It is now the middle of September, which is the time we look forward to each year to receive some relief from the hot dry weather. Around our place September means a number of things. My mom's birthday is in September. Several of my best friend's have birthdays in September and our wedding anniversary is in September. In recent years, September has brought us some unexpected llama problems. In September 2004, our "mama" llama Calamity Jane became ill and we took an unexpected trip to OSU (Oklahoma State University). First of all I must tell you that My Honey had always wanted a llama, so I got him one for his birthday. We found that Wild Bill Hickok was lonely and needed a companion. We got Calamity and a few months later we noticed that she spent a lot of time laying down. We were able to load her into the trailer and take her to the local vet. They drew her blood and said that she was extremely anemic. As a matter of a fact they said that her blood count was so low that it was amazing that she was still alive. They told us that if we "wanted" to try to save her that we should take her to OSU Vet Hospital in Stillwater, Oklahoma. We didn't even know where Stillwater was located. We found out that it was somewhere in the middle of the state, not so very far from Oklahoma City. They told us to take Wild Bill with us as well to keep Calamity calm. We loaded up and took off in a truck that had an electrical problem which meant that we did not have headlights. We arrived at OSU and were met in the parking lot by a medical team ready unload and care for Calamity. It was determined that she needed a blood transfusion. Their resident llama Samson provided the blood that was needed to save Calamity's life. We checked into a nearby hotel and received phone calls every four hours to update us on Calamity's condition. She spent a week at OSU and made a full recovery. I told everyone that if I become extremely ill take me to OSU Vet Hospital. I was so impressed with OSU. I'd worked for years in human hospitals, so I did have something to compare it with.
She & Wild Bill had their first born in February of 2006. Curly Earred Kate was named for Doc Holliday's girlfriend Big Nosed Kate. Their second born arrived in February 2007 and was named Josie for Wyatt Earp's wife. Kate was born on the coldest day of the February and nearly died of hypothermia. We took extension cords out to the barn and used a hair dryer to warm her up and get her on her feet to nurse. It was Calamity's first baby and she seemed at a loss of what to do, as were we. Once Kate warmed up and started to nurse, Calamity took over and raised a beautiful healthy baby girl. Josie was born on the warmest day of February and did not need any human assistance to get on her feet and start nursing. Kate was tiny and Josie was much larger at birth than Kate had been.
In September of 2007, Kate seemed to be lame. My Honey was bush-hogging and Katie didn't want to get up and move when he approached with the tractor. I was out of town, but by that evening My Honey said that she seemed to have problems in both back legs, not just in one, as he'd previously thought. In the back of my mind, I remembered something that I'd read about llamas being susceptible to a parasite which is carried by deer. Where we live we see deer grazing in the pasture almost daily. I spoke to the local vet and was told again, "IF" you want to try to save her, take her to OSU. Again, it meant another trip to Stillwater. This time we knew where to go. This time I traveled alone. This time I had a trailer tire blow out on the freeway and didn't have time to stop. There were still 3 good tires on the trailer, so I kept driving. Getting Katie to OSU as quickly as possible was my mission. At OSU, they determined that Kate's spinal fluid contained the menegial worm. This parasite carried by deer had invaded her system and caused the paralysis in both her rear legs. According to the books, often the end result of this parasite is the death of the llama. Kate's tongue was partially paralyzed by the parasite as well. She received donor spinal fluid and spent a week at OSU. During the process of handling the rest of the llamas to administer medications, My Honey ended up with four broken ribs which required a trip to a human hospital. The care he received was adequate but paled in comparison to OSU. A year later, Kate still has some issue with her tongue which doesn't function as well as it should but she is otherwise happy and healthy. From time to time we have to clean out her mouth because her cheeks get packed up with grass or hay. It makes her look like a hamster after a big meal. I still tell people that if I become very ill, please take me to OSU Vet Hospital. They provide medical care of such a high standard, that I know that I'd be in good hands if they'd only agree to treat me.
One has to have a certain amount of faith to be a gardener. I'm not referring to the job title of gardener, I mean to grow your own food. You must believe that the moon will rise and that the sun will set again like it has in the past. You must at least have faith that the "World As We Know It" will continue to turn. Weather plays a bit part in the whole gardening experience. A late snowfall or a early frost can squish your plans like the very bugs that torment the plants that you work so hard to grow. Anyone that has grown their own food before knows that too much rain, at the wrong time, or not enough rain, at the right time, will directly impact the end result of your gardening plans. But when you get down to the last step, that leaves you with another test of faith. Now that the tomatoes are planted, watered, weeded, tended to in a number of ways, vined ripened and picked then comes the next step. Now they must be preserved for yet another day in the future. Like I said, you must have a certain amount of faith to be a gardener because, providing you are still around on that future date, on the cold, wet, winter day when those tomatoes become a bone-warming bowl of comfort food, then and only then will you know that the soup or stew they provided was worth every spoonful.
This photo was taken at La Quebrada in Acapulco, Mexico. Since it was Christmas time they had decorated with Christmas lights. It was an impressive demostration watching the diver's perform at night. The diver has a lit torch in each hand as he dives off the incredibly tall cliff into the sea below. Believe me, the photo does not do it justice.
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