The exciting part about being an aunt is you always have little riding buddies that are willing to hit the trail of adventure.  My little fiesty 6-year-old niece dreams of the day that she will become a lion tamer.  Ahhh - that's my girl.  I saddled up her new donkey and cued her on the gas, brakes, turn signals - mom was close by.  Maybe it was Karma or a bad hair day for the Mocha the new donkey, things just didn't go right for Mocha or Esther.  I turned my head long enough to bridle my mule, then I see a donkey trotting off into the sunset with Esther clutching her little hands to the horn, reins flopping up and down.  I ran into the path of the run-away-donkey-train to head them off at the pass.  Mocha was fearful because Esther screamed - not sure what exactly he was to be afraid of - never-the-less he trotted along in circles and dodged me - so quick, my goodness he is athletic.  Esther bounced off, I picked her up and dried her tears.  It's not easy to console a child, especially when one has never done it before - gosh - I did OK for a consoling newbie.  "OK, now Esther, stop crying or I may have to operate.  Is your leg broken?" 

 "NO!"

"Can you move your hands, legs, feet?"

(sigh) "Yes."

"Do I need to do surgery?"

"NO." 

"That's good, because your Aunt Cindy did not bring her sharpest knife today." 

(Esther with poison ivy on her face and growing new front teeth - priceless.)

After that circus - Wendy and I decided we would ride the little mule and the donkey because it looked like so much fun - wear the little hellions down a knotch or two and then we will be good to go.

It wasn't an hour later - Esther ran out of the house to get a ride on the mule with her aunt leading her - talking about the next time we go riding and how she's going to be the boss of her donkey.  I think ponying this little cowgirl for a while longer is the best thing for her schooling.  A future mule-skinner in the making~Cindy K. Roberts

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