Wonders of Craig's List

Informed by the readers of "Equine Driving," a list on Yahoo, that my first donkey cart was too small, I was bummed for a while. Then I put it up for sale on Craig's List.

The first morning, I had six calls! Yesterday one of those folks came by and bought it. Not to name drop, but it was Pryor Gibson, (D) NC House of Representatives. (He says his biggest issue is this state's huge divide between urban and rural.)

Then, this morning at about 5:30 am I saw an ad on Craig's List for a perfect size pony cart. I called, and drove down to Aberdeen and picked it up. I got it home about an hour before Pryor came to pick up the other one. Isn't that amazing?

I think Jethro looks proud of this cart, and let it be noted that this afternoon he had his second passenger, a kid named Eli. Eli said the ride was very smooth.

Tomorrow we're getting our first driving lesson from Heather. Jethro needs to be more obedient before I can migrate from my position at his head to the blind spot behind his butt.

He has his own opinions about what to do and when to do it. For instance, he likes to decide when it's appropriate to stop and munch on other people's landscaping materials.

If he thinks we should be going left and I say "Jethro, right!," he actually looks at me as if I were an idiot.

More dangerously, Jethro is a proponent - as my father was - of the "rolling stop." That is to say, if he thinks it's appropriate he'll stop when I ask him to, but if, on the other hand, he deems a stop unnecessary, he will merely slack his speed slightly and then move on.

This is karmic justice I suppose, I myself have been guilty of a few rolling stops.

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