A Good Neighbor

 

There is a beautiful big pasture in our neighborhood. I wrote about it here in 2016 when it was for sale and we all were worried that new development would destroy this precious little corner. 

Thankfully someone in the neighborhood stepped up and bought it, so that its rural character could be preserved. There was a big sigh of relief going through my neighborhood.

We all agree that our very best neighbor was living here.

No one knew what his real name was - he was just Donkey. Some kids called him Don Quixote which I think was very smart. Kaefer and I called him Donkers, and whenever you called him by whatever name, he came running down to the fence, expecting some nose rubs and, even more, some food. 

Carrots might have been his favorite food. He loved them and never gobbled them down, but chewed them very carefully and thoughtfully. 

He certainly didn't have the best teeth anymore, though.

He was owned by the people who live above the pasture. He was rescued from BLM land about 30 years ago and quickly became an integral part of our community. He loved us and we loved him back. My friend Matt lives right across from the pasture and says that Donkers made his demands for fresh carrots pretty clear when he saw Matt standing in his kitchen (which faces the meadow).

I could hear him braying even inside our home with all the windows closed - granted, I only live a couple minutes away from the pasture.

I was particularly fond of his ears.

On the first Saturday of the new year, Donkers was found dead in his pasture. He had been suffering from Cushing's Disease (which none of us knew), but despite the disease he was around 40 years old. That is quite an old age for donkeys whose average lifespan is 33 years.

He even made it in the paper.

Our tight knit neighborhood came out with a little memorial at Donkers' gate.

I think we will all miss him. The pasture is not the same without him. But I'm sure he will keep on living in our hearts and the children will always fondly remember him. I know that Kaefer does.

This is the last photo I took of him, just a few weeks before he passed.

His sweet face is my contribution to Nicole's Friday Face Off.