We miss you already, Jericho!
We have some sad news to report from Hobbs Farm. Jericho, the beloved donkey that roamed the fields at Hobbs Farm for decades has passed away. It is hard to find the words to sum up Jericho’s life and the sadness we feel about this, but we think Jericho’s long-time friend and caretaker says it best:
“Jericho.. People stopped from all over the eastern half of the United States to see him. Sometimes they were on vacation and it was an annual event. Some people were only a state away so it could be a weekly or monthly thing. Then there were the “in state” people that stopped by whenever they were down this way. Next, there was the Seacoast area people. They felt the need to feed him daily and suggest that he might need a friend, a companion, a chicken, dog or “something”.
To the North Hampton people, somehow he’d become the prodigal son. Last we have the people who helped to take care of him, get to know him and learn the quirks that made him “Jericho”. I refer to this group as “the lucky ones”.
Out come the ass jokes: Wow, you have a famous ass! Why did your ass cross route one? We noticed your ass in the field. That’s a big ass you’ve got there! Hey, your ass is in the paper again! Have you ever kissed him? So your telling me you’ve kissed your own ass? Well, I’ve got news, half the eastern seaboard has kissed my ass.
He’s made the newspapers too many times to mention.
Made the police report a few times (but no convictions).
Somehow he became the official and unofficial mascot of two colleges.
Had a beer named after him.
Field trips from North Hampton School to visit him.
Might have been a Nobel peace prize in there somewhere too?
The fact is, he was just a simple, sweet donkey with a lot of character. I think the common thread for all the people visiting was that Jericho was a throwback to a simpler place & time. A reason to slow down. An unchanging happy spot in the community. So the next time you find yourself “hurrying about” think of Jericho standing at the split rail fence waiting to greet you. We’ll all miss him.”
Jericho’s passing has left all of us here with heavy hearts, and we continue our grieving process day by day. If you feel the desire to contribute something in memory of Jericho, please do so by donating to the ASPCA or NHSPCA: For our Hobbs Farm loved ones, our donkey, Jericho, and his original owner, Joanne H. Martin.
http://www.nhspca.org/honor-giving-in-memory-or-honor-of-a-loved-one/
https://www.aspca.org/secure/memorial?ms=wb_foo_20150107&initialms=wb_foo_20150107&pcode=WEBMEMORY
While Jericho’s ‘dad’ has summed things up pretty well, we’d like to add that we have felt very fortunate to have Jericho in our lives for the past few years. He always had a twinkle in his eye and could be such a mischievous clown:
He was an unashamed and absolutely adorable beggar:
He was a lover:
And his smile could make our day, even when things weren’t going so well:
So let’s all raise a glass to Jericho. We miss you, big guy!
