The blog / The journey

Donkeyless life

What am I up to, without my donkey, you might ask. Or you might not ask – who cares? Well, I’ll tell you anyway. I am walking around Anglesey in fits and starts, trying to find ways of entertaining myself. I am learning the Desiderata (you know, the one that goes ‘Go placidly, amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in walking without a donkey’) off by heart – I’m halfway through. When I am done I’m going to start on Rudyard Kipling’s If. Any suggestions for the poem after that are gratefully received in the comments below.

I am camping solo, the other day I almost camped on top of a badger set under a fragrant elderflower tree, until a quick google confirmed that they would probably not be happy about it, might have TB, and the pile of black and white tufts of fur seemed ominous.

I jealously watched a man having trouble checking a horse’s hooves – ahh, Chico used to try lazily to kick me in the head just like that…

Without hooves to check, corrals to build, fields to find, etc etc, I am reading a book! What luxury! It’s The Horse Whisperer, picked up in Holyhead YHA. I thought it might give me some tips…

I saw our route up the Lleyn peninsula – nice to look at journey-done rather than hills-to-come – and rounded beautiful Newborough warren, one of Europe’s largest dunes. At Newborough there was so much beach that I practiced walking along with my eyes closed but discovered that I have a significant natural list to the left, when after 268 steps I walked into the sea.

Where I have walked from, and…

…where I am walking to. I have never been in the middle of so much sand. Views left and right were similar…

The Anglesey Coastal Path circumnavigates this island with little round badges nailed up at every turn, and on the OS map a row of green diamonds. I needn’t think for myself, i just follow the path, munching up the diamonds like a Pacman gliding across the landscape.

I’m halfway round, so now I am heading back to the old boy with every step. Reunion is on the horizon. Meanwhile he is living it up at Moelyci, a social enterprise hillfarm. People are visiting him, and he’s apparently hanging about near the garden end of his field. They’ve got an open day next Sunday, so anyone in the Bangor area who fancies meeting Chico (not to mention enjoying Moelyci’s music, stalls, sheepdog demonstrations, pick-your-own fruit etc), come along.

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8 Comments

  1. O. Wish I could! I’m glad you’ve had a little respite.

    Have you read Robert Louis Stevenson’s account of his travels with his donkey Modestine? Not a poem.

  2. You need a seaside doggie.

  3. Nancy in Iowa says:

    Ahhh, you miss the little bugger! Enjoy the peace…

  4. Lynne Stanley says:

    What about The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner? When do you think you’ll get to Pembrokeshire? Are you coming back down the coast to us or are you walking Offa’s Dyke route? Would love to do some walking with you

  5. The Road less travelled, Robert Frost. Missing you! X

  6. Mary Anne in Tennessee says:

    Any poem by Shel Silverstein, such as:

    The Gnome, The Gnat, and the Gnu

    I saw an ol’ gnome
    Take a gnock at a gnat
    Who was gnibbling the gnose of his gnu.
    I said, “Gnasty gnome,
    Gnow, stop doing that.
    That gnat ain’t done gnothing to you.”
    He gnodded his gnarled ol’ head and said,
    ” ‘Til gnow I gnever gnew
    That gnocking a gnat
    In the gnoodle like that
    Was gnot a gnice thing to do.”

    Meant to amuse you and Chico the gnaughty donkey.

  7. barry shaw says:

    Hello Hannah and Chico, we just drove past you in Mynydd Llandygai and then went back in case you both needed somewhere to stay for the night but missed you. I hope you’re having a great adventure.
    Good luck,
    Barry and Justine

  8. Haven’t given it up, have you Hannah? I so look forward to your posts!

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