"Think about getting a donkey..."

That's exactly what one of our neighbors told me yesterday...... "Think about getting a donkey--- they make great watchdogs and will scare away most predators."

The neighbor made that statement after I told her about the cougar sighting on the other neighbor's property.  Just what I don't need.... a donkey.  The funny thing is that one of the neighbors close to the main highway has a bunch of donkeys.... three big ones, two little ones.... and we saw them just this morning as J and I went walking.  We did our usual walk, all the way up to the main highway (since the temperature wasn't up near 100 degrees) and we happened to see the donkeys up there in the field. The donkeys watched us as we watched them..... and then we walked further down the road and watched another neighbor's buffalos standing in the pasture.

We seem to have a little of everything in this community in the hills.... chickens, peacocks, goats, horses, cows, donkeys, buffalos, deer, elk, longhorns...... and of course the usual dogs and cats.  Of course, that's not counting all the birds, ducks, raccoons, possums, armadillos, snakes, coyotes, rabbits, squirrels, field mice, and there must be something I've forgotten...... oh yes, the cougar.

Well, I can absolutely say that we won't be getting a donkey. I don't care how much noise it will make if someone or something comes onto the property... and I don't care that a donkey will kick the heck out of an unwanted visitor....... I don't need to be taking care of livestock.  I worry enough if the outside cats are out of my sight for more than an hour, and I know for certain that I would be a nervous wreck if I had a donkey or a horse or a cow out there and the weather got too hot or too cold or too rainy.  Can you imagine trying to put a blanket over a horse or a donkey to keep it warm and dry?  The neighbors will think I've lost my mind.