This is Dilly and her pals the donkeys. I have posted their photo before, but came across this one this morning and thought to post her image again. Dilly like her sister Shazam or Niki as I called her, has past, but was a Krevits Arab. I met Dilly and her two-legged partner, friend and breeder many years ago through Niki. I had just bought the mare and registered her with the Canadian Arab Association. Her breeder, who became a dear friend, had been searching for her because Shazam was the first of many horses that she had bred and somehow she'd lost rack of her.

Shazam's breeder (who quickly became a dear friend) lives on a lovely farm on the Niagara Escarpment hear Hamilton, most of which she rents to a couple who run an equestrian centre. It's ideal for my friend, who not only has all her horses there, several Arabs that she breeds and shows, but also a variety of animals she rescues. I don't know if the donkeys shown here are rescues, or the Llama that was in the stable the day I took this photograph, but I did meet the dogs she rescued and several of the cats, some of whom were barn cats, others house cats. This is a woman with a huge heart, who in her working life was a videographer and gatherer of news and commentary long before it was something women did with any frequency. She is remarkable. And so are her four-legged friends.

Hope you have someone or something remarkable in your life who can make you smile, feel proud, or that you want to emulate. This woman has set me a fine example. Have a super day, maybe you'll even see some donkeys today?

The guardians

Well, contrary to the heading on today's post, these two aging but lovable donkeys don't appear to be guardians or defenders of anything much.

However I did want to talk a bit about donkeys as guardians today and as innovative solutions to problems. Driving around the countryside, I've come across some local organic farms. One raises sheep... and in the sheep pens are also a horse and a donkey. The donkey is the guardian against predators particularly coyotes.

Interestingly, I haven't heard our local coyotes crying to each other at dusk as I always have in past years. I'm very afraid that a bounty was placed on these important keepers of  ecosystem balance or some old-tyme farmers have gotten together and decided to wipe them out.

Perhaps they are denning. I certainly hope that's the case.

Donkeys hate coyotes and are wonderful protectors against them. They are all that a farmer usually needs. Being herd animals, donkeys stay with the other animals. Their sharp hooves are deadly protection and they will attack coyotes. That sheep farm has huge pastures, far from the house... the donkey is always in the field with the sheep...

Without coyotes, we will have an excess of moles and other tiny rodents, rabbits, groundhogs and similar vegetation eating critters. Coyotes themselves are part of the ecosystem that we humans need to think about protecting not changing. The moles, voles and other small rodents did a lot of damage to trees, lawns, and gardens this past snow season. And it was in deep winter that I stopped hearing coyotes.

It makes me very sad that humans feel the need to take a gun to solve problems...not only in the country against animals, but around the world against each other.

Donkeys are an example of a peaceful solution that can be found for most problems with a bit of ingenuity, creative and out-of-the-box thinking.

My you find a creative solution to any problem you face today.