Ever since I met a woman a few years ago at a B&B in Okanagan Falls who had a lot of donkey chachkies around the place—enough that I ended up asking So what’s with all the donkeys? and she answered with some lovely donkey stories and streams of trivia, all of which become thin and boring in translation/reality because you really had to be there [on holiday, drinking B.C wine around a stone fireplace]—I’ve been slightly mad for the big-eared furry beasts.

In fact, one of my goals is to have a guard donkey on my as yet to be acquired vast country estate. I’ve heard they’re extremely proprietary and can easily take down cougars and other things that prowl about on country estates, vast and otherwise. (Not that I have anything against cougars.)

So the other day when I’m driving from point A to point B and pass a donkey standing in a field—which for some reason hardly ever happens—well, I had to turn around of course and take some pictures. I was happy enough just zooming in on the beautiful thing way off in the distance.

Never dreamed it would walk across the whole field…
…right over to the fence
…and stand right in front of me
…which I took as a sign of kinship—it obviously felt my donkey-loving vibes.
A very happy Dr. Dolittle moment.
Then it did this.
Followed by this.
Being smitten, I chose to take this as a message of welcome, good humour and a general attempt at communication (though I’ve been told it’s more likely a message of If you haven’t got any carrots would you mind getting off my property or you’ll leave me no choice but to do my famous cougar move…)

Which is exactly the kind of donkey you want to have.