Meet, greet, eat

I'm not sure how many times the boys of Morning Bray Farm have come over for a playdate. Not often enough, to be sure, 

yet often enough that we've all fallen into an easy, predictable routine for these very special days. 

Allow me to take you through a typical playdate, such as the one that occurred this weekend.

Justina and Don arrive around noon, in perfect weather, after an uneventful, 60-something-mile journey.

Don backs up the trailer to my corral gate in one try and infuriates me.

Lucy and the boys cannot wait to see their friends.

 

 

Ellsworth is a tiny bit reluctant to unload, so Patrick makes an end run around him and is the first off the trailer. 

George is in charge of taking attendance.

A wild frenzy ensues in the corral. Alan and George chase Ellsworth, Bernard and Patrick, and vice versa, and vice versa, and so on.

Lucy finds a safe spot next to the fence to observe and select a boyfriend for the day.

Everybody lines up at the barn for the cutest ass contest. Not really. Actually in the picture above, they've all just discovered 

that the gates to the pasture are closed and they can't get out. We selfishly confine them to the corral

for the first portion of their playdate so that we can watch them interact, knowing that the minute 

the MBF boys are set free, they will go feral and we might not see them again for hours.

Since Hank is the only one not running away in this picture, we can assume he's told all the donkeys to scram, and they do.

It appears Lucy has selected Ellsworth to be her boyfriend du jour. No surprise there.

She chases him, he plays hard to get, she gives him her number, he says he'll call but he never does...

same old, same old.

Bernard does some warm-up exercises for his jumping exhibition later in the day.

Once the meet-and-greet has settled down and everyone is parched, the two-leggeds haul out the fine furniture 

to the shade of the juniper tree for adult beverages and appetizers.

Hank explains to Lucy that he'll hand her the chips and she can apply the salsa.

I explain to Lucy that Hank was just kidding and she shouldn't worry about not having opposable thumbs 

because I am there to cater to her every need.

There's nothing like the temptation of tortilla chips to bring a crowd together.

Ellsworth moseys over for a taste.

He gives us his way-too-salty stinkeye.

Patrick is in disbelief that he must share his chip with Lucy and Hank.

Patrick and Bernard look up to Hank for advice on how to scam more chips.

Don tells Hank for the umpteenth time that he has to share, and Bernard chimes in with a "so there."

Justina thinks Patrick is coming over for a hug. Little does she know he's moving in for a sip of her beer.

Meanwhile, Alan tries to distract Don so that Hank can count how many chips are left in the bag.

Then Alan tries to make a deal with Justina.

I promise to go away if you fill up my pail with beer. Or chips. Or salsa. Or a combination of the above.

As usual, at this point in the playdate, the two-leggeds give up agree that it's time go eat lunch

and set the four-leggeds free. I'll pick up at that part of the story tomorrow.