THE BIRTH OF A DONKEY

jenny and her baby

 

This morning, Tuesday, after having coffee and talking with my friend Carole on the phone, I picked up a copy of Harold Pinter's play, The Caretaker, and read the first act. I'd seen the film made from it and read it forty-five years ago. Wanted to read it for a refresher. In this time of the life I'm liking to reread books read long ago, to enjoy them again. Went to the desk to see what my facebook friends were posting. I looked out the window at Jenny, satisfied she was not having her baby today, it being a few minutes before noon. First thing every morning I look to see if Jenny has her baby, imagining the birth would happen before I woke in the morning, never considering I'd have a chance to see the birth of a donkey from beginning to end. Jenny was out in the meadow facing my direction. She turned sideways and I saw her tail standing straight out and a leg sticking out from under the tail. I picked up the camera and put on a heavy shirt for an extended stay in the fifty degree air. A day of full sunlight, no wind, blue sky, no clouds. I was grateful for the baby's perfect timing, a warm day in December.

 

kiss me, babydoll

 

By the time I was out the door, Jenny was on the ground. I arrived to see the head had emerged with the foreleg that led the way. I made a few photographs and set the camera on video, made video from this point, as seen above, through the whole process of baby's emergence into donkey reality. I have a hard time getting excited about something like birth, which doesn't always turn out to satisfaction, until it's over and all is well. I felt like this was it, finally, Jenny's baby was here. But it wasn't over. The baby's hip got stuck. Baby could not wiggle its way out and Jenny could not walk it out. She stood up and walked in a small circle attempting to shake it out. She flopped down on the ground hard, the baby went thump, and I thought it a good thing babies are made of rubber. Baby could not wiggle free. I was keeping out of it, standing back, giving Jenny all the space she needed not to feel crowded. Jack was with me the whole time, his side touching my side. He appeared as interested in what Jenny was doing as I was. Jenny seemed comforted by our presence.  

 

the kiss

 

Jack walked over to Jenny and gently extended his nose toward her nose. Jenny raised her upper lip to touch his lip. I actually got a picture of the kiss. I have seen them kiss once before. It was just a touch. They were facing each other, Jenny's head a little lower than Jack's. She raised her head and touched his upper lip with her upper lip. It made Jack's day. He took off running and kicking his back legs in the air. I've looked for a picture I could get of Jenny and Jack that showed the love between them. They have been in love a year an a half. They've been together two years, but it took Jenny six months to grieve her friends she left behind when she was abducted against her will, Jenny has a strong will, and put in a meadow with a jackass rapist. It took her awhile to adjust, get to know her rapist. She took the role of Alpha for self-defense. The day she fell in love with Jack, she passed the Alpha role to him. It happened from one day to the next. This picture above, when you know it is a kiss, shows their love better than any I've been able to get.

 

mama jen kisses her baby

 

And here by chance I got a picture of Jenny kissing her baby. Jack watched his woman deliver their child. He was aware of what was happening. He was quiet and gentle, gave Jenny plenty of space, kept his focus on her, sometimes walked up to her in a way that said, "I'm right here, babydoll," sniffing her and their emerging donkey child. I knew they knew more about what was going on than I did, so I left it all to them. Seeing the baby's hip stuck, I decided to give an assist. I put the camera down and took the baby around the waist with my hands and pulled the hip through. Zip, that was it. Baby looked bewildered. I was loving the opportunity to see this baby donkey first discover sight and look around without focus, seeing for the first time. It struggled to get up. Inner guidance kept at it and soon the baby figured out how to stand. Walking came natural. Then a little baby hop. Jenny guided it to her udder several times, gently and repeatedly until baby found it. Right away little donkey was walking around in the meadow with Mama Jen, hair dry and fluffy, Jack close by watching. I saw today Jack has a loving heart. I don't know the gender yet and am not yet settled on the name. I have two in mind. Gender will determine which name.

 

found it

 

 

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