tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8627322010786735293.post1493936915626977090..comments2023-10-01T09:35:35.894+02:00Comments on Antipodes: Donkeys in the snowWilliam Skyvingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10052367756561555096noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8627322010786735293.post-39405838682141473642010-01-10T18:20:22.279+01:002010-01-10T18:20:22.279+01:00Donkeys are wonderful beasts. Contrary to the comm...Donkeys are wonderful beasts. Contrary to the common belief about their being silly asses (term used to designate foolish humans), donkeys are exceptionally intelligent creatures, with cunning personalities and a kind of dry sense of humor. If a donkey escapes from his normal territory, he'll often spend an hour or so parading around, constantly just out of your reach, with the sole aim of demonstrating that he's smarter than the person who's trying to coax him back into his paddock. (I'm talking of donkeys who've been brought up with a sense of liberty.) Then, as soon as he feels that the demonstration is successfully concluded, he'll stroll back calmly on his own. As with all domestic animals, an owner ends up forming a fairly good idea of what his donkey is thinking and feeling at any particular moment. I don't believe that mine are cold at present, just as they never seem to be concerned about getting wet in the rain. On the other hand, they never have a clear stereoscopic vision of what lies directly in front of them, and they have a permanent problem detecting grades of color. Consequently, the phenomenon of a thick blanket of snow on the slopes tends to disturb them. They hesitate before advancing, and end up slipping and sliding a lot. If Sophia's natural element is undoubtedly snow, that of a donkey is rather a patch of dry dusty earth, to roll on. In donkey language, this is referred to as their "bath". Have you heard of the world's most renowned donkey specialist, who has been a consultant for various nations in Africa who are faced with the challenge of reintroducing donkeys for economic reasons? An English lady of Scandinavian origins named Elisabeth Svendsen, founder of <i>The Donkey Sanctuary</i> at Sidmouth in Devon. Besides developing a rich context of veterinary techniques for treating donkeys, Elisabeth Svendsen also pioneered the therapeutic role of donkeys in both pediatric and geriatric situations. A remarkable lady, who developed a passion for remarkable beasts.William Skyvingtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10052367756561555096noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8627322010786735293.post-68167699577755528502010-01-10T16:45:08.826+01:002010-01-10T16:45:08.826+01:00The may not be pious believers - but they are at l...The may not be pious believers - but they are at least as smart as the average pious believer. Don't they get cold at all? Shouldn't you knit them jackets?Badgerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11283813317560446754noreply@blogger.com