Apifera Farm - where art, story, animals & woman merge. Home to artist Katherine Dunn

Apifera Farm is a registered 501 [c][3]. #EIN# 82-2236486

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©Katherine Dunn.





Friday, April 08, 2016

Pino says farewell to a friend



This morning I had an emotive, beautiful encounter with the donkeys. My farrier came to do trims on everyone. It will be our last time seeing him before we leave. We've had him for years and love him. He came to us back when Paco had just arrived and that poor little donkey had no confidence. It took four of us to hold him for his feet trims. Each time, he got better and more relaxed, now he doesn't even need a halter on.

We trimmed the donks first and usually they hang out in a corner while we trim each one. But today, they all kept close to us, literally huddled in a circle right up on us.

"They're saying goodbye," the farrier said.

It was so sweet. We knew they understood something. Each time we shifted our stance, the donkeys would move themselves back into our sides to be close.

After we trimmed Boone, my farrier started going on about how much he loved working with us and how good a heart I had and to never let that change. I teared up a little, got that cracky voice you get to hold back tears. And as he got in his truck to drive off, he waved one last time and said "Thank you" out his window.

I turned to take Boone to the barn. The donkeys usually just go off on their own and graze the minute they are done with a foot trim, but there was Pino running the fence line with the farrier's truck on the other side, and he was braying.