Passing the Torch / Saying Goodbye

Well, it seems no matter how hard you try, your past will inevitably catch up with you. The words I leave you with now will most assuredly be my last for quite some time, as I have a one way ticket to ADX Florence. As I turn over ownership of the Donkey Blog to Chris and Adam, my only hopes are that they continue to visit Leonard, Larry, and Laura, and keep the blog alive so the whole world can share in their joy. They have done a fantastic job of keeping the updates coming, and they will be my only insight to their lives while I'm away. L^3 have been a true inspiration to me, and I can only hope they're still chillin in Lawrenceville when I return to civilization. And now I must be going, as the knock on the door is sure to be my ride...

Donkeys In The News

Donkeys all over the world are garnering a little extra respect from their human counterparts this week. In Shelbyville, TN, the 17th Annual Great Celebration Mule & Donkey Show will take place on July 10-12th. The Murfreeboro Post has the story...

Celebration Mule, Donkey show starts Thursday
Monday, July 7, 2008 10:08 am

The 17th annual Great Celebration Mule and Donkey Show is on its way, and everyone in the community and the mule and donkey industry are poised for a great time with good friends, good food, and their favorite animals.

The 2008 event will take place July 10-12 at the Historic Celebration Grounds in Shelbyville.

Every year the show brings competitors from all over the country to Shelbyville to show their mules and donkeys. While the show consistently boasts quality entries, the competitive nature of the event is a friendly one.

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Tickets for the Great Celebration Mule and Donkey Show are, per day: adults $6; children ages 7-12 $3; and children six and under are free. Three-day passes are available for $15. For more information contact The Celebration office at (931) 684-5915. For more information, go to: http://www.twhnc.com/.


From half way around the world comes our next story. Lalit Raizada, a journalist based in India tells his story of how his opinions of donkeys has changed after spending some time with the wonderful animals. GulfNews.com has this story...

Donkey is poor, but not stupid
By Lalit Raizada, July 08, 2008, 00:09

Almost everywhere around the globe, the donkey is looked down upon. For ages, the animal has been a subject of ridicule and contempt and is made fun of.

If one has to berate a person, he is put on par with an ass. And the person would understand what star-rating you are giving him and why.

I was always curious to know why this poor creature has earned the kind of reputation it has. Even though coming from the horse family, it remains a poor cousin of the stallion.

One day while strolling by the riverside, I came across a small herd of donkeys leisurely grazing in the area. I sat down on a rock face to face with one of them and observed it closely. Aha, what a beautiful (and dutiful) creature it was!

I bet that if you had sat with me, you would also have noticed that the poor creature has a very innocent, albeit heavy, face with innocent looks in the truest sense of the word. There are no traces of mischief like that of a monkey. The gaping nostrils over thick black but spongy muzzle do not grimace at anybody.

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