My father and youngest son, Spank, liked to tease each other by calling the other "Jackass". (My dad had a name for everyone.) Then they started calling my mother "Jenny". Dad intended to rent a donkey for Spank's 21st birthday, and put it in our front yard. But due to his failing health, he was unable to do so. Dad passed away in March of 2002. I continued to talk about buying a donkey, and Spank finally dared me to do it. You all know what that means.

I visited Ravenwood Farm that May. Susie Patterson took me into a pen of about 20 minis. They immediately swarmed me begging for love and wanting a donkey hug. Susie told me the story of the Donkey's Cross, and I was hooked. I went home and told my wife, Jill, I wanted to buy 2 miniature donkeys. She told me I was crazy.

We took a donkey trip Memorial Day weekend. Our first visit was to J & E Farms where we purchased our first two donkeys, a jennet and a one-day-old foal. Originally, these donkeys were to be pets for our grandson, Kameron. As several breeders have told us, minis are contagious, and 18 months later, we now have 17 miniature donkeys. I was very, very busy setting about 400 fence posts, building 6 pastures and 3 three-sided sheds, adding on to our garage/barn, and having automatic waterers installed.

At the present time, we are building our herd and don't have too much for sale. We are expecting three foals next year and look forward to their arrival. As we continue to grow and improve our herd, more minis will become available for sale. We intend to carry most colors of donkeys including spots, sorrels, and dark browns. We want everyone to be able to afford a mini, so we should have donkeys in all price ranges.

Miniature donkeys make great pets and are a stress-reliever to me. They love human attention, and I love giving it to them.