[A/S] Oatman, AZ - September 27, 2000

[hhamp5246@xxxxxxx]

Went there today......Oatman was amazing.  If you don't care about donkeys 
I'm not sure why you would want to go there.  The drive to it is long through 
seemingly endless desert.  We approached from the Needles side so it was flat 
going.... just so long.

All of a sudden this funky little tinderbox town is up ahead.  The speed 
limit is 15mph.  You pass some junky houses and singlewides and you are in 
the town itself.  

The town looks like an old west town.  Faded wood buildings, hitching posts, 
wooden sidewalks.... the only difference is the tourists who are surrounded 
by donkeys. Donkeys seem to be everywhere..... large standard jennies..... 
and 4 little babies.
The babies were approximately 2 months old.  

Two babies are dark brown with white trim and two are grey and white spotted. 
The jennies are all fat..... I mean large neck rolls and side rolls. It's no 
wonder..... the shops all sell food to feed them.  Pellets and carrots.  They 
eat virtually all day long. 

The BLM allows 12 grown donkeys in the herd.  The boy babies will all be sold 
in a few months when they are weaned. I saw no jack, don't know where daddy 
was. I imagine the jack/jacks aren't allowed in town for safety purposes.

I bonded with one of the spotted babies.... I wanted him more than anything.  
I just don't see anyway to get him then get him back east without 
traumatizing him. He stood nose to nose with me for what seemed like hours.  
Just a sweet gentle baby boy.  Mom stood back a respectful distance knowing 
that her baby was in good hands. He rubbed his fuzzy white muzzle all over my 
face..... so gently.... I fell in love.  

The babies are the most socialized you can imagine.  Since they were born, 
they have been handled daily by hoards of people.

My friend Don and I did look in some of the shops in town.... they are 
selling mostly crap.  Route 66 t-shirts etc..... 

Before we left I had some private moments with a little brown/black baby 
boy.... he was as sweet as the spotted baby.

We left taking the other route put of town.  Passed a gold mine, the donks 
are there because of the long ago miner's donkeys. The route is a bit of a 
hairy drive, I didn't have my trailer behind the truck fortunately. No RVs on 
that part of Rte 66..... hairpin turns, long drop offs.... we ended up near 
Kingman when we got back to I-40.

<sigh>  I really want that baby.

Hunter