DID YOU EVER WONDER: Applejuice, the T-Gap donkey, and a fond farewell

Every time I pass by Fillmore and Templeton Gap, I can’t help but miss Applejuice, the donkey. Can you tell me how is he is doing in his home in Fountain?
— Susan Broz

He’s “doing great and is just being him,” said Dwane Baker, a family friend who gave Applejuice a home on 5 acres when his owner went into a nursing home in January.

 Applejuice is on 5 acres and has companions in with him, a mule and a horse and soon there will be a female. That’s good news for regular T-Gap passersby who remember his girlfriend, Twinkle Star who died several years ago, leaving Applejuice to just hang his head.

Baker said Applejuice still sets off a good donkey bray when he sees someone coming to visit. And he still loves his carrots and apples, just like the ones people used to slip through the fence to him.

The donkey’s  barn had been painted with special sayings for 40 years and now Applejuice’s old home has one final, poignant sign painted on the east side of the barn.

It’s a farewell to his owners Dessie Taylor, who died Sept. 1, and her sweetheart, C. Robert “C. Bob” Taylor who died in 1996. They had been married 56 years and there is a tip of the hat to them: “Happy Trails, Dessie and C. Bob.”

 No word on what will happen to the property, which is owned by their grownup children.

More about meds that don’t belong to you

Last Saturday we answered a question about why the coroner’s office removes medications when a person dies at home. It’s a legal issue, they said, because people can’t be in possession of drugs that don’t belong to them. And, their office disposes of the drugs properly.

My goodness did we get e-mails. Seems most folks had no idea what to do with expired or unused drugs and those belonging to someone else.

Terry asked, “What about when someone dies away from home. How do surviving family members know about this?”

Linda said when her father died, the nursing home “returned all his medications to me.” Where can she take them?

Unfortunately there are not many options. The only constant is El Paso County Recycling, but call for “acceptance criteria:” 520-7878, 3255 Akers Drive (out near Marksheffel).

Also: many pharmacies offer “bring in your old prescriptions” several times a year. Also, check with your pharmacy and/or your doctor's office to see if they dispose of unused drugs.

The no-nos are: don’t flush them down the toilet or crush them and wash them down the drain. This could cause wastewater problems and problems downstream. Don’t throw them in the trash where animals or kids could get them and where they’ll end up in a landfill, also causing potential future environmental problems.
If we hear of any other drug recycling sources, we’ll let you know.
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