I’m glad my neighbors can amuse themselves with my animals. I was doing laundry and had a basket filled with toasty warm clothes as I passed the big picture window. Out of the corner of my eye, I see 3 llamas, 1 alpaca and 2 goats staring towards the road. There they were, the 6 of them, standing completely still, staring straight ahead in the same direction facing the road. Lincoln starts his warning call, that I’m sure everyone within 3 miles has heard at least 320 times in the last 3 years now. Biscuit, Chippie & Bouncer perk up, run to the door pushing each other out of the way. Now, I have learned that whenever the animals are acting, ‘strange’ or should I say, ‘normal’ for THIS farm…I either get really nervous or roll my eyes knowing that there could be a chase involving ME about to happen! So I go to the door, fling it open, trying to figure out what in the heck half my herd is staring at! The dogs push past me and run to the gate barking. The animals are still staring, Lincoln is screaming out his war cry and the dogs are acting like total idiots! I cant see past the 20 foot tall bushes so I go from window to window trying to avoid going outside cause its cold and rainy. The folks across the street have their big, beautiful Lab out front on a leash, standing by the road making my llamas stare, yell and act like statues. The dogs however, are not frozen in one spot and bark at their pooch while running back and forth as they knock their furry, wet bodies into each other (Chippie fell a few times), which makes the Alpaca yell more. Oh my camera…where was my camera! The friendly folks across the street had enough of the noise and llama show and went back in. The herd went back to eating, and the dogs? Well, they kept up the barking, running and knocking into each other over a dog who wasn’t there anymore!

This is so sad! I just noticed what my conversation is like every day. Since I practically live alone (everybody works except me) , I have 3 dogs that keep me company.
This is what my day sounds like….”Stop it! Leave him alone! DROP IT! Do you mind? Go away! NO! Get off! Leave the cat alone! NO! Come! GO! Go to bed! Gotta go potty? Get back here! That’s not yours! Sit! NO! Where is it?”
Yep, that’s about what I say everyday.

CRASH! BANG! That is what I woke up to early this morning! I knew it wasn’t the dogs, Isaac and leAnna went home last night, so it’s not the ‘baby’ getting into things. Chad is at work. So what the heck!!??  I look out my window to see if the naughties managed to bring the barn down, which wouldn’t surprise me at all. Nope…barn is still standing, although it looks to be leaning to one side.  The goats are in their usual spot staring at the house and the Tank stands in the middle of the door guarding it, nobody in, nobody out!  So I look out another upstairs window. Dunkay!  He was on my porch pushing around the the plastic, 4 foot tall, light up Santa! He got it off the porch and was shoving it with his nose, down the sidewalk.  I knocked on the window and yelled at him through the glass.  He stopped, put his head up, looked around and then proceeded to play with Mr Claus! I wasn’t about to go out there wearing my polka dot robe and chase a donkey back into the pasture.  As of right now, he is still out there with Santa in the driveway as he plays with poor Mr Frosty.

oh what fun it is in the barn! The natives were restless today and broke through the inside pen! They managed, with little effort I’m sure, to knocked over 4 or 5 bales of hay which weigh around 50lbs. They also knocked over some cages and destroyed at least two hay mounds! Best part of all? Laci the mini tank got herself stuck behind the knocked down hay and cages, she could not get out of the corner. Since Super Farmer is working, I had to dig my way to her to set her …free. Of course the thought crossed my mind to leave her there as punishment but she would only eat her way out which would make her sick. So…after chasing one donkey and a llama out of the forbidden area, I worked on setting little Miss Naughty free. Yes, I have it on film. I’m getting better at remembering to take my camera with me. My intent was to take pictures of baby Promise.

part 1)

Today I need to be careful and not let the natives know that the V.E.T. Is coming by today to say hello and maybe give a shot or something to a few lucky animals. I need to keep everyone tucked inside the barn so they don’t see dr Smiths truck roll up. As soon as they eyeball that white Ford, one will give out a long drawn out war cry, then they will high tail it to different parts of the pasture or they hide under bushes (goats). Last time poor dr smith came, it took us an… hour to catch, take down, give meds and concur all living creatures great and small! Doc charged me an extra $60 bucks for all the running Around he had to do! He ain’t no spring chicken anymore and neither am I.

part 2)

I’m now ready for Dr smith! All animals were tricked into the barn with promises of a handful of tasty goat grain and assurance that ‘no…nothing’s going on today, like a vet visit…really’! They are all shut in waiting for the doc who they probably have a good ideal is coming. After all…They’ve been down this trail before and being shut in with no escape door, usually means one thing….SHOTS!
Before I left, I noticed that both goats were fighting for the tiny hiding space behind the chicken coop, Dunkay was pushing Laci away from the corner by the hay where he thinks he could squeeze into to hide, and all llamas were pacing back and forth. Amazing how they know these things!

part 3)

Oh such fun! The mountain goat acted like she was dying after her shot! She ran all over the barn screaming, jumping and pushing the other animals! She then laid on her back with all 4 feet in the air in a corner yelling out her pain! Larry took ahold of her back leg and pulled her out telling her she’s okay. She wasn’t buying it. She yelled louder and went back to the corner and hid. Oh brother. Dillon took his shot like a man and only yelped once. Laci the tank stood there in a trance, Dunkay put up a small fit but was a good boy. Lincoln the alpaca stood in the corner next to our trash can with his head buried between the wall and blue container cowering. Doc got him before he knew what stuck him! Sammie, ran back and forth until doc got him roped (get em cowboy!). Sweetie & Violet were very good girls even with the baby, which by the way, is a BOY! Promise is very healthy! He said we should have no problem with him being in the cold as long as the wind is off of him!! Doc is 95% positive that Violet is with child, he felt her middle and said she is filling out like a pregnant mama!! Another baby llama coming!! He has no idea when the bundle of fur will be arriving. He said if one girl was pregnant than its almost a given that other one is too! The animals can now rest until spring when Dr Smith comes back for a repeat visit!

The wind chill right now is 7!  Yep, makes me want to go run out to the barn and face shivering animals! More and likely, they will all circle me with their list of demands such as….’when do WE get a heater? How about more grain to keep up our body fat? We want more straw to snuggle into? When are you going to plug up the holes to keep the wind out? How come the chickens get a flock block and not us? Do we get coats like the baby llama? Why Not? Don’t you love us too?’ …and so on… I will have to answer all questions with a shaking head, a push here and there, a lecture about how they are animals not humans (which they don’t believe) and this is as good as it gets, be thankful! Then I face the chickens who I’m sure have their own list of complaints….like….’how come THEY get straw to snuggle into and not us?’
Feed…water…lecture and I’m outta there!!

We had an awesome surprise today!  A baby llama!  We were told our boy llama was a ‘not a man’ anymore so never thought much when the llamas were dating in the back pasture!  Well, I guess they were wrong!  Today I went out to the baern to fed everyone and lo and behold…a tiny baby who hadn’t stood up yet, snuggled in the hay next to mama!  How wonderful!  I have named him (or her)…’Promise’!!!

Thank you Father God for this wonderful blessing after all the death and heartache that we have cried over this summer on the farm!!