Welcome Siog (She-OH-g) !

Phew - I'm back to blogging after a couple of hectic weeks.  Funny - writing has often come easily during times of angst in the past - but not blogging.  Blogging for me needs a happy frame of mind!  So with Ringo's move behind me and the safe transport of our new little donkey from a southern gulf island nearly a week ago, I can rejoin the mysterious world of blogging with focus and a positive attitude!


First about Ringo:  we trailered him across on the ferry to where he was picked up by the person who owned him before I did.  She is terrific with him and it was good to deliver him to her.  He'll stay at her farm until his new owner is able to make the journey with her trailer to take him home.

All will be well for him once he settles.  He's got a lot of living to do and will no doubt enjoy his new companions.

A few days later, a friend and I headed out on a little road trip to pick up Siog.  What a sweet young fairy she is!

But leaving home for a young donkey is a big deal (in my opinion) - she doesn't "ask" to move but we humans make so many decisions on behalf of our animals.  She traveled well but it was a huge relief to park the trailer at our farm again and let her out!

We had about an hour and a half of daylight left, so she was introduced to Deenah and Dorica through the fence and spent her first night in a small paddock that opened into a new stall we created in the barn.  The next morning, I brought her into the barn paddock and parked Deenah beside her slow feeder while Dorica and Siog got acquainted.

It was so interesting!  Siog immediately started making mouthing gestures as though she was in heat and backing up to Dorica, inviting her to mount.  But when Dorica approached, Siog let her hooves fly!  Eventually, Dorica did mount Siog and after some neck biting and squealing, they broke apart and chased each other around the paddock at breakneck speed.

I wish I'd had my video camera, but couldn't tear myself away from the spectacle to go and get it.  Dorica and Siog will be good friends, I think.  Deenah has been slower to welcome Siog.  She has been making grumpy faces and was chasing her away for the first couple of days.  I had hoped she would play "auntie" to Siog, especially since she's only 3 years old, but I think she was annoyed.  Perhaps she felt jealous by Dorica's interest in her new buddy.

Nearly a week has passed now and everyone is getting used to each other.  I observe small layers of "settling"  day by day but I know it takes a long time.