I was standing on the safe side of the pasture where an old donkey lived out its final days. He became a favorite spot to stop on a sunday drive when I was just a little boy filled with wonder at the sounds it made and a giant mouth that learned over time not to be so impatient as he snached a carrot out of my hand and allowed me to scratch his head as my mom yelled out to me not to get so close as he was a wild animal which couldnt be more un true. One such Sunday, the farmer who cared for him came up beside him with a bunch of carrots, which he handed to me over the top of the fence, and asked if I'd like to know the history of the one he called Dan.
Dan was owned almost twenty years ago by a man who traveled with the circus. He gave donkey rides to children in a round ring that, for a quarter, could ride for exactly five minutes around and around, as Dan, wearing crazy hats made of straw and flowers, went through the motions with an occasional bellow that made some young kids yell to stop and get off his back. Days were long for Dan as the man made him walk in circles well into the night until the circus closed for the day and he could walk in a straight line back to his stall and some much-needed rest. The man never spoke to Dan unless he scolded him for stopping dead in his tracks and refusing to move, which he often did, knowing that he'd get a beating once back in his stall. One day, a farmer asked the man to sell him, Dan, for one hundred dollars, which was much more than the man could make at a quarter a ride, so he agreed.
The farmer let Dan roam several acres of lush pasture, where he learned to run, play, and bellow at passing cars, which led some to stop and feed him all sorts of treats, which he grabbed and ran away with as if it were a game. When the word got out about Dan the donkey, school buses full of kids would stop as Dan ran to the fence, happy to see the kids. Over time, as he got older, he didn't run much anymore, and his appetite wasn't what it once was. But he continued to come to the fence and drop most of the treats to the ground, bellowing his thanks for their kindness. On any given Sunday, Dan would come to the fence wearing a straw hat with flowers on it to pose for pictures, which he loved. He was a big ham. Dan was showing off his huge smile as kids stood on the other side of the fence and parents snapped pictures. The farmer thought how great it would be if he made a gate so kids could come into the pasture and play with Dan, and play they did. Dan let the kids think they could catch him as he ran back and forth, tucking his tail so they wouldn't grab it. Then he would stop and turn towards the kids who weren't quite sure what his next move would be. Then, with a loud bellow, Dan charged as kids scrambled away and chased by Dan at half speed, never intending to harm them, as they were all his friends. And that's the story of Dan the donkey, who for years brought joy to kids and adults looking for a place to stop on a Sunday drive. And as we pulled away, I stared out the back window of our station wagon, and I heard Dan bellow a goodbye as his straw hat with flowers faded into my favorite childhood memory.
The farmer let Dan roam several acres of lush pasture, where he learned to run, play, and bellow at passing cars, which led some to stop and feed him all sorts of treats, which he grabbed and ran away with as if it were a game. When the word got out about Dan the donkey, school buses full of kids would stop as Dan ran to the fence, happy to see the kids. Over time, as he got older, he didn't run much anymore, and his appetite wasn't what it once was. But he continued to come to the fence and drop most of the treats to the ground, bellowing his thanks for their kindness. On any given Sunday, Dan would come to the fence wearing a straw hat with flowers on it to pose for pictures, which he loved. He was a big ham. Dan was showing off his huge smile as kids stood on the other side of the fence and parents snapped pictures. The farmer thought how great it would be if he made a gate so kids could come into the pasture and play with Dan, and play they did. Dan let the kids think they could catch him as he ran back and forth, tucking his tail so they wouldn't grab it. Then he would stop and turn towards the kids who weren't quite sure what his next move would be. Then, with a loud bellow, Dan charged as kids scrambled away and chased by Dan at half speed, never intending to harm them, as they were all his friends. And that's the story of Dan the donkey, who for years brought joy to kids and adults looking for a place to stop on a Sunday drive. And as we pulled away, I stared out the back window of our station wagon, and I heard Dan bellow a goodbye as his straw hat with flowers faded into my favorite childhood memory.
Mike 2026 
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