Llama Drama Part 2

Quick Recap:  Wally/Conway the Llama got very sick, we hauled him over 309 20 acres on a toboggan, hand fed him for days, took him to the vet, the vet gave us bad news and then, well, the rest sucks.  Actually, the whole thing sucks ,except for the part where GI Joe told me, "you need to lose some weight mama llama", that was pretty hilarious, I guess.

Back to the story....

After the awful deed had been done, GI Joe took me to a nearby cupcake bakery because it's a proven fact that cupcakes make everything better.  We split a French Silk Cupcake and each got a latte to wash it down with.  The cupcake was good, I don't know if I'd say it was Suck It Up Cupcakes good but that could be because the frosting ratio was low compared to the amount of cupcake and I like my frosting at an almost equal proportion to the cake.   I could also be saying that because I'm insanely jealous that they opened a cupcake shop and get to do that for a living where I''m just a moonlighting cupcake baker. 

While we were eating our cupcake, I began doing what I always do when we lose an animal....I started looking for a new one.  Now, don't judge me that's just how I cope.  When we lost our first dog years ago, I had a new puppy a week later.  It's not that I'm replacing the one I lost, it just serves as a welcome distraction to help my aching heart.  GI Joe and I had already discussed and decided on exactly what we wanted in our next llama; young so we could hand raise them and make them think they were a dog, sweet disposition, and a boy because as a rule female llamas are more standoffish and skittish than their male counterparts, and we, I mean he, set a llama spending limit because that's what he does.  A quick Craig's list search of our area and within a 90 mile radius of us turned up nothing.  Then I realized we were going to be in the Omaha area that weekend for my family Christmas so I expanded the search.  And wouldn't you know, the first ad that came up read like this:  For Sale:   Baby llamas, male and female, 8 months old, sweet disposition, the male thinks he's a cat and likes to rub up against you and get in your face for kisses.  The female takes awhile to warm up but once she does she'll eat out of your hand.  Would not be hard to halter train either of them."  WHOA, HOLD THE PHONE.  Was that every single quality we were looking for?  Yes, yes it was. AND it was below the predetermined llama budget, SCORE!    The ad had been posted a few days prior so I was sure it was too good to be true and I'd call and find out the male llama had been sold.  But that wasn't the case.  The stars aligned, another couple that had said they were going to buy the llama backed out, and viola,  we had a new llama!  It was meant to be. 

We took the horse trailer with us to our family Christmas because we like to make an entrance and nothing says the hillbilly family is in town than a rusty, 30 year old horse trailer parked in the driveway of my parents' house in their lovely little lakeside community.  After we celebrated Christmas, GI Joe and I left the kids with my Dad & Smom and made the 90 minute journey to a small town in NE to meet our new addition.  We pulled into the farm and went over to the fence where the llamas were and up sauntered this very cute white llama w/ a little brown spot on his booty.  He immediately put his nose right in our faces and demanded to be pet. I wasn't sure if this was the llama we were getting but I sure hoped so as he reminded me so much of Wally/Conway.  The farmer came out and said, "I see you've met Boise, that's one of the ones we have for sale.." And before he could finish, I said, "We'll take him, he's the one we want." It was love at first llama sight. 

We loaded him up and went on our merry way.  At every stop on the way back to Dad and Smom's, we'd check on him in the horse trailer and he was just laying there, hanging out.  Unless we got in the horse trailer, at which point he'd put his head our shoulders and blow his stinky llama breath all over us.  He could not be more perfect.

Don't let the tough exterior fool you, this guy loves his llama

I'm happy to report that Boise is still doing great, and has adjusted to life at the Koons Zoo swimmingly.  His favorite barnyard friend is Hormel the Hog (you know, the one that should be bacon by now) and every time we walk outside his ears perk up and he saunters up to the fence looking for some lovin'.  A common saying in our house is "Have you hugged the llama today?"  I'm thinking about having t-shirts made.  :) 

While he doesn't in any way replace Wally/Conway, his disgusting llama kisses and full body hugs certainly help fill the void.  

RIP Wally/Conway, we'll never forget you.

Welcome to the family Boise, we're glad you're here.