Sweet Harmony Farm

I still suffer from ‘new alpaca owner syndrome.’  Anytime anything, and I mean anything, out of the ordinary (and when you have a new farm what’s ordinary?) happens, I have a quick panic attack until I realize everything is just fine.  I say ‘phew!’ and have yet another good laugh.  Alpacas are curious creatures and also very smart creatures, each with their own personalities.  I’m beginning to think that now they are teasing me for their own amusement. 

When we go out to the barn in the evenings it is already well past dark.  Sometimes the boys are eating hay but usually everyone is cushed and cozy.  We were pretty darn hungry ourselves last night when we came home from work so we ate our dinner first before going out to feed the alpacas.  Our footsteps make a crunching noise in the snow.  The entrance gate squeaks and the bottom of the gate scrapes against the snow and then clang! The gate rattles in the latch as we close it behind us.  We approach the barn saying hello to each of the boys but in the dark and behind the tarp we can’t see them just yet.   Dan turned around to go back and get the wheelbarrow for poop cleanup.  The barn has three light switches:  one for the outside perimeter, one for the little tack room, and one for the stalls.  I turn them on in that order and inspect our little herd.  Guinness had gotten up, Bo was blinking from the lights trying to wake up, and Coty and Arlo were cushed, chewing their cud.  Arlo always looks so happy to see me! 

And then there was Julio.  He was cushed in the straw too with his head stretched out, chin on the ground.  My heart dropped to my stomach.  Normally he’s the first one up and he hears everything.  I approached him slowly, calling his name softly.  All he did was flick his ears a bit and his chin turned a little, this way and that.  I called his name, again and again.  Nothing.  Dan walked into the barn then with the squeaky wheelbarrow and still no response.  I showed Dan Julio lying there so oddly and instead of being quietly cautious, my ever-so-calm-husband just walked right over to him and loudly said “Hey, JULIO!”  Up came Julio’s head like a rocket.  Being a suri, his topknot covers his eyes but we could see them blinking at us like “What! What!”  He stretched out one front leg and then the other, put his chin up towards the ceiling and s-t-rech-e-d that long neck.  Then he hopped up, shook, and walked over to the feeder and started eating hay.  He looked over at me like ‘Hey, everything’s fine.’

Dan calmly said, ‘Mona, he was just sleeping.’  ‘Phew!’ I answered and had yet another good laugh.