Restoration of the Peace

Recently, the lovely Peace and Tranquility of HeartSong Farm was violently disturbed by the savage and murderous attack on my sweet young llama, Jagger, followed by an attack on me the very next day by the same dogs as I walked to my mailbox.  First shock, then anger, then a constant state of anger/shock took over my whole being until the following Sunday afternoon when I realized I could not let these feelings hijack me and erase everything I had worked so hard to create here in my own little piece of the World.

RESOLVED:  I will not allow the Evil That This Was to take control of my Joyful Existence here on HeartSong Farm. If I do, then the irresponsible neighbors win, and I lose.  I lose not only my Joy, Peace, Tranquility and Way of Life, but I will have allowed myself to be victimized one more time, and I will have lost my True Self. I feel like this has been a test by the Universe to see if I really have learned to stand up for myself, and my Self.  To see if I have really grown past the mental and emotional abuse that was my marriage, as I claim to have done.  A karmic reality test, mayhap?

Those first five days after Jagger's tormented death were spent in sleepless shock.  Thankfully, a week from the attack on me I woke up almost completely restored to my feeling of peace and tranquility after days of reaching out toward the strength and truth that would make that feeling happen.  Emails and phone calls from friends during the traumatic week helped me so much in regaining the wonderful atmosphere of my beloved HeartSong Farm.  Friends are definitely a Necessity of Life, aren't they?!

During that initial week following the attacks, I tried to find joy in my garden and with my remaining llamas.  I found I couldn't sit still long enough to find it.  Restless and unfocused at that point, weeding and cultivating and watering my garden was a chore instead of a pleasure.  And so the weeds had somewhat of a reprieve. Fortunately, we had quite a few nice rains, so that my lack of watering did not cause any harm to my vegetable plants.  I also had to keep my wounds clean and free from dust and dirt, so shearing the final two llamas was out of the question, as was mowing the yard.  Hanging my clothes on the line did little to lift my spirits, and I didn't even notice the heat and humidity coming through my open windows.

At this time, however, I can share that I have finally and successfully put all those negative feelings behind me, and I am once again at peace .... or at least 98% at peace .... I still have a twinge of fear several times a day, but the anger is gone and the fear that is left will just keep me on my toes, and will fade in time.

My longtime friend, Debbie, ordered Ben and me some pepper spray canisters from Amazon.com, and they arrived on the 19th with a message to "carry these and use them".  Yes, ma'am, I responded!  She said she likes my attitude!

My very own pepper spray, ready to use!

And for the time being, all is quiet on the Western Front, where the dogs and their owners live with their children. I was notified by animal control that the male dog had been released to the owners on the tenth day after the attack, with no evidence of rabies.  Nice to know!  I received my copy of the attorney's letter to the neighbors and it is eloquently written.  It states the facts succinctly, and is in no way combative or antagonistic. It states that they should not have contact with me about the situation, that I want to be reimbursed for my bills, and the pain and suffering of my young llama, and requires that the two dogs responsible be removed from the premises since nothing had been done to remedy the situation of the dogs getting out when I had originally requested it several times and several months ago. 

We have not seen either of the pit bulls in almost a week now, but I have heard dogs whining and yelping from inside the neighbors' home several times at night.  The people have mowed their lawn three times since returning from vacation (we haven't finished once!) but, since early this week, Ben and I have seen absolutely no outside activity over there at all.  We are grateful for the peace and quiet!

SO ..... are you ready for what is happening otherwise around here?!  I sure am ready to change the subject!

First harvest of 2014 Summer Season!  Two zucchinis, two patty pan
squash and one long bean.

Amidst all the drama around here with the pit bulls and their owners, that first week I was out in the garden only long enough to harvest the first veggies of the season.  At first I thought that I had left this zucchini on the vine a bit too long, but this variety of zucchini naturally grows much larger than the little skinny ones we see in the grocery.  I sliced these up and sauteed them with some purple onion and olive oil, then garnished it with grated Parmesan cheese and some slivered Greek basil from my garden. Talk about yummy! I later roasted the other squashes with a garlic, sea salt and olive oil drizzle in my little toaster oven and they were quite tasty, too.  Bring on the veggies, I say!  I am ready to enjoy!

The second harvest, last weekend:  beans, basil,
tomatoes, patty pan squashes, and the first yellow

squash of the season.

Yesterday's harvest:  crisp corn salad greens, a
tomato, and a couple of the patty pan squash.

Today's harvest was a few more beans, some Thai and purple basil,
a mess of chard.  This became my supper alongside some new

potatoes from my friend Judy's garden, and a small batch of the shelled

asparagus beans.

Shelled asparagus beans.  They seem to go through several color
stages as they grow in the pod.  The smallest looking much like a

black-eyed pea, then turning red, and finally black at the largest.

The asparagus beans are really growing fast now, and each measures about 26 inches in length.  I have discovered that you can either harvest them to eat as green beans, or wait a day or two and harvest them as shelling beans. I have already shared with you that one of my favorite things to do is hang clothes on the line to dry.  Well, another one of those favorite things is to shell peas and beans!

I do not know exactly why these activities bring me such joy, but they do.  I feel the same way when I am spinning, weaving and working with fibers and fabrics, as well as chopping and cooking in the kitchen.  They seem to cause me to stop and breathe slowly and experience what is going on around me, and to appreciate the little things that I love so much. The hectic pace of the world seems to slow down, and I am in a world of my own.

Blossom of the asparagus bean. They bloom early morning, and by
noon they have closed up.  The bees love them!

I harvested my garlic and was pleased enough with the results considering that I planted cloves from garlic bought at the grocery store just to see what would happen.  They are drying out on my back porch for a week or so in order for them to cure before using them.  I knew that the possibility of getting a large harvest was far less using the grocery store garlic due to the probability that they were a hybrid that would not reproduce well, if at all.  This is something that can be avoided by purchasing "sets" from a seed supply company.  

First ever garlic harvest on HeartSong Farm

In the fall, I will order and plant garlic sets, and that way I will be sure of what I will harvest come this time next year.  I can then save some of the smaller buds or cloves from that harvest to continue my year to year plantings. I must say, though, that the garlic I planted last fall was very easy to grow and if you have just a little bit of space for growing anything, and don't want to invest in purchased sets, it is well worth having fun growing some garlic from the grocery for yourself!  You can grow them in pots as well as the ground.

A new and quite interesting friend came visiting two Saturday afternoons ago to pick up some of my "rogue" chaste trees that the bees and butterflies love on my farm.  When Ellen arrived she said she would "just be here for 30 minutes, tops."  But two hours later, we were still having a wonderful time on the back porch sipping iced tea, swatting flies, and sharing stories before she left with 8 little trees to take home and plant for the bees!  We met through a mutual friend on Facebook.  Thanks, "Gracie Lou!"  And thanks, Ellen, for planting more trees for the bees! 

Crepe myrtles and the original chaste tree, quite large now.  You cannot see, but all of the above are just covered with honey bees, bumble bees, and several other varieties of bees.

One of the "rogue" chaste trees that pop up in my yard near the original tree.

Readers, are you doing your part for the bees?  They need us!  They really do.  On HeartSong Farm, two of the current bee attractions are the chaste tree and the crepe myrtles.  Butterflies are also attracted to these popular trees. Why not plant some in your yard to help attract and sustain our winged visitors?!   A list of bee-loving plants is forthcoming here on my blog, but for the time being you can "google" and discover them for yourself.  Be careful, however, where you purchase your plants!  I suggest to get them from a friend, neighbor, farmers market or a plant nursery because the major retailers such as Walmart, Home Depot and Lowe's (yes, my dear sweet Lowe's!) have plants that are treated with a substance that kills bees along with the actual pests the substance is touted to keep out of your garden!  Be wary!  Without bees there would be no pollination, and with no pollination, no good veggies to enjoy!

Chaste trees can be kept small and bush-like, or allowed to grow as tall as they can, which you can see is quite tall. It is best to trim them during the fall if you wish to keep them small.  They grow very quickly, and they have a second, smaller bloom in August.  I got my original one at the end of the season in 2001 at Sutherlands for $1.19 with no tag and no one knew what it was!  What a deal, huh?!

Butterfly on one of the small chaste trees in the pasture.  I should know the name of this winged lovely, but I can't think of it right now!

Tried to capture a photo of a Giant Swallowtail but it kept moving away from me, a bit wary of the human with her camera!

During this past week, I also spotted a kingfisher on an overhead line next to a large pond near the highway. Folks, I was overjoyed at the sight!  These interesting birds are solitary, and when I first moved here in 1998, I regularly saw one on my way to and from town.  After Hurricane Rita blew through here in 2005, I no longer saw it, and I was so sad.   So, this sighting has brought me immense joy to know that they have returned to my environment.    



AND, 

I have finally finished getting everything sorted out, filled out, applied for, and received, and I am now 100% ready to be on Medicare come July 1st.  It is a Rite of Passage, don't you know, and I am excited.  And, only 24 months to Retirement, Glorious Retirement!


And so, thankfully, Life is getting back to normal here on HeartSong Farm....

And then I was attacked

The day after my sweet llama friend, Jagger, was attacked and killed, I was attacked by the same dogs as I walked to the mailbox in the morning before leaving for work.  By chance, I had my camera with me because I had been in my garden taking a few photos.  I caught the dogs red-handed on my property and coming towards me as I stood stock-still in my driveway.

This is what appeared from the property to the left in this photo which belongs
to the absent owners of these two dogs.  They seemed to appear out of nowhere
as I started down my driveway to the mailbox.  Can you hear the background
music from some old western??!  (Sorry I tend to make stupid jokes when I am
upset, angry, or scared.)

Close up of the dogs in my driveway.

Close up of the male dog.

I noticed the first time I looked at these photos that the female, on the right at this point, is nursing puppies!  Great, even more of them next door, and small enough to get under the fence Really Easily! You can tell that I have not moved one step in their direction.  I stood stock still.  It seems to me in this photo that they are communicating to each other that they will attack.  

They then switched positions, female on left, male on right.

This was taken seconds before the male, on the right, attacked.  You cannot imagine how quickly he
went from this position to biting my forearm.

My wounds before my visit to the urgent care center where

I received stitches and antibiotics for puncture wounds. You

can see bruises and swelling already happening in the 30 mins.

since the attack.

The animal control unit picked up the male for observation yesterday, but ONLY because he did not have a rabies tag.  In ten days he will be returned to the owner if he doesn't show signs of rabies.  If they had found the dog had an up-to-date rabies tag, he would not have been impounded, but left in the yard.  Unbelievable, right?!  How ludicrous is that?

The owners of the dogs are out of town and the dogs are on their own, except that once a day a relative of the owners comes by to check on them.  He happened to be there when the animal control came to get the male.  According to animal control, this relative's concern was if this would go to court or not.  

I confirmed this morning with my real estate attorney boss that it is not that I don't have rights, I just don't like the rights that the law gives me.  I have two choices: 1) Take care of the problem when they get on my property again, ie: poison or shooting.  (This is if I see them and hopefully before they do any more attacking.) or 2) Take the neighbors to civil court. (This could take months and expense for me. Meanwhile the dogs are still there and could attack again.)  Law Enforcement can only warn the owners because this is not considered a criminal act. They have not warned them yet, however.  My boss' gut reaction yesterday when I came to work with my injuries was that I need to shoot the dogs as soon as possible!.  When I said I didn't have a gun, he replied, Well, get one!  (Like what is wrong with you, for heaven's sake!)

Either way, I would run the risk of retaliation by the neighbors. I have no rights other than those two.  I would not take pleasure in killing the dogs.  Sorry, I just can't do that.  

In the local newspaper today, the incident report was printed:

"Animal problem. 200 block of Katy Drive.  Deputies told a woman that she has the right to defend herself and her animals after she felt threatened by a neighbor's loose dogs."

Yep, that was the incident report in its entirety. And my house is on Hwy 7.  So is the dog owners. Katy Drive is a little road that runs on one side of the owners house.  And I was not told I had the right to defend myself by this deputy constable.  Sorry, not true!  I was told that 12 years ago when I called the constable about a previous neighbor whose pit bulls were chasing my llamas in their pastures. But this deputy did not inform me of this. 

I didn't make the headline of the police report for today, however, but this did:

"MAN BLAMES HOUSE DAMAGE ON GOAT."

There was no mention of my llama being killed.  I guess my expectations are just too much, and if I am going to continue to live here, I need to continue to lower them in order to remain sane.  My attorney boss is getting noticeably frustrated with me for not accepting the reality of my situation.  It is a good thing that it is Friday, and the weekend is coming up.  I feel like I might explode!

I plan to put my photos of the incidents on a flashdrive, take them to CVS and get them printed this weekend. Then I plan to take the photos and a flyer and go door to door down Katy Drive and talk to my neighbors.  I will leave a flyer if they do not answer the door.  I feel obligated to warn them of the potential danger to their children this summer since the Authorities to do not seem to be concerned.  I will take a golf club with me.  I am told they make really good weapons.  Just ask Tiger Wood's ex-wife!  (Sorry, inappropriate humor again.)

Here at HeartSong Farm, I am once more wondering why we can't just all get along and do the right thing?

In Memoriam: HSF Jaguar Moon

HSF Jaguar Moon  3/14/2012 - 6/11/2014

My heart is so heavy tonight.  My chest feels like it has a full ton of bricks sitting on top of it. There is a hole where my heart was.  And I am very, very angry.  This could have been prevented.  This did not have to happen.  I warned the neighbors about what could happen, but they kept telling me their dogs "just wanted to play."  I asked them to fix their fence where their two dogs kept getting out and onto my property.  They leaned a fence panel here and there or a piece of old tin roofing, nothing substantial.  The dogs found other places to get out, more panels, more tin leaning up against the fence.  "They just want to play!"  It is bad enough that as I walk down my driveway to the mailbox or mow my lawn, the dogs are constantly growling and barking at me from their side of the fence.  

Sometime last night after 3 am, after Ben got home from work and put the garbage out by the highway for pickup, the dogs got out once again and ransacked that same garbage, then got into Jagger's pasture, chased him, cornered him, and killed him.  They were just wanting to play.  They bit his nose off and tore off huge clumps of fiber from his neck.  They bit him on his stomach.  Then they left.  This morning they were on my back porch chasing Max, my outside cat..... again.

Now, I know that a lot of you are animal lovers. I am very much an animal lover.  A lot of you are most especially fond of dogs.  Some of you think that Pit Bulls get a bad rap.  I respect your opinion.  I do not agree entirely. These were Pit Bulls.  They were an incident waiting to happen.  They do not just want to play. They want to attack.  That is what they were bred to do.  Not all Pit Bulls act on this impulse, and they can make very good and sweet family dogs with the right people and training.  I understand this and I do believe this.  My son, Matt, and his girlfriend, Melissa, have a wonderful Pit Bull/Basenji mix that is so gentle and sweet. Stella is afraid of her own shadow.  She fascinates me, and I adore her.  

Here in East Texas, however, a great many people have Pit Bulls for the sake of Looking Tough.  The dogs are often inbred, and are not of good quality, and most are not trained to behave. This is a real shame.  This is why they have a Bad Reputation. The inbreeding and over-breeding leads to the more agressive characteristics being dominant. I say this from observation and from an intellectual standpoint.  I am very familiar with genetics, having bred llamas, purebred dogs, and purebred cats. It just makes sense.  

I have actually seen people selling Pit Bull puppies at Canton and in the Walmart parking lot proudly proclaiming how agressive the pups will be when they are grown. 

In my part of the world, adults and children get mauled by Pit Bulls, and most of the victims die, and any that do survive retain horribly disfiguring scars for the rest of their lives.  Some of the victims are members of the dog's own human family.  Dog fighting does go on around here.  I know this because arrests are made every now and then, and it is reported in the newspaper.

This is what being mauled by a pair of Pit Bulls looks like if you care to see:

This is what is left of Jagger.

This was the Arena.  You can see the trampled grass and mud, full of dog foot prints. Bite marks on his belly and clumps of his lovely fiber here and there on the ground.  

This is what is left of Jagger's nose.  I found it about 5 feet from his body.

Yes, I did call the Sheriff, and they sent out a Deputy Constable who cross-examined me as if I were a defendant on trial.  He said he would try to get "in contact" with the owner of the dogs.  He said he would write up an "incident report."  He didn't believe us when we showed him where the dogs get out under the fence because he thought they would need to dig out, even though Ben and I told him that we had seen with our own eyes how they came and went numerous times.  He asked me when I last saw Jagger alive ten different times, but my story didn't change.  He called this "just a dog incident."  I told him that next time it might be one of the neighborhood children.  

I also told him that I was planning to raise chickens and turkeys when I retire in two years.  That they, along with my garden, would be my main food source on my road toward sustainability once I am on limited financial means. How was I going to be able to do that with dogs that get out and "play" with my creatures? I didn't mention the paw prints I have seen in parts of my garden recently.  I could tell he didn't feel my pain. 

Several friends have told me what I need to do.  But, I am an animal lover.  I just want the dogs to be kept responsibly on their own property, and let me enjoy Life on HeartSong Farm without any more "dog incidents." 

I leave you with a photo of the first hour of Jagger's short life.

My beautiful spotted boy at 40 minutes old, drying in the sun.  In the next 15 minutes, he was on his feet and nursing.

He will be missed.

Hearts are very heavy tonight on HeartSong Farm.

Growing forward

A few weekends ago, with the help of some very knowledgeable folks, I made a decision on the location of my greenhouse. Thanks Scott and Chelsea!  I appreciate your helping me with this, and look forward to the design and construction of a workable, efficient, and cost-effective 10' x 12' greenhouse in a few months! Scott and Chelsea are wanting to have a greenhouse of their own someday soon, and we will experiment with mine first.  Great idea, huh?!  They are part of the Naca Valley Vineyard that is being cultivated just north of my farm in Nacogdoches County.  My friend, Wanda and her hubby, Buzz Mouton, are the driving forces behind it, working hard towards fulfilling their dream of operating their own winery on family land. You can visit their site for more info here:  https://www.facebook.com/nacavalley.winery  It is quite an exciting adventure!  

Scott and Chelsea are in the foreground, Buzz in the back.  To the right are some of
the rows of grapevines planted.  This photo was taken in very early spring, I believe.

As for my little greenhouse, we chose a nice, fairly level spot in Jagger's old pasture beyond my backyard fence .... in the same general area where I made the new raised bed for the asparagus beans and am also growing the squash, eggplants, and melons in pots.  The greenhouse will be to the east of that planting area. The location is south of my home structure and away from the large pine in the southeast part of my back yard that would have blocked some of the winter sun that I will need to fall on the greenhouse.  It will be out of the way of the north/south wind tunnel directly behind my parking pad, and far enough away from any shade trees in the pasture and near the house to allow for plenty of sun in the spring and summer.  A bit of shade at that time of the growing season will be fine.

Greenhouse location!  I have already removed one section of the
fence separating my immediate back yard and this former pasture.

It will be built out of pressure treated wood and either fiberglass or the new type of plastic panel now available.  I need to go check both out face to face at Lowe's soon, and decide which I like best visually as well as which will hold up better in the long run for me.  I have gotten quite a bit of information from this website:   www.littlegreenhouse.com     The site sells greenhouse kits and equipment, and offers some tips for construction of the foundation and such.  I was particularly excited about a lever that will raise a roof panel for ventilation and it is powered by the outside temperature .... no electricity and no batteries needed! I think that is way cool!  Sort of like solar energy, but not exactly!

I have decided that the floor will be made of this great recycled rubber mulch I found at Lowe's and have tried out in between two of my raised beds this year.  First I hoed all the weeds out of the pathway, then lay down 6 layers of newspaper (not any of the shiny sections like the ads/flyers) over the bare ground.  Then I thoroughly soaked the newspaper before laying down about 4" of the mulch.

This is the recycled rubber mulch I used.  It costs about $10/bag, 
but will last much longer than the usual bark type, and doesn't soak
up water or attract termites and bugs.

As you can see, it has worked very well keeping out weeds, which
had been a major battle for me for years. And it looks nice, too!

I have tried numerous things over the past few years and this stuff is the best for my needs.  It comes in two other colors, I think, and I chose the brown.  For a person who loves to be barefoot, however, I have had to remember to wear my clogs into the garden when I need to go down this path.  The rubber really heats up in the sun!  Like asphalt!  This may be one reason why it does a good job as a mulch .... the weeds can't stand the heat!  I do get a few brave weedlings here and there, but they are easily removed, and not anything like what I have battled before!

Because of the heating up factor,  I plan to use it as the floor of my greenhouse!  In the winter, with the sun shining through the roof, this rubber mulch should heat up and hold its heat to keep the inside of the greenhouse nice and toasty, and, hopefully, I will not have to install a heater that uses electricity.  

Meanwhile, I have pretty much given up on my Brussels sprout plant and the fava beans this year. (sigh)  I need to move on.  I pulled them all up this weekend, and, of course, added them to my compost bin.  I need to do more research on the cultivation of the B.sprouts and other members of the brasica family because I really enjoy eating them and they are a wonderful source of good things for your health.

As for the fava beans, I have enjoyed watching them grow and bloom, but the weather here doesn't seem to be conducive to them, or at least the weather we have had this year.  It has taken FOREVER to have any pods large enough to harvest, and the winds have beaten them down numerous times, snapping their stalks in half or bending them low to the ground where they have ended up rather moldy and muddy.  This is even though they were caged with wire fencing for support.  The plants themselves are stalks that do not form tendrils for clinging, nor do they bush out for strength at their base.  In fact, they tended to be quite top heavy, especially in the rain.

This is one of my typical weekly harvests of fava beans from about

20 plants.  Fairly scant, wouldn't you say?!  This is after shelling them

from the pods, but before blanching them to remove the outer casings.

Here, on the left, we have a bowl of those same fava beans with the
outer layer removed after blanching, and, on the right, is the outer layer

casings.  That is right!  You have to shell them twice!!! And all I got for
all that trouble was what's in the bowl on the left!  They were good, tho.

I won't say that I am not interested in them enough to try again, because so far what little I have harvested were really quite tasty, with a buttery, nutty flavor. But, I think that I will stick to growing the more common types of peas and beans next spring, instead. Gardening should be a fun adventure, not a frustrating one. Don't you agree?!

The vegetable plants are doing very well, especially after a recent week of heavy, soaking rains.  Ben and I added an arbor over the path between two of the raised beds so that the cucumbers on both sides of the path could grow up and over it!  I love the way it looks!  In my mind, there will be a race to see which side reaches the top first!  Which type of cuke will win?  I'll keep you posted .....

The cucumber arch with slicing cucumbers on the 
left and the lemon cucumbers on the right.

Tomatoes and marigolds.

Asparagus beans beginning to climb their trellis!

Bed mates and cousins, okra on the left and cotton
on the right.

Squash plants doing very well in the plastic raised
bed containers.  Once a week I add water to each

through the watering tube that leads to the bottom

of the container.

Beefsteak tomatoes ... can't wait for a tomato and onion and fresh
basil sandwich on multi-grain bread!

Cute little baby patty pan (button) squash.

And, just as cute, a baby acorn squash!

My gardenia bushes bloomed profusely this week,  more so than in recent year!.  They must have really enjoyed all that rain we had. I have two bushes next to the parking pad, so when I drove up after work each night,  I was greeted with their wonderful fragrance that I love. It always reminds me of the beginning of summer and school being out for the summer!  I am thinking of trying to root some in my greenhouse, so that I can plant a few outside my bedroom window.  I usually still have my windows open in the house during their bloom time. Can you imagine how wonderful it would be to fall asleep with the fragrance of gardenias on an early summer night?!

Mmmm! Deep breath! Can't you smell them!

Life is so very good here on HeartSong Farm!

Shear joy!

At its height, HeartSong Farm had 33 llamas, old and young, in its pastures. One of my greatest pleasures was to sit in my back porch swing with a glass of something cool to drink, and spend time just watching and listening to the female herd and their crias grazing, chewing their cuds, sunbathing, rolling in their dust bowls, and interacting within the hierarchy of their llama society. The crunching sounds of grass being cropped, the ear flicks and tail swishes at the interference of pesky insects, the clouds of red dust, the stand-offs and neck arches, and, yes, an occasional spit!   I whiled away many a fine hour in such a fashion.  It was a form of meditation for me, and it helped greatly in my need to relieve much of the stress of my daily living at the time.

That was in the back pasture.  Out front, in their very own individual pens, were the male llamas who needed to be separated not only from the females, but from each other.  A fight between two male llamas is not a pretty sight, not to mention they could and would kill each other if they got a chance....over breeding rights! Males! These guys usually weigh in at 400 to 450 pounds each, and are generally so sweet and amenable, but when those hormones start coming into play, their strength and determination can seemingly double their weight instantaneously.  You need to be very careful when separating them.  Believe me, I speak from experience!

LET ME INTRODUCE YOU TO MY HERD SIRES:

GL Ramsey

Catfish

HSF High Noon Sir Prize

Smokin' Jaguar

Ramsey and Smokin' have passed on and Catfish went to live on a farm nearby several years ago.  Smokin' and Prize have been my main studs through the years, and Jagger is Smokin's last cria and the only male he put his spots on.

I am now letting the remaining five llamas "age out" here in peaceful pastures. Sir Prize is the oldest at sixteen, then Texanna (the only female left) at fifteen, and the geldings: Armando (14) and Moonshadow (13).  The youngest is Jagger (aka HSF Jaguar Moon) who, at age two, should be around for a long time. Llamas can live to be 20 to 25 just like a horse, although none of mine have made it past 19.  Sir Prize was my first cria, and Jagger is my last.  (sigh!) 

The two geldings escaped into the back pasture with Texanna about a month ago by finding a weakness in the fence that separated them.  They could care less about her.  They saw how green and abundant the grass and weeds were in the pasture on her side of the fence!  However, this did cause some concern on the part of Sir Prize as he does not understand the difference in the meanings of the words stud and gelding.  As far as he is concerned, they are MALES!  Therefore, his fences have been reinforced and are checked periodically.

Just a few weeks ago, I moved Jagger out to the front pasture that his papa, Smokin' Jaguar, used to occupy, right across from Sir Prize.  There is a 10 foot passageway separating the two so that there are no "close encounters of the fighting kind."  There is a lot of glaring and pacing going on, however, on Sir Prize's part.  I don't think Jagger understands, really!  

After all these many years, I just can't imagine life in the foreseeable future without being able to see at least one llama in my pastures. Once Jagger becomes the Last of the HeartSong Farm Llamas, I will get a few goats to keep him company and to help him keep the weeds and brush down.  And that should be fairly entertaining, too!

I got my shears out this past week and cleaned and sharpened them up, then headed to the barn with them and both pairs of toe nail trimmers, a red llama halter, and a bucket of llama treats.  I hadn't been out to the barn since last fall and, oh my, it was filthy.  Winter winds and rains had worked havoc in there, tossing all sorts of stuff here and there.  After picking up a bunch of trash and putting some things back on their shelf, I set my shears and trimmers down, and set off with the halter and bucket of treats toward Jagger's pasture.  He was first on my list for a haircut, but he didn't know it yet!

My tools:  Nail trimmers (2) on left, and my Fiskars shears on right.

I bought some electric shears years ago when I had 28 to shear one 

spring, but I didn't really care for them even though they were faster.

I prefer these hand shears because they produce fewer second cuts.

They are also cheaper! When they get dull, I just go to Hobby Lobby 

and get a new pair.

Jagger, pre-haircut, ignoring me and the halter.

Llamas can be rather contentious about getting a haircut.  First of all, they are suspicious about anytime they see you approaching with a halter!  Then, when they see you have a bucket of treats with the halter, they know you are up to something, yet they are conflicted.... there will be treats! .....  but there is a halter.... how to act, what to do?!  Stay just out of reach, but close to the bucket.... try to grab a mouthful, then step back out of reach again.....see how long you can keep this up before you have to give in to the halter....maybe she will give up.... and leave the bucket anyway ..... just this once!

Once they are caught and have a halter on, they are the most docile of creatures (usually!) that you can imagine. This is because they are innately curious and now they are curious about what kind of adventure is ahead with the halter on their heads.  

HERE IS THEIR THOUGHT PATTERN:

Maybe a date with one of the females (Yes!) or maybe a walk near the rose bushes by the farmhouse..... a mouthful or two of the red or white roses would be quite nice! And there are some blackberry vines over by the driveway... oh, yummy!  But wait, didn't I notice one of my kind with a haircut the other day?!  Oh, no! Is that what this is all about?!  I mean.... it IS a lot cooler with a haircut, but what if it doesn't turn out right? What if the others don't approve of my new look?!  What if they refuse to be seen with me?!!  What if it ends up longer on one side, or is cut too close on the legs?  And, heaven forbid, what if she shaves my neck again....all the way up to my jaw....like a few years ago when it was so hot and humid already before summer had really begun?  We all looked like creatures from outer space!  No! No! NO!  I am afraid!  Haircut, NO!!!!  Time to dig in with back legs and pretend to be a donkey....put ears back against my head and look like spit is about to happen! Wait, no, doesn't work with her....she is calm and patient and encourages me to take just one step towards her and waits until I do....and spit doesn't bother her for some reason....DANG!  Looks like I am in for a haircut after all....  When will I ever learn?  Well, it WILL be a lot cooler, and so what if they don't like my haircut...it'll grow out soon.  Okay, let's get this over with, and no tickling my tummy and those shears better be nice and sharp!!!!

Jagger in the chute inside the barn.  He will also get his toenails trimmed.

It all starts with a cut through the fiber down the back line!

One side sheared.  Look at the spots and the fiber!  This is a barrel cut.

Looking good and feeling cooler.  Still not happy!

Dang! This new hairstyle itches!!!! 

The fiber treasure bag!  I use a pop-up laundry hamper
to collect what is shorn off.

You can just see how wonderfully soft his fiber is!

This is Jagger's  fleece on my breakfast table.  Ahh, luxury!

Well, two more llamas still to shear, but Jagger and Prize are a lot cooler these days, even if they did have to be patient with me as I slowly worked my magic shears.  I tickled no tummies and was very careful with the toenail clippers.  It rained all week here in East Texas, so I couldn't get around to shearing Moonshadow and Armando. The good thing is the temperatures have not been too bad, either, and the wet ground will make toenail trimming much easier because their nails will be nice and soft.  It will be like trimming through butter!

I have yet to turn on the air conditioner, so we are trying to stay cool and out of the rain here on HeartSong Farm!