Thoughts from Donna

It's 4AM and sleep is evading me again. That's OK. The older I get the happier I am to have awake time. The days have been warm and oh so dry. We are having to manage our water carefully, as the wells are getting low. Do dishes only once a day (Oh, Shucks). Only one load of laundry daily, and a careful watering of plants. Have been trying to get the yard ready for next year's garden. Have lots of canine help when I'm digging, moving manure and putting in plants.

Lazlo is a great dog. His four broken bones, courtesy of Tawny and Tango mules, are healing nicely. He goes to the vet today for Xrays and a new cast. The first few days he was unsure that this was really his forever home. Then he got very possessive of Jim and me, not letting the other dogs have alone time with us. Now he knows he's home, he's loved and that he can share us with the others. He still looks at the cats and after the cast comes off he may need a few more lessons of Leave It.

He's a very sweet dog and we are glad he came to live with us.

Jackson the white mule and Reba are settling in nicely, though they don't have much to do with one another. In fact Jackson is part of Gumba's herd now and Gumba doesn't share. Gumba, Babe, Lacey and Jackson are in a smaller turn out where Breeze Bay and Cash had been. Breeze and Cash needed some back yard time. When I let them out Breeze ran-not just galloped- from barn to Levi at the top of the yard- four times as hard as she could run. Every time Cash tried to come out the gate Breeze would race by and Cash would get confused about which way to go. Finally, they were together and even old cash had a good romp.

Gumba is kept busy trying to keep Frankie on one side and Bo on the other away from his herd. He rounds them up and tries to keep them in the middle, but Babe wanders off one way, Lacey the other and Jackson another. They get plenty of exercise. Jake the Brabant Belgian from Animali Farms near Santa Maria (check them out and tell them we said Hi) is the first and so far only horse who talked to me in out loud words. We had gone to Animali to get two injured colts rescued from the PMU farms in Canada. We took babies we knew were at risk and who couldn't be sold because of their injuries. After the three (another story later) were in the trailer a voice said loud and clear "Don't leave without me." I turned to Jim and said "Didi you hear that?" "No" he said. Loud and clear voice said, "Take me with you." I started crying and told Jennifer someone out there is calling to me.

We went to several turnouts and finally I said, " I think it's in that one." In I went with quite a few untrained and young geldings. They bounced around me and the Jake came over and put his head on my shoulder. "Take me home, " he said. Jim got out the checkbook and Jake was ours.

Turns out one of the injured colts was his half brother. They became Jake and Elwood the red Blues Brothers. More of their stories later.Jake is still my baby, albeit a big baby- over 1500 pounds at last measurement. He still sees himself as the little boy who needed to come home. Little Sweetie Pie the Hackney Pony bosses him around. He's camera shy. You know how loud and scary camera clicks can be. He's a love and a good boy. He proved to me that animals can communicate whether or not you can see them and they can talk in many languages.

I have been doing the sanctuary taxes and we are truly blessed by the love and support you have given us through the years. Your generosity humbles us.

Next year's budget predictions ( unless hay sky rockets) are that it will cost about $89,900 to keep us going. We hope we can count on your continued support.

Thank you.