Wednesday, May 5, 2010

My boy, Beau


I haven't talked much about my new donkey, Beau, lately other than to mention his hoof and eye problems. While these concerns have taken up a lot of my attention, he is such a good boy that I feel he deserves to have a bit of blog attention that isn't health concern related.

My Beau is big for a standard donkey. He stands 48" at the withers, which is 12hh for any horse-people out there:

He turned seven years old in April. Almost everything he does is done with slow and deliberate movements. I'm not sure whether this comes from his size, his troublesome feet, or his personality - it could be a combination of all three. Regardless, his slow progress up and down our hills often reminds me of Eeyore from "Winnie the Pooh".

Beau and Chester couldn't be any more opposite in personalities. Beau's calm and quiet demeanor is an interesting counter to Chet's quick moves and big-n-sassy attitude:

Yes, Beau loves the carrot coins as much as everyone else here on Critter Farm:

Remarkably, the llamas are fairly easy going around Beau. Where this would never be attempted with Chester, Kai and Beau will often eat from the same bucket:

Beau, however, has been known to - accidentally, I believe - offend on more than one occasion. When this happens, the llama ladies don't hesitate to give him a good swift one between the eyes:

When Beau's goofy side shows up, it lightens my heart because it shows me he's finally feeling better than he was when he first arrived here:

Who doesn't love a good bear hug every now and then?:

One of Beau's favorite things to do is eat the moss off our big Douglas Fir trees:

He'll stand there for quite a while, slowly chewing, thoughtfully biting:

He's almost zen-like in his total absorption in the moss:

He's so absorbed, he doesn't notice Chester come up behind him. Can you see that look in Chet's eye? We'll talk about that some day:

From the looks of the bark on the tree, others have been nibbling here, too. Not good for the tree. Some chicken wire wrapping may be in order:

Now that Chet knows I've got the camera, he tries to get into all my shots. Especially if those shots appear to be centered on Beau. He's got a jealous bone, that guy:

Here's what's left of our Christmas tree:

Both Beau and Chester still love to chew on it. Giant toothpicks?:

Look at those chompers:

Watching Beau, as I have since he came to us in January, he seems to be a supremely gentle soul. Everything about him is just a little slower than every other animal here on Critter Farm. This allows him to observe everything going on around him:

He didn't bray when he first arrived here, but Chester has taught him what to do at mealtimes and he's got a great voice:

My boy, Beau:

21 comments:

  1. I hope Beau is feeling better health-wise, feeling more confident, and feeling love. Yes, we want Beau updates from time to time.

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  2. ...and there's Chester, getting into that last shot!

    Beau seems a big sweetie, and I like the gentleness of his and C's faces.

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  3. ahhhhhh :O) that Beau sounds wonderful!

    As I read your post I was thinking Beau has a "old soul" then you said he had a Gentle Soul :O)... Old Soul, he's been around the block a few times before so he knows not to sweat the small stuff ...tee hee :O)... These are the best kind of animals... those with what I call young souls are usually a handful to the point it works against their best interest a lot...lots and lots of lessons to be learned for those young souls... LOL like humans with them....

    I bet he is very happy he came to live with you!! He has lots of friends ..plenty to eat and great humans who take care of him! What more could a Donkey ask for!

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  4. Oh! Beau sounds wonderful! And, it would appear he has lessons to teach: slowing down and being in a calmer state. Thanks for sharing and thanks for the smiles.

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  5. What a handsome boy, you are so lucky!

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  6. Aww - he looks SOO much better than when you first got him. I can tell he is thriving under your good care.

    I love slow donkeys. (Josie is very slow and methodical, too.) They are usually the sweetest ones. I'm glad you have a slow one and a quick one. They make a nice pair.

    Beau looks like a huge sweetie. Give him a hug from me and the girls.

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  7. how 'bout that? I am the first to post :)

    What a lovely picture portrayal of Beau! Things have been a little chaotic in my life and just reading about his calm,thoughtful ways make me feel a little calmer myself. Thanks for such a lovely more in depth introduction. He's a lucky boy to have made it to Critter Farm. Hugs and butt scratches to everyone!

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  8. Great post Danni! I see Chet even snuck into that last photo with you and Beau.

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  9. Hey Danni! If you donkey is 12 hands, that means he is 3 hands taller than our dog and 3 hands shorter than my horse. Thanks for the info on his height as it is a good reference to know the height of other things in the photos.
    Lisa
    (yes, I did just type that my dog is 9 hands...!) :)

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  10. He sounds wonderful! A quiet, gentle donkey would be just perfect.

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  11. Oh Boy....I mean Beau! We love him more than ever. Thanks Danni!

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  12. Beau is so handsome! It's interesting how Chester & Beau have such different personalities. Love the toothpick tree!
    ~Lynn

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  13. awwwww...beau is such a sweetie! i am glad he found his way to critter farm heaven!

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  14. Love it!!! We'd love to see more of Beau and Chet (of course). Beau does look like such a gentle soul. His eyes are so big and soft... Please give him a big giant hug from all of us here at Morning Bray! The boys here are quite envious of your moss, by the way... :)

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  15. "We can't all, and some of us don't. That's all there is to it."
    "Can't all what?" said Pooh, rubbing his nose.
    "Gaiety. Song-and-dance. Here we go round the mulberry bush."

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  16. Awww...sweet boy, Beau. He is such a calm and peaceful boy. I loved watching him just taking his time mosying around the pasture.
    And is he ever BIG! I felt so little next to him. :-)
    And that Chet...always having to be the center of attention. Silly boy. He always made his presence known by backing up so you could give him a big butt scratch...even if it meant trying to move Beau out of the way.
    They are both such good boys. :-)

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  17. Beau sounds just like Mike here. Slow, easy going, nothing riles him up. Oh heck, you met Mike so you know.
    Yes, chicken wire around the trees works wonders.

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  18. What a sweetie that Beau is . . . and I'm sure he's got lots to teach all the other critters about being calm. He's probably humming the tune "Slow Down You Move Too Fast" as he strolls through the pasture.

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  19. Beau seems like an old soul. :)
    I have a chicken that does the exact thing Chet does--shows up in all the pictures no matter what I'm trying to photograph.

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  20. You have some very sweet critters. It looks like you are very comfortable in your farm life.

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  21. Well, he's definitely stolen MY heart. I love his gentle demeanor and calming influence. I have no doubt the Llama ladies find his company pleasing. Chet is certainly a little rascal. *grin*

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