Bio-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, October 30, 1993
Twin
Twin Donkeys
LINDA WILLIAMS
Bedford Co. Correspondent
FRIENDS COVE (Bedford
Co.) When the school bus
grinds 10 a slop in front of the
home of William and Charlotte
Schaeffer on’ Friday afternoon,
there is excitement in the air.
It means double fun as Heather
and Margaret, the ScTaeffer
granddaughters, age 11, gel off the
bus ready for a weekend on the
farm.
During the week the girls live
with their mother, Liana Altea
mus. But, on weekends, they join
farmer dad, Charles, and pack as
much farm life as possible into
every waking hour.
The girls carry their twin life
into the animal world. Each spring
they gel a pair of lambs, as identi
cal as possible. They feed, brush,
and practice leading in preparation
for fair time.
In past years. Heather exhibited
the reserve champion carcass
lamb and Margaret won a trophy
in the lead line.
During the fair of ‘93, Margaret
had a third place carcass lamb and
won a showmanship trophy.
Heather almost equaled her sister.
The girls tend their sheep and
help their dad with the milking. If
it’s a busy season, they do most of
the milking and help with the
feeding.
The twins show off some of the awards they have won
through the 4-H club.
Girls Raise
Both twins love farm life and
their most special reason might
well be their two miniature donk
eys. Heather has a donkey named,
“Jennifer,” and Margaret owns
“Baby Doll.”
Since they are the only donkeys
entered at the Bedford Fair, the
girls don’t have much competi
tion, but they do attract a lot of
attention. Twins with twin
donkeys!
The girls always like to share
the story of the crosses on the
donkey’s backs.
“Mary, the mother of Jesus,
rode to Bethlehem on a donkey,”
explains Margaret. “And, later,
Jesus died on a cross. And, our
donkeys both have a natural cross
on their backs close to their man
es. We think it is there because it
is a symbol of Jesus on the cross.”
All donkeys have this cross
although it may be more difficult
to sec on those with a darker color.
A donkey is known as an equine
in the animal world. There are
only three types of equines, a
horse, a donkey, and a zebra. A
miilc is a cross between a horse
and a donkey.
Margaret especially had a great
time in animal dress up competi
tion, at the fair last summer. She
pul butterfly wings on “Baby
Doll,” while she dressed as a
sunflower.
Heather and Margaret with Baby Doll and Jennifer. Heather has the braid.
The twins have had their donk
eys for about four years. “They are
what started us going to the fair,”
Margaret explains.
Farm life isn’t all play and
Heather and Margaret both do
their share of farmwork. In the
summer, they help their grandma
in the garden and enter fruits and
vegetables in fair competition.
• They also help with farm chores
and lake care of their own ani
mals. “But donkeys don’t take a
lot of work,” Heather points out.
“They either graze or eat their hay.
We keep them in plenty of water.”
Both girls have been hoping
that their donkeys might have
babies in the near future. “But, dad
says it’s 100 early to tell,” explains
Heather. Until they find out, how
ever, they have curtailed the donk
ey riding they often enjoy.
Heather and Margaret are both
members of the Bedford 4-H
Sheep Club and attend the sixth
grade at Bedford Middle School
Why Leaves Change Color
Autumn coloration is primarily . „ ... c ’ bright autumn colors. These
based on spices, genetics, and important environmental factors
environmental factors as they SP* 01 ? 8 produce some anthocya- indude vem peralurc, light, and
relate to carbohydrate accumula- nm pigments and together with the supply. Adequate rainfall
tion in the leaves. The pigment carotcne a xanthophyll pig- duringthe P^
ting season encour
responsible for the pink, red and ments can produce brilliant orange product i on 0 f sugars an d
purple colors is anthocyanin. The colo | atlon as is found in sugar carbohydrates and contributes to a
accumulation of carbohydrates in ma better coloration. However, other
the leaves favors the formation of ,? me spe “ es su aaa ,^ sraai “ factors can offset good growing
this particular pigment. This pig- Sack conditions - Ma P les 11,31 havc bccn
ment is generally found in the cell change ana trees sucn as oiac damaged by pear thrips or trees
sap. Yellow and orange colors wa^*ut ’ eln,,, basswood, and syca- defoliated by elm spanworm will
come from the pigments called more ran 8 e in c °JP r rust y have less brilliant fall colors as
carotene and xanthophyll. P een 10 y ell °w- The yellow and defoliation lessens the amount of
As temperatures decline in the brown coloration of beech and car bohydrates in the leaves,
fall, the leaves stop producing s s >me species of oak is caused by Lowering the temperature
chlorophyll, which is the pigment |" e P res ®p ce °f tannins in the a bovc the freezing point favors
responsible for the green color of leaves. Poplars, honeylocust, an thocyanin formation. Severe
leaves. Species that contain large ginkgo* beech, and birch change ear |y f rosts actually make autumn
amounts of carbohydrdates begin to yellow of various shades. The colors less brilliant than they
to form anthocyanins in their most dazzling displays of color would be otherwise. Bright light
leaves. As the chlorophyll in the are seen in the red, purple, and a j S o favors anthocyanin formation
leaves begin to break down, the oranges of red maple, sugar an d these bright red colors are
anthocyanin pigments are maple, sassafras, sumac, and scar- often only found in leaves
unmasked. In those trees that do let oak. Trees of the same species exposed to bright sunlight. Dry
not produce anthocyanin, the often exhibit different coloration conditions in the late summer and
breakdown of chlorophyll exposes and the color peak can occur at fail favor the formation of antho
the more stable yellow and orange different times. cyanin. Rainy and/or cloudy days
carotene and xanthophyll pig- Any factor that influences the during the time this pigment is
ments. Yellow-poplar and hickory production of carbohydrates will being formed will decrease the
are examples of species that have favor anthocyanin formation and intensity of fall colors.
Margaret (left) and Heather Schaeffer with their Suffolk
market lambs while the rest of the flocks looks on. The
twins began showing lambs at age 6.