I guess I’m the one who first spoiled the donkeys. I got them both more than a decade ago and they had my number from the beginning.

Whenever they saw me or heard me in the farmhouse, they would bray softly and piteously and I would bring them a treat – alfalfa cookies or carrots and apples.

When I cracked up, I sent them away, gave them both to a farmer, but after a year, I woke up and got them back. It took Lulu four or five years to forgive me, donkeys do not forget anything.

When Maria came into our lives, she bonded with the donkeys and took over the basic task of spoiling them, although I still can’t resist their soft braying.

But you really can’t do much better than hang around with Maria if you are a donkey or any other animal.

Every morning, Maria makes up a bowl put together from our leftovers. They love Pineapple shells, old graces, stale pita bread, and scraps from dinner.

Being an artist, Maria can’t resist making the donkey treats into an organic food sculpture for donkeys. The sheep get some of it, and Zinnia prowls around like a vacuum cleaner looking for any scraps.

This was one of her best Spoiling The Donkeys gourmet breakfast sculptures, and they loved it, as usual.  I want to organize an annual process here at the farm called The Spoiling Of The Donkeys.