|| Farm Tour ||

Merel and I could sleep in. Work started at 10.30 AM. We entered the farm area, but we couldn't see anyone. I called Chris, the farm manager, and he told us the staff had some tea time. Joy, Chris'wife, started with giving us a tour around the Donkey Sanctuary. She showed us the information shed, the stables, the big meadow, the training center and the small kitchen in which breaks were taken. After that, we had to distribute the mangers among the donkeys. Nikita told us which donkey needed which manger. Then Merel and I got to brush Arnie: a Poitou donkey. I added a picture of him in my travel report. The tools we got to use were recognisable to me, because they were the same brushes you use to brush horses. Arnie had quite some knots in his hair... The day ended with cleaning the meadow with the use of a pooper scooper. It was snowing when we left the Sanctuary at 4.15 PM.

I didn't know what to expect from the staff members. They could either way be very willing to talk or be uncomfortably professional.
The kind of missed the boat in the first break Merel and I experienced at the Sanctuary. The staff members were laughing about people and anecdotes we never heard of. Joy asked us some questions. I responded quite briefly as I was not yet comfortable. I also felt that way about the pub in the B&B. A lot of old farmers came to drink beer. Merel and I had diner and went upstairs to bed. Tomorrow work would start at 7.45 AM.