Max went on the 2008 Fearful Crossing Wagon Train

Max at the Halloween Party

for kids with special needs.

October 28, 2006

Max goes camping in the mountains, Labor Day weekend, 2006

In September, 2006, Max went with Sparky and Ruby, Mike and I on a camping and riding trip up in the mountains. What a trooper! He kept up with the horses just fine, and was a joy to have around.

Max with Michael Chiarello of The Food Network's "Easy Entertaining" and "Napa Style" shows, with Mike Kerson, Crystal Ward, and friends in summer of 2005

Max and Sparky in the Napa Downtown Santa Claus Parade, Thanksgiving Weekend 2004.

Nancy & Max at the CADAMA Playday, May, 2006

April 13, 2004: Mike Meets Max

Saanen and I had decided to surprise Mike for his 60th birthday. We knew Mike loved donkeys, and we were concerned that he kept getting himself bucked off horses. The upcoming birthday was a big one, 6-0, so it seemed fitting that he should get something really special. We put the word out, and heard of a mammoth donkey up near Redding, CA.

Saanen went up to Redding to check him out, sent film footage of him to Crystal Ward, who evaluated him and said he would be fine, and Crystal also boarded him for almost a month until Mike's birthday.

To get Mike to Crystal's, I made up a story of how I needed to take Sparky up to Crystal's for a riding lesson.

So we hauled Sparky up to Placerville for the supposed riding lesson, and when we arrived, there was a whole surprise party for Mike, with some really good friends from the Sacramento and Gold Country areas. Crystal and Lesley Neuman had decorated Max to the hilt - clipped and painted and wearing helium balloons. We also had a great decorated cake and refreshments. Crystal did a tremendous job!

(Oh, and Sparky even got a Western Pleasure lesson)