Luc’s Seventh Honor Roll

It’s that time of the year to tally those points Luc has earned just by being Luc. It looks like he has done it again.  This will be Luc’s 7th appearance in The Brayer Magazine in the Continued Excellence catagory.  Luc has also achieved fame in the ADMS Driving Participating Award and the overall Supreme Driving Program. 

Here is how Luc’s next appearance in the Honor Roll Hall of Fame will appear;

7^th Honor Roll—For Continuing Excellence

RMS Lippyluver Luc G-11987 HOF

It has taken me years to discover that the RMS Lippyluver Luc contract, which states; “The Kingma’s, will do our best to keep you healthy, happy and loved” is null and void.  His end of the bargain was to be a very good boy and do as asked, not creating pasture havoc every chance he gets!  It seems Luc has put us into an ongoing negotiation that almost always ends in his favor, or at least we let him think so.

He’s the leader of his pack of merry men.  Swiping a mouthful of food from all the buckets every morning, that’s Luc. He loves wormer so much he would devour the syringe if you let him, licking the extra off everyone’s lips.  He’s the one who will reposition his rubber mat so he can steal it later, turning it into a pasture toy.

After years of driving single he’s the one we hitch a green donkey with to show them how’s it’s done.  

We requested his breeder, Janelle Rieger, of Rocky Mountain Songbirds in Ismay, Montana to build us another, jus’ like Luc.  She told us that in no uncertain terms she broke that mold as soon as Luc hit the ground.  Smart lady, that Janelle!

That’s our Luc earning his 7^th Continuing Excellence Honor Roll.  His stories have reached worldwide on the internet and in many popular magazines.  It wouldn’t be Teamdonk without him.

Idaho State Draft Horse & Mule International Show

Sandpoint, Idaho is the place to be the third weekend after Labor Day surrounded by the brilliant fall colors at the Bonner County Fairgrounds.  Watching the gentle giants of the equine world working in harness is an absolute thrill.  Over the years we’ve made friends with many of the mule team drivers, their families and the folks who support and help them ready for competition.  It has become an annual event, in fact each year it becomes more like going home to a family reunion than just another horse show.

This year something truly special happened when Helen Eden asked if I might be interested in riding the hitch wagon in a class with her… To say the least that was over the top for me!  Yes, in fact, HELL YES!!   Saturday evening I gladly shed the cozy warm insulated coveralls that everyone was making light of to sit next to Helen as she put her mules thru their paces.  It was the Ladies Mule Team Driving Competition, judged on driving ability against the clock. 

When we burst out of the, rather chilly, warm up pen we were ready to make a statement.  The team was right on through the figure eights; I could hear the wows from the crowd as she moved them closer and closer without knocking a single cone ball off.  The full out run to the isle way of cones and stopping the rear wagon wheel dead center of the last cone was perfect.  From there it was a straight back to repeat that dead center stop with the front wheels lined up to the cones.  That maneuver could not have been executed with any more precision! The last obstacle was a tight turn around a single cone.  What Yahoo fun it was for me to sit there through those exhilarating moments!

Helen won this class in 2009 and this year we, yeah… Like I was some big help, scored the fastest time of the event.  Maybe it was me yelling, “Faster Helen Faster” that spurred us on!!!! 

Mule Cart class will see a Teamdonk driver guiding a beautiful black Percheron Mule, named Dolly, around the arena.  Now that would be one to cross off my bucket list! 

 

Christmas Greetings

Merry Christmas,  here’s wishing you a joyous season filled with donkey hugs galore!     

 

Everyone … including the “Don’t Touch Me Luc” and Mr. Pigpen donkey (Galahad) received a good ole’ coat brushing yesterday.  I was able to get the mud off their backs and legs and the ice balls cleaned off their tummys so the hair can fill with air pockets and keep them cozy warm during this cold snap.   All but Luc love to be with their people for winter cuddle time….even with a new round bale in the feeder everyone, excluding Luc, wanted to stay with us, he’s like Alvin in the Chipmunks. AL vinnnnnnnnn……!

  

We are having a White Christmas with a beautiful layer of snow.  At 20 degrees yesterday they were all snuggy warm boys, it’s 4 degrees now and have been at the round bale feeder all night waiting to hear Santa’s sleigh bells, I’m sure.  Jim added extra bedding around the feeder so not only can they eat in comfort but they have warm dry bedding to lay in.  He’s a good Donkey Dad! 

 

They received Christmas Eve apples in their afternoon hay pellets  as well as a fresh round bale yesterday.  Hank has put on some weight, which is good for this time of the year.  Merlin is eating like he’s a growing teenage boy but not filling out much, using those calories for play time…. I’m thinking.  He’s definitely the youngster of the bunch. 

 

 

We have more new baby calves across the road and Hank and Galahad spend hours watching them.   Hank has such a protective nature.  I did see Hank instigate play yesterday with Merlin and later with Galahad.  We sure love him.  

 

 

Luc is more interested in filling his tummy and napping in the sunshine or playing with Hank with their new rubber toys, a 16 inch piece of heavy rubber hose, that is when the urge hits or when Hank strikes Luc with the hose!

 

On my agenda is to get on the ball and write Hank and Merlin’s web intro pages for the new site.  I now have a new photo program to learn… sure will do a lot more than the old one. 

 

Looks like a busy one today…. cooking and gathering everything it takes to put food on the table then packing it all up for a trip to town to have Christmas dinner with Grandma and Grandpa, who are shut ins this time of the year. 

Merry Christmas to all,

  

Jim n Kristi n the donkey boys

www.teamdonk.org  Website

 

Season of Reflection

 

Okay gang, this is it… the last update for the year and it comes to you filled with our holiday YouTube favorites.

Our biggest holiday news is that a whole new look is in progress for the website and I’ll just have let you know when it has launched as of right now it is cloaked in secretsey!  

This blog has been moved and is now set up for the New Year at

 2010teamdonk.wordpress.com

 … seems we have used up all our photo space here, which was my goal!  The new updates will be posted at that site from now on, so add that to your radar.

Now for my favorite Donkey holiday videos…. each of these YouTube programs takes about 30 minutes to view and are set up in ten minute segments in three parts.  Be sure to enjoy them all the way through.

The first one is narrated and sung by Roger Miller and is a Gene Autry production.

You’ll find Nester the Long Eared Donkey at

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmSvoyIit7I

The second one is a Walt Disney production called The Small One and can be found at

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGTjbSS8hSc&feature=related

 Ahhhhh…and my all time favorite Christmas tune! 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ok5rOO2v2dU

This has absolutely been one of the best years Teamdonk has enjoyed and I have enjoyed sharing it with you.  I wish each and every one a terrific 2010! 

Jim and Kristi,

The “Stars” of Teamdonk…

RMS Lippyluver Luc,

OK Sir Galahad,

Handsome Hank Bishop

and RMS Magical Merlin

www.teamdonk.org  Website

www.2010teamdonk.wordpress.com Blog

Year End Report

Wow time does fly!  I need to thank my patient readers who keep writing and calling to see if all is Okay at Team Donk.  Yes, I am happy to report all is fine and we are in the process of surviving the holiday season and staying warm.  With the wind child factor we have seen -4 degrees in the last few hours.  With today’s 24 mph winds it is bone chilling cold!  The donkey boys are eating, drinking, playing and sunbathing to stay warm.  Very seldom do we see them inside the pasture shelter.  They’re busy keeping track of what is going on in their world like their new horse neighbors they enjoy watching.  I see the horses being ridden on a regular basis which excites them to no end.  We have Black Angus cattle across the road and a new baby calf.  The donkeys are in hot pursuit of any coyote that gets near “their baby”.  Blowing, snorting, feet stomping are warning the predators to stay back!  I heard a wolf howl the other night and saw one on my way to work.  The tall slim predator stopped to watch me and was close enough for me to see his intense bright yellow eyes.  I much say they are a deadly beautiful creature. 

 

The four boys are getting along great!  The two older ones Luc and Hank are best buds.  Merlin and Galahad are like teenage boys who pick on each other all the time and a play session can begin at any moment for no apparent reason.  All four are haired up and Galahad looks like he should be named Pigpen Donkey as he loves his mud baths.  Hank is Jim’s lover boy and Merlin likes to hang out with me.  Luc is their leader and Galahad is the rat pack’s brat child!  All is well at Team Donk.

 

The website is in the update process and will have an exciting new look and feel.  The webmasters are keeping it under wraps so we are all in limbo at the moment.

 

Merry Christmas to all the Team Donk fans and thanks for a wonderful 2009!  I’m excited to take you with us down the 2010 Team Donk trails.   Hopefully it will include some new territory we can all explore together.  Until next year I wish you a life full of health, love and plenty of donkey hugs! 

Sincerely,

Jim and yours truly, Kristi

RMS Lippyluver Luc and OK Sir Galahad’s

2009 Yearly Totals….

255.5 miles in 111.5 hours

Happy Halloween

Just had to share these photos that were entered in a horse club costume contest.  Thank you Stacy for sending them to me so I could share them with my blog readers!

It’s a Halloween Jack In The Box!

Feeding The Masses or is that Asses??

Here they are the all new Teamdonk boys during their first foursome feeding time….

From the top and posing is the newest member of the team RMS Magical Merlin.  The next newest member is Hanksome Hank Bishop.  Down the hill are the orginal team mates of OK Sir Galahad and the old man of the group RMS Lippyluver Luc. 

Here they are from the bottom of the hill to the top; Luc, Galahad, Hank and Merlin. 

In the pasture at play time Luc squares off with Hank and it’s youngsters Merlin and Galahad that go for it.  Other than that the four eat, sleep and do just about everything together!  They appear to be a pretty happy bunch of donkey boys.

RMS Magical Merlin gets a new zip code~

Mid-morning of October 25^th in Helena, Montana, owner/trainer/breeder Janelle of Rocky Mountain Songbirds, harnessed Merlin.  We had each driven half way to meet in the middle for a day of fun  and it worked out great.  First Janelle drove Merlin pulling a tire, and then I took the lines for awhile before turning them over to Jim and grabbing the camera.

We hitched him to the training cart with Janelle driving  around the pasture including a trot.  He was calm, quiet and stood very well.  He didn’t really want to trot out for very long but that was okay.  He was relaxed so off we went to the Bureau of Reclamation Lands for a test drive.  The drive was on gravel roads along ditches and down a hill into a circle turn around that we took several loops on.  Merlin took his time coming back to the pasture which has not been his normal, during training he really liked to come home.

 

Then I took  Jim on the same drive with about the same results.  Something moved off to our side on the way back and Merlin squared off to it, may have just been the breeze moving the tall grass but it certainly didn’t spook him.  He came back to the ranch at a nice calm walk which suited us just fine.

 The next morning we double blanketed him for the trip home in the open stock type trailer.  At each stop I adjusted his blankets to make sure they were doing their job to protect him from butt rubbing and to keep him dry.  He really liked me in the trailer with him dishing out treats.  He loaded the best of any new donkey we have ever brought home.  At one gas stop in Missoula Jim yelled out, “Talk to me Merlin,” and he did…. One big deep man-sized bray….a real head turner!

 Before we unloaded after our 8 hour trip home over two major mountain passes thru snow, rain and wind I moved the other boys into the center pasture.  That way he would have some time to get a drink and something to eat before meeting the troops.  I was also able to get a good measurement on him.  RMS Magical Merlin is the tallest at 58 ¾ inches and the youngest at just 3 ½ years old and he isn’t going to take any crap off any of the other three.  After getting things sorted out we have a Teamdonk peaceful foursome. 

 Merlin’s training totals 16.5 hours and 19 miles of driving including this one …give or take! Janelle kept excellent records for us and turned over a nicely trained donkey boy!  Check out Merlin’s twin brother, Mike and all the donkeys for sale at http://www.midrivers.com/~rmsdonkeys/  If ya talk nice she’ll even train one for ya or ask about her teams…she’s got some good ones, large and small, for sale!

Riding Hank

Fortunately the mower on the tractor broke giving Jim a chance to ride his new donkey.  Sure worked for me!  Hank was not a willing participant to begin with but wise ole’ Jim went into the house and came out with a great smelling apple…all of a sudden we had Hank’s undivided attention and he was a donk on a mission.  We went for a walk and when the apple was all gone I climbed on and Jim lead Hand out into the field and eventually back to the house.  Saddled up Luc and off we rode back to the field.

Hank was just great for a while but then he decided he was done.  We had left the halter on and had taken the lead rope for just this purpose.  Luc ended up ponying Hank until we could get his feet unstuck.  We rode to a pasture with running and whinnying horses.  Luc was excited that they were so happy to see him. 

 

We had a great ride home with Hank in the lead and really moving out.  We rode the wheat field into the hay field and then back into the wheat field and finally home.  It was a great first ride on Hank and the first time Jim and I had been able to go donkey riding together in a very long time!

 

Hank’s First Ground Driving Session

Hank has completed his first ground driving session.  First I harnessed him in Galahad’s buggy harness and decided that was too small.  I pulled one of the big boy’s harnesses down from the ceiling and all it needs  is just sized down in order to fit. 

It was tough deciding which collar size Hank needed but after much debate I chose the size 18.  Here is Handsome Hank Bishop getting his first harness adjustments.

 

Robert was here to insure all went well which it actually did.  We took Hank out for his first session alone and went up and down the road and had some traffic which was great.

Then we teamed him with Luc and ground drove them as a team.  It took a bit for Hank to coordinate with Luc but once he did, they were perfect together.  It was a great fall afternoon and Hank could not have been any better.