Donkey Happy Dance Time

Football players do it after every touchdown. I’m thinking they do it to show off their really kewell moves, but I could be wrong! Other people do it at one time or another, but a donkey performing such a feat, why that’s unheard of! Actually, maybe not! Luc has his own version of the happy dance and it is a sight to behold. What football players do in the end zone cannot hold a candle to Luc, fact is, they could take some lessons from this happy little dancer. Luc’s performance comes from deep down within his soul and shoots outta him like 4th of July fireworks.

The happy dances occur at times of great joy particularly on the day the new round bale arrives. Since we know what lies ahead and Luc being the professional escape artist he has become, we arrange some quality feed jail time for our white-faced man. Now it’s not as bad as it sounds. We have a double gate system and between the two gates is a holding pen often used to feed Luc so he is not stealing, ‘err sampling, Liberty’s feed. The pen sits up by the house so everything from there is all downhill, literally!

Back in the good ole’ days, before we were forced to put Luc into lockdown, he was free to come and go as he pleased. That was before the big escape where Luc lead his merry men on a wild after dark rampage around the farm. His wild adventure lives on at www.teamdonk.org on Luc’s 2007 Accolades page.

During the early days Luc was always the first one to the feeder for the round bale unveiling. One night after Farmer Jim cut all the bale strings and was attempting to pull them off he noticed something really strange. He would tug on the strings and the strings would tug back. He would pull and they seemed strangely stuck. This went on long enough that he knew something was just not right. So around the feeder he trudged to find Luc with a mouth full of bale strings…. When Farmer Jim pulled one way Luc pulled the other. The only way to get those strings off that bale was to first get them out of Lucer’s mouth!

Firing up the tractor is music to their longears, bringing the boys into full alert mode. That is unless Liberty has just starting his daily beet pulp dining, which is usually the case as per our well executed plan. Liberty will remain pretty intent on the task at hand, so there’s no fear of him abandoning that delicious cuisine until it is 100% dissipated. Luc can do it all, remain on high alert status while plotting escape routes as he slurps his beet pulp.

Within minutes the tractor, sporting a new to them round bale fresh from the confines of the old hay barn, chugs towards them. Through the wide open gate that magnificent sight rolls…. You can just see Luc responding with, “Hey Gang, ya forgot to shut the gate….. Isn’t anyone going to shut the gate, its open ya know? If I wasn’t locked in here I could escape and you could spend hours trying to git me back.” To which my response is, “Yeah, Lucers we know now shut up and behave while we unload your hay.”

Luc waits for the hay to be set in place, the strings pulled and Farmer Jim to ride his tractor up the hill and out of the pasture. He knows his freedom time is almost at hand as soon as the gate has been relocked with that darn carabineer. Oh yes we know this donkey boy’s amazing latch opening abilities and how to put a halt to his future antics. Then and only then is it time for the big show…. Luc knows and is ready to spring into action. Liberty has already sauntered down to the new hay and being the official tester comes back with this report, “Yep this is a good ‘un’ and has my Liberty Seal of Approval!”

“Oh come on let me out… let me out… The anticipation is killing me!”

As I swing the pasture gate open I let Luc know he is now a free man …First is the official quick checks…. Liberty’s beet pulp bucket is slicked clean and the cats can have what has dropped to the ground. Now for the gate… remember the gate, it was wide open… “Ah Shucks, they locked it again.” Luc has the look of total disappointment until he remembers, “Oh yeah there’s new hay!”

Here we go… ears flat back, head down, heels in the air, first it’s the In-One-Place Happy Dance complete with reining horse type spins, front and back. He can set his heels and execute serious spinning maneuvers or he can plant his face and swing his rear end around his front end. Now that takes some kind of talent!

Then it’s down the hill running, bucking and kicking all at the same time…first the entire body twists to one side then to the other side all the way to where Liberty is munching away peacefully at the feeder. Looking like a crash is about to take place.… I can’t help myself as I yell, “LUC STOP!” Nope, a quick spin on the haunches and the Happy Dance continues at the feeder…. “Opps, Liberty, you’re in my touchdown zone, sorry about that kick in yer ass but its Donkey Happy Dance Time, don’t ya know!”