The Olympic games have brought interesting people to Vancouver. The Olympic organizers have closed streets and stopped street parking in many areas. A result is that Vancouverites are taking public transit and meeting people they would never otherwise meet. That's how I happened to meet Victoria, an Olympic volunteer from Fort St. John, on the #9 Broadway bus yesterday.

Victoria volunteers at the figure-skating and speed-skating Olympic venue. Sometimes she gets to see the events while volunteering; sometimes not. In the spirit of the previous blog post, about sharing Eric, Victoria is sharing Victoria.

In everyday life, Victoria is a farmer. She and her husband raise sheep. Ordinarily, next month, lambing would begin, but she has turned their farm into what she called, without blinking an eye, an "ass retirement centre". This is not as rude as it sounds to city ears. Now she and her husband look after retired and abandoned donkeys.

Running a retirement centre for donkeys came about naturally for Victoria. For years she had a donkey instead of a dog guarding her ewes (or, as she calls them, "my ladies"). Victoria found a donkey the best shepherd. He protected her sheep against coyotes and wolves. With pride, she told the story of a donkey that killed a cougar.

Victoria's relationship with her shepherd was not always smooth. When a lightening storm approached, Victoria chased all her ladies towards the barn, only to find that her donkey had gone inside too, leaving her alone, the tallest thing in the field. (For this transgression, the donkey spent time in solitary confinement.)

I am taking the bus again this morning. I hope there will be another Victoria aboard, willing to share her story.