Dearest Daphne

Just before the sun set yesterday, I spent a little time with the donkey girls.
They had been out foraging in the front pasture for the day,
and they were tired.


Jack and I had been out cleaning the front pasture and were tired as well.
Seeing Daphne resting in the shed made me want to sit and commune with her
for a little bit.


I love the fact that she is comfortable with me even while she is lying down.


This is the time that an equine is most vulnerable,
so to have them lie there while you move around them requires
a great deal of trust.


Oh, how I love these girls...


It is almost certain that these two girls will live longer than I will.
Their lifespan is 40 to 50 years. (They are only 7.)
Mine is not.... of course, you never know.
My kids know that my last wish is that my donkeys are well cared for
when I am gone!

The solar panels are coming along...
it's been a slow process due to crazy weather.
Perhaps by the end of this week we will be up and running.


And just a note... 
I love the bar shampoo that I had showed you a couple of weeks ago.
I have even stopped needing to use conditioner with it.
Just another step in reducing our consumption, our plastic usage,
and ultimately our carbon footprint.


PS... I'm glad we're friends!

PPS....to Diane.... Faith is actually my black sheep, but she is only black
right after being sheared.  Otherwise, the rest of the year her outer layer
is a shade of brown... depending upon how much she is out in the sun...
or perhaps how much "Sun-In" she is using!

Comments

Louise Stopford said…
Oh those donkey noses are so lovely. Your video is so very sweet - I can almost feel those wonderful soft velvety noses.
littlemancat said…
Oh my, your video brought me to tears, it's so lovely. The bond there is so deep.
And the two hens...
Mary
Karla said…
Lordy, what a sweet video, Bev! Cutest part was when Daphne put her head down on you, and left it there. Such trust, indeed. Would all animals be able to trust us humans like that.
jaz@octoberfarm said…
what donkey love! that is the cutest video!
What a wonderful video! It made my day!
Jennifer B. said…
Love the video. What a sweet girl. It's so clear that she loves you back just as much. And you make an excellent head rest. :)
Anonymous said…
Beautiful moments with your beloved donkeys. It warms my heart to no end to see the love you for your animals.
Thank you, Kaye
kay saylor said…
Just yesterday a FB photo popped of of my daughter with a donkey that used to be turned out with my horse as a companion. My daughter was about 7 at the time and loved that donk. They would cuddle. Sadly both horse and donkey have since passed. Donkeys are the best!
Anonymous said…
You and your precious donkey girls....I enjoyed the video
and could just feel the closeness.
Phyllis
Love, love, love your donkey video. She trusts you and loves you so much. We really feel that way about our dogs. Since we are seniors, our youngest son has told us if anything happens to us he will take care of our girls. When he is over, he makes a big fuss over them and loves and plays with them. Patty McDonald
Dee J. Hartman said…
....Of course, I love all your pictures in this blog and your lovely trusting ladies, who must love you, too....But I was wondering (for myself) the cost of having solar panels installed..About your solar panels, Do you have a few answers to...!. Will they heat your home, your water, and provide any electricity? What all will they do, once installed? 2. I know they are energy saving, but will they pay for themselves in the long run and what is the cost for material and installation for what you are receiving?
diane in northern wis said…
I just loved your video of you with Daphne. What a sweet and sentimental view into your love for each other. You always choose such lovely music too. Thank you for your answer to my question regarding Faith. I hope Hope learns to try those delish crackers! I know I would if I was there!!!
Lynne said…
Precious video with you and Daphne.
Love for sure . . .
Anonymous said…
The video brought tears to my eyes. So endearing. Marcia
Great video. It brought tears to my eyes. I am glad that you heard from Minerva. At Christmas, I heard from my fairies. They are in Key West and having a great time. They said they will probably head back here in late April.
Unknown said…
LOVE your donkeys and the video! I was introduced to your blog thru 7MSN, where I first fell in love with her donkeys.
Unknown said…
Solar info: It depends on where you live, as to how much energy you are able to produce. There are websites which rate the amount of solar energy/sunlight for areas of the country. That said, we lived in OR ("The Wetside of the Cascade Mts) and choose to not go with solar-figured we wouldn't get enough sunlight. Now, we live in central WA where there is plenty of sun year round.
Our numbers:
1300 sq ft house (1925), recently insulated,
24 panels, $23K (inc. panels and install)
Run lights, washer, dryer and A/C (heat and water heater are gas-may change water heater to elec. it's old and may need to be replaced.
WA had a rebate on the panels and, I believe, the converter (?) which had been manufactured in WA (2017) this came off the price of the equipment.
The 30% govt CREDIT, in our case is $7K. We have 3 years to "use up" on our tax return. Last year we used $1K, so we adjusted our withdrawals to help get more this yr.
Our monthly elec bill is $11.03 and has been since install. The $11.03 is taxes and Elec. Co. charges, so we are not buying any electricity from the company. Recently, we received a $4300 ck from the elec. co. for the electricity we generated, and sent to them, for a year. Ck w/your electric co. to find out if they have a program to pay back for the elec. you generate.
Also, the co. we used for the whole process was very knowlegeable in every aspect and able to steer us to a credit union (in Seattle) specializing in solar loans (4.5%).
Finally, since our install (2017) rebates, credits, etc have changed or disappeared.
We love our solar.
Dee J. Hartman said…
Thank you for the information regarding solar heat! I will have to do some research before making a decision! I learned a lot, just from your information! I appreciate your response!!!