them back to the farm.  When we arrived at the property to get the donkeys, I gasped.  I didn't even want to get out of the truck.  The donkeys, especially the girl, were horrifically thin and I just thought we were in way over our heads.  Shawn turned to me and said, "Savannah can love them back to health."  The owner seemed relieved to pass on the responsibility of these little donkeys and we headed back home.  I called Savannah on my cell phone and cried, I was not optimistic.  On the way home, the gray male Bart stood close to Jenni preventing her from falling over she was so weak.  They were literally intertwined.

We got home and Bart was terrified.  His eyes were wild and he trembled.  Jenni walked off the trailer and went immediately to Savannah.  There was instant affection there.  It was tough to watch Bart at this time because he never wanted to be but inches away from Jenni but he was beyond scared of us and his new surroundings.  He never left Jenni's side though.

Months later, we were in the dead of winter, below freezing temps.  Savannah had gone out to the barn and Jenni was down flat and Bart was very anxious and pacing next to her.  Jenni would not get up.  It is extremely dangerous for donkeys or horses to lay out like that for an extended amount of time... things get bad real fast.  Shawn and Savannah literally lifted Jenni up, held her standing, and Savannah manually moved one foot and then the other foot to get her walking.  I actually went back to the house because I couldn't stand to see Jenni declining like that!  I did not think she would live past that first night we found her down.  Every few hours, Shawn and Savannah went back out and lifted Jenni and walked her around.  After a few days she stopped going down.  In my heart, I still felt that we had rescued her only to have her die peacefully on our farm.

But just 6 short months after we rescued Jenni and Bart, they were healthy.  Now years later, Bart is still so very timid, but will let us pet him and he adores Savannah.  Jenni will eeeeeeaaaaawwww all the way across the pasture as soon as she sees one of us walk out of the house.  She is loving and extremely friendly.  We can place little kiddos on her back and she will walk them around.  They are just a joy!

Bart's painfully shy nature endears him to me.  I love how he so apprehensively returns our affection and how passionately attached he is to Jenni.  They both have a forever home on this farm.  I love them too dearly to lose them and I could never deal with the chance that these two would ever be separated. 

AND those ears... they just kill me!