How The Little Llama Helped

The way of this world and Universe work so beautifully together. Sometimes we wish upon a star and that asking takes form in our reality. It is usually best to keep unattached by allowing the gift to evolve and take it's place in our life.

We wanted a llama to keep our rescue llama, Arapaho, company during our walks with the other llamas. Llamas do not like to be left alone. They are herd animals. They feel much better with another llama, goat, lamb, even a goose can provide company for a llama.

Arapaho

Arapaho is absolutely beautiful. His long dreadlocks flow in waves down his body. He is a Suri llama not fuzzy and full of fiber like our other llamas. We came upon Arapaho 4 years ago. My husband happened to mention that it would be nice to have a Suri. I agreed and not 2 weeks later we were being offered a prime Suri who was placed in a rescue situation. The owners needed space at the ranch and he was going to be put down. It was either an outrage or an ingenious plot to influence two animal lovers in taking this llama off their hands. Paul and I looked at each other as the woman told us about him and that is all it took he was ours by nightfall. Arapaho is not tame like our other llamas. He is a bit skiddish. Though we do take him out and walk him, we prefer to leave him behind when we go off to the mountains or participate in parades. He may calm down in the future but for now we wanted a llama friend for him.

As always our desire was granted and then some. Christina (our Llama Angel), who introduced us to llamas at the Los Angeles County Fair, just happened to contact me with an offer to take in two rescue llamas. She sent me a picture and told me of their background. Because they were not trained I declined. By the way these llamas are now living in heavenly quarters and deeply loved by their owners who decided to not adopt them out.

The Little One

Paul had said he wanted a young llama, white and brown.

2 days later on the way home from our hike in the Juniper Forest, our eyes met with a large herd of llamas. We had seen this herd about 3 times grazing in other parts of this 60+ acre ranch. That day, in that herd, was a baby llama, white and brown. it was as if we were shopping in a magical store where anything you wanted was available. I asked Paul would you like this one? He said yes. We watched it with it's mother and imagined owning the little one. We set off down the road wondering who owned the llamas.

This favorite rural road of ours is wild with stock yards and haystacks and bleached, weathered Mormon barns and fences left standing in the fields for a hundred years or more. We rarely see anyone here. But this day was different... A man was standing in front of a haystack near a truck.  Paul parked the truck then went over to ask the man about the llama's owner. I stayed in the truck and saw a lot of smiling and then a handshake! I was sure the llama was ours.  Paul affirmed my observation and said the llama would be $50. We were quite elated ! It was then we saw a locksmith's truck pull in to where the farmer was standing. Had it not been for the fact he was locked out of his truck we would have not known who the llama belonged to.

We made plans to go get the llama. I wondered and worried how this was going to happen as the herd was free range on a 60+ acre farm and winter snows were approaching. I woke up one morning remembering the lane at the side of the property. It was fenced and ran along the canal. This is where the llamas would probably be delivered. This eased my mind from the thought of using ATV's to herd them and lasso's to capture them.  I then let go of the outcome and imagined the best possible outcome allowing the outcome to unfold. And it did...

Here come the llamas!

Friday December 9, 2011 at 3pm we met at the lane near the stockyard where we spoke to the farmer. My heart fluttered as I saw him herding the llamas down the lane just as I imagined. I felt the excitement flow to my body as I watched the familiar graceful swagger and sway of the herd coming down the lane. You can barely see them because of all things I left my camera home and used my phone camera.

The little one was so young.

I searched for the little one but to my dismay I saw up close that the little one was much too tiny to come home with us that day. Instead of pressing the panic button I allowed the procession to proceed. I stood back and watched the afternoon parade unfold.

Up the road the herd went.

They approached the gates and rounded the corner bringing the herd up the road towards the stock pen. the llamas were graceful and proceeded in such a calm and orderly manner.

Pig in a pen and cat cleaning a paw on the fence

The farmer, Ron, who had trailed behind the herd shuffling small little steps said he was getting old and couldn't walk. I drove back to the farm. He and his little black dog named Jacques after Jacques Cousteau got into the truck. The road into the stock pen was deep with snow covered ruts. Ron, instructed me to keep the truck goin' at an even speed and not to stop. We made it through to the corral where the llamas stood and waited. The stockyard was old yet charming and worn by many years of use from cattle, goats, pigs and cats.

Paul lines up the trailer to the stock pen.

We stood in the stock pen allowing our minds to absorb the sting of the little one being too young to take. It would be 6 months before he is weaned. Ron pointed out another llama that had the same markings and was under a year old. "I thought you meant that one " he said, as he pointed at a young but older llama. it was the sister of little one. We earnestly opened our minds and hearts to look at the older sister and I immediately loved her. Sure enough they are exactly the same color and markings. Paul agreed we would take little one's sister and got her in the trailer. She had never been in a trailer before so it took 4 men, some grunts and a prayer to get her in.

When we got home we opened the doors. She came out with her legs a flying outward and bloody drool streaming high in the air as she bucked and twisted away from the lead rope. We wondered at that point if we had done the right thing bringing her here. It was a tad frightening for all of us. The cut coagulated quickly and when the lead rope came off she was at ease again ( ears up).

Here she is home and safe.

Now it was time to introduce her to the herd before sundown. We chose Starbuck our friendly fellow. But he was to bashful to meet her. We then tried Wolfe and he was kind of hesitant also. They hadn't had too much experience with females. They boys are fixed by the way.  Starbuck and Wolfe were clucking their "stay away from me" sounds

Lakota takes the initiative while the others look on.

We opened the chute to allow Lakota and Arapaho in. Lakota went right over to her like Warner Bros. cartoon character, Pepe La Pew (the romantic skunk). Arapaho is enchanted with her.  But it is Lakota that has a heart connection with her.

The llamas look on at Lakota and the new little lady.

Lakota stands near her as the other llamas look on with curiosity. Everyone was lead out of the pasture and into the corral for feeding. Everyone did very well in spite of Wolfe, the leader, spitting on milady as she got  near his eating space. Once everyone found their pile of orchard grass and a bit of alfalfa, they all settled down. It was a meal fit for a princess that had lived on sage brush and dry grass her whole life. We all fell asleep after an eventful afternoon and evening. I awoke later that night wondering what to name her...