A council estate raised British city girl trying to make it in rural Canada

Donkey donks

Aren't we the lucky ones, 2 entries in one week - on a roll I tell you, on a roll.

Thought today warranted and entry - so you're getting one.

Picked up uncle Kellys stock trailer yesterday. Although uncle Kelly wasn't there and neither me, nor auntie Chris nor cousin Cait had the foggiest idea how to attach the thing to the truck. Luckily i'd taken 2 balls for the hitch as I wasn't sure what size their trailer was.

Miraculously one fitted. Auntie Chris said as I was driving off "be careful the top rear door has a tendancy to come open"

What? Are you kidding me. Great.

The trailer is old and very heavy, so driving home i'm watching the road most of the time, the rear view mirror lots of the time, and the fuel guage all of the time. Blimey - you can see the guage moving down as you stomp on the pedal to get enough speed to get up a hill. :(

Managed to tow it home, and, full of the joys of me being great, was looking forward to waking up today, loading the extra cedar planks into the trailer, dropping it off at Home Depot, swapping it for 8ft planks (which will then fit in the bed of the truck, then driving onwards to collect the donkeys. Oh happy days.

Except when they are not.

Woke up this morning and it was pissing it down. Seriously raining. Marvellous. Threw on some waterproofs and went outside to stack the 12ft planks that needed to go back. Opened the back of the trailer and ............

WTF

There's 6ft of space in it, the rest is taken up with a feediing station sectioned off, so you can put hay for your animals whilst in transit. Now, I'm no rocket scientist, but even I know, whichever way you try them, 12ft planks aren't going in there.

Undeterred, but soaking wet by this time - I decide to put the planks in the bed of the truck facing upwards, and tarp / rachet strap them down.

Like this.

That should work.

Apart from when it doesn't.

I get half an hour down the road, and via the constant checking in the mirrors, I see the straps are coming loose, the tarp is flying everywhere and the boards are slipping.

F**K this shit. The roads are wet through, it's windier than hell and at my current speed i'll get to the city next Tuesday.

I turn around and go home.

After unloading all the planks (read - grumpily throwing them off the truck onto the deck), I head off again. Feeling a bit safer, although the weather was still shitty.

45 mins into the journey a car is flashing me. Oh great, what now.

"Your rear top door is open" He says as we both come to a stop. Me now smiling and thanking the guy embarrasingly, is also thinking - great I have to turn off this road i'm blocking, iinto a side road and secure the doors, which means reversing the truck and trailer back onto the highway. Something which I have never done before.

I remembered watching a show on tv that said when reversing with a trailer- turn the steering wheel the direction you don't want the trailer to go.

It worked!!!!!! And I saved my ass from looking very stupid by neatly reversing round a corner and back on my merry way.

I enjoyed doing it so much that I did it again, Twice, as I completely missed the turning (twice) to the donkey mans house :)

Finally got there at 6 (after setting off right at the start at 3pm!!!!!) and felt happy to be stationary. He showed me the donkeys (he has loads - all very friendly and very very cute). Said yup - i'll take em. He wanted me to take another but I said no - 2 is enough KTHXBAI.

Loading the donkeys was funny, they are so small that if they don't want to get into the trailer you just pick up their legs and shove them in - awesome - couldn't do that with a horse!!!!!

So loaded and ready to go, I reverse the trailer in his yard (this is now my favourite trick and am contemplating driving all the way home backwards) and head home. Twice on the way back the doors opened (not I hasten to add the main doors - or they'd be donkeys all over the road) just the top swing doors, but I was watching in the side mirrors periodically, and caught it as it happened.

When I turned down onto our gravel road I was so bloody relieved to be on the home stretch I could have cried. Next time we do this Darcy can leave me his big ass truck and he can take my little one. You could feel every pull and bump in the road AND I had to stop and get gas on the way back - what the hell - I'd used a full tank going 200 kms. Mental note to self - if we buy a stock trailer - don't get one thats made of solid lead.

Drove up into our pasture, and opened the doors to the trailer so the donkeys could see thier new abode. I was happy to see them still standing after the journey, although was half expecting carnage in the back. They fell out of the trailer as soon as the doors opened more or less, and as soon as they hit the ground they started eating. There's a lot of grass there so we'll have to limit their "out' time. As they'll get fat and donkeys don't burn off the energy very well.

All in all then, not too bad a journey. The donkeys (Smokey and Bandit) are happy, super friendly and home.

Took the dogs up to the pasture to introduce them, Rumble nearly had a heart attack and couldn't make his mind up whether he should bark, growl, run around or whine. Tango just hid as soon as he saw them.

The status quo will work out, and I think if Rumble tries to chase them he'll be in for a shock.

Smokey on the left, Bandit on the right. Not sure what their colouring is as they have their winter coats, but thats irrelavent. Will get them gelded in the Autumn (they are only 9 months old and its best apparently to do them around 1 and when there are no bugs around - so I reckon October should do it.

Feet need trimming so will be contacting a farrier, also need to buy a couple of halters in foal size (awwwwwwww), some mineral block and deworm them. Pretty simple keepers, will try and train them to carry a pack so they can have some work to do around here. If not I think they will just get very fat from food and love.

Untitled Comment

08:34, Tuesday 8 May 2012 .. Posted by Piff Poff

I WANNA MINI DONKEY DONK!

They are too cute.

Untitled Comment

10:59, Monday 14 May 2012 .. Posted by mandymoochops

lol thanks PP, you'll have to come up sand see them x