This is a post from Sheaffer's blog.  He is the little donkey with whom I first became acquainted..and from there I found Sheila's Sanctuary. See photo on sidebar.  These are the reasons I support such a worthwhile project. It's the reason I made a couple of little bears to send for their silent auction this coming week.  It's so worth it to support somebody like Sheila who works so tirelessly on behalf of any animals in distress.  It makes me cry every time I read how cruel some people can be.   I wish I lived closer so I could go in person to visit and help out...but, Canada is a huge country and I am pretty much at the opposite end from her and her little menagerie....
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Sheaffer's recent post is this:


The woman and I are asked quite often how Sheila, who runs the PrimRose Donkey Sanctuary, keeps going day after day. She has seen every possible negative aspect of human nature at work in the guise of the neglected and abused donkeys who make their way to her farm. Still she smiles, never raises her voice and one by one, tries to help the sanctuary residents and educate humans on how to properly care for donkeys in general.

I know some of you have heard me speak of Tabi (Tabolinski), the mammoth donkey who luckily found himself in Sheila's care. He had worked tirelessly pulling logs from the forest, without benefit of footcare for ages. When he was sold, his new owner decided to "fix" his feet all in one go, and the bony structure inside dropped down to his soles, leaving him in agony. Sheila and her vet and farrier and the volunteers nursed him back to health and he was looking shiny and standing comfortably, soaking up the sun and finally leading a wonderful life. One day last week Sheila went out to prepare donkey breakfasts and Tabi had died in the night. She is devastated. We have no details as yet but I know there are many of us, human and donkey, who know how much Sheila's heart is aching right now. I hope she remembers that even though his life was short - he was only in his mid-teens - she gave a great soul the chance to know what loving care is all about. He will be greatly missed.

On a happier note, Theodore, the "dumpster donkey" is thriving in his new home. After having been nearly beaten to death with a shovel by a lunatic who tied him to a dumpster and left him there to die, Sheila was called and he was taken to the sanctuary. To say he had trust issues is a massive understatement. Sheila felt his nightmarish experiences would make him a liftetime resident. One day a teenage human and her mother went to visit the sanctuary. Theodore marched up to the girl and declared she was "the one".

He went to live at her home and from being virturally untouchable, he is now calmly having his feet done by the foot man, being brushed, haltered and led everywhere. Last winter, he and his group of horses came into the barn during a bad storm. Theodore and the humans realized at the same time that one horse was missing. Back out went Theodore, up a steep hill, in the blinding snow, where he moved in close to the horse and led him back down the hill with the horse's muzzle pressed into his furry back. His day wasn't done yet. The teenage human's father found a chicken out in the roadway in the same blizzard and brought it home, fearing it wouldn't last the night. The chicken was put into the warm barn. In the morning the chicken was found fully recovered, nestled on Theodore's warm back. Theodore does not take his new home for granted. He knows how truly terrible humans can be but has the judgement to recognize the good ones when he meets them. That farm is in good hooves with Theodore in charge.

Those are just two of the many reasons we want to make the "Big Day" a very big success. Thank you to all who are working so hard to help my donkey friends and thank you to Sheila for doing, day in and day out, what most of us cannot even imagine. She's a woman on a mission and I gladly lend my name to anything that will help her to keep PrimRose up and running.

photo a week...

Scruffy and Tuffy....

Sheaffer's birthday bash and fun (whoops... that should have read "fund") raising in Ontario was a blast! Check it out ... They all drank lemon squash and nibbled plenty of baked goodies without me... but, I did raise a glass of "white" yesterday in his honour and hoped little Tuffy would raise a few dollars for the Primrose Sanctuary. I'm really happy that he went home with a very nice lady. For next year, I'm wondering if I can perhaps make a believable mini needlefelted donkey... .. that could be fun. Everybody should have a cute little donkey...even if only a "pretend" one.

They made a fair bit of loot that will go towards a new roof on the implement shed as there was plenty of snow swirling around in there last winter..... Canadians can relate!

Good job Sheaffer..... I'm waiting to see some great pics...! I hope her frazzled self remembered to take her camera!



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Serena wondered about the pepper plants and the type... etc... so, for my photo of the week group... here is what they look like.











They are red.... hahhahha.... honestly, that's all I know about them. And I hope I have some great tomatoes to go with.....

We just call them red peppers...and I've never heard them referred to as capsicum..so I think you are correct.... don't think Canucks call them that...must be a south-of-our-border thing. They are good and spicy...and they dry beautifully.












UPDATE ::: Arrrgghhhh!! I forgot to tell you it's also Bob T. Bear's Berfday ... today!! He is having a "Pantayshus" Party over at his blog too! wiv easy chocklit cayke and all. Pop over there to say Happy Day if you have a minute ......

..one small donkey's view of the world

I'd like you to meet my friend, Sheaffer. He's a very special little guy...not to mention very funny. I can't remember exactly how I found him...or his blog...but, I did. It was probably just that I got lucky in my "blog hopping" one day. Lucky because it is so funny to read some of his posts that I have tears running down my face.

Have you ever found a blog that just pulls you in and you have to go back to the very beginning to find out how it all began..?. that was Sheaffer's for me. I laughed my head off at some of the posts... and then read them to Mr. BumbleVee and we both cracked up. But, in my backwards scrolling and reading I also discovered that life is not easy for some little donkeys... some of it is pure hell because of miserable, stupid, humans. Honestly, some days I just hate people. No wonder I'm a happy hermit.

Anyway...not to make this a rant, but just to let you know that some folks have donkeys and don't treat them right... same as lots of people have cats and dogs and other pets and don't do right by them either....it happens every day all over the world.

Sheaffer and his woman have been instrumental in efforts on behalf of donkeys in their area... and in particular on behalf of donkeys rescued and now living at Primrose Donkey Sanctuary....

This weekend is Sheaffer's birthday and he is having a big party. With hats, treats, games like pin the butt on the humans..oh, just a minute, I think they decided against that one......and all sorts of fun happenings. If you live anywhere near Mount Albert, Ontario.... why not try to get to it? Pea... Sue... Dolores?... do you live near them? You're all invited. If I lived closer I would be there for sure...I'd love to scratch some mini donkey ears and hobnob with the horse and donkey lovers .... but, it costs as much for me to fly to Ontario as it would to fly to England if you can believe it! so, that's out...

I'll have to rely on the woman to take photos and post them on his blog ... but, I did send a little embassador in my stead.... because there is also a silent auction to raise money for the sanctuary and other donkeys. It was a way I could add some fun and perhaps a little help dollar wise for this special cause even from a distance. Sheaffer's woman found a little "Fauxbearge Egg" as she calls it, for Tuffy to sit in...like a little throne.... hahahha.... too funny. If the auction is an annual event...then next year I will be aware of the timing and have several items ready to go.

Sheaffer has plenty of buddies and "inmates" at his site..... cats, a dog, other equines... all blog fodder for Sheaffer's wit ..... especially his poor woman .... hilarious ...

Perhaps some day you'll have a few extra bucks burning a hole in your wallet ... especially Canadians and Ontarians.. (even Canadian Tire dollars are useful) ... here's a way to help .... and it's not just donkeys either ... the sanctuary has cats, dogs, and pot-bellied pigs too... Sheila does her best for any animal in distress.










Tuffy in his "Fauxbearge" egg.... Sheaffer says he looks like a small, benevolent despot.... oh, I sure hope somebody gets the bidding going and he is able to make some money for Sheila at the sanctuary..... he's only 2 and half inches tall, but he does have a pretty big personality.....