The One Year Anniversary of the Arrival of Paco & Luigi!!!

Today is the day!! One year ago today I was crouched in the back of the BMW with two terrified little donkeys that I thought for sure would kick out the back window on the ten minute ride to their new home. Little did I know it was just the beginning of a wonderful first year of donkey parenthood...soon I would be the manure mistress of the pasture and more! It has been a year of firsts: learning how to worm a donkey, how to take a donkey's temperature, when to schedule a farrier visit, how much pine shavings to buy, how much hay and what KIND of hay to buy (who knew there were so many different kinds?) and how much hay to feed...what to do when a donkey comes running while hee-hawing at the same time and on and on. And there were the unexpected moments of taking a quick snooze with the donkeys and hearing their "Papa" tell them all about where their great, great grandparents come from (Sicily) while playing harmonica to them at bedtime. I never expected the hard-to-describe soulfulness that the donkeys both possess. They are a joy to be around daily and I feel very blessed and honored to share my life with them and to have them live with us...I'm excited about the next 35+ years!!! The following photos are just a few of the many highlights of our first year with Paco and Luigi. (There are some blanks spaces...just keep scrolling on down!) Now I really know that all those times when I felt compelled to drive by The Honkey Donkey Farm "just to look" that there was something beyond me guiding me there...life before donkeys???? We had one but now it is even better!!!!!!!

The boys enjoy their sweet grain underneath their Happy Anniversary Sign.

The vegan cake baked for today!

Camille and Tim (proud parents of the world's cutest puppy named Baron) came for dinner.
Camille and Paco.
Tim and Solo.


Dessert!

The early days of lead training.

Never tire of watching the donkeys play.



We had the first donkey birthdays at the Lazy Vegan!

In the first few weeks...so small!
Karina and her new brother Paco.

Note the differences in sizes in a year's time!
Randy sure loves his donkeys- and they love him right back.

Visiting friends down the road.




There were many farrier visits!

The donkeys weathered all the seasons...

Racing donkeys!
Randy puts up the donkey names on the new "barn".
I'm in love.
Randy gives his boys a lecture.








Babies!!!

The new fencing arrived. Boy, were we ever CLUELESS.
Our vet, Dr. Kerr, who taught us what "ADR" and "EPP" means..."Ain't Doing Right" (when a donkey is sick) and to check the Eating, Peeing and Pooping when they are sick!
What a winning smile.









I got to see this great dog-donkey relationship while it lasted!

Just some of the different scenes of the past year...
Lead training...the blind leading the blind!








Meeting the donkeys at the Honkey Donkey Farm!

Deb & Dad with Luigi.
Deb with Paco.
Bravo meets the donkeys.
Paco looks so small here.
This doesn't really look like training!









I am a manure mistress!

Patty and Luigi.
Paul and Paco.

Snap and Paco.









Luigi as a baby!

They call him "The Donkey Whisperer".
Paco and his real Mom.
Luigi taking a dust bath with his real Mom.
The Tomashefsky boys with Luigi.








We celebrated holidays with the donkeys!

Paco a day old. Be still, my heart.

Luigi dances to Karina's music.

Diana with Paco above and Luigi below! It didn't take but a second for me to be smitten.

Anthony and Luigi.
Claire and Paco.
Bravo watches from the window.

The day before the donkeys arrive...we set up the fencing and got the barn ready!


Saying hi to my boys at the Honkey Donkey Farm. I visited them daily until they were old enough to come home with us. I loved seeing all the donkeys, and "my boys" totally knew me by the time they came home!

We had to deal with some snarky "teenage" moments.















At the Honkey Donkey Farm, they would run over to greet me.

Luigi's first morning at The Lazy Vegan.
Learning how to get along with the dogs.


Sweet Weegie.

Funny Paco.
Randy bonds with his boys.








Thanks for the great memories, Paco & Luigi!!!