Loki has been residing at J's farm for about a year now. She has been a foster mom to four of our donkeys for a long time, when one of her/our donkeys got ill last year with bladder stones, she was brought back together with her then eight year old son Willie. Due to Roberta's medical condition it was decided to keep her at the DSC for a time being until she is well enough to go back, after passing all her medical follow up appointments. Willie was taken back to Joan after about two months and to make the transition easier for him, he got a new companion in the form of Loki. Loki came with his mother Anu to the DSC in 2006 and he became a big brother that same year, when our Odin was born. Even so we had all three donkeys for a while together at the DSC it was very obvious that they were not a tight family and most of them chose their own companions, Anu resides now at a Foster Farm too and Odin is best friends with Cargo and Tengen, our three Musketeers. So Loki left last summer with Willie to go to J's farm. All reports and conversations with J. over the last little while was that Loki was doing well and just loves it there, but who wouldn't. J still comes out to visit her Roberta ever so often and is excited about the chance to have her return in the late spring or early summer. So the other day we received this Loki story and it just shows how smart these guys really are and that they think for themselves...
Before the snow came yesterday our winter field was a mess just like all the other fields in this area. There were a few bare spots, snow covered areas, sections of frozen slush and in among all this were patches of polished ice. Treacherous for horses, donkeys and people!!!! As Joan was filling the hay feeders Loki came and stood at the back door of the barn looking down the slope at the horses teetering along to the feeders. He stood there for about 5 minutes before he decided to move but instead of heading down the slope on the trail the horses had made he came out of the barn and veered left and continued heading left as he moved down the slope. He went around the feeders and then turned and approached the feeders from the back. As I watched him navigate his way along I noticed his path took him only on the bare spots or snow covered spots. He carefully avoided the ice and frozen slush.
It scares her to think that he was standing at the barn door planning a safe route. :) There were no other tracks in this area so he was not following a ready made path. Willy might have to take a back seat to another emerging Donkey Einstein.
Makes you wonder what else they could think of. :)
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