I HAVE BEEN REMISS....

I have been remiss in not posting or doing a great deal of training with Reggie and Coco.  But, my wife found this today, and it speaks volumes about how I feel about two of the most gentle animals I have ever known:

Where does the time go, but the bonding continues...

Ok, here is the issue: Where does the time go?  It has been over 2 weeks since I posted anything about Reggie or photography.  I can't tell if it is overwhelming depression keeping me from doing what I said I was going to do, or being retired.  Being retired sends a false message to the brain.  Not much is demanding on my time.  Sure, there is the "Emergency of the Day," and on a horse ranch it's usually a broken water line or fence.  That gets my attention, but all my desires and hopes seem to fall by the way side.

I am glad to report that the bonding has continued the last 2 weeks. Reggie is enjoying being rubbed, patted and tolerates a halter.  Coco is still very cautious.  She stands off and thinks about me and why I want to pat her.  But, if I have the Reggie snacks they are right in my pocket.

I need to get new halters that fit better.  I didn't know it, a donkey's head is a different shape than a horse.  Of course the local feed and tack stores do not sell donkey halters, just all sizes of horse ones.  I have been reading and reading about donkeys.  Just got an Ebook from Amazon written by Jackass Jill from New Mexico about her walking companions which are donkeys.  She has hiked and camped for months at a time with hers.  Wow.  That is a strong brave woman.

Ron 

Gaining trust and making friends with treats.

Coco has settled in after coming here on Monday.  She enjoys being rubbed and patted.

This week I have been gaining Reggie's and Coco's friendship with snacks.

I got this recipe from  Morning Bray Farm, a farm that has six donkeys.  Their web site is :morningbrayfarm.com.  It is 1 cup of bran cereal, 1 cup of shredded carrot, 1 cup of molasses, and 1 1/2 cups of flour.  Baked for 16 minutes.

Reggie and Coco love them.  Witness:

They obviously like the snacks.  Next week will be working with halters.

Reggie has a new friend!

I could not resist the opportunity to bring home the cutest jenny.   After all, Reggie needed a donkey friend.  It's not easy being the only one with long ears.

Now I have double the fun, double the pleasure.

Her name is Coco.

She is slightly larger than Reggie and has a sweet, sweet face and personality.

God sent me Reggie.

Reggie is a gift from God.

Simple as that.

I have chronic depression. Somedays it is difficult to get off the couch. Thank God I have to get out and feed the horses twice a day. I love photography and have struggled since retirment to get out and do any. I thought retiring would help my depression, but it has not. But God saw to it that my prayers would be answered.

God sent me Reggie.

I had been wondering how I could do large format photography away from the car and as I stated in my first post I had been thinking about a pack animal. And as you now know, God sent me Reggie.

Ron

Heeeeere's REGGIE....

Obviously the first step in my journey with Reggie is to get him haltered.

Well the first time took well, time.  

When he first showed up on our place he had a rope noose around his neck which I finally was able to cut off.  His former experience was foremost in his mind.  

Here he is resisted the procedure.
 But here's what important, here he is:

 This is Reggie, a small standard donkey, also called a burro in many parts of the country.
 He is wearing his halter, so step one is so far so good.  Although the look on his face...
More Reggie photos:

Not so sure about this stare...

 He is very aware of everything around the place and wasn't sure what I was doing with my iPhone taking his picture this morning.  I discovered that there is an old English proverb that states:  

If the first thing you hear in the morning is a donkey's bray, make a wish and it will come true. 

The way Reggie appeared here and changed my life already there is something to this.
Ron

First post...What is with that title...well, I'll tell you...

Large format photography is the use of film that is 4x5 inches or larger.

I use film in the 4x5 inch, 5x7 inch 8x10 inch, and 8x20 inch formats.  The 8x20 inch format is also considered "Ultralarge format."

I use large format and film because: 1. I like the mechanics of the operation of the cameras. 2. the detail achieved is unsurpassed by any other photographic technique. 3. the process and printing of large format film allows the use of the darkroom, something which I still love and is still magic.

The negatives produced by using large format film are contact printed on either "Lodima," a silver-chloride contact printing paper, or on hand made paper which has been coated with Platinum.

But one of the drawbacks of this photographic style and medium is the size and weight of the equipment.  I have always used a backpack type case for the cameras 8x10 and smaller and could, in my younger days, hike for some distance to get the images I wanted.  However, age has caught up with me.  Using the 8x20 I never went more than a few feet from the vehicle and now hiking with the others has become 'not so much fun'.

 ENTER REGGIE.

I was thinking that maybe a pack animal of some sort might be the way to go.  I raise horses, and have owned Llamas, so it wouldn't be that much of a stretch to work with a pack animal.

On February 2, Groundhog day, Reggie appeared.  Someone dumped off in my neighborhood a young mare, a shetland pony, and a DONKEY!  Being the only equestrian people around, my neighbors assumed they were mine and shooed them onto my property.  Caused all sorts of problems that I'll go into later, but there he was: MY PACK DONKEY.

He has been here 9 weeks now and is very personable and I have named him REGGIE.

I have just started working with him and it's obvious he has never even worn a halter.  Square one, halter work.

I hope if you read this far you will come back to see him in pictures and videos.  I am planning to take Reggie to many places and I hope to share our adventures, photos of the trips, and the B/W images made with the equipment he will carry.

Ron