To all you Southerners

...who passed on this lovely little girl, in the words of Julie Roberts' Pretty Woman character, "mistake...huge." I'm guessing you passed her by and left her for last--for me--because she was the runt of her litter. Admittedly, she's smaller than the usual Black Lab female, only 51 pounds, but she is all heart, all love, all lab, and always willing to do whatever the moment offers. Call it spunk, heart, willingness to please, or just being a lab, she is the delight of our days, every day.

Allie is the companion of my long walks. She swims in the pond, jumps trampoline high, fetches frizzbees leaping lizards, lights up lives of senior citizens in nursing homes, waits patiently on a raft (in the shade, of course), flies off our dock to go fishing, understands the true value of stopping to smell the flowers, and I could go on and on. She has added a special dimension to our lives, has locked herself into our forever hearts, and life has never been the same since her arrival. If there's an easier dog to live with and love on this planet, then Allie has a double.

Point being so simple: you missed out on the dog of your lifetime and now she's mine, and we love everything about her, including her size because we know she has the biggest heart of all. Your loss.

You know it's spring when...

Image via WikipediaMy Top Ten, although any one would be a sure sign.

Check out the short video below (especially Brandi).

10. A rough week adjusting to Daylight Savings Time.
9.  Even our dog is waking up at 3 AM thinking it's 4.
8.  My husband has a spring cold; I'm battling one too.
7. I'm riding around in the golf carts again.
6. The residual effects of spring flooding and erosion are everywhere.
5. We'll have lots of firewood if we decide to use our alternative stove next winter.
4. The girls and Golden are spending all but grain feeding time in the pastures.
3. It's time to move the garbage bins (dust bins as UK says) off the porch.

Check out the "paddle."

2. You can hear the woodpeckers wrecking yet another tree.
1. Michael and company arrive with smiles on their faces, ready to tackle my "short list" (which I always think is reasonable but never is).

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It Isn't Snow Until...

Real snow

If you don't need a plow or two, a shovel, and your full-length Carhart gear head to toe, is just isn't snow. Nuisance white stuff, but definitely not snow. Today we had snow, and from 4:30 AM till noon when I called it QUITS, it was definitely snow. Not the most ever, nor the worst ever. Just snow and all that comes with it -- life on the farm. The new truck's battery: dead. My FLIP camera: dead. My regular camera: dead. Plowing with the new truck: opportunity missed. Photo ops: missed in daylight.

Not too spoiled, right.

As night nestles in, our llamas have already selected their kush-down spots. Golden, our first farm cria, continues to be the most independent lad in llama land, except at night. Then he snuggles close to his mother. Almost always indoors.

The night watch

EtCetera, with the densest coat, having received only a barrel cut, chooses outside even in single digit cold. SP joins her most evenings, but ultimately retires to a stall. In past years, I suffered angst over to close or not to close the pastures when snow fell. Now I leave it to the more intelligent to make the choice.

As for me, I took my first nap of the season with a snow day. For most teachers, a snow day is a free day but life on the farm--never a free day. And I wouldn't have it any other way.

Allie's First Winter on The Farm

If you are an animal person, then this video needs no introduction. I believe the animals who share their lives with us enrich us, keep us calm and grounded. I cannot imagine life not surrounded by the friends I love.


Allie's First Winter on The Farm from RJ Stangherlin on Vimeo.

Best Friends

Image via Wikipedia

Jen Brinson's summers are as busy as her academic year. Only difference is I do not get to see her almost at all during vacation unless I travel abroad with her, or go to the OBX. On a rare return visit to the valley, she spent time at the farm. The videos speak to the gentle natures of both best friends.


Best Friends from RJ Stangherlin on Vimeo.


More Best Friends from RJ Stangherlin on Vimeo.

I know I am biased, but I think both are very special.

Kicking Into Real

What authenticates you? 

At PETE&C DEN PRECon 2010, Hershey, PA

Years ago, for me it was fast Italian cars (speeding tickets), horses, degrees, diamonds, languages, students. The usual stuff.

What makes you an authentic llama owner? How do you know you are finally there? real? What tells your inner self you have arrived. Something that goes beyond the care and love we give and share. Daily.

Something else kicks in, and you know you're there, a real owner at last.

SP, with Maria in the background.

The aha moment arrived this afternoon and it felt great. Euphoric. I was on the back end of a down-and-back three-hour trip to the valley. I knew the girls should be hosed, so I connected my new 10 footer, bled the hot water, and talked SP into being first. For some reason, my yearlings mind the heat most, so I started with them. SP comes when called--really--so out of the stall she came. Hoping to get her to the litter box the girls use for sun bathing, I asked her to join me there. She did. I hosed her and she loved it. No halter, no lead rope.

Tess, followed by Maria.

Around the ten-minute mark, Tess came over. She's one lady that can't stand being upstaged. Frankly, I thought she would have moseyed over much sooner. Hosed her. Wonder of wonders, pregnant hormonal and sometimes (lately) difficult but lovable Rev meandered over. Hosed her. She is a talker, so we conversed. She told me the cria's coming soon. Good news indeed. Fingers crossed.

Then Maria came when called, and we repeated the process. But something Teri Conroy told me would happen did. They jostled for position; 1 hose and 4 llamas. But (here's the big aha moment), Miss Cierra joined the group, cautiously, and I hosed her. Cautiously. You cannot appreciate this scenario unless you understand that Miss Cierra was not a Carol Reigh llama breeding/raising but rather an outside llama she acquired for her bloodline. She's been hard to gain trust because she was not as socialized as Carol's other llamas, but I've been working on that all summer. Nights. Sitting with her in the stall when the others went out to pasture. Conversations with her. Letting me stroke her coat, still kushed down. A gimungous accomplishment.

Etcetera in the mini-pasture.

Last but not least, Etcetera wandered down from grazing in the mini-woods. She did them all one better, and I must say I should have seen it coming. After watching, please tell me if you think my dark Hershey chocolate brown llama, Rev, is pregnant. Or not. I'm a first-time mother all around, so a real beginner. Already have the cria's name picked, regardless of gender. (Hope that's not bad luck). Here's the video.

Kicking Into Real from RJ Stangherlin on Vimeo.

Eventually I rode Bridge on Fire to some nice BIS.

For those of you who might wonder why becoming authentic is so important, a large part of my horse life in a show barn had my animals on a total care package. I was handed my horse, rode, and handed it back. Total care. When my husband died (number 2), I eventually became a real owner, and I knew the moment when. I have always taken care of my llamas, but today I landed. We were finally a unit, working like a team of 6-in-one. If you've ever ridden a horse over fences, you know what I mean. It's that split second of oneness when you meet, take, and land a huge oxer perfectly, or jump an outside course in-and-out with perfection. That feeling. Today I had it with 6 and 3/4 llamas.

Total trust. Total bonding. Kicking into real at last.

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PS: For those of you who do not know, last summer I was seriously ill. Someone cared for my llamas as I watched them from my sun room windows that look out to the barn. Otherwise, this bonding would have likely happened much sooner.

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