"Dixie, Elton, Paul... am I sensing a musical theme?" Matt asked curiously, then laughed as the other donkey nuzzled his face, sending his glasses askew. "I don't know why but I thought Dolly Parton when I heard Dixie. Then Elton John and Paul McCartney." To be safe Matt took them off and pocketed them, rewarding Paul for his efforts with scratches using his other hand. The glasses really were as much for the comfort of those he was with as they were for Matt. People tended to feel awkward when they could see that Matt's gaze wasn't able to actually meet theirs. Kate though he knew didn't care. The donkeys surely wouldn't notice. "You're very talented musicians if so, Paul and Sir Elton," he informed the donkeys between scritches. "I listen to your music often. Yours a little less, Ms. Parton," he teasingly said to the donkey that was hugging Kate. "But I adore your philanthropism and I'm sure it's my shortcomings that I don't know country music that well."

The donkey that was hugging Kate began to nibble on her shirt, nestling against her neck. Elton began to nose against Matt's hand, as if searching for food. Matt thought quickly, then bent down to pull up some grass. He fed it to both the donkeys in front of him. "There you go. See? We're not rude and came without snacks." To Kate he added, "I have a friend out in California who mentioned there's cow therapy out there where you can lie down with cows and hug them. It's supposedly therapeutic for people. Maybe Clint could always open up something like that with the donkeys." No, he didn't think Clint would really welcome strangers onto his farm, but the donkey lying in the field made Matt think of the cows.