More Changes

The goats wondered what the heck was going on.  Bear watched intently from the goat platform, where he was high enough to see over the fence, as the donkeys approached.

Luek watched from his pasture.

Further down the pasture fence, Tex and Lucy kept an eye on developments as well.  So much commotion, so much confusion.

Why were the donkeys out of their pasture?  Why was Tuffy doing circles around Annette like he was being lunged, while Finessa was led docilely behind by Brett?

And then, a few minutes later, what were they doing in the front pasture?  With the goats?

The donkeys, themselves, were pretty chill about the move to their new pasture.  I expected them to be lively, given that they have been in the “donkey pasture” for the past seven years.  We figured it was time for a change.  Pistol and Flash like the donkey pasture, where they have been hanging out lately, eating the grass that the donkeys can’t eat fast enough to keep under control.  When the donkeys spotted the goats, they did get a bit more animated.  For a minute.  The video is best with sound on so you can hear the donkeys voicing their opinion of the goats.

They’ve been together for a few hours now.  The donkeys are grazing and exploring.  The goats are grazing and keeping their distance from the donkeys.  This pasture has two run-ins — one for the donkeys and one for the goats.  Pistol and Flash were not sharing the one run-in that is in the donkey pasture so the donkeys were left without a shelter.  And they love being in their shelter.  This way, they have a shelter and a large pasture, and something new to think about.

Lilacs

The garden continues to bloom, with lilacs and iris taking over where the daffodils left off.  I struggled to grow lilacs at Aspen Meadows but they never really did very well; a few sad blooms if I was lucky.  Most years, nothing.  Up here, we have perfect lilac conditions and they grow like weeds.

When my mom died, I planted three in her memory.  I’m not sure if she loved them or not, but my dad always talked about lilacs blooming when they got married at my mother’s parents’ house in Illinois.  So, I have always associated lilacs with the stories of their wedding although her stories were more about not being allowed to wear an off-the-shoulder wedding dress — so she got married in a very smart suit that she sewed.  And hated.  Don’t you love family stories?

Syringa vulagaris ‘Katherine Hanemeyer’ (hybrid)

Syringa vulgaris ‘Sensation’  (French hybrid). I love love LOVE this lilac.

Syringa vulgaris (Common lilac)

A few years later I added a double white lilac to cover up the corner of the garden fence by the chicken shed.

And, just this past year, I planted three dwarf lilacs in the new front planter.  They are too tiny to show up very well in the photo.  There is one in front of, and one behind, the glorious yellow iris.

Am I addicted to lilacs?  You could say so.