If you know us or have been reading along for awhile, you know that I like llamas. A lot. And that I own a llama - he was given to me on my 16th birthday - his name is Buddy. My love affair with llamas started much earlier than 16 however.

I started 4-H (it was the obvious thing to do, living in Indiana and having my dad working for the IN 4-H Foundation!) when I was 10 years old and desperately wanted to do something with animals. I was secretly hoping my parents would buy me a horse or a cow or even a bunny, to show and to have as my 4-H project. Yeah right! There was no way we were buying an animal, much less a farm animal - so we found out about the llama program that our county had. You could learn how to train and show a llama, while "leasing" it, essentially, for the summer. At the time, I had never seen a llama, nor knew ANYTHING about them, but I signed right up! I still remember the first time we pulled up at the llama farm and I saw my first live llama - I think I was honestly taken aback by what it was! But I was excited to learn more about these unique (and kinda funny-looking!) animals.

That, my friends, was essentially the end. I was hooked. In love. My heart was taken by the quiet, gentle, humming creatures with the big, warm eyes and the soft, split lips. I spent that first summer and the following three summers learning about raising, training and showing llamas - it was a blast and I made some great friends (both human AND animal!!). I got more and more into showing and eventually wound up traveling to some llama shows out of state, and even got to show at the Grand National Llama Show one fall because I had placed high enough that showing season - that was exciting! Anyways, I moved to MN with my family when I was 13, and happened upon a llama farm that was near to our house (imagine the odds of that! Seriously!). I was stoked! And quickly made friends (ok, my mom helped!) with the owner, who let me start working with a little llama named Buddy. He was my favorite and became a great friend to me. I worked hard with him, getting him to follow me over many obstacles and teaching him to stand still (it wasn't hard - he was so easygoing!). I showed him at the State Fair that year and for a few years after. We made a good team.

He's the one that was given to me on my 16th bday - it was so cool! This might be lame, but I even took some of my High School Senior pictures with him! Pretty sure there was no one else in my class that had THEIR pictures with a llama, ha ha!!!

I haven't had much time to spend with Buddy in the last few years, which I am sorry about, but he is still out waltzing around, munching grass and hanging with his llama friends. He may be going to live with someone else (he is currently at the llama farm near my house) for awhile, which is fine with me - because I don't have the time that he deserves, it would be good for him to be with people who have more time for him. He is know 12 years old, getting gray and growing long gnarly front teeth. But he's still my Buddy and always will be, that's for sure. I think I wrote a speech I gave in my public speaking class while I was in college - I should drag that out and share it with y'all! Oh! And I think I will try to dredge up some old llama pictures that I have and share some soon - it would provide a good laugh, I feel :)

All this to say that L and I took a little trip out the llama farm last week for a short visit. And I wanted to share some pictures. The minute L spotted the llamas in the pasture, she started "barking" at them, which had me laughing up a storm - I had to keep telling her that llamas hum and demonstrate their humming sound. She got it once or twice, but for the most part, she just kept "barking" at them, ha! She liked them and even got a few llama kisses, which was cute to see.

Wondering where her friend is going.

Llamas. Grazing. Happy.