Grab a Tissue…

Never in a million years did I think I’d own a llama, or two…and never in a million years did I think they would worm their way into my heart.

Thanks to asking for a “pass” from a morning meeting, most of my co-workers knew that Katy Perry Llama was a bit puny.  In typical Katy Perry fashion, she was the center of a conversation, and in this instance evidently an example of what to do when you need a sub.  “For example,” says the principal, “when you have a sick llama and you need to miss a day of school…”  When we’ve had sick dogs, although I’m sure people were concerned, they certainly didn’t demand center stage the way ol’ KP does!

So its just natural that I’m writing a blog post to let people know that this diva of a llama is now in llama heaven, probably demanding to be the center of attention, until she’s had enough attention and then walking away as everyone watches.  We don’t know exactly what was wrong but knew immediately that she wasn’t feeling well when she became quite “undiva-like”…and while DIVA was one of her personality quirks that could drive you nuts, it is what I missed the most the last few days that she was sick.

One day I’ll write a post about how great Juan was when she went down…one day we will laugh about Juan taking a llama’s temperature (ok, we are laughing today about that).  Dr. Trey-if you are reading this, I sure hope that was necessary and not one of those “jokes” you and Exum like to play on Juan!  (But thank you SOOO much for your advice and phone calls the last few days-you’re alright, just like Juan reluctantly says!)

So yes, I’m writing a blog post…mainly because I wanted to let Katy’s fan know she loved all the attention, and of course would still want it lavished upon her!  And also, if I see you in the halls of school, having so many friends ask how KP was doing has been VERY sweet, but no llama talk for a few days, at least not face to face.

One of the hardest parts right now is watching Harley looking for her BFF.  If I didn’t think they were social animals before, I know if for a fact now!  We are going to pick up a new friend or two this weekend…they certainly can’t replace Katy Perry, but Harley needs to another buddy!  So stay tuned!

Cheers to KP-all llamas everywhere!

So You Wanna Shear Yo Llamas…

“Just like shearing a prized 4-H sheep…only with taller, longer neck, hairier, & with more green goo.”

I posted last year about our llamas having their spa day, but it was done by a professional stylist.  This year’s post is about their spa day, but we couldn’t make an appointment with the professional, so we, and by we I mean Juan, took the shears into his own hands.

I guess I need to begin with a disclaimer or two:

1st-just going to go ahead and admit this from the beginning—I’m not a country girl at heart, I’m slowly learning to play one on tv, but hemming up livestock, and subduing them in crisis isn’t my strong suit.  I may not be the sharpest of country girls in the barn, “but I’m pretty!” (thanks Kristen Taekman for the greatest Real Housewives of New York tag line)

2nd-for all of you who are llama shearing experts, A)we are just learning to do this ourselves so we know there are probably better ways to handle everything & B)where on God’s great Earth were you today about 1:30 when we may or may not have needed your expertise???

 

So after much measuring, cutting, welding, remeasuring, torching, and more welding & thanks to the kindness of friends, friends’ sons, & family members the llama casa is finally outfitted for llama shearing.  Last year’s shearing was makeshift just inside the barn and after finding llama hair to this day in many corners, Juan decided this year’s shearing would be an outdoor event.  Stalls were built in, gates added, along with a bumper bar,  & WE were ready to go…the girls…not so much.

As with most other llama events, “all you need is feed” was going to be our starting mantra to get the girls hemmed up in the pens.  We were like the pied piper luring them in thru the gate, and them one of them, I don’t recall who, figured out something was going down, and bolted before I could get the gate closed.

So round two was underway, and then Harley’s humming began.  It was right in sync with KatyPerry’s hee-haw burping that she does to signal “Something just ain’t right about this situation guys…”  It was another 20-30 minutes or so before we, and by we I mean, Juan primarily, caught KP and boy did we, and by we I mean I, thought “Ok this is going to be pretty easy!  WE (Juan’s) got this!”

KP starting heehawing, I got the lead rope snapped on and off they walked to tie her to the fence.  More heehawing, and then Katy had the perfect opportunity to let Juan know just how she felt with a deep down gooey green plug of already chewed, and once or twice digested, llama snuff—perfectly placed in Juan’s right ear.  (Juan says he thought for a few minutes he had lost some hearing and then stuck his finger in his ear and realized…)  It was almost like he’d painted half of his face green for the World Cup.  I was not sure how he would feel with me pulling out the camera at this point so there’s an after picture of his hat, among some other pictures on my Facebook account.

Harley was first to be get the glamorous treatment.  She is less dashing diva & more the neurotic worrying type.  She stood there, moving very little, just staring ahead at the metal in front of her, humming, probably picturing her ancestral home in the Andes, quiet breezes blowing through the pines, while small Incan children played on the hills below.  Juan can probably describe the shearing process better, but he says it was much like a shearing a lamb, just taller and more hair.  Evidently, it was like riding a bike and in no time flat, Harley the Hummer was done.  The wall was still clean at this point.

Enter stage right, in all her glamour, making her entrance so everyone knows who’s up next—Ladies & Gentlemen, its the girl you’ve all been waiting for, here she is, put your hands together fooooooooooorrrrrrrr—KKKKKKKKKAAAATTTTTYYYYYYY PPPPPEEEERRRRRRYYYYY!!!  Cue the lights, the hee-haws, curtains up, green spit a-flying.  “All right Mr. DeMille, I’m ready for my close up!”  This llama is all drama.  She spit, she hee-hawed, she moved left, she ducked right, she spit some more.  We tried the tube sock trick but she spit it off her muzzle and frankly, it was so doused in stomach contents, we were a little worried that she might not be able to breathe well with it on.

They are now frolicking in their pasture, enjoying the cool breeze through the three or four pines back there, listening to the guineas arguing with each other as the pen raised quail call back and forth next door…all the while wondering where those quiet Incan children might be, as they sure as everything are NOT going to give me or Juan a bit of attention for the next few days.

I think it is safe to draw the following conclusions:

#1-Today I didn’t soak up a whole lot of knowledge about being a country girl, but I’m pretty! (RHofNY reference #2!)

#2-Llamas are ssmart, ddramatic, nneurotic, & ccomplicated animals…much like humans, and I cannot help but love them in spite of themselves, much like humans.  (The jury is still out on Juan’s undying love for them, although he’s been pleased to have their poop to fertilize his garden, so he likes them for that reason I know!)

#3-I am married to probably the best husband there is-would your husband take llama snuff in the face…in.the.face. ????

 

Back by Popular Demand!!!

I’m always asked the same question when I say that I have two llamas…”WHY?”  And my answer is always the same, “Why not?”  Then very next question is, “Well, what do you DO with them?” and my response is, “Everything that I do with my dogs and cats, except let them in the house!”  Last week though, I was asked a NEW question, that caught me a bit off guard…”WHY do you have a LLAMA BLLOG if you don’t BLLOG about your LLAMAS?”  I had no answer…so R.A.H.-here ya go!

Since we last visited we’ve had new additions to the Ranchito.  Ladies and Gentlemen-meet Juan’s girls.  These heifers came to live with us this summer and since they’ve put on a little weight.  They are breeders not eaters-althought they eat, we just won’t eat them.  I’ve already told Juan that their offspring need to be whisked away in the middle of the night so I don’t have to see them loaded on a trailer to H-E-B. 

 

As far as names go, we have tried and thought and the only thing that has stuck is that we call the Big’Un…Big’Un and the Little’Un…Little’Un.  If they were MY heifers, you know they would be name for someone quite famous or royal.  

So many have asked how MY girls are getting along with Juan’s girls.  In the beginning, no one was quite sure what to think about things.  The heifers had full control of the backyard, which up to that point, you might remember, had been the llamas turf.  There were many sideways glances from Harley and KatyPerry, many of those “laughing” episodes where they are sending a warning signal to the rest of the pack that something ain’t right here.  Once we moved the heifers to the front pasture, and opened up the backyard for llama occupation, things returned to a new normal.  “New” meaning there was a “new” poop placement by the llamas.  They had a pile in their original pasture, back in the northeast corner.  Now in the backyard, to establish some boundaries, they have marked their territory along the south fence, right across the fence from the heifers feed & water trough.  It hasn’t seemed to make much of a difference to the heifers, but I can tell Harley and KP are prancing a little taller now.

Speaking of pooping…Juan and I have come to this conclusion.  Cattle are the canine of the big animal breeds and llamas are the feline counterpart.  Proof-cattle will poop wherever they please, here, there, & yon.  Walk, poop, walk, poop.  Llamas have a set place, much like a litter box, without the box and litter.  Cattle, once they get used to you, they enjoy being rubbed on, have special spots, and are pleased, in fact in some cases, come to you for some special attention.  Llamas, used to you or not, its their world and when they are ready for you to give them a llove pat, or a scratch here or there, they will let you know.  When they are ready for you to stop, just ask Juan, they will let you know they are done with you as well!

SO there’s a quick update on Llife wth Llamas.  My new year’s resolution is to do a better job with the Llama Bllog.  Until then…our menagerie wishes your menagerie and Very Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year!

Spa Day for The Girls!

Its summertime in the Panhandle of Texas and its been H-O-T HOT!  So The Girls had pedi’s & hair appointments last Monday.  You would have thought they were going to the packing house the way they were behaving!  But I can’t blame them-one moment they’re eating hay and watching the chickens cluck next door…next moment someone’s trying to hem them up and lead them somewhere they’ve never seen before!

They had been shorn before, but it was last year and I guess there had been enough time in between that they forgot they actually survived the ordeal.  And our set up here didn’t make things easy this year.  We have the Llama Casa, which is quite useful for a wind block or to get out of the random rain shower we have.  The Llama Casa has 4 separate stalls, but none of them have gates on them yet.  After a few tries to get them corralled into one of the stalls and a make shift “panel-gate”, Shearman Scott realized they kept running into the southeast corner of their pasture, close to a couple of trees.  So the “panel-gates” turned into one panel and one gate.

KatyPerry is taking mental notes….biding her time.

 

 

Shear-man Scott took Harley first.  Smart idea, due to the fact that she is just the humming, neurotic, nervous Nellie kind of llama.  Bad idea, due to the fact that Katy Perry is the one who was taking notes and planning revenge as she was awaiting her turn.

We went over the the barn, so the clippers could be plugged in, and since the Jeep was sitting just inside the barn, he tied Harley to the bumper to start her spa day.  First on the agenda was a pedicure.  He snipped her “toenails”, much like snipping a dog’s nails.  I wasn’t if they’d clip them, or file them-much like a horse’s hoof.  

Next came the shearing.  As I watched this I kept thinking I was glad that Juan was still at work because I knew he would be saying, “I could have done all of this…”  And he could have-just like the sheep he had shorn, and the steers he had trimmed, with the addition of some llama hums and, depending on the llama, some spit.  He said later on after I retold the Spa Day story, it was money well spent, not having to worry about doing it himself.  (Do you think he meant “himself” because he knew thought I would be no help…yep I thought so.)

As he finished up with Harley, he suggested I go to the house and get a couple of old tube socks, saying, “I have a feeling that white one is going to be letting me know she’s not happy when we get started.”  You see, you always seem to know where you stand with KatyPerry!  The tube sock was slipped over her mouth and nose-it was perfect, allowing her to breath and allowing those around her to stay clean from spit.  

She didn’t like it at all, and it made her look quite pitiful, but in the end, it was, as Martha Stewart says-“A Good Thing!”

 

We’ve gotten used to their new summer looks, but in the beginning it was quite a shock!  I know many llamas in this area aren’t shorn, but we decided to go ahead and continue treating them the way the LlamaLlady had treated them.  Its especially hot here this summer and we’re in another year of drought…I just couldn’t think about them with all that hair in 105 degree heat.

This was about as close as they would allow us to get last Monday.  Since then, I’m pleased to report that everyone is back to normal!  They are used to their buzz cuts and we are getting used to their skinny necks.  Makes for good llove pats again.

Who’s the Boss?

In some of my llama-dama-ding-dong googling, I read that out in the wild, as well as in the not so wild, llamas work to establish dominance.  They spit to see who will back down, they tussle, and as we saw tonight, they play Queen of the Mountain.  We let the Girls come into the backyard  again and forgot that we had some big mounds of dirt off in the corner of the yard.  I didn’t get a lot of video, but did get a little of their gameplay to see who would back down first.

I couldn’t get the video to upload here, but you can see it on my facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10152241193336564&l=8862445922432800056

All in all, KP was the winner.  Juan went out to see what they would do when he walked up…KP threw the ears back quickly and gurgled, but Juan put up his hand and told her no and she backed down pretty fast and then walked over to the other mound away from him.

Juan is now Queen of the Mountain!

What’s in Your Backyard?

We have been steadily working with the girls.  From the outside you might not be able to tell there’s progress made, but on the inside, I can sort of feel it.  I think they are more comfortable with us and we are certainly more comfortable with them.

I try to go out and mess with them for about 15 minutes every day.  In between cold weather, wind, and another week of feeling like poo, I’ve not been out with them a lot this last week.  But when I have gone to see them, they come trotting up to me.  I choose to pretend that they are thinking “IT’S MEEEEEEEEEEEER!!!!!!!!” but I really know they are thinking “IT’S FEEEEEEEEEEED!”  I have started not taking the bucket and scoops EVERY time, and they still stay around letting us give them so good neck rubs.

We’re still dealing with some issues in the pecking order.  KatyPerry is definitely letting Harley know that she thinks she’s the more important one.  Harley is very patient though and waits her turn for the scoop.  Juan and I have started each getting a scoop so they aren’t right next to each other if one of us holds both scoops.  I guess its like kids sitting in the backseat eating ice cream cones.  Mine never looked as tasty as my brother’s did…feed scoops must be the same way.

So tonight, Juan was putting dogs back in their kennels and decided to let the Girls come into the backyard.  In this drought, our backyard is quite crispy, but there are a few patches of green grass.  Juan said that he opened the gate and called the Girls and it didn’t take them long to come in and start exploring.  I love watching them explore new surroundings.  Curiosity might have killed the cat, but a llama is definitely on the same path…they hear a noise, up go the ears, they see something new, up go the ears, they have a new yard to roam, up go the ears!  They found the few patches of green grass, they found the tree that had lots of leaves on it, they weren’t sure about the woodpile…Juan’s decided he might name them Lawnmover & Weedwacker.

He wondered out loud how we were going to get them back into the pasture and I said “Feed” but he had another idea.  He picked up a piece of PVC and a broken bucket and rattle them around, hoping they’d think it was the feed bucket.  While he was doing that, I went to get the real feed bucket.  We managed to lure them back home.  We left them looking over the fence into the backyard and then up at us.  “But that green grass is on the other side over there…harumph!”

New Digs & New Friends

I haven’t wanted to post all the time but want to document the progress I think we have made.  Mainly so I can come back and look on a challenging day and remind myself that we did in fact move forward.

Juan has a friend with 2 sons who came over to visit today.  The boys wanted to feed the Girls so we went out to the fence with the feed scoop.  I was a little nervous with the boys being new to the Girls, worried about sudden movements on both sides.  KatyPerry and Harley were on their best behavior and ate very nicely out of the scoop & our hands.  It was pretty cool!!!  There’s a glimmer of hope that one day I might have the Girls in the nursing home bringing joy to the elderly—in the far far far FAR, like all the way to CHINA far away future…but at least for today the glimmer is there.

Their good humor may be due to Juan buying them a big ol’ round bale of oat hay.  He said that Harley rubbed her head and neck all over the bale-I’m not sure if she was itchy or marking her territory.  I think KatyPerry likes to just hide behind it so no one can see her and then she pops out from behind with her cupcake bra on, or hay filled mouth as the case may be, and makes her grand trot up to the fence in hopes for some feed.

We have a psuedo apple orchard on the west side of our 10 acres.  Psuedo because, well, we have apple trees, but they have been the step children on the ten acres.  (God knew what he was doing with me and no children-that whole maintenance thing-food & water-gets me every time, and the watering of the trees AND keeping up with it, well, let’s just say we don’t eat a lot of fresh apples at our house.) Juan added some panels yesterday to the south end of the orchard and took one panel down from the llama pasture.  It was fun to watch them run into the new digs and check things out.  We used to have a few apple trees with green leaves on them.  We don’t any more.  I hope that llamas and apple leaves jive-so far so good.

(Juan also discovered that the chickens from the place just west of us are evidently coming under the fence to lay eggs under our pine trees.  So far we’ve found 16 eggs…but haven’t been brave enough to harvest any yet.)

Instant Gratification is not Soon Enough

“Instant Gratification is not Soon Enough”

Meryl Streep is one smart woman saying this, but I don’t think she ever tried to teach 9th graders or gain the llove 0f a llama…

I’ve learned that instant gratification & a lack of patience do not mix.   I teach 9th graders, I should know this already!  I have llamas, I should remember this!

I’ve wanted the Girls to like me.  I’ve wanted them to come running and be happy to see me and if they had long enough tongues, give me that nice to see you lick across the face.  I guess what I’m saying is that I’ve wanted them to be like the dogs and cats.  But with further googling this week, I learned that they aren’t going to be dogs and cats.

I think KatyPerry is more similar to the 9th grade girls that I teach…she was a bit moody with me this week.  I think I was trying too hard to speed up the process of her love and adoration for me.  She’s definitely the alpha female…if you can have those in the llama world.  She steps in front of Harley to get to the feed scoop.  At one point the other day, when Harley got to the scoop 1st, KatyPerry walked up to Harley and stomped her foot a couple of times, as if to say “Look friend…”  Harley had her nose in the feed scoop though and ignored her.

Once Harley stopped paying attention to her, then KatyPerry turned some attention to me.  As I talked to her, I was petting her a little and reached up to adjust her halter some.  This irritated her more than Harley getting to the scoop first.  I think it was the last straw for the day and she looked  at me, pinned her ears back, turn her back to me, and looked over with a backwards glance at me full of disdain, before stretching her neck-which worries me that the deep stinkin’ spitter was coming.  I have to admit, it was at this point that I had two thoughts: #1 I have just let a llama hurt my feelings & #2 I think I’ve ruined the sweet creature she was at the Llama Llady’s house.  So back to google it was for me…maybe I need to have blog entries titled “How Google Helped me Diagnose my Llama’s Behavior Today.”

So the diagnosis was, she’s a llama.  She’s not a cat, she’s not a dog, she’s not a teenage girl.  She’s just trying to let me know she wasn’t in the mood for me messing with her that afternoon.  I read about one llama that had a halter put on him 43 times in a row, and his owner thought that he was halter broken…until time 44, and he freaked out like he had never seen a halter before.  I read about a lady with llamas in England and how she had one llama named David who took 2 years to allow her to approach him.  On many of those websites, I learned that llamas just funny, smart, unpredictable creatures.  Just when you think you have things figured out, they mix things up.  Hmmm, now I’m thinking they are like the game of golf!

Instant gratification…no way!  Patience-party of 1…RIGHT HERE!!!!

P.S. Since the disdainful glance over her shoulder, KP has decided-at least for the last few days-maybe I’m not as bad as she thought I was.  I backed off, just worked with the feed bucket, no halter adjusts or too much love.  Always leave them wanting more, right?

Llanguage Llessons

Ears that hear and eyes that see– the LORD has made them both.~Proverbs 20:12

Its one of those Brown Sugar Sky days here on the west Texas plains.  As the winds started to blow more and more, I was disappointed because I really wanted to enjoy being outside with the Girls today.  I had a meeting yesterday and got home right a dusk, so I had no time to even visit with them.  Its supposed to be quite chilly tomorrow, so I’m looking forward to Thursday and some better spring weather.

If I can’t be outside working on our relationship, I’ll stay inside and add more insight to our trials and tribulations. I’ve already done my share of googling all things llama, which has, more than anything, made me wonder  – #1 why I didn’t already know that logical solution, then thinking B) do the Peruvian Incas use google to figure out what to do with their llamas up at Machu Pichu, which leads to III) is there WiFi at 7,972 feet above sea level?  My monkey mind digresses…

In my googling here at a windy 3,256 feet above sea level, I’ve learned that llamas are true 4H projects, just like heifers & steers & sheep & goats & chickens & rabbits & mini donkeys, and one person even claimed to have shown peacocks…you can even lease your llama if you live in the big city!   One important fact I read was to make sure if you have a llama that hasn’t had a halter affixed to her cute little head, you most likely will want to have the person from whom you are getting the llama do this for you.  This was the first of many facts I read thinking, I wish I’d read this BEFORE…in this case, BEFORE Juan placed that halter on their cute little heads.  I don’t think we have done any permanent damage for them to forever associate us with a bad experience.

So much of my googling has happened because I haven’t known if they are upset with me or with each other.

Case in point: Llama Ears
Not only do their PERKED UP ears make them look so stinkin’ cute, ears in this position are basically telling me everything is a-ok, or like the spastic dog in the movie Up, they have seen something that has gotten their full SQUIRREL/CAT/DOG/TUMBLEWEED! attention.

~Now on to the not so precious sight~

Not only do their PINNED BACK ears make them look much less stinkin’ cute, ears in this position mean you are stinkin’ in my space and you may end up stinkin’ in the end.  It took me a few days, some googling, and some experience, to realize that in this case, Katy Perry is not happy, and she’s emphasizing the point by stretching out her neck too.

She wasn’t happy with me at one point as I followed her around with the feed bucket, and she wasn’t in the mood that first day to deal with me.  (I’ll come back to the feed bucket in a moment.)  I got snorted at-not quite a fulll fledged, from the belly, smelly spitter, but I got the point., as a few of the feed pellets she had been saving in her mouth flew by my ear at a rate of speed.  In the picture above, she’s more irritated with Harley for stepping in front of her when she and I were enjoying some good pats.  Her outstretched neck means she is considering that from the belly smelly spitter.

Another thing I learned from google, which made me think “why is google so smart and I’m so dumb,” was with the feed bucket.  Llama Llady kept telling me “its all about the feed” so off I went out in our small pasture to shake the feed bucket with hopes of being the Pied Piper and gain a llama following quickly.  I didn’t consider the fact that we’d already asked the Girls to put on a halter, load in a trailer, ride away from their home, unload from the trailer, and get used to a new place.  Now I was asking them to come and eat from some wackadoo who had asked them to do all those scary things above!  After that frustration, I found another google nugget-if your llamas are in a pasture, don’t follow them around with the feed bucket.  This only teaches them that they can simply walk run away from you when they aren’t interested and its a fun game as you follow them all over the back 40.  Lesson learned!   Now I get the bucket, go outside the fence, and they come to me.  I also learned, on my own, without cheating googling, that if I go out to visit at the fence first without the bucket, they come to me thinking I just might have a morsel or two.

Who’s the smartie now???  

 

In the beginning…

In the beginning, I wrote a blog mainly journaling the crazy things I dealt with as a debate coach…thankfully I was able to hand that duty off to someone.

In the next beginning, we moved onto 10 acres and I made one declaration…I wanted llamas.  Please don’t ask why, because I had no valid good reasoning.  I went so far as to tell a friend who asked, “What will you DOOOO with a llama?” that “You have a daughter…what do you DOOOO with her?  I will spend time with them and love on them and…yeah, that’s all I know right now, I’ll get back to you!”

So that’s what this blog with be focusing on right now…what will I DOOOOO with my llamas.

In the beginning, we’ve lived with llamas for 1 week now.  And progress has been made I think.  I was lucky enough to get 2 llamas from the girl that cuts my hair.  She has a herd of 23, 21 now.  I mentioned when we moved that I wanted to get some llamas and she said whenever we were ready to come and get them.  1 year passed and we, and by we I mean Juan, got a fence up.  Another year passed and we, and by we I mean Juan and his helpers-not me, got a barn built.  So almost 3 years later, we, and by we I mean I, was completely ready for llamas!

So off we went to get the Girls.  We took a trailer…and that was it.  Looking back, if you ever get a llama or two, you might want to take more than just a trailer.  Next time we get llamas, we’ll definitely take a halter and a lead rope.  We found some halters at the Llama Llady’s house, but only had some dog leashes for lead ropes.  Llamas aren’t dogs and we learned that fairly fast, when Llama Dos broke the dog leash and off she ran, far, far away, to a pasture corner, I’m sure using Peruvian curse words the entire way.  So off we went with Llama Uno, hoping that we’d not ruined Llama Dos.

This is Harley.  Llamas are pretty cool for many reasons, but the first cool thing I learned was that they will lay down when they travel.  Its cool until you decide to unload and they decide they are going to continue to lay down.  Then it is uncool…very uncool…and very frustrating!  More frustrating for Juan, than for me…and probably most frustrating for the llama, who I’m sure was also using those Peruvian curse words.

Once unloaded, we led her out into her new home.  She wasn’t too keen on the lead rope, but we worked with it a little, then let her roam free.  It seemed like she ended up in the northeast corner of the pasture looking for her friends and the Llama Llady. (I forgot to include that the Llama Llady said that she’d text me when Llama Dos ventured back to the pens.)  Llamas are definitely pack animals and I felt bad for Harley being alone in a strange place with weirdos like us bothering her.  A few hours later, I got the text saying Llama Dos was back.

We, and by we I mean I, thought Llama Dos should be easy, now that we-they-knew how things were going to go, and also now that we had a brand new lead rope!  Juan and Llama Llady had done such a good job haltering and leading Harley to the trailer, this would be a no brainer.  Llama Dos has a pretty good brain and llamas are really rather smart…I think Dos remembered Juan and the humming began.  (Oh how the humming makes me sad!  Its just a worried hum like they know something not so good is about to happen to them.)  After much cajoling, pushing, shoving pulling, some snorting and spitting-by Juan & Llama Dos-we were loaded, laying, humming, and on our way back to Harley.  Did I mention its cool that llamas lay down when they travel…but then won’t unload?  Yep, this time with a VERY hard headed llama.

Harley is very laid back…Llama Dos, Katelyn, not so much, super sweet when she’s content, but she knows what she likes and doesn’t like.  So we decided that Katelyn was a very sweet, innocent name.  After cajoling and urging and pushing and pulling, we-Juan-finally got her out of the trailer, then more urging, pushing, pulling and she got up to walk through the gate.  She’s now Katy Perry-sweet looking but not as naive as you think she might be, but quite lovable in spite of her hardheadedness.

So they were now reunited and I hoped I’d be able to walk out in the middle of them and they’d run up to me and give me kisses and nudges like they did Llama Llady.  Let’s just say its been a week of ups and downs.  But I’m not giving up…I still don’t know what I’m going to DOOOO with them, but I do know THEY just don’t KNOW that they llove me yet, as much as I already llove them.

To be continued…