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My First Llama
My first llama was a black & white ten month old male. Not the best first llama, but he was the one that broke me
in! His name was Pinerose Winston, he was a cute little ten month old with a short tail & an attitude to match.
I
got into llamas when 9 years old. I was tenacious & ready for a good fight & I handled Winston like no one would,
of could!
Winston was a rather excitable young llama that loved to spit. I remember the day I got him.
My Mom, my sister
& I had visited a local ranch a week earlier & I had already fallen in love with a llama named "Charlie". He was a
paint llama with hints of gray in his brown & white fleece. He, to, was about ten months old, but very sweet. When we
called to see about purchasing one of their llamas the owners told us Charlie wasn't for sale, but Winston & another llama
named "Presto" were for sale. So we went to the ranch & my sister liked Winston & Presto was an adult, so I decided
on Winston. We were told that Winston had a broken tail, later we found out that Winston's tail wasn't broken, it was a Kissam
trait. The Vet told us that when we had him gelded.
Winston, is a good llama with a few personality defects. I will be
the first to admit, I didn't know how to handle a 10 month old male llama, but I did my best. Now Winston hangs around with
his friend, Ike another Gelding. My Mom bought him for guarding her goats, but we don't have the goats anymore, so he is basically
retired, just roams around the place. Winston is now my mom's llama, he loves my Mom, so they get along great!
The First Show
My first show was when I was about 11 years old. I showed Ike, in the medium male non breeder class. Ike performed beautifully,
but his pasterns lost him the class. I remember the glee I had when, first, I walked into the building check in at the front
desk. Winston in one hand & Ike in the other. I loved the smell of the llama barn & everything about it. There were
so many llamas there I didn't know what to do.
I did have $400 in my pocket & the need for a female llama, though,
so I had an objective besides showing Ike. Friday was probably the most fun day, I got to wash my llama & meet lots of
new people. I also auditioned quite a few dams for purchase, none fit the bill until I talked to a woman from Mt. Hood. She
told me she had a yearling dam for $600. The dam's name was Vernaccia, she was just about the prettiest thing I'd ever seen.
She was a paint girl with a ritzy attitude.
While I mulled this over, my Mom was contemplating a young herdsire prospect
from the Umpqua Valley. This young male was 8 months old & this was Mr. Pudge. His fiber was so beautiful & that's
why my Mom bought him.
Mr. Pudge now bought, my Mom & I talked Vernaccia over. Mom, being the great Mom she is, traded
her boar goat to make up the difference of the $200 & Vernaccia was brought home on Sunday along with Mr. Pudge.
I
didn't win any ribbons at that show, but it was my first time I'd been able to associate with so many other people that loved
llamas as much as I did!
Pudge & His Will
Pudge is an amazing animal. Me & the Pudge have been through a ton together & he is a great stud, with a few
issues!LOL
Well, as you know from the story above, we acquired Pudge when he was 8 months old. It was the July after we
got him. We bought him in the later part of June. I went out to carefully handle the new llama, I didn't know much about raising
a stud at the time, so I always handled him with kid gloves. I thought Pudge & I had a good enough relationship &
his halter was getting to small. I had a bigger halter (so I thought) I suspected might fit him. So, I walked him into the
yard & in the middle of the yard I did one of the stupidest things I have ever done! I proceeded to un-halter Pudge. Well,
he thought "It's time to go play! Yey!" I had my arm around his neck, as you do when haltering a llama, & he wasn't expecting
me to hold on. He got wild & bolted. Somehow, in the mess, he trapped my wrist under his chin & twisted my wrist.
I think it did a complete 360! As he escaped he threw me to the ground. It was the strangest thing I'd ever had happen, as
I found my feet I tried to brush the hair from my face & to my surprise I didn't have control over my hand. This scared
me half to death! I'd never had one of my limbs not obey my commands. Finally, I got it to respond & I was very confused.
Most broken limbs, don't move, but then it didn't & then it did! It was one of the weirdest experiences I've ever had.
So I got up & proceeded into the house, Pudge was dealt with later. I didn't tell anyone about it until the next morning,
why I don't know I just didn't. I think I may have been a little shocked.
That was the worst pain I have ever felt until
the incident & after. My wrist is now pretty much OK, but it took a good 6 months to a year for it to even stop hurting.
Whether I fractured it or not I cannot say but it disabled the use of my left hand for quite a while, I was in a brace for
the good part of a year. For the rest of the summer I couldn't handle my llamas, not one handed!LOL
From then on, I haven't
trained crias or studs in sandals & never again have I tried to change a halter on an 8 month old the same way!LOL
The Trials of Owning Studs
My boys are a great bunch of guys! They all hang out together (except Pudge) & are all pretty good friends, except
when the girls are around.
As you know, I now had a female llama and a stud. Well, I'd acquired 2 other studs from the
same people who sold us Pudge. So when you have a dam & 3 studs the only thing to do is breed them & have a baby!
I'd never handled a cria before & I so wanted one to play with. I'd barely even pet one before-but I knew they were adorable
& now I had the means to create one!
So Vernaccia was now 2 years old, mature enough to breed & successfully carry
a baby, this much I knew was for sure. So several times I'd put her in with all the studs. My boys were very immature. Rogue
had just turned 2 & Pudge was also, a fresh 2. Chilly, on the other hand was a well rounded adult. I'd been trying to
breed Nachos since August of the previous year, it was now February (Nachos was almost 3). All the boys never really cared
much about her until this one day in the late part of February.
I, as usual, put her in with the boys I never fathomed
anything like this would happen. I thought if I was lucky one of them would mount her & she'd get the point. I never thought
that llama studs were so mean when it came to this kind of stuff. Well, all the boys including the 2 geldings were in this
big pen in front of the house. I put Nachos in there & things started out kind of slow. I thought it would be just another
dismal try at nothing. But then things started really hoppin'!LOL
Chilly was the first to get everyone riled. At this
time I wasn't to worried. Rogue & Pudge were so young I didn't think they'd be that concerned!LOL But before I knew it
everyone was going berserk! Chilly nearly did away with Ike, Rogue & Pudge were irate. Everyone was screaming & I
was lucky to escape with my hide. All the boys were after Nachos, she didn't know what to think. Everyone was chest butting
each other & spit was flying. I felt like a bumper on a pin ball table. Somehow, though they all kept an eye on me &
never once threatened me. At this time I didn't know what to do, I just stood in the middle of it all, dumbfounded. Finally,
Rogue mounted Nachos & she laid for him, now things got really bad. Chilly was going wild, he was bent on killing Rogue,
Pudge was chest butting Ike & Winston was fighting with Chilly. What was going to happen Next I had no idea of, I was
doing a lot of praying, though, let me tell you! It was quite the boisterous event, it stunk too!LOL So, now Rogue has got
to be the sire, I can't let anyone else even mount Nachos & there are 2 other studs, irate, in the same pen. I wasn't
to worried about Pudge, because he's so infantile. But Chilly had to have been twice the size of Rogue at the time & like
I said he was bent on killing him.
So my Mom was watching all this from a ways away & told me to open the gate &
usher the boys out of the pen, out onto the free acreage they roam.
Alas, the crisis was over! Nachos didn't take that
time so I put Rogue in with her & they bred 3 other times. The 3rd time, she took.
Then in June of 2003 T-bolt was
born, Rogue's first baby-Vernaccia's first son!:)
A Joyous Occation
The soon birth of T-bolt was a surprise to everyone in my family, especially me. We didn't even know of his soon arrival
until about Memorial Day weekend. Even though Nachos showed signs of an imminent birth, I still couldn't believe I was on
the verge of owning my first baby llama.
As the weeks progressed & I was really not that on edge, I still didn't believe
it. Finally June 10th came. It was a beautiful sunny day, a Tuesday. My Mom & I decided to go into Wal*Mart that day to
do some shopping. Mom saw Nachos rolling, but being the dust rat she is, it didn't look abnormal for Nachos to be rolling.
I was told of this, but again, thought "ahh she's just being Nachos." Little did I know, when I got home I would have the
biggest surprise of my life!
So my Mom & I took our time in town, just lolly-gaging around Wal*Mart in the Garden center
& what not. I had picked up a fruit colored tetra (that had ich, BTW, it ended up killing all the fish in my aquarium)
for my aquarium.
So we are finally home, as we drive down our driveway, I am looking at Nachos, curious as to what she'd
been up to while we were gone. Sure enough, through the dense sage brush I could see a little white neck with a black head
attached! I still couldn't believe it! So I rushed out of the car & out to the field. There he was! A baby, a cria, a
baby llama! I was so elated I could barely stand it! He was so small & cute & perfectly white. He must have been quite
a few hours old because he was already dusty!
My first encounter with him came when I had to catch him & carry him
up to the pen closer to the house. Nachos never protested once, just followed right behind me. Nachos is the best dam I think
a person could ask for. Besides her conformation, she is perfect. She will allow me to take her newborn baby & do anything
I please to it, without batting an eye. In large part, this is why T-bolt turned out the way he did.....without Nachos to
set the amazing example for him I don't think he would have been the same llama.
In the days to follow I spent nearly every
evening training & enjoying my new little one. He was the most special thing I've had happen to me in the way of my llamas.
Now T-bolt is Pudgey Paw Acres' ambassador to the public. He has had so many hands touch him & brought so many smiles
to so many people's faces, probably more than most llamas do in their whole lives-he has done it in a short 2 1/2 years!
Pudge's Parade
My first parade was with my 4 year old stud, Mr. Pudge. What, on
earth I was doing out in public with a 4 year old stud, I don't know. I guess Pudge was the only llama I owned that was calm
enough.
We did a patriotic theme & got third place in our division! I will never forget that day because that was the
first time I was able to actually show other people how gentle & kind llamas really are.
The Pudge was a perfect angel
& charmed the judges with his perpetual smile & fuzzy ears. Though Pudge & I have been through some pretty precarious
situations, he always comes through for me in end.
I will never forget walking down main street & all the people waving
& the kids shouting "It's a llama, It's a llama!". They all would ask me his name & oh, what a memory!
T-bolt's Coming Out
T-bolt's "coming out" was a three step process that started with his first llama show and ended at the Fourth of July
Parade. I will never forget the rodeo parade! T-bolt was just shining in his red white and blue garb. He was only a year old
but I didn't let that stop me from showing him off!
The Bolt and I are good friends and we've been through so much together
I could not even begin to put it down on paper. The rodeo parade was T-bolt's first parade & really his first experience
with the public. He was out standing! We took first out our division & so many smiles were brought to so many faces. I
will never forget walking down main street with the pride and joy of my ranch, my first Conner bred llama.
I had high hopes
of keep T-bolt a stud but he quickly let me know that wouldn't be a good idea!LOL I am glad I gelded him now, anyway, because
I found out he has some conformational issues that were inherited from his dam and possibly his sire.
The Parade after
the Rodeo parade was the 4th of July parade. That was the end of the show & outing season for the summer. Again, T-bolt
pulled it off without a hitch. We, again, took first in our division and he was a smash!
I will never forget the morning
before the parade. I was out, catching T-bolt to load him into the trailer. It was about 6:30 in the morning and there was
a slight summery nip in the air. I was in a black T-shirt with blue wranglers on and my lacer cowgirl boots on. T-bolt, as
usual, was quite happy to see me! I haltered him and proceeded to take him out of his pen. As we walked across the pasture,
just outside his pen, I could tell he was excited about getting to go somewhere so I asked him to trot. I have a jump set
up in the pasture. Me and T-bolt were gaily trotting along and I went to take the jump. I was unaware he was following so
closely and as I landed T-bolt's from feet landed on my heels! So I landed flat on my belly & had a bad look on my face.
I just kind of growled and said "OOOOHHHH YOU!" in a deep voice, when I looked over and saw poor little, young, T-bolt on
his little knees with his tail up & head kind of down looking at me! He looked like he was saying "I'm sorry! Are you
OK?". He looked so cute I couldn't be mad at him so I scraped myself off the ground and brushed my cloths off-which were quite
dusty!LOL I also reassured the poor, helpless fellow, mommy wasn't mad at him. Then we took off, bound for the 4th of July
parade!
T-bolt's First Show
T-bolt was only a year old at his first show. He put out his best effort, in one class. The two things that always stick
in my head about that show are, him yawning in Showmanship and me forgetting to put the right halter set on.
The show started
Friday, of course, I remember hoping a praying the weather would be warm enough to bathe the Bolt. Technically it wasn't but
I bathed him anyway. Everyone gave me a hard time about how cruel it was to bathe that poor cute thing and leave him shivering-but
he didn't shiver for long.
After grooming him to death on Friday I was exhausted! Come Saturday I had to be at the fairgrounds
before 8 am so I could feed the Bolt and still have time to change and attend the exhibitors meeting at 8 or 8:30. So with
my raspberry iced tea in hand I made my way around, getting what needed doing done.
Pretty soon it was time for me to
change and go get the Bolt. Our first class was in just a few minutes. Me & the Bolt were now in the staging area when
I looked at him and noticed, he had a bright red halter on with a green braided in lead rope! LOL I realized I'd forgotten
to change his halter set! So, instead of slowly walking down to the stalls (which were quite aways from the arena) me &
T-bolt ran, as fast as we could, down to the stall were I left his show halter & lead. After I sprained my ankle and thoroughly
wore him out, me & the bolt were back in the staging area-new halter set installed.
First class was senior showmanship.
Showmanship is about how you present your animal and stuff like that (I was lost). Well, T-bolt, in no way, helped me out-there!
Through the whole class T-bolt stood and yawned-big wide yawns. He ground his teeth and just totally acted board and uninterested!LOL
I later deduced that, the reason he was yawning and grinding his teeth was, he didn't sleep all night (it being his first
time away from home & all) and then I ran him all the way down to the stalls, it made him so tired he couldn't help but
yawn!LOL
The Best of Times spent
This is about many different memories, me and my pal T-bolt have together. T-bolt and I have spent so many special times
together. We've shared many a summer sunset.
One of these sunsets is so vivid in my mind. It was the summer when T-bolt
was only a year old. I had the habit of going up to his pen, asking him to kush for me, and sitting on the ground kind of
laying on his back beside him. This particular evening was so beautiful. A thunder storm (T-bolt's namesake, his nick name
T-bolt comes from Thunderbolt) had just rolled through, it was a dry storm but had lots of lightening. It was a Friday and
I was dog sitting for my sister-in-law. I don't know if I've ever seen a more gorgeous sunset so I went up to T-bolt's pen.
As usual, he was very happy to see me. I asked him to kush and I proceeded to lay down (partially) beside him. Lightening,
off in the distance, could be seen. The sun was sinking bellow the horizon, pink, blue, orange and red were the colors God
used to paint his gorgeous sunset. So, me and T-bolt sat watching this beautiful display. Off, way off, two spot fires could
be seen, they were started by the lightening.
These memories are why me and the Bolt are so close-at least in my mind.
I also remember a particular Sunday, after his first show. It was later in the afternoon and the wind was cold, still
from the spring and I remember snuggling up into his fur and sitting next to him.
Yes, T-bolt and I have had "The Best
of Times Spent".
Gabby: A freak of Nature
Gabby is not a Conner bred llama. She comes from my dam, Vernaccia, and a stud up in Mt. Hood.
The owner of the Stud
was kind enough to take Nachos & her 2 month old baby (T-bolt) up to her ranch and keep them for a month. I will never
forget the day I handed the two over. It was the day before the Fourth of July and I had been attaching myself, quite a bit,
to T-bolt. Nachos was my only girl and I shed a tear as the trailer pulled out and they headed for Mt. Hood.
The whole
month I kept in contact with the ranch owner. T-bolt got to play with babies his own age and got a lesson in being a llama-Mt.
Hood style!
The month was up and it was time for my babies to come home! Nachos and T-bolt came home, Nachos was pregnant
and T-bolt was much bigger.
So, nearly a year of agony, wondering what this cria was going to look like, went by and June
19th arrived. I'd been on baby watch for about a month, nerved out and completely obsessive! I had loaned my Bro's video camera
and I was ready for action. Every morning I would get up and go check her, every 1/2 hour I would look out the window at her.
Most of the time she would have her head down grazing, acting normal. This was all getting on my nerves, so I eventually just
gave up-leaving it to fate.
So finally June 19th rolls around. It was a Saturday and my Family and I had just finished
saying prayers. I remember praying that the baby would come soon-little did I know it was coming as I prayed!LOL So, after
prayers I went outside, into our mud room, and looked out at Nachos. I expected nothing and saw Nachos lying there looking
at her back end. I knew it was time! I yelled "We got a baby on the ground!" Everyone came outside and I ran to get the video
camera.
As I ran through the field to go up the barnyard, the baby just fell out! There she was, a gray paint girl! She
was a cute baby and very fighsty.
One of the things that sticks in my mind is how she wouldn't get up and Nurse. I was
worried about her so I helped her stand. The real amazement is, I had to help her find the udder. I never had to even halter
Nachos, she just stood, still as a statue as I poked and proded-baby in hand. She never showed any signs of being scared or
miss trust. That is the most amazing sign of trust between an owner and a dam when she will let you do things like that to
her & her newborn baby.
Gabby would not nurse until I let her figure it out on her own, to this day Gabby is one of
the most bizarre llamas I have ever handled. I think it is because she is extremely smart. Gabby and I do not have the best
of relationship, but we get along. There is a sweet side to Gabs, you just have to find it. It is strange, how, some things
happen. Nachos is so calm and trusting, while Gabby is very different....
A Normal Thing Gone Wrong
I have had so many close calls I cannot even begin to count. It is only by the grace of God that me and my Llamas don't
get hurt as a result of some of the stupid things I do!LOL
This particular day was July 28th, I remember it distinctly.
It was extremely hot that day but the evening was moderately cool. It was a few weeks after Gabby's birth and Nachos was ready
to be bred once more. I had picked Pudge to have a baby from this time. He is my prized *Lion of Bolivia grandson. This was
a rather uneventful, normal breeding. Gabby was quite intrigued by the goings-on and was very curious. I thought this might
disturb Pudge but, unlike many first time studs, he didn't even notice.
So a few days went by & I figured it was time
to check Nachos to see if she'd taken. Rogue, my big old burly stud who is very forceful, was hangin' around. So I haltered
him & put him in a pen made of plywood in the barn. I figured what he couldn't see wouldn't upset him. So I let Pudge
loose and proceeded to watch to see if the first breeding had taken, before I really even knew I saw Rogue trying to jump
OUT OF THE BARN! (The barn he was in has a hole in the tin and if a llama really wanted out they could jump through it) What
I didn't know, is he had jumped out of the pen and was now free in the barn. He had heard the Orgaling and gotten mad. He
had one thing on his mind: Get out of the barn and kill Pudge, then pass his genes along. I knew I had to do something. I
ran to Pudge & surprisingly, got a lead rope on him. I tied him up & ran into the barn, where 400 pound (About) Rogue
was throwing his weight around trying to get out. He was extremely upset and didn't care what he did to get at Pudge and breed
Nachos. He was unhaltered and me, 120 pound Sarah, had to catch and halter him while he was in this rage. All I could do was
ask Jesus to calm his spirit. I threw myself at him, having faith I would get the halter on him. My arms were around his knack
and I was struggling to get his nose in the halter-he yanked the halter out of my hands and ran off to the other end of the
barn, so, being unhurt, I pursued him & kept asking Jesus to calm his spirit.
Sooner or later I got the halter on
him and what's always amazed me about that was, the barn door wasn't locked but it stayed closed the whole time all this was
going on. I led him up and down until he was calm and ask the Lord to show me when it was time to take him out of the barn.
When it was time the barn door opened & we stepped out, everything was fine.
Things like this only help to strengthen
my faith in Jesus Christ as my personal Savior. I know he was watching over me, there, because if he wasn't me & Rogue
both could have been hurt. I have been protected from a lot with my animals & I owe all the glory to God!:)
A Hot, Cold, Black Day in July
Stetson is one of the cutest llamas I have ever seen and I am so blessed to have the privilege of owning him. He is sweet,
kind, willing, sensitive and extremely smart. I try to appreciate him & Nachos both after what had to happen to have him
come into the world.
Stetson was born July 14th. It seems his whole existence had been shrouded in trouble from the time
of conception-to birth. There was the occasional riling of the studs by Nachos. The boisterous attempt at preg checking Nachos
and the stressful weaning of Gabby.
I knew something was wrong long before Nachos was due. Something just didn't feel right,
I don't know what it was but I kept thinking about torsions in llamas. She was acting normal and I sluffed it off as me just
being paranoid. These thoughts started to bother me in about April of that year. I kept thinking this was going to be a problem
birth, I just knew it!
By July I had pretty much forgotten these thoughts, passing them off as paranoia, until Nachos
wouldn't deliver and I felt something very strange on her side.
Two weeks before she FINALLY delivered, I could feel the
baby's head, his nose and whole head, on her side, near her flank. I am not a vet but I knew what I felt and I could feel
the baby's nose and his temple through the walls of the uterus.
I began to think something was wrong, now but, still,
I wasn't convinced. So, I went on with my day-to-day, not thinking anything but watching very closely. I believe Nachos was
in labor for probably about 3 days to a week before she actually delivered. (This is sometimes normal) I, like always, gave
up and went into town, thinking I could get away with it. BIG MISTAKE!
We got home around 6 o'clock that evening and the
first thing I did was go and check Nachos, she was in the back yard. I went up to the fence and looked behind our rose bush
and my hart just about jumped out of my chest. There was Nachos, lying there. She looked dead until she wined at me. I practically
leaped over this rock crate in the fencing, into the yard, and ran up to her. She got up and there was a little black baby,
with half it's neck out and completely dry. I had nothing on my mind now than to save Nachos' life, I thought the baby was
dead. Then, the little thing let me know it was alive by coughing, twice, so I went in. My nails weren't trimmed so I called
for my dad and we prayed a lot and called upon the Lord. In the time of need Jesus was with us and my dad delivered the baby
safely.
I tried my best to comfort Nachos, while the baby shut his eyes and clung to life, my dad saved the day and delivered
him into the world!
That day was so hot I don't know how Nachos survived until we got home but after the baby was out,
that's when I really thought we were gonna loose her. She laid on the ground and huffed and puffed looking rather deathly.
I knew we had to save her because I now had a healthy male cria to feed and a bottle fed male llama can be dangerous, besides,
Nachos is my friend and we all love her very much. So, I decided to put some cold water on her, that did the trick! She popped
right up and stood on her own. Before I knew it the baby was nursing.
A happy ending to a bad story. I had to help my dad
make the decision as to what position to pull the baby out in. I am pretty well read on this sort of thing so I knew (and
from seeing a zillion goat births) that he could pull it in a kush position. All I am saying is, do your reading before your
dam delivers, it can really help in a time of crisis but most of all-stay calm.
A Week Well Spent
T-bolt and Gabby were real heroes at fair last year! I am very blessed to have T-bolt & Gabby as pets!
Fair is,
as you know, a week long. What a fun event. I will never forget all the little kids coming up to me "Can I pet your llama".
Usually when I'd get there in the morning, before the llamas could finish breakfast I would have about 6 kids asking to pet
T-bolt. So many hands and fingers ran through his soft white fleece!
Wednesday was when I washed T-bolt and got to just
generally hang out. I groomed all day & stood out in the beating sun. It was in August, the hottest month of the year.
So that day past & a person told me to sit down and drink a quart of Gatorade when I got home. I didn't do it & I
barely drank any water.
By Thursday afternoon I was getting pretty dehydrated & feeling the effects. Still, a steady
flow of people would come up to the our tack stall, where I was & would ask to pet the llamas. I would get up and get
T-bolt out. By now I was so nauseated and dizzy. It was everything I could do to show that evening.
Friday morning came
and that evening was performance. WOW! I almost missed my classes. I woke up Friday morning and was vomiting as I was getting
ready to go, but I am not easily deterred when I am having fun or have my mind made up on something. I didn't get to the fair
till' about 11 & still more people & kids wanting to pet the Bolt.
T-bolt and Gabby are the heroes of this story.
I really leaned on them through performance and they came through for me! I couldn't have done it with any other llamas. I
didn't eat for about 3 to 4 days & by the time it was all over I was wasted.
To spite all this, though, Fair is one
my most cherished memories. This year's fair will be even more fun with double the number of llamas!
T-bolt, Come Back!
T-bolt, is, as you know, my absolute favorite llama. He's my baby, me and him go way back. I've owned him from the time
he was a baby & he's more than just a pet to me. T-bolt is my friend & comrade, too.
T-bolt goes on many outings
with me & my family around the house & things so it is common place for me to load the pack on him and take him on
a walk with me & my family. To me, T-bolt is like a dog that is just a little bit to big to get in your lap, so walks
for T-bolt are like walking the dog.
We were going on a walk and I loaded the pack onto T-bolt with some water in it (I
always get parched on walks). This was his second time wearing a pack and he was a little apprehensive, though by the time
we got under way you couldn't even tell. It was a cold day and was beginning to snow. T-bolt was so nice and relaxed and my
hands were freezing. He looked so laid back & calm I just decided to let him walk himself home. STUPID me let the lead
rope go and put it on his back. Before I knew it, he was running off into no-wheres-ville. See, we were walking a dirt road
with BLM stretching for miles around it, plenty of room for him to disappear & become a farel llama. I was petrified,
I tried to slowly sneak up on him but he wouldn't have it, he would stand, I'd get close & he bolt again. I wasn't to
worried until his pack rolled. He took off running and I struggled to keep him in sight. He was about to crest a hill and
disappear when, he veered off the road and into the vast expanse of land. All I could do is ask God to calm his spirit, I
was very destrot to say the least. I was running to try to keep up with him but it was no use, he out paced me easily. I thought
I had just seen the last of my Bolt.
There was a canyon on the side of the road & all I could do was hope it would
hold him to him from going any further into the wild blue yonder. The whole time I was looking for him my 8 week old Pembroke
Welsh Corgi puppy, Stevie, would not leave my side. When I started to give up and knelt down & put my face in my hands
there was Stevie trying to comfort me!
Mom and Dad appeared and I told them of the situation. We had a word of prayer and
my dad went off to look for him. Dad is such a good dad, he was bound and determined to find that llama even if it meant calling
my brothers up to help with the search, my family knows how much T-bolt means to me. As Mom & I walked up the road, I
was elated to see him standing on the side of the road, eating dry grass. Now it was snowing & still, Stevie wouldn't
leave my side. Mom went to go tell dad & I proceeded to try to catch the thoroughly worn out T-bolt. He was very upset,
I knew this by his attitude. He arched his back & threatened to spit on me, he never does this but once I collected him,
I thanked the Lord for protecting & bringing him back to me.
My pack was demolished but good enough to put back
on him for the way home.
About a month later I ordered a new pack & went out to try & put it on him. It was awful,
he was deathly afraid of that thing & wouldn't even let me near him with it. After much prayer & contemplation I decided
it would be a good idea to take Nachos out (his Mom who is bomb proof) and put the pack on her. This worked in only 2 settings
I had the pack on him & cinched down. He now wares it like nothing ever happened!
This is another example of how God
protected T-bolt & had his hand on him, even though it looked so bleak.
A very Special Moment
The 2006 County fair was a very fun week had by all. A lot of good memories were made. I got my first interview on the
Radio about my love, llamas. A photographer wanted my picture & I was able to sell Gabby. There are also a lot of personal
stories that go along with the fair, as well but the one that will always be with me, the one I will never forget is my very
first blue ribbon for conformation.
It was Males under 18 months the compition was pretty stiff, there were 3 of us. I
was pretty sure I could get second but first seemed like a long reach. The llama I thought would be first was a gorgeouse
young male out of Kissam stock. He had amazing head wool, a gorgeouse face & an outstanding top line, good leggs &
stretchy. I had confidence in "The Big Fluffy" , as I call him, but I didn't think he could beat that guy. The third place
llama was a good looking guy, too, but he had a few short comings I knew Stetson didn't. I walked into the ring, my head held
high, I'd just gotten second out of two people in showmanship, the Judge told my competitor I was "Breathing down his neck"!LOL
My rope held tightly in my hands, Stetson's head was high, his back was stretched to the max, he pranced his very best.
I could see, in my mind's eye, his beautiful brown fleece, as he walked, bouncing up & down. I had groomed feveriously
for months in anticipation of this moment. I showed him off the very best I could, finding all the stretch he had. All the
time, in the back of my mind, I kept thinking about the rope walking gene in him...Did Nachos pass it onto him, too? Or did
he get Pudge's streight walking genes?
The moment of truth finally arrived, we were in line, the Judge walked up &
down checking our profiles. I was in the lead, the llama I thought would get third, behind me & the one I thought would
win was behind him. She was done & anounced our positions "First, Third, Second". I wish I had a picture of the look on
my face!LOL That was one of the most special moments of my life. I owned, handled & bred Stetson. I had worked with him
& on him since he was 3 days old. He came into the world in such a boistrouse & painful way & he was the baby
that I would win my first blue ribbon & reserve Grand for conformation on. I was going to sell him, but not anymore. For
the rest of the night I couldn't wipe the silly grin off my face but if I never show a llama again, I took first out of the
biggest class in the fair (for llamas, halter), Stetson beat 2 other llamas, good llamas.....I have a good stud in Pudge....
What will Pudge do Next?
Pudge
is a very ornery stud (as most are) that insists on his will. He's seemed to have gotten worse over the years but he's never
really TRIED to harm me. He can't stand Rogue & Rogue can't stand him. They fight constantly if they can get to each other
& they won't break it up.
This particular fight was pretty bad, it was induced by letting T-bolt, Nachos & Stetson
into the pen next to Pudge, he doesn't mind them, it's Rogue he doesn't like. So, for this introduction I had Pudge haltered,
just incase I needed to step in. I could head it off if I had a halter already on him. So, after about 10 minutes & no
action, I decided everything was probably gonna be OK so I went down to the house.
I was checking every so often to make
sure it was going good. I looked out the window & couldn't see either of them, (Pudge or Rogue) I heard curiouse noises
comming from Pudge's pen, so I went outside & spotted them fighting. Pudge's halter was still on but it would have been
dumb to try to grab him now. They were fully immersed in the fight, teeth out, screaming, spit was flying & I just hoped
the fence would hold up until I could get it stopped. T-bolt & Stetson had a front row seat, taking it all in like they
were at the movies. So I ran up to the pin, started yelling, doing anything I could to distract them...nothing worked. So,
eventually I was able to lead the 3 llamas down to their former pin. After they were out of sight, the fighting stopped. So,
thinking Pudge was calm now, I entered his pen to take his halter off. He noticed me come in, I had entered his lair just
a few minutes to soon. His ears pinned back, eyes buldging, head up & chest out he came toward me. For the first time
in a long time I felt fear, I was truley scared he wasn't gonna stop & just look at me. I tried not to cower & to
keep my distance. I couldn't leave now & I couldn't be submissive, I was cought, litereally, between a rock & a hard
place. He postured at me, I respected his feelings & stood still, it was all I could do to stand there & look tough.
I didn't aproach him. So after a minute or two the situation subsided & I began to approach him. He still wasn't calm.
Some how I ended up in the corner of the pen with him facing me, in raged. I was truely frightened. I tried to stand tall
& not threatening but be confident. For a minute I thought he was gonna rear up on me & perhaps attack, I didn't look
him in the eye, I mearly stood strong & yelled "hey! hey! Calm down", clapping my hands. I was glad when I finnally saw
my opportunitie & defused the situation by grabbing the side of his halter. It was over & I was glad to escape without
anything going to tarribley wrong......Praise the Lord, He was Watching over me, again!
Midnight Madness
Studs are sometimes more trouble than they're worth, it seems sometimes. I love my boys but they sure can cause me a
lot of heart ache, at times!LOL
This particular event happened at around Midnight on a Thursday, in May. When llamas fight, particularly studs, it can
get ugly, quick & it is very noisy. I was setteling into my bed. It was about 11:30PM I had already gotten out of
bed several times & said to myself "If I have to get out of this bed, one more time I'm not going to do it!". So I was
settling down & turned my light off. Then I heard it, Screaming coming from the northern part of the property! I listened
for a moment, I heard the dog bark & then I heard it again. So I sprung into action, I ran out, put some day cloths on
& put my tenise shoes on, without any socks. I Called for mom & dad & we all went streight out the back door.
I had a halter in hand. We got to Pudge's pen & it was evident he'd been fighting & spitting. He was drooling. We
shined the light into Nachos' pen & there was Rogue! Oh joy, Rogue was in with Nachos! No wonder Pudge was throwing a
fit!!LOL
So I went into Nachos' pen & started to chase Rogue around. I finally got my arm around his neck & was attempting
to halter him. I could feel the muscles in his neck tencing up, though is was dark & the only light was a small maglight,
I could see the glaring look on his face. I could sense his whole body about to jolt. His neck arched & I let go. I figured
it would be better to let him go, than for me to hange on & get my hide thuroughly tanned! So, then I proceeded to chase
him some more, to no avail. Mind you, Nachos is (suposedly) 11 months pregnant. So in the back of my mind I'm thinking "What
am I doing, chasing a stud around at midnight in Vernaccia's pen?". So then I turned to Nachos....thinking, maybe, since she
trusts me so much, I could catch her more easily. WRONG. I chased her around for a minute or two & then gave up. I
knew better than to try to catch her after dark, she trusts me very very much, but she still doesn't like to be caught after
dark. So then we came up with the idea to catch Pudge....& I am thinking "Oh gosh, this is not good, this could be
the last of me...". I am just about the only one that he would alow to catch him in the middle of the night. So I asked my
dad to come in the pen with me. I figured if he was there & I got hurt, at least he could pull me out before Pudge finished
me off!LOL I knew things wouldn't get that bad, but hey, I'm not completely fearless. So I entered his pen, scared as I've
been in a long time. The lights from the house were the only light pearcing the pitch dark. I walked toward
him, praying, asking God to protect me, clinching my lead & halter with a death grip. My heart was pounding &
I kept telling myself, not to let it get the best of me. I walked up to him, he evaded me. I walked up to him again, he evaded
me once more. So, I braced myself & walked at him, once more, this time I suceeded. I tried not to let him sence my nervousness
as I slid the halter over his nose. Once he was haltered, we decided to put him down in the Garage. He spent the night there
& I got to bed around 12:30 or 1. I had run hard & was exhausted, however I was so worried about poor Vernaccia
having to spend the night with Rogue, that I couldn't sleep til' about 2. I got up around 6:30 & got Rogue out of Nachos'
pen. He'd leaned & jumped a gate to get in...why, I will never know. I went back to bed after getting everybody all situated
& slept in til' almost 11 AM!LOL
So here's a wonderful lesson of...well I don't know but catching llamas in the middle of the night is not advisable,
unless you have an emergencie.
Surprise!
Well, it never fails to amaze me, how my animals will find ways to prove me wrong. Vernaccia was one year & one week
pregnant. She was getting bigger every day, the baby grew more & more active & I grew more & more worried. I had
myself convinced she had gotten pregnant, lost it & then rebred. Every evening I'd go feed her & watch her eat her
hay, the baby could be seen, rolling, kicking & just acting up. The days passed, I was about ready to go to the nut house,
I'd stayed home for over a month & had only seen town in the evenings, it was getting to be very dismal.
It was now
June, I'd expected a baby at least 3 weeks before. I knew she was pregnant, I could see the baby kicking & I could feel
her udder. Every day I'd watch her, check her, wash her down, keep he comfortable. I'd worry for her health in the hot June
sun, she'd sit in the sun, chewing her cud & I'd have to go wash her off because she'd start huffing & puffing.
Finally
June 7th came along. We'd just gone through kind of a cloudy, gloomy spell, for once I'd wished she would wait a little longer.
I knew it was time, I did my morning check & announced, for the 75th time, "Today's the day". I didn't really believe
it myself, but my gut told me it was really going to happen today. Nachos was wining & trying to escape from her pen,
her back end looked ready & she hadn't eaten all her hay. It was time.
So I was watching TV at around noon & decided
I should go check her & there she was, rolling around & acting very odd. It was about 12:30 now & I could tell
something was off, with her. She was acting very uncomfortable. I almost thought I saw feet, but it wasn't for another 3 hours
until she finally delivered. It was the first llama birth I'd ever seen from start to finish. I was thrilled when I checked
what sex it was & it was a little girl. I named her Verrona de Lamborghini Lady, Verrona for short. She was perfect, so
I thought.
About half an hour later, she'd found her feet with my help & was looking to nurse. I was watching her &
discovered she had a strange deformity called polydactylia. This means she has 3 toes on each back foot! Then, as she began
to dry & fluff out, I really started questioning who sired her!LOL She was also kind of scattering & acting strange,
so I immediately thought maybe she was "stupid" LOL. So I jumped from conclusion to conclusion, even going as far as thinking
it was Stetson's because the coloring was NOT anything I would imagine Rogue to throw. I finally resettled that she was, indeed,
Rogue's baby & for quite a few weeks just kind of wondered "Is she really Rogue's daughter?" but I racked my brain &
couldn't think of any of my other boys that could have bred Nachos, until one evening, I was out training & one stud I
hadn't thought of was my 13 yr old stud that had to be put down in the summer of 2006. When the sun hit her cheek just right
& I looked down at her chest, that seemed to be doubling in size every day, everything clicked. This wasn't Rogues baby,
this was my fondly remembered, deceased stud's. I thought it impossible as he was crippled and nearing the end of his life
the night Vernaccia escaped. Somehow he always seemed to keep his place as boss in the herd. So, this was how he won the right
to breed, no one wanted to challenge him. His first baby came still born (this was before I owned him) and the second came
out with a rare form of Choneal Artisia where the nose/mussle, is twisted, the baby can't nurse & must be put down. I
never worried about it because I didn't think he could breed anymore.
So the story of Verrona goes on, she will most likely
be placed in a home that won't breed her. She is a sweetheart & a precious remembrance of my beloved stud who is no longer
with me.
The blizzard of '08
The winter of 2007/2008 was probably the worst one this girl has ever seen. It was the coldest, for the longest, the
snowiest, & the greyest I've ever experienced.
The blizzard of '08 was actually, not all in 2008, some of it came
in 2007. It wasn't one huge blizzard, either, it was a series of huge snow storms that pelted our area.
It started in
December of 2007, with a nice coating of about 1-2 feet of snow. We'd expected this & thought we were about done. The
llamas, goats & sheep were holding up, just fine. The weather was typical December cold, nothing to bad. The roads were
pretty horrid, but they'd melt in the day & they were plowed some. The December snow was trying to melt, by the end of
the year. On New Year's eve, day I even made an igloo out of the crusty, hard snow. So the month of January progressed &
in the middle of January the heavens opened & dumped the most snow I've seen, collectively, in my life. The middle of
January through about the first part of Febuary, it snowed, almost every day. We'd get a foot to 8 inches of new snow every
morning for about 2 weeks. It got to about 4 feet. I can remember one morning, watching the llamas out in the snow. We hadn't
seen the sun in probably a month & the poor llamas were out there in there pen. I watched poor Vernaccia trying to get
around in the snow that was up to her belly, or chest. In the middle of a hard snow storm I had to go dig there water out,
so they could get something to drink. The snow was bad enough, but to ad insult to injury, 4 mornings in a row, at 7am, the
thermo read -5 or lower. The cold temps took their toll. Verrona got hypothermia & ended up in the heated chicken shed
& the poor nubian goats had coats on & were still cold. It seemed for a month streight there was no hope in sight.
The sun would rarely, if at all come out & the dark greyness, added to the feeling of hopelessness. At one point I looked
out at the llamas, after digging there water out & was almost in tears, because the snow was up to their chests &
it was still snowing hard. I looked to the heavens & asked the Lord to please let it stop.
When I went to dig Vernaccia
& Steton's water out, I dug it out & called stetson over. Sometimes, I think my llamas are to well trained!LOL He
came over to sniff & see if he could get to it, so I went out of the little ice cave, into the deep snow to get out of
his way. The snow was about up to my hips & my little Pembroke Welsh Corgi, followed me. Much to my shigrin & dismay,
so did Stetson! I guess he thought he was supposed to. So there I am, out near the fence, with a huge closterphobic llama
& corgi & we're all stuck in the hip high snow. Stetson freaked out, as I tried to turn to lead him out of the snow
& almost stepped on Stevie's back as he bolted for higher ground. Stevie is quick, though & dodged his foot.
When
Febuary came, the weather began to break & the snow began to melt...still at the end of Febuary there was about 2 feet,
left. The spring will come soon & everything, including myself, will breath a sigh of reliefe, for the blizzard of '08,
is over!
New Faces
In 2008 Stetson & T-bolt graced a whole new area with their pressence. It was all so new to the three of us, new
town, new fair, new parades & so many unfamiliar new faces. Despite the unfamiliarity T-bolt, Stetson & I still managed
to have the time of our lives at the Fair & 2 parades. The parades were much closer to home, than our previous parades
which made it much easier on the llamas & I. T-bolt did 2 parades. The second, Stampede, Parade was the longest parade
I have ever walked in. It was approaching 100 degrees in the sun & I was worried about T-bolt. The parade was almost all
horses & it amazed me how people with skidish horses would walk right up to me & my llama!LOL It was about a 1-2 mile
route & needless to say, I was out of candy by the time I reached the end. The whole time I was watching T-bolt, I really
thought I might have to pull him out, it was so hot & long...but T-bolt pulled through like the trooper he is!
The First parade was the 4th of July parade in a very small town. It was probably the funnest parade I've been to. It
was very informal & lots of people wanted to know all about my llama. T-bolt & I even got our picture & names in
the local paper (I will post it on the "Photo Album" page). That parade was a little more nerve wracking, for me because I
hadn't had T-bolt out in public in 2 years & I was really afraid we'd lost our touch, but nope! T-bolt was a perfect gentleman!
The Fair was the last event of the summer. It was a new fair, our local fair & for a gal used to a huge fair grounds
like Deschutes, this was pretty small. It was a very very fun time had by all. There were no classes for llamas, so I just
did an exibition & oh, how fun it was to educate the public about my beloved Camelids. I made some new friends, had some
exsperiences I'll never forget & worried sick, the first night about T-bolt & Stetson at the fair grounds! My knitting,
Apple pie, Brownies & Cornbread muffins all took 1st place & Oh how thrilled I was! So many people tried to, or did
pet the Bolt & Stetson just kind of hid behind his brother, him being the more skidish of the two. Oh yes & one of
the hight lights, I, for the first time, sange the National Anthom in front of a live crowd! I got to sing at the Fair's Talent
Show! It was quite an exsperience to hear my voice over an actual PA system. I did OK, but didn't place, the exsperience in
& of it's self was award enough!
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