Day 215 - Whates Lane

(Click any photo to enlarge.)

Suspicious Cattle

Today was one of those days when an opportunity arises to photograph something you just don't see every day.  Actually, several!

I was driving to Thurmont to visit the fabric store there, fully intending to do my walk afterwards in town, when I noticed a zebra grazing in a field by Rt. 15.  I knew the zebra was at a farm near Thurmont, because it and its offspring, a zebroid (or zedonk) had been featured in the newspaper last year.  When I saw the zebra in the field, I pulled off the road, set my GPS to find Whates Lane, which was the road marker at the end of the lane that parallels Rt. 15, and soon found myself at the right spot.

Mama Zebra

I parked my car at the head of Whates Lane, to give myself some distance for my walk.  I first passed a cattle farm, where black cattle were grazing peacefully in the warm spring air.  Next I came to the field with the zebra.  Grazing nearby was the cute little zedonk, brown with the striped legs of its mother.

My research into a zebra/donkey hybrid says that usually, a zedonk is the cross between a male zebra and a female donkey.  They are rare even with this pairing, because of the different numbers of chromosomes for each species.  However, this particular zedonk is the cross between a male donkey and a female zebra, which must make it even rarer.  And how do I know it was a female zebra?

Cute Zedonk!  Even
his ears are striped!

Here comes Papa!

Well, spring was definitely in the air, because no sooner did I start taking photos when a male donkey came trotting over to lay claim to his female.  I did not notice what was obvious later in the photos, because I was snapping away at what I thought was merely some snuggling.  Well, let me tell you, it turned out to be a lot more than that!  The female's ears went flat against her head, she bared her teeth, and the male donkey undelicately had his way with her.  Yes, I have photos of that encounter, but this is a family-rated blog, and it shall remain so!

The little zedonk was unconcerned about his parents' activities, as he continued grazing in the field.

Not your everyday lawn ornament

I walked to the end of Whate's lane, where a large house is under construction.  By the road at the driveway there were concrete sculptures of dinosaur bones and dinosaur eggs.  I had always thought that this was the entrance to a chiropractor's office, because of the bones, but there were no signs to that effect.  I suppose the homeowners just have a fascination with dinosaurs.

Baby Dino!

On my way back down Whates Lane, the donkey was at it again.  That poor zebra had nowhere to go; she had to tolerate his advances.

Maybe between 350 and 400 days from now, a new baby zedonk will appear at the farm on Rt. 15. 

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Visit my photography show, "My Maryland," at the public library in Urbana, Maryland, on the lower level of the building.  It is there until the end of April.

Hurricane Sandy Relief: Donate to the Red Cross, and I will mail you a 5 x 7 print from any of the photos I have posted on my blog OR any photo on my website.

Forward to me via email a receipt for donating to the Red Cross. Tell me whether the photo is from the blog or the website, and Include its title along with a mailing address. The name on the receipt to the Red Cross must match the name of the mailing recipient. Send the receipt and the photo request to camscamerashots@gmail.com.

Click on any photo to enlarge it.

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Visit my web site: camscamerashots.zenfolio.com
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Email:  cam.miller@comcast.net

Cam's rules for the Daily Photo Walk:

1. walk every day
2. the walk must be in addition to any other planned activity for the day
3. post a photo every day
4. use whatever camera is easy and convenient for walking comfortably; always have a backup camera at the ready in case of mishaps (I use the Nikon Coolpix P7700)
5. no weather excuses
6. walk only where it is safe to do so