Daisy Blog

Spring Update

Spring is Here
I'm not sure if its because I've been traveling so much every year since I lived here, or if its just because this is the first year the flowers showed up on my pear trees before the leaves did.  But this is the first time I noticed that my pear trees have white flowers in the Spring.  In fact, I've noticed the white flowers on every pear tree all around Austin.  Since I haven't been traveling this Spring, I've had a chance to notice all the flowers blooming since the beginning of March.  My favorites are the redbud trees with their hot pink flowers, and the Mountain Laurels with their purple flowers.  Unfortunately, I don't have either of those trees in my yard.  But its fantastic watching the plants I do have in my yard come alive.

Shooting at Red's Indoor Range
A couple of weeks ago, my friends Gary and Doyle took me with them to the shooting range.  It was a lot of fun and I got to shoot:

• Gary's Browning Buckmark .22LR
• Gary & Doyle's SigSauer P229R 9mm with night sites
• Doyle's Smith and Wesson Highway Patrolman, .357 Magnum

The guys gave me a hard time, because I tended to hit the genital area of my paper target man, more than the center.  Of course, they told me I could just pin my target paper on my front door and I wouldn't have to worry about intruders.  Cheaper than an alarm service.

Out with Vendors

With five tradeshows coming up, and one board meeting, work has been busier than ever.  Most of these shows will be taking place within the same two week time frame, so not only am I working long hours at the office, but we've also had a lot of meetings with vendors, Beth and Jennifer enjoyed the warm Texas weather while the were here.

And we all celebrated Mike's birthday. It was great to have a reason to share Godiva chocolate cake from the Belmont.  Yum.   We were joined by Scott, another guy named Mike, and David.  This team helps me keep shows running smoothly, I couldn't do it without them.

Before Beth left, I made sure to introduce her to Amy's Ice Cream and the marble cows outside the store in the Arboreteum area.  Sitting on the marble cows while you are having ice cream is definitely an Austin experience which I enjoy sharing with others. 

Out with Co-workers
We've also been busy having planning meetings with the division within our company to prepare for these upcoming tradeshows.  This has allowed us time to hang out with many coworkers from different cities around the US.  Pictured is my assistant Liz, and Barb, one of our favorite division coordinators because she is so fun, and is always willing to help us out.

Kevin (Relatives Visiting)
The best was when my Dad's cousin (not sure what relation that makes me - 2nd cousins?) Kevin called me to say he was in town.  He lives in Oklahoma, but was in town interviewing students to work at his company.  He joined my coworkers and I for dinner one evening, and it although it was a quick visit, it meant a lot that he called. After we had dinner, he sent me some great e-mails with pictures of his kids.

Protected by Donkeys!

The other night I got home after a long day at work.  It was rather late so I decided to veg out in front of the television for a little bit.  After sitting a couple minutes, I hear a donkey braying so loud that I could swear he was in my backyard.  Thankfully, I was not losing it, there was two donkeys on the other side of my fence mixed amongst all the cows.

Since I hadn't seen or heard a donkey in the four years I've lived here, I thought I would ask at work.  Turns out you donkeys are there to protect against all the coyotes that come ripping through to get the calves, and according to my web research, they are cheaper than guard dogs.  It must be working, I haven't heard coyotes in the field behind my house for months.  Although, its hard to know what sounds better at night, loud donkeys braying, or yipping coyotes.  Neither sound is very relaxing.

Here are some facts if you have a rampant coyote problem and need to protect any cows or sheep.

Donkeys are gaining popularity as protectors of sheep & cattle. This popularity may be based in part on the notion that little more than purchasing an animal and dumping it in a pasture is involved. Donkeys have an inherent dislike for dogs and presumably coyotes. Donkeys will bray, bare teeth, and make running attacks, kicking and biting. Reported success of donkeys for predator control appears highly variable. A Texas survey reports some owners have success but at least as many do not. Donkeys can cost more to buy than guard dogs.  On the plus side, donkeys have a longer life span and are cheaper to feed than guard dogs. Donkeys are less apt to be injured by foot-hold traps and snares set for coyote control.

Advice from United States studies are:

1. Guard donkeys should be medium-to-large size stock, not miniatures.
2. Use jennies and geldings. Do not use jacks (males) as guard animals, because they are aggressive and will injure livestock.
3. Test a new donkey's guarding response by challenging the donkey with a dog in a corral or small pasture. Be prepared to reject non-aggressive donkeys.
4. Use only one donkey or jenny and foal per pasture. When two or more adult donkeys are together, or with a horse, they usually seek company together instead of staying with the sheep. Avoid placing donkeys in adjacent pastures.
5. Use donkeys in small, open pastures with smaller flocks of sheep. A guard dog can cross wooden gates and patrol several fields, but a donkey cannot. Large pastures with rough terrain and vegetation and widely scattered livestock, lessen the effectiveness of a donkey.
6. Avoid feeds containing anabolic agents like monensin (Rumensin) and lasolacid (Bovatec), as these are poisonous to donkeys. Donkeys may flounder if they eat a lot of prepared sheep feed