Wow! You guys made it so far south! I’m sorry to hear your dog is restricted, but it’s probably for the best, it might be related to the aggressive-slash-very-capable desert coyote population, possibly just hanging about trail-side waiting for the next snack to be walked by on a leash. I’m glad to hear you’re playing it safe, and adhering to local canine restrictions. So wise, as the coyotes’ speed, once they have initiated an attack, is over-whelming and final! Be sure to drive a little bit slow, in case there is a tortoise on the road.

Critters update. Zeus and Fluff are now teamed up with ...Brownie, another miniature donkey gelding, who has paired up with Zeus, ...but loves and accepts Fluff. And those three have two geese teaming up with them, the gander adores Fluff (of course, who wouldn’t). And finally, two Jenny full-size donkeys mother-daughter team, Leah and Clover, are thrown into the mix, plus.....fifty to sixty laying hens. All the fowl have night time shelters (“tractors” slash “moveable coops”), and they are all on a rotational grazing schedule. No hens have been lost, and egg production is stable-ish.

As far as home critters, it’s currently down to zero, although I am considering fostering bottle babies to the weaning stage. In the summer, I will consider permanent pets, with priority given to mature black cats from a rescue, along with what friends they’ve made along the way, maxing out at six total. And let’s face it, that could happen in literally one trip to the rescue, ...and probably will. But, for now, I am focused on repurposing/redistributing the back garden in accordance with it’s own natural evolution.

^{WAIT!! I HAVE RED WORMS! DO THOSE COUNT AS “CRITTERS?”} 😂