"Slip Out the Back, Jack"

Jack riding home, as seen through our rear-view mirror.

Yesterday we received a call from our friends at Second Life Farm up in Macon County. Their donkey, Jack, had gone visiting--again--and was corralled at the home of the Jenny he pursued, some three miles away. Retrieving him would take two sets of hands and only one was available on their farm, so I fired up our little farm truck and tooled along the scenic byways of Middle Tennessee on a gorgeous autumn afternoon. We met Jack's caretaker along the way and followed her to the spot of his tryst.

This was my first opportunity to meet Jack, and I was taken by the sweet little donkey who was so readily pliable at the hands of his caretaker. (I daresay I would have had more trouble with him. Artemis is strong.) With some urging and a gentle shove, Jack was coaxed into the little trailer. Tied securely--and retied by the elderly gentleman who had been looking out for him--Jack was ready for the slow drive home.

All along the way I kept a watch in the rear-view mirror, wary lest he break free and hurt himself. Artemis lead the way home, slowly--watching us in her rear-view mirror and laughing when she saw me drop the camera as I tried to drive and snap photos simultaneously. We traversed the main drag without incident. As we made the turn onto their road, I watched the occupants of the car behind us witness the riding donkey make the turn away.

Jack: safe at home again, and probably plotting his next adventure.

After Jack was unloaded, he was returned to the barn and fed. For all we knew, though, he was already thinking about his next opportunity to slip out the back gate and go in search of sweet Jenny.