September 7, 2002

Happy Birthday for starters. Hope you both have great days!
My day started out by a run to the post office for priority boxes to get some plant trades in the mail. Ran home and packed my boxes and then another trip back to the small town closest to where we live. They were having Septemberfest. Marching Band (the first year for their small school to have a marching band), ugly truck contest (woulda entered if I'd known sooner)., dart throwing, you get my drift. Our short run to the Post Office ended up in a nice visit with several people. One the way back home we got an excited call from our oldest daughter. She thought their Momma Llama was going to have her baby today. The Mom was humming and pacing. They had a wedding to go to and would I mind checking on her. no prob (don't know much about the critters) but sure. I was out watering my plants when another excited call said the baby had arrived! Man that was quick. I rushed over and grabbed a bottle of iodine on the way out the door. Thinking this was something they might forget. Now this Momma Llama doesn't like me very well, but got close enough to see baby. She hadn't been cleaned off -and I guess llamas don't do that? My daughter untangled some of the afterbirth off the legs and dipped the umbilical cord in the iodine. Boy what a cutey. They are still not even sure they know if it's a boy or girl. Not so easy to tell on these babies. these little guys have to longest legs and neck I have ever seen in proportion to body size and the tips of the ears hang down. Some of my daughters friends showed up with a bottle of iodine in their hands. Guess my daughter didn't forget after all. After much oohing and ahhhing we left Mother and Cria (baby llama) in peace.
Think I'll go take a nap and mow a little later when it cools off outside.