Behind the Design: Donkey Boy

On Sifnos, we lived near an old donkey who ate his way across a field during the summer we were there. We waved at him every day either from the scooter or walking. Sometimes he would look up -- other times not. A few times we brought him carrots or apples. In a way he was a replacement for the pets we had left behind with friends. He became a part of our family, a part of our lives. But he was also completely new and wonderful, somewhat indifferent to our attention and busy at his task of clearing the field. I admire him. I miss him.

We called him Donkey Boy. Every now and again Peter or I will ask the other, "What do you think Donkey Boy is doing? The answer is one of three things, sleeping, eating, or staring into space. This print is taken from a photo we took of Donkey Boy -- we are so proud to be able to share our friend with the world through our design.

On the island there was also the Veggie Donkey, who delivered produce up and down the Steno in Apollonia. If he was blocking the walkway, you had no choice but to wait until his owner returned. He responded only to his owner. One day Peter tried to push him out of the way, he stomped his feet and refused to move. A dedicated donkey with a great work ethic.

We also had a few horses that lived around our house. I wrote a story, Wild Carrots, that was inspired by the animals of Sifnos and particularly Donkey Boy. Read it on the octoblog here.