It’s a cherished Bedlam Farm ritual. Every morning, after she cleans out the barn, Maria goes inside to get her donkey brushes. When she comes out, the donkeys wait patiently for her, one next to the other.

They insist she pay equal attention to them. If she lags too long brushing with one, the other will give her butt a push with their nose to get her back in line. They seem to have eternal clocks for measuring equal time.

Maria always ends up smiling, and so do I. I don’t think I can even look at these photos without smiling. I bet you can’t either.