Hi folks ! All right, all right ! It’s been three months again since my last entry, I know what some of you may think « sooooo ? yet another translation to be blamed ? ». Sorry but yes ! Partly. I’m finished with Bhutan all right, but guess what…I was then called to the rescue for another catalogue, one on Renoir for a change.

But you’re right, the translations are not alone to be blamed. I’ve been on the move a lot these past two months, visiting my parents whose health is not that great, my yearly three-day visit to Lough Derg in late June, combined with a few days more in Dublin. And a flying visit to Cork on a week-end in July…the last performances of the « Michael Collins, a musical drama » for this season… you wouldn’t expect me to miss it would you ;-) It was as brilliant as ever, with a cast in top form !

But in the meantime, I went abroad…… to Scotland ! One of my good friends is a Scotland addict, and since 2001, that is a tradition, we go there together every other year. I remember seeing once on the Devon website of the Sanctuary, someone asking about donkeys in Scotland. And indeed, I don’t remember seeing any during any of my five trips. Yet this year, but maybe I was fooled by my obsession with donkeys, I thought I heard one braying in the Kilmartin area, just down the local museum. But only once. I had hoped it would bray gain so that I could figure out where it was likely to be. But… nothing came.

Now, we also went to the Isle of Mull and stayed at the very tip of it to the West ; a lovely B&B in the middle of nowhere before you get to Fionnphort. On the evening we arrived, after we met our hosts, we decided to have a walk down to the sea to get acquainted with the area. Beautiful landscape and a gorgeous sunset over Iona we had that day. Not a donkey to be seen or heard, only sheep. But as we were walking back, I stopped dead, just a few yards before the gate to our B&B. I called my friends and asked them : « what do you think this is ? » and both had to admit « well…yes it looks very much like a donkey’s head ». And indeed, the track had been repaired at places, with irregular patches of tarmac. And one of the patches looked like… see the picture ! Doesn’t it look like a cute little donkey head just the like of one you could find in a book for children ?

Now, the real donkeys, and first of all, Miss Jacinta, will be back on the blog soon ! Mame Baudet is off to West Cork this coming Friday and Miss Jacinta will soon meet new two-legged friends !