September is the time when human mum picks the Carobs on our farm. Both Dad and I are particularly fond of Carobs don't you know so we watch the proceedings very closely as we want to make sure she doesn't miss any. Actually if she did it wouldn't be a problem, Both Dad and I are happy to pick them up ourselves, or rather eat them where they lay. But then Mum says we will get fat and that we would burst if we ate too many, Which doesn't sound too bad to Dad and I at all, Heehaw!
But as I was saying. Mum picks them up so she can put them in to some big boxes that she got from one of the co-operatives, She told me that they used to have oranges in them, But not any longer, now they are Carob holding boxes and very nice they are too. Anyhow, Mum uses them to good purpose so she can feed Dad and I some lovely Carobs during the wintertime. Nom nom nom.
Of course Mum doesn't always pick them by herself, 2016 brought new volunteers to help her.
There was Jeppe (pronounced Yippa) from Denmark.
And Sharon from New Zealand
And Karl who human mum says is her grandson.
Being a Donkey I am not sure what that means but Dad says if I had a son it would be his grandson.
I told him if I had a son it would be a miracle and he laughed. Heehaw!
After the Carob harvest was brought in human mum started to talk about building Dad and I another shelter this time from stone. Now you may have seen that we already have a very nice shelter that human mum built out of sandbags. It is in the terrace paddock (corral) which is behind the house. It really is a nice shelter but totally in the wrong place for us to use when we are in the front paddock. (corral). Mum couldn't leave the fence down so we could get to it as that would mean we could escape. I couldn't see a problem with that but then again I wouldn't would I seeing as I love to go walkabout. Heehaw!
Anyway Mum had started to dig out the foundations back before the summer heat hit (that's in July and August) but then had to dig them out with Jeppe, Karl and Sharon's help because Dad and I had played a little joke on them and walked all over them and filled them in again, Heehaw! That was so funny! In fact it continued to be funny even as the guys helped Mum dig out the footings again.
Jeppe was a dab hand with the pick axe.
And Sharon was pretty good with a Spade too.
You know I thought Karl was cuddling me in this picture but now I see he was just trying to stop me walking all over the channel they were trying to dig out. Sneaky or what?
It might not look like Mum and her helpers had done that much in this photo but it was really quite hard to dig in soil that is rock hard, or so Mum said. Being sensible donkeys we aren't interested in digging so we will take her word for it.
After Mum had dug it out she filled it up again, this time with big stones, some of which she said weighed as much as Dad and I. Hmmm, I think she was kidding don't you. I mean those stones are huge!
Time for a selfie, heehaw!
That lump you can see on the side of my face is a broken tooth, Mum is waiting for the dentist to come out to see if he can do anything with it, The Vet said not to bother and I have to say I agree with him. So I might just not let Mum get hold of me when the dentist comes, Well a Donkey has to do what a Donkey has to do and trust me this Donkey does not want to see the dentist!
Occasionally Sharon was on wheelbarrow duty.
Whilst I kept a close eye on the goings on.
Mum taped off the construction site (as she called it) so we didn't hurt ourselves climbing all over it. As if we would, Heehaw!
Jeppe decided to twerk whilst he worked. All I can say is it is a good job that electric fencing wasn't connected, Ouch!
Whilst Dad kept laying down on the job. And I held Karl up. Heehaw!
Jeppe and Karl practicing for the Worlds Strongest Man Challenge
Taking shape don't you think.
Hee haw, I photobombed this shot.
And this one!
All too soon we had to say "goodbye" to Jeppe and Sharon. Though Karl stayed for a little longer.
And said "hello" to Michael from Ireland.
He'd done lots of dry stone walling in Ireland so human mum was really happy he came along and pretty soon the walls were getting quite tall.
Mum says she doesn't mind having her photo taken when she can hide her big bottom behind a wall. Hee haw!
Karl helped collect stones from out of the old walls so Mum could use them in our shelter.
Dad and I were always on hand to give our expert opinion on the shelters progress.
Pretty soon Mum had to put up the scaffolding so they could reach to put more stones on to the walls.
Daniel from Russia came to help too.
Michael deciding which stone to use next.
Mum then had to return to the UK unexpectedly with Karl. She said something about Christopher having had an accident. So we were quite worried that we were going to be left alone. But we needn't have worried. Human Dad stayed with us and then our lovely friend Marina (from Germany) who was now a regular visitor to our farm. (we really love her) came to help him look after us. Phew! Talk about relieved. She also helped Michael and Daniel finish off the walls to a point where a friend of human Mum's could come along and put the roof on.
And when Mum came back helped chop up wood.
So Mum would be nice and warm during the winter months.
As well as help pick the olives.
Marina really took to using the Olive picker which looks a little like a giant hand with long fingers. Apparently you put it in to the tree and it rattles the olives from off the branches down on to the nets waiting below.
Of course Dad and I helped spread the nets. Hee haw!
Mum said it was a poor year but hey 418 kg (921.5 lb) isn't too bad. Well Dad and I don't think it is.
Sadly Marina had to return to Germany once more so having bid her a sad farewell we waited with baited breath. (well that is what Mum said it was) for someone new to come along to help Mum out. Thankfully we didn't have long to wait before Lydia and James arrived.
They helped block up the gaps in the shelter so no drafts could get in
.
James was forever acting "the goat" as Mum put it when she went to take a photo.
So I joined in and pulled a funny face
Hee haw!
They also kindly helped Mum build a manger out of pallets so she could put our Alfalfa in it so it doesn't get dirty on the floor.
Of course Dad and I checked it out as soon as we could.
And we especially liked it when it was filled full of Alfalfa!
Ever the goat Jamie suggested Lydia climb into our manger so they could re-enact a scene from the Nativity.
Dad said he hoped she'd wiped her feet, Me too!
As is usual for this time of year there was some tree trimming to be done. Fact is we love eating the newly cut branches so we were more than happy when Jamie and Lydia helped Mum trim back some of the trees.
Christmas was soon upon us and we had to say "goodbye" to James and Lydia and hello once again to Karl who brought his bagpipes back with him and serenaded Dad and I every evening.
Can you hear the dogs howling, Oh my! It wasn't that bad, hee haw!
Seriously he is really good and it is so kind of him to play for us don't you think?
Father Christmas brought us a new Jolly Ball as we had absolutely demolished our last one. (it is in bits)
Mum joked we should call it "Wilson"!
Well I guess I had best get on.
Catch you later!
