When I first moved to the Smokey Mountain area of North Carolina, I was warned to expect wildlife wandering onto the property.
Last summer I received a visit by a Black Bear who was checking out the garden area and later in the year by a Bobcat displaying an interest in the shed.
What I wasn’t prepared for was a friendly visit by a rather wet and disoriented donkey.
The morning started with a text from my neighbor, who also happens to be my daughter-in-law. “There’s a donkey in front of your house,” she informed me. Deserting my cup of morning coffee, I decided to check it out for myself, still clothed in my pajamas. Sure enough, in front of the house, grazing on my front lawn stood a wet donkey, gazing back at me.
Getting more information from my daughter-in-law, the donkey apparently paid a visit to her home (which sits up a high hill behind me), wreaking havoc by scaring her chihuahua into the state of panic. To take control of the situation, she sprayed him with a garden hose. Confused, the donkey wandered down the hill onto my property.
As I was taking photos, still in my pajamas, the donkey’s owner arrived, rope in hand to lead the animal home. I’m sure he had a bit of a shock to see a woman, clad in nightwear, taking pictures of his runaway donkey, a sight to be seen, I’m sure.
So, how did your morning start?