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Ok, let me tell you how the idea for this post got planted in my brain.

I read a book.

Oh, it wasn’t any kind of book that you would go into raptures about — just a cute little mystery story that had you figuring out whodunit about midway through it. The heroine had Llamas, though. That is kinky.

It just so happens there is a Llama farm not too far from me and not long after I finished the book, I drove by it and saw they had some new arrivals. I didn’t have my camera with me as luck would have it, so the idea for photos and this blog post continued to ferment in my brain.

Well, there’s something very endearing about babies of any variety, but baby Llamas just have something extra. Their long spindly legs and equally long necks combined with those huge long-lashed eyes just are darling! The babies are called Cria and they’re born with lots of hair and all the lovely manners of their parents. In other words, if you alarm one, he or she is going to reach back into one of its stomachs (the more upset, the further back) and spit the contents onto you. Thankfully, when I visited the Egypt Farm in Honea Path this week to get these photos, I didn’t upset anyone, so did not experience this phenomenon first hand. Forewarned was forearmed in this case.

Llamas are just sort of cobbled together from several animals I’m familiar with. They are camel-like with their split toed hooves and cow-like with their multiple stomachs. They are dog-like in intelligence and cat-like with their curiosity. I know — just a weird animal all the way around.

Used in Peru to haul ore from mines in the Andes, after more modern technology came along Llamas were then used as wool producing animals. The variety known as Alpaca has a very silky feeling wool. Llama wool is not like sheep wool. It’s hollow and strong and makes a lightweight but warm garment.

Llama’s don’t mate like other animals either. The doe lies down in what is called a “kush” position with all 4 legs folded under her and the ram mounts her in this position. Eleven months later, if the breeding took, you get a critter like the one in the photo.

Egypt Farm has other animals besides the Llamas. They also breed miniature donkeys (Sicilian donkeys) and had a crop of young colts to show me. One of the donkeys served as my tour guide while I was there. Dogging my every step, he took every available opportunity to get ears scratched or head petted. That’s him over there on the left — a charmer if I ever met one.

So, are you totally convinced that I’m certifiable now? What do you think of my pets? Aren’t they cool — c’mon now — I know you really think so!

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She calls herself a “mommyblogger” and Lisa’s pride in her family is evident in every word she writes about her two children and husband. It’s very evident that there is a lot of love in this family. Despite going through some rough patches (extraordinarily rough!), they’ve stuck together and weathered the storms that life has sent their way.

Along with this blog, she writes a couple of other blogs that encompass different areas of her life from traveling to cooking. Her interests are wide and she shares them with her readers generously.

Recently she won a trip to San Diego, CA sponsored by Sony. She got to try out 3 new Sony cameras and I am super envious of her good fortune! I own a Sony DSC-H2, but lust for a DSLR and she got one! The photos she posted from her trip are so clear and beautiful!

They’re remodeling their basement and Lisa’s taking us through the fun times they’re having doing that not-so-little do-it-yourself project. Their plans sound awesome and I can’t wait to see photos of the finished room. I know their family will benefit greatly from having the room to spread out in. It’s hard keeping a neat home with two little ones underfoot, so having a great-room for them to play in will make housekeeping chores much easier on Lisa.

My Thoughts, Ideas and Ramblings is just one of those blogs that make you pull up the most comfortable chair in the house, cup of tea at your side and settle in for an enjoyable glimpse into a home full of love and fun.

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Maybe I’m just choosing poor sites to visit or something, but everyone lately is talking about shit.

I don’t get the fascination with excrement. Well, then again, I guess I get some of it since I do watch the dog’s poo as a sign of their health, but that’s it.

Let’s start with this guy,http://www.mybigworldofcrap.org — it’s all in the website name for gosh sakes! If you do a google search on crap, you get 10 + pages of websites about crap. I didn’t try for the sh*t word — call me chicken sh*t.

Oh and let’s not forget YouTube! There were like way too many to list of videos about crap, but I have to admit this one was the absolute best one!

Of course there are always stories by people who are obsessed with their, uh, bodily functions. Some of them are quite funny! All too many of them I can relate to.

Oh, and let’s not forget the guys like Herb Urban who can, without even trying, make us think those dark thoughts .

Maybe I just need a colon cleanser.

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Congratulations to Maria!

 I’m going to apologize for the lack of the promised video — I did something to cause the camera to not record Since Taji did his job, I also didn’t want to try to recreate his for real unbiased choice of a winner — I mean this guy is the epitome of total randomness. When I was training him to do this, he never duplicated a choice one time and we trained a LOT since my first attempt with him He could choose lottery numbers. Plus, he works for peanuts! (well, he actually prefers walnuts :p).

Anyway, Maria (Boscardin) if you’ll email me your address, I’ll get those products in the mail to you — congratulations once again!

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