This is Bernie. He has a special place in my heart. Between 2001 and 2003 I spent a lot of time in a paddock in Kenepuru near Porirua with Lisa and this donkey. It is kind of hard to explain the whole back story and why we named him after Bernard Fanning from Powderfinger, but it did happen. Lisa was still living in Tawa then, and we would go on inane road trips to nowhere in particular. Bernie wasn’t far from Lisa’s home, and one day we spent hours on the side of the road feeding and talking to him.
We would visit at least monthly, I took people to meet Bernie. Becca and Dan came once, they embraced the craziness of the road trip to a donkey. Aaron took photos in the middle of the night with Bernie. I have those somewhere. Chris met Bernie on a Sunday afternoon. I think we took the train out to see him. That ended in it being a very long walk to the paddock.
I’m pretty sure I took my mama and dad to see him too, and possibly my brother. I know I took Joff to see a penis rock, so I must of at some point taken him to Bernie.
One day Lisa and I went to the paddock, and there was another, smaller donkey with Bernie. We named this one Baino. I’m not explaining that name choice. If you knew me then, and Lisa, you’d understand.
I wonder if Bernie is still alive. I don’t think he was young when we met him. I wonder how long donkey’s live for.
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