So we’ve reached a decision about Lulu’s dilemma and more significantly, the muddy mess at the new pasture gate. It was caused by flooding the trucks that went in and out to help building the fence, we have a little pond there. I’m not that worried about Lulu, she will get over it eventually as the other donkeys have, but we need to clean the mess up, so trucks and tractors can get in there as well as the animals. The pasture will need brushogging and there are things to remove back there – some dead deer carcasses and two old cars (farmers often used their woods as junkyards.

So we had Vince the excavator come by this morning and he came up with a good plan: next week he’ll come by with a tractor and some round stones and a 20 foot tube and he’ll dig a trench, put some gravel and stones down on either side of the gate, put the tube in and the stream will run the water through the tube and under the gate. There will be solid footing for the animals, us and any trucks or tractors that need to come through. For now, the donkeys have plenty of grass on the farm side of the gate. I don’t want Lulu to get too wedded to the idea that she can’t cross the space, so we are closing off the new pasture until Vince comes to clean it up. Photos and videos to follow, natch.

Lots of people offered advice and suggestions – I’ve decided to stop whining about all of the advice I get and just roll with it. Complaining doesn’t do any good. People mean very well. There are no good half-way solutions.  The stream down there is strong and fast-moving, we need to funnel it though an enclosed space let the rest of the area dry up. A good plan, I think, not at all expensive.