The blog

Quiet mind, quiet donkey
Plans / The blog

Quiet mind, quiet donkey

I know that a donkey is good at reading body language. He takes his lead from mine, and for the first few days I was jubilant – we’d picked him up smoothly, he’d come to me on the first morning, I’d not yet begun to worry too much about the […]

Where are we going?
Plans / The blog

Where are we going?

Well, I’m deliberately not planning the route very much. Largely this is because until we get started I don’t really know how far we can go each day, how the wild camping side of things will feel, what sort of roads will suit us, and whether Chico will deign to […]

The donkey COULD DIE, week two: wild stallions
Plans / The blog

The donkey COULD DIE, week two: wild stallions

I have been the owner of an animal for ten days, and he is still alive. But there are nevertheless a fairly regular number of things that could kill him. This week, so far, massive territorial horses, and rain. The massive horses were my own stupid fault. I had seen […]

The lessons of Chico #1
Plans / The blog

The lessons of Chico #1

After being pretty sociable in his field for the first day – heehawing a morning greeting at field-lender Hazel’s friend, and coming to see me when I arrived – I left Chico largely to his own devices for 24 hours. Mum and I both went and sat in his field, […]

And the donkey COULD DIE!
Plans / The blog

And the donkey COULD DIE!

Surely when I get the donkey in his field, life will calm down a bit, I thought? I’ll head over a few times a day to say hi and try out bits of kit on him as they arrive in the post, and we’ll go for practice walks, and in […]

I own a donkey!
Plans / The blog

I own a donkey!

Dave & Margaret told us the tale of Gnasher the evil donkey while we had a cup of coffee in their kitchen to celebrate a successful sale (shortly after picking up a borrowed trailer, driving across the middle of Wales, and leading Chico effortlessly into it). While Chico stamped about […]

How wet can it get?
Plans / The blog

How wet can it get?

Wet, is the answer. I am blinkered when it comes to weather – maybe everyone is. If I’m packing for a trip, I only pack stuff that matches the weather as I’m packing. So, although a little grizzly, it was very useful that yesterday it rained all the way through […]

I’m frightened
Plans / The blog

I’m frightened

Today the vet gave Chico the all-clear; all he’s concerned about, given the magnitude of my intended undertaking, is Chico’s hooves getting too worn down, and his harness rubbing, and both of those would be his worries with any donkey. So, pending the results of the blood test on Thursday, […]

What’s taking so long?
Plans / The blog

What’s taking so long?

In London, I live in a narrowboat. One of my neighbours, Jack, who spends happy hours every summer repainting already-perfect paintwork while all of the other boat owners look on with envy from their rusty deathtraps, says, “Ah, narrowboats – the fastest way of slowing down.” I’d say that being […]

Get into the donkey zone
Plans / The blog

Get into the donkey zone

I woke up in a bit of a panic again, fresh from a dream about a beautiful dark brown speedy donkey that walked almost faster than me, but that I couldn’t have. We’re well into April now and I still have no definite donkey. I wanted to set off at […]