The 3 AM alarm call
3 AM our bedroom door opens and my daughter is standing quietly at my side of the bed with this message, “mom, the llama is alarming.” With little exception, these words get me moving- fast! A llama alarming at 3 AM with the alpacas on the hill rarely brings good news. I was wide awake - fast- and running for my boots and flashlight, my husband and daughter close on my heels. We arrived in the porch- pajama clad and froze, shined the flash light and saw...nothing! Well, that’s not exactly true, we saw the llama alarming and the alpacas crowded around for protection, but not a predator in sight. Okay, this is good, but it is also dark and there could be something we cannot see from our vantage point on the porch. I grabbed the Uber strong spotlight like flashlight and began scanning the yard. As we scanned I heard, but didn’t see coyotes, saw a porcupine, a raccoon, and the problem.
It was a bunny rabbit. Yup, you heard me, a fluffy tailed Peter or Paula Cottontail hopping across the pasture was the cause of all this drama. It was then that I determined I needed to sit with Flash he next morning for lessons in llama guarding 101.
Here was the plan. I would create a poster board with pictures of all of the potential predators; coyotes, fox, bears, moose, deer....and then I would draw photos of things to NOT wake me up for; kitty cats, porcupines, raccoons, chickens and of course bunny rabbits. We would sit and chat over hay- I might bring my coffee- and we would talk about the importance of his job and why knowing the difference in species was important. We would chat- I would use my fancy purple pointer to show him the pictures and then he would leave me alone at 3 AM unless there was really trouble. I went to bed secure in the knowledge that all was well. What can I say I have a busy mind at 3 AM!
Fast forward to morning- i wake with the sun, listen to the sounds of the farm waking up and go out to feed the alpacas. I open the door and there, standing in the driveway staring at me- is a herd of alpaca. In all the confusion of the night before, I forgot that I had separared the herd and only half were with Flash. The other half- the now free half- were in the barn. Seems in the middle of the night, they got lonely, spotted a gate I left open since I thought the pen was empty, and let themselves out. I blame Finn.
The llama- at 3 AM - tried to tell me, but I got distracted by a bunny rabbit and stopped looking. Turns out the llama is smarter than me. Happily, I have a poster, and coffee and Flash is about to start my class. He even added a picture of alpacas next to things he will call me about. I promised I would listen.
The photos are of Flash standing guard at sunset. The last one is him this morning when we were sharing hay and coffee. We believe he will work out just fine.