Grandma Llama

I wrote about acquiring a llama by the name of Jewel a while back.

Jewel integrated nicely into the flock, but I didnt know how precious she could be until the kids began arriving. Goat kids, that is!

The first set of twins were born on pasture, and while the sheep had gone for water and the goats were lounging in their shed, Jewel stayed with the new mom and her babies. She hummed to them, sniffed them and seemed quite concerned when I picked one up.

Since then, as the kids started coming, Jewel has been looking out for them. A kid will follow its mom out to pasture, fall asleep and miss the herd returning to their loafing shed. But Jewel would be there, comforting the baby. I walked out a couple nights ago to ensure everything is tucked in, and Jewel showed me there was still a kid out in the pasture.
Early this morning, I snapped this photo of Jewel with 4 young kids in the pasture:

And here, Jewel is checking out new arrivals on Earth Day Sunday with mom in close attendance

Jewel making friends

What an amazingly gentle soul. 

Snow geese and shearing sheep

Some snow geese landed on one of Larry's fields the other day and I had the camera handy to take some photos

Closeup of geese

The flock took to the air when they saw me

The Spring flood when the creek overflows with runoff. 

Some geese and ducks enjoying the water

You can see the geese and ducks in the water at the bottom of the photo,

and the snow geese on the hill behind the corrals

Cows enjoying a day at the 'beach' in their bale grazing field

Shearing day dawned cold and with snow in the air, after a warm spell. Kind of reminded me of school - we wore uniforms at school except for the first day of Spring, when we were allowed to wear 'civvies'. Inevitably Spring day would be the coldest day and we would all be shivering in our shorts! I felt sorry for the sheep.

The shearing crew at work

nekkid sheep!

Me trying my hand at it. The shearers make it look so efforless!

It is hard work. Lorrie reckons I did OK and he can have me on the road with the crew in a couple weeks! haha!

Jewel the llama giving me the eye as I hold her still to be clipped

cute photo of Jewel. 

Thanks to Nadine Neuman for taking the shearing photos! :)