Open Thread - 01-20-23 - Tarbaby
Sima made me think of using a donkey as a guardian for her goats. Coyotes killing your livestock is traumatic. Right across the highway from my home is a guy who raises them, sells them to ranchers to protect their cattle herds. Coyotes trying to kill a little calf stand no chance against a bad ass donkey.
But they have very different aspects, besides killer kicks. I want to tell of some of those aspects with some memories of my beloved Mexican burro, Tarbaby.
When I was a kid, maybe 6 or so, we were so rural and remote from stores, we ordered from the Sears and Roebuck catalog. One in summer, one in winter arrived in the mail. And here comes my birthday. Mom and Dad asked me what I wanted for my gift, and I showed them this catalog entry where you could actually order a burro with saddle and bridle from the catalog.
They said hmmm.
My brother and I had never had a baby sitter. Suddenly, my teen aged cousin came to stay, and my parents drove off for a few days. They took the truck, had the home made side boards on it, as if they were going to haul livestock. Hmmm.
Seems they went to Mexico and bought 2 burros, purchased through Sears.
I welcomed a brown older burro, and a young jenny. Mamma and Jeannie.
Well, Mamma was pregnant. In short order, here comes a black jenny, white around her nose and eyes, Tarbaby. In short order, something weird went down. The seller said we owed him, that he wanted more money in case Mamma was pregnant, so Dad did this: he hid out Tar inside the house, allowed the man to take Mamma back to Mexico, and we had a baby to bottle feed.
Tar never knew a day that humans weren't feeding her, hugging her, kissing her, grooming her, and scratching her enormous ears.
She loved being in the house. I was sickly, constantly home in bed, and my parents would let her in to entertain me. When she saw herself in a mirror, she would bray, shake the walls.
She did get too big to come inside, so she would stand on the front porch steps, look into the living room through a screen door, and bray. And bray. Well, it took ice water to get her to shut up. Not tossed on her, but served to her in a bowl. She didn't appreciate drinking hot water.
When Mom went out to hang clothes on the line, Tar went with her, yanking them down. Stuff happens. Mom just put up with her.
She went around the yard, walked the cattle guard, went up to my school, went window to window braying, looking for me, and then the principal would ask me to take her home. I would get the rest of the day off from class. Cool!
I broke her for riding. Never a buck. She would walk down a dirt road, I would let the reins loose, and she would skim her mouth on sand for miles. I would ride her 6 miles away, carrying my sandwich and 2 Cokes in the saddle bag. We would stop at a cemetery, and while she grazed, I would eat, look at headstones of Civil War veterans. I would drink my Coke, then give her one. She could suck it down without spilling a drop. When we did cattle round ups, I went after the cows that ran into woods with trees with low limbs. Thickets is the term for that. The horse wranglers couldn't do it, but I could. I could lay face down to her mane, go under all kinds of low limbs. I didn't have to guide/rein her. She knew we were after a cow. We could get ahead of them, turn them back to the herd.
Parades, trail rides, rodeo grand entries, daily trips to the grocery store on main street to get her Coke, made Tarbaby a local legend. My child hood friends still speak of her. 60 years later.
When I went off to college, she missed having a young girl around. We sold her to the family across the road, and she gave their young daughter some burro memories. That youngster is now a grownup senior citizen client. We speak of Tarbaby with a mix of funny stories and tears that she is gone.
Tar did protect the newborn calves we had at the acreage surrounding our home.
She was everything.
A local artist painted a portrait of Tarbaby tied to the hitching post at the grocery store where we went for our Cokes. It hangs on my living room wall. It is titled, "Waiting for Sissie".
I am waiting for Tarbaby.
Comments
TGIF, fellow free rangers!
I hope you can find time this weekend to scope out your memories and find some treasured ones. It is the best break one can take from war, pestilence, famine, and the other usual and customary current events.
Everyone has a good story from their memories.
Let's hear it, ok?
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Lovely story!
Funny how critters worm their way into our hearts.
This guy does hilarious silly donkey videos. Here's one to get you started...
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeeUzUwKy2w]
Who broke into the feed shed? 1.8 min
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Donkeys
are clever! Tarbaby would come into the barn and "assist" me when I went out to feed. We had to latch all doors and lids.
Thanks so much for that video! I will be watching them all!
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
never thought I would like to have a donkey
but the one in the video broke into my heart. Hilarious, Thank You.
https://www.euronews.com/
Tarbaby, Steve and now Corkey
I was somehow blessed at a young age by a Shetland pony named Corkey.
Nor sure where he came from, but I'm guessing it was the Orkney Islands.
He was a gelding that was none too fond of humans.
Ornery + Corkey = Orkney
My sister and I would play hide and seek with the neighbor kids
(she rode an Appaloosa more). Stealth was key to the game. My advantage
was being a squirt and riding a pygmy pony, I could hide in the corn fields.
The disadvantage was as soon as we were out of eye shot of the others,
he would whinny, thereby giving away our hiding place. Could not get him to
be quiet. His favorite trick was to get into a full gallop and do a 90 degree
turn-stop, throwing me over his head. Bam. Then run like the devil back to
the barn (always rode bareback).
After awhile I got wise to his ways and held on to the reigns for dear life. I
used a bridle (which he hated) and he had to drag me on the ground,
which slowed him down enough for me to discipline him and re-mount.
Always had to keep an eye out, as he liked to bite. Ouch.
Eventually outgrew him and we sold the pair to a younger family. Some
fun times with them, but a lot of work. Hauling hot water down to the trough
in the middle of winter, combing-out burdocks from the mane and tail,
chasing them down before school when they would break-out, etc.
Thanks for hosting otc!
After being around
Shetlands owned by friends, I never knew of one that was a dependable mount. All of them had quirks.
Sounds like Corkey was dependably fun, and you survived the drags in the dirt.
I mentioned Tar drug her nose in the sand while we walked along. I should add that she intentionally bumped her bit with her hooves. We clicked, as it were.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Welch pony is the one...
https://insiderhorse.com/welsh-pony-cob/
Shetlands are a pain in the ass.
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
I rescued a Welch pony
cross bred wish quarter horse.
I took it to a professional for training. That trainer never got him to stop bucking. Everyone that rode him got thrown.
I finally gave him to a young woman who was both brave and crazy. She adored him.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Oh, sure, *these* guys
were on the up-and-up...
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/poland-mystery-divers-gdansk-port-energy-oi...
The CIA has actually hired Maxwell Smart, looks like.
On edit: the somewhat-tenuous connection with this thread is Gordon Ramsay calling a screwup chef a donkey...
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBBY9fW74yM width:300 height:200]
Twice bitten, permanently shy.
Just a normal thing.
Nothing to see here.
I guess the CIA didn't have time to inspect the boat.
Wonder how many tax payer's dollars went into that failed sabotage?
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Karma
Snicker….
Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.
Brilliant!
Stealing that...
Twice bitten, permanently shy.
He he he!
We old folks have our ways!
I will have to remember that little trick!
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Nah I think we should stop all military actions instead
since it’s the biggest contributor to pollution and climate change. Hey Greta how come you never, ever talk about that?
Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.
maybe the Davos dummies consider themselves
as meat? At least partially.
You can't have any pudding if you don't eat your meat.
Hmm
[video:https://youtu.be/5IpYOF4Hi6Q]
Good morning OTC, wonderful, wonderful story. Thanks
for the OTC and for hosting it. Most of my memorable memories aren't so much treasured as "Whew! survived that one" so I don't really have much to contribute to the broader topic. Of course there's things like my wedding, but it wasn't one of those "well, we flew to Denali and then ..." type of things; we'd already been together for a long time, owned a house and a trailer, etc. Honeymoon was a trailer trip to one of our favorite state beaches and then up to Yosemite for the umptyninth time and then back to the daily grind.
Mostly it's been brief one shot type of things, phone calls like: "X&Y have agreed to represent you guys pro-bono and you have an appointment at (address) tomorrow at 1:00", "The charges have all been dropped, you've all had your student status reinstated and you are no longer forbidden to enter campus", or the court - "everybody except (redacted) is free to go, the charges against you have been dropped and the booking evidence has been suppressed because of irregulatities in the arrests and bookings", etc., there was a sort of joy, sure, but a tad ephemeral.
be well and have a good one
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
sounds like you were a young radical
fighting the good fight
glad you survived with most of your marbles
I survived, but my marble bag had a hole in it
seems to work pretty damn well all the same. n/t
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
Your wedding sounds like fun!
The County Judge performed our ceremony while wearing Crocs, a Houston Astros tee shirt, and jeans to cover up his bright red bathing suit.
He was on his way to a pool party. His compensation for the wedding was a case of Shiner Bock.
We honeymooned a week later at South Padre Island.
Btw, I share some of those ephemeral memories, remember the sound of "Case dismissed."
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Heh, It's a nice sound, n'est ce pas? n/t
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
Yeah.
Sweet justice.
Do you still have a camper? We are thinking about getting one.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
No, sold it in 2021 I think or 2020, many reasons, still
sometimes want another, but ...
be well and have a good one
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
Your Donkey Memories...
are wonderful! I had horses as a kid, but never a donkey. One animal that I will never forget is my rabbit, Bun. He turned out to be a big rabbit, a 'dwarf' French Lop. Which meant he was like 3 feet long when stretched out. I got him when I was in college. He was an impulse buy at a pet store. He was like 4 inches long when I bought him as a baby!
He was amazingly smart for a rabbit. He house trained (dorm room trained?) himself, would return from roaming around our little dorm apartment to his cage and do his business there, then take off around the apartment again. He learned that lettuce came from the fridge, and although he couldn't open the fridge, he knew when a human was going into the kitchette and would park himself outside the fridge to beg for some lettuce. He was allowed to climb up my legs and pants (I would put one of my legs at an angle so he could climb up a slope, not a vertical climb). But, he wasn't allowed to climb up when I had on panty hose, or what I usually wore, fishnet stockings. He knew the difference and obeyed that rule. He slept with me, cuddling up into my arms, along with my cat, Artemis. He was 'illegal' to have in the dorm apartments, but my roommates loved him as much as I did, so we just kept it quiet...
When I graduated, we moved back to my parents in WA for the summer. We stopped at my brother's apartment in Oregon. Brother had a ferret. Bun taught that ferret quite the lesson when the ferret tried to kill him. I was out, brother was stoned and not watching the animals. The ferret attempted to leap on Bun's back, but Bun kicked it, with both legs, across the room and slammed it into the wall near the ceiling. The ferret completely respected Bun after that.
Bun moved to Philly with me when I went to grad school. He, and my cat, Artemis, lived in my 3rd story apartment in an old building with me in west Philly, in the slums. When a fire broke out in the adjacent building when the temp outside was about 20, I put Artemis in my shirt, Bun in my arms, and we went outside at the firemen's orders and waited for hours as the fire was put out. But they were warm, and we were safe!
Bun lived a long time for a rabbit. He passed away when he was staying at the vet's (they offered animal care when one went on vacation) when he was about 8 years old or so. The phone call the vet made to tell me the news (I was home for xmas) was very hard to receive, even though it wasn't a huge shock. He was so old that I deliberately had him stay at the vet's while I was gone, just in case.
Thanks for the Open Thread and the great topic!
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so
My rabbit was named
Felise. I had to change it to Phillip when we finally correctly determined his sex.
He was trained for a leash. I took him out in public, never worried about him getting away. When I carried him to a local grocery store, he would sit on a chair, and the owners would feed him lettuce leaves.
Good times, great memories!
Glad you dropped in.
I hope you have a great weekend!
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Hi all
What a great beautiful wonderful story OTC! Thanks for sharing! You must have been chuckling when I wrote in Sima's OT yesterday "they love their Donkeys here".
I never could have imagined all the great Donkey stories I have heard in Texas. Sounds an awesome animal you had there!
We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.
Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.
both - Albert Einstein
So glad to hear from you, pal!
Just a kid thinking "cute" and "different", and man, oh man, she became a legend. Here it is, 2023, and people still remember her.
I forgot to mention, she was featured a few times in a Nativity scene in front of our historic Methodist Church.
Dad would haul her up there, help them get her all dressed. He made sure she had snacks. She really loved carrots.
Donkeys weren't a thing for ranchers back then. Now, they are very common.
They are intelligent animals. Very trainable. There stubbornness is a self-protection. They stop when they are fatigued. A horse will run until it collapses.
My parents gave me a book for my birthday, "Brighty of the Grand Canyon". Ever after, I wanted a burro.
We had lots of birds here this week, especially today. They went through a lot of feed. You would have enjoyed their antics.
Take care, dysto. So glad you dropped by.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981