Wednesday, December 30, 2009

What a long, strange time it's been...

(Title apologies to Jerry Garcia.)

I was working on cleaning the house and things on Tuesday, when the phone rang. The gal who works in the afternoon was sick, would I be willing to do an afternoon shift? Uh, sure. So, while trying to get my clothes dry before I leave, (Husband does usually remember to put the clothes in, but not always...), get self dressed, then the bobcat (see yesterday's blog), and so I finally get to the substation.

I walk in and hear water running. A veritable falls. Whaaaat?

I look in the bathroom to the side, and see my boss and another person staring at the toilet, that sounds like it's going to try and flush the building away smartly. They were intently looking down at the bowl, with heavily serious expressions. I said, gee, for a camera... Whereupon the irked response, NO PICTURES.

Poo. (grin) A fine blog photo cut down in its prime...

They finally tinker, and pound, and tweak, and whatever Potty Gods were around smiled, because it was repaired fairly quickly.

So, I get my self settled for my shift, and start noticing that there are SEVERAL deputies in. And they were growling about llamas. Being nosy a concerned citizen, I listened. What it amounted to, llamas are considered property, not livestock, (one deputy compared it to having a TV that eats and sh*ts), and they had to have a place to put them while trying to find the owners. And that wasn't happening, for various reasons. I could tell that one deputy in particular was frustrated, it sounded like he'd been on the hunt for someplace to put them, and didn't know the first thing about llamas.

I walked over and told the deputy that I worked with llamas, could I help? They all turned and looked at me like a winning lottery ticket. (Always a good sign.) He then asked if I knew anything about what they eat, and if I knew someplace they could be boarded.

(I am only helping, I am only helping, I am not going to take the llamas home...)

I made some suggestions for temporary boarding that I knew about, and basic info on the dietary meanderings of camelids, and then came the response from the boarding places. No dice, nope, no, not happening.

( I will ask Husband, but I am ONLY helping, I am NOT going to take the llamas home...)

The deputy looks at the phone like he would gladly throttle it, and then says, well maybe we can call x boarding place. I asked where it was. Oh, about 3 hours from here.

(I am helping. Husband wouldn't want to have the llamas, right, NO bringing llamas home.)

Uh. I have some pasture, IF my husband doesn't have a problem, and you can find out the gender... The deputy looks at me oddly, and says, why does that matter? One of the others pipes up, you know, the pecking order. I couldn't resist... "If there's a un-fixed male, there will be pecking all right, but no order what so ever." The group as a whole burst into laughter. Finally he looks at me and says, you mean you would take them?

(NONONONONONOOOOOOOoooooo! Dingus, you don't need to be a llama babysitter!)

"Uhhh. I need to call my husband first. Can't promise anything. He really isn't into the llamas much, and I don't have a trailer."

Noooo problem, we will have someone pick them up and bring them to you.

Er. Ok, but I don't know how soon I can get you an answer.

Go ahead and call, I can wait, I need to find a place for them.

Lawdy, did I stick the ol' dog in it now... So I call Husband, explain what was happening, and did he think we could block one field off for the 'visitors'. I think I am glad we don't have phone with video, but I think I could still hear his eyes rolling... But he said to go ahead.

So I give the contact info, and then is a series of calls back and forth. The person that had the llamas would hold them overnight, and they might have found the owners.but I would be called the next day. Okay.

I get ready to go to today's shift at the substation, and there isn't one deputy I can ask about the llamas.

Sooo... We will talk to someone, sometime, and find out.

News as events warrant.

Right after I mention I didn't gain or lose any, as it's scale day.


Edit: I just contacted the powers that be, and they found the owners, it had been a case of curious animal and unlocked gate, it sounded like. Llamas are back home with family, and I will be opening up the front pasture for MY llamas again. 3 cheers for going back to family!

2 comments:

Beth said...

Sheesh!! I don't know a thing about llamas, and **I** still feel relieved for you that you didn't need to bring them home!

Cat said...

Llamas are pretty much like any other farm animal, you have some that are nice, some that aren't...

I have worked with rescues, so I know a little more about the not so nice. Llamas are easier to handle than most farm animals though, they can kick and be nasty, but normally, they run.

And yes, they spit, but in truth, it's just grass or grain they ate, not like they breathe fire or something... (Although, their breath can occasionally put a dog to shame. Trust me, they have burps of death!)

And yes, I am very happy that they went back home. I would be willing to care for lost llamas if necessary, but really, they, like us, are more comfortable with home and hearth.