The Zedonk of Beanbag Island
August 25, 2008 – 10:31 amAs I’ve mentioned two or five or a hundred times, CJ wants a pet.
The problem is, I’m allergic to cats and most dogs.
So… I’m thinking I’ll get him a zedonk.
“A ze-WHAT?” you ask…
A ZEDONK.
(emphasis on the DONK)
Oh no, I am not making this up.
Witness the VERY OFFICIAL sign:
(note: zedonks cannot reproduce)
You want to know what this rare and unique creature looks like, don’t you?
Patience, grasshopper.
First I have to tell the WHOLE story.
***
I spent my high school years in Idaho, so fairs are not a mystery to me.
Greasy, fried food that smells so unbelievable you want to gorge yourself. Never mind that you’re SURE to have diarrhea later… it’ll be WORTH it.
The smell of farm animals and hay and exhaust and sweat.
People in tight jeans and cowboy boots with sunburns and acne and mullets.
Old creaky rides that spin and twirl you till you’re ready to throw right up the elephant ear, churro, and WHOLE BAG of caramel corn all over the hay.
Exhibition halls filled with food choppers and hot tubs and MAGIC DEVICES that you need (only you just don’t know it yet).
Ahhh, the fair.
So when Wendy suggested that CJ and I ferry over to Bainbridge Island and visit their county fair on Friday, I said HECK YEAH! And is that an elephant ear that I smell?
**on a totally unrelated note, my spell check is asking if I might perhaps mean “beanbag” rather than “bainbridge” which is totally making me giggle. And now I wish there really was a place called Beanbag Island, because I totally want to go there.**
So we hopped on the ferry, CJ and I, and made our way across the blue waters to Bainbridge (NOT Beanbag) Island. Wendy picked us up on the other side and we followed the smell of cows and churros to THE FAIR.
Even though global warming seems to be happening everywhere else but here the sun managed to find its way through the clouds and make it feel… one last time… like summer.
We filled our bellies with hot dogs and frozen lemonade and wandered.
And we saw all kinds of interesting stuff.
CJ was infatuated with the white man who moved when you dropped coins in his bucket.
I preferred the animal barns because there were lots of cute critters in there and also it was SHADY.
(that sun is HOT, when it comes out)
It was in one of those barns that we saw the zedonk.
(I’m NOT making this up! I’m NOT!)
Apparently one activity that people engage in on Beanbag Island is to have exotic animals (like zebras) mate with not-so-exotic animals (like donkeys).
Can you say THRILLING?!
You saw it here first.
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By Dumblond on Aug 25, 2008 | Reply
Wow! Now I wish I would have gone to the Kitsap County Fair this year. Did you go to the Rodeo too?
And no Monday writing prompt, huh?
Dumblonds last blog post..Marriage in Real Life
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bananas Reply:
August 25th, 2008 at 10:45 am
I’m taking this week off from the Monday writing prompt. But it’ll be back next week!
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By T with Honey on Aug 25, 2008 | Reply
People will do the craziest things if they have enough time on their hands. I can only imagine the state of utter boredom the person who came up with the first zedonk must have been in.
Either that or someone forgot to lock the doors at the petting zoo one night and the zedonk came along a bit later.
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By Dolly on Aug 25, 2008 | Reply
did the archers aim at stray cats? what was the deal with that particular barn?
Dollys last blog post..Wild Things on Film
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bananas Reply:
August 25th, 2008 at 10:47 am
honestly I think it was a case of only enough cats to fill half a barn the same with archery. “Let’s put ‘em together!” someone suggested, and the Cats/Archery barn was born. A match made in heaven, surely. ;)
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By midwestmommy on Aug 25, 2008 | Reply
I was thinking you were making it up….
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bananas Reply:
August 25th, 2008 at 11:22 am
I AM NOT MAKING IT UP!!!
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By the planet of janet on Aug 25, 2008 | Reply
i find your site SO edumacational.
will you be doing a post on the yeti next or is it the truth about the loch ness monster?
f.a.s.c.i.n.a.t.i.n.g!
the planet of janets last blog post..Something new for me!
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By Jill on Aug 25, 2008 | Reply
Whoa! Th
Jills last blog post..Alright, that’s enough!
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By Wendy on Aug 25, 2008 | Reply
I can bear witness to the zedonk! He’s real.
Shoulda known, take a girl to the fair, end up in her blog……. :)
I’ll have to post about it, too, as you seem to have forgotten a certain aspect of the fair we saw….. ;-)
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By Wendy on Aug 25, 2008 | Reply
Oh, and beanbag island may be more fun than bainbridge, but their roads are hard to drive on.
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By Carla on Aug 25, 2008 | Reply
Zedonks are cute! Can’t wait for the post about how it’s going!!
I read this just in time to leave for the MN State Fair tonight! All the grease you can eat. On a stick. My husband and I have gone for 18 years. I know. Sick.
Carlas last blog post..Bye Summer
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By Brooke on Aug 25, 2008 | Reply
I prefer to call it an ASSBRA. :-)
We hit the Kitsap Co. Fair on Thursday (”kids get in free” day). I’m still trying to get the bright pink & blue goo (aka melted cotton candy) off my shoes/clothes/stroller.
I LOVE the fair!
Brookes last blog post..Faker!
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By anna on Aug 25, 2008 | Reply
The Zedonk is cute!
I am still fixating on the churros, though.
annas last blog post..Signseeing
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bananas Reply:
August 25th, 2008 at 1:51 pm
a churro could also be a great pet. it’d be a short but FILLING relationship.
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By jen on Aug 25, 2008 | Reply
i love that. what a terrific pet. i mean, seriously.
jens last blog post..neighborly
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By Carrie on Aug 25, 2008 | Reply
CJ needs a pet?
I have 2 words for you: HERMIT CRAB.
You can leave them alone with the proper food and water for, like, 2 weeks! Talk about low maintenance.
Carries last blog post..The Last Little Bit
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By Ashley on Aug 25, 2008 | Reply
Are you really getting him a zedonk? I think you should go straight for the zebra. Only, with patented blue stripes. Are those out yet? Only a matter of time…
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By Laura on Aug 25, 2008 | Reply
I grew up in Kitsap County and went to that fair every year. I miss it!!
We had a Cabbit too. No serious. Our rabbit got loose and made it with a cat and it happened. Things like that happen over in Kitsap.
Lauras last blog post..BlogHer 2008
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By Honey Mommy on Aug 25, 2008 | Reply
Aaahh! The county fair… I grew up in Wyoming and the fair was the highlight of the year. All the exciting rides, food, 4-H exhibits and booths where you could be talked into spend $15 to win a framed picture of a psychedelic unicorn.
Those were the days.
Honey Mommys last blog post..Rock the CASVAR!
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By Jenny Henny on Aug 25, 2008 | Reply
I just have to know - what is an Elephant Ear? I’ve been to plenty of fairs herer on the East coast, but I’ve never encountered an Elephant ear…
Jenny Hennys last blog post..Mommy Tantrum
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bananas Reply:
August 26th, 2008 at 10:00 am
Well, miss Jenny Henny, let me tell you! An elephant ear is a big old fat pile of starchy breadness (roughly shaped like the ear of an elephant) that is fried and dipped in cinnamon and sugar. Mmmmm good!
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Jenny Henny Reply:
August 26th, 2008 at 10:53 am
yummmmm fried doughy goodness always rates high on my list!
Jenny Hennys last blog post..Mommy Tantrum
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By Heidi on Aug 25, 2008 | Reply
You had me at “carnival food”. I could eat myself sick each and every time I go to one of those. Have you ever had Cheese Curd? Seriously I swear that is what it is called. It is way better than the name sounds! How about a chia pet? That is what my parent’s got me when I wanted a rabbit. Bastards!
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bananas Reply:
August 26th, 2008 at 9:59 am
I adore cheese curds. give me a carton and I’ll eat ‘em ALL!
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By polkadotmommy on Aug 25, 2008 | Reply
A Zedonk is so much cooler than the mule we ended up with when Gramps Donkey hopped aboard my sisters horse. Yeehaa!
Cheers!
Jamie
polkadotmommys last blog post..Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!
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By Still alone, not lonely on Aug 25, 2008 | Reply
I am wanting to see the white man jump! When you explained what he did right away I thought “Wow! Money could be made there!” I can just see myself being escorted out of the fair for causing him to have a stress induced heart attack trying to keep up with all the money I was throwing into the can! What fun!
I swear, I don’t know how you got past him. If I wasn’t throwing money I would have been laughing so hard I would have been doing the whole ugly laughing, gagging, snorting, farting thing and everyone would be so afraid. So very afraid. And I would have ruined the fair for everyone….. It’s a good thing I wasn’t there.
Glad you had fun and thanks for the education.
Still alone, not lonelys last blog post..Mowing
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By Marcy on Aug 25, 2008 | Reply
How funny. They are called “Zorse”’s here (a whole 200 miles away.) There is a farm in Ellensburg where there are 3 or 4. I remember going on a field trip there while in school and being told they were very rare and there were only 11 in the United States. hmm… starting to think that was a gimmick! LOL
The Yakima Fair has Sea Lions this year and I am super excited. Ive been on a seal trip ever since your baby seal drama and im all excited to go take pictures with the sea lions!
Marcys last blog post..Quit Scooting!
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By Real Style Real People on Aug 26, 2008 | Reply
Shoot, I wish I would have known about this b/f I took my son to the fair last week- I would have looked for one and pointed it out, and then scored big points :)
Thanks for spotlighting my site-really enjoyed reading your blog!
Christina
Real Style Real Peoples last blog post..Fall Trend: The Boyfriend Blazer
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By Mamasphere on Aug 26, 2008 | Reply
That really IS one cute cow. Awww. And Cats and Archery together at last- totally had me laughing my arse off!
Looks like you had a good time!
Mamaspheres last blog post..Australian Accents Are HOT
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By Elfie33 on Aug 26, 2008 | Reply
Wow it looks big…and hungry. Bet it eats alot…I think I’d get a turtle.
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By La on Aug 26, 2008 | Reply
My kids and I saw a “zorse” in a recent issue of National Geographic for kids. I think it was in New Zealand maybe? We were impressed. How cool to see the zedonk in person!
Las last blog post..Doctor Visit
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By Domestic Spaz on Aug 27, 2008 | Reply
I just have to know what the heck was so special about those cats that they got to be an exhibit? Cats? Like Morris? Or were they BIG cats like tigers and lions and such?
If it’s the latter then I completely understand why Archery and Cats were in the same tent.
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By gingela5 on Aug 27, 2008 | Reply
I saw you on The Bloggess and I have to say the Zonkey or the Zedonk is so cute. They should call it a Debra.
gingela5s last blog post..Out of All of the Cards in the Deck…
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By Mrs. F on Aug 29, 2008 | Reply
I will buy it if you promise to give it a good home. ‘Cause that mo-fo is rad as hell.
Mrs. Fs last blog post..My Friends Need Big Virtual Bear Hugs
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By jan on Oct 7, 2008 | Reply
zonkey zedock :D thats cute
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