This process continued for the first ten days of your life and mom slowly became more cooperative, but you weren't gaining and many nights we told you good-bye expecting you to be gone in the morning. But you would be up chasing mom again. You started getting a runny nose and were on antibiotics for three weeks and the vet finally said no more. She couldn't believe you were still going. Finally on the tenth day we went out to tie your mom up so you could eat and she was going to stomp all over us for getting near you. Your determination to live must have finally won her over. The only thing we could figure is that you got separated at birth and she didn't think you were hers. She had other babies before you. Very slowly you started gaining weight, but it was ounces per week not per day and we held our breath through the first months of your life. You were weaned from your mom when you were 8 months old. By 10 months old you were up to 50 pounds and tiny as can be. You and Nick were very close as he was the one home most of the time to take care of you. I remember watching the two of you each evening when he gave you your oats and how you would both light up. Whenever you heard his voice you would head in his direction. You went to your first fair last summer and I signed the two of you up in Showmanship which Nick usually hates to do, but since it was his special little man he said okay. The big tall man and the little tiny llama in the showring brought smiles to everyone's faces and I watched the judge get a grin on her face every time the two of you were in her sight. You walked out of the ring with the blue ribbon and I told Nick, see you can do showmanship okay. He just looked at me and said it was Spoo-Kay not me. The next event was the obstacle course and I looked at Nick and said those jumps and the bridge are too high. He just looked at me and smiled and said "don't worry we can do it". They entered the ring and did the first few obstacles and then came the bridge which was a piece of plywood on bales of straw. They walked up to it and Nick turned and picked Spoo-Kay up and carried him over it. They didn't walk out with any ribbons, but sure got a lot of cheers. After you reached 50 pounds you just seemed to stay at that weight. You were becoming quite a traveler and we took you a lot of places and you loved to go to the beach and climb on the big rocks. It was so funny to watch you as you would walk on the tip of your toenails to get up and then you would puff up and try to feel big and important. Then when you were 13 months old, we were making a trip to Colorado to trade a stud for a female. We decided to take you along for a traveling companion as it was such a long trip for an only llama to make. We stopped in Boise to spend the first night to visit family. Nick's grandmother was there in an assisted living home and we took you over to visit with her. When she opened the door and saw us standing there with you, she said you can't bring him in he is a barnyard animal as we walked in the door. She was so afraid we would get her evicted, but about that time the manager walked in and melted. After she got through loving you up she went to get the other residents to come see you. On the way back to my sisters you stood up between us and just stared in awe at all the city night lights. You really like riding in the van and would stand and watch out the window as we went down the road. Then the second day into the trip we broke down and it was very cold and windy. You and Mr. Goodbar were staked out and Nick had all his tools spread out in the van. You kept trying to sneak back into the van. Finally it was running again and the minute he moved his tools you jumped in. Fortunately you had just enough stake rope to get inside the van. That was the first time you had ever jumped in before. You had always looked up at Nick and said, you pick me up. We made it into Wyoming by late evening and were traveling straight through to beat the snow storm that was following us. At 4 in the morning we started having carburetor problems again so decided to pull into a rest area and sleep until morning. It was just starting to snow and even though we brought a coat for you we decided you better stay in the van for the night. The next morning Nick heard you stirring so I got up to put you out for a potty break. I opened the van door and just as you got ready to jump out you saw several inches of snow and said no way, llamas weren't meant to be in that stuff. I had to pick you up and set you outside. We got Mr. Goodbar delivered and picked up the new girl and headed to Colorado Springs to visit Nick's mom and dad for Thanksgiving. She lived in a trailer park and the manager was a grouch, so we had to be real discreet while there and keep you back behind the trees. For a few days you and Sweet P were long necked Afghan hounds if anybody asked. You were having a blast sampling all the greens along the trip and the minute we would stop anywhere you were looking to see what this deli had to offer. In December your little sister came along and she quickly grew to be bigger than you. For a little while you looked like twins except she had the black shirt on and you had black pants. We finally decided that it was time to see how you would do in with the other boys. Even though you had not shown any sexual interest and had no development we didn't want to risk keeping you with the girls. The transition went smoothly and you quickly showed the other boys that you might not be big, but you wouldn't be pushed around. I used to look at Nick and say boy he sure is tough for a little guy. Nick would say that's because he knows he has me as his big backup. I would laugh at you as you got all puffed up and chased the big llamas out of your oats. It was comical to watch a big tough guy in a little cria body be so in charge of the pasture We took you to Corvallis in the spring to a play day, and our son Mike who lives up there, showed you. We weren't sure how you would work for someone else, but as long as Nick stayed out of your sight you were okay. You must have been feeling pretty big that day and you followed Mike through the ring like a champ and even did the jumps yourself. You walked away with a ribbon for the first time for an obstacle course. You had finally started gaining some weight and by the time fair rolled around you were up to 65 pounds. We were very excited as we were always so concerned that you never developed normally internally due to your size. Everyone kept coming to see the baby and we would tell them that you were getting close to 2 years and then tell your story. You and Nick were entered in the adult male showmanship class this time and the judge thought you should be in the weanling class. For a second year in a row the two of you walked out of the ring with a blue ribbon. We thought about entering you in the pack llama class and Nick was going to pack you through the course. Then your life came to an end. It may have been short, but it was filled with adventures and we are left with memories of the special time we had with you. We didn't get to tell you good-bye as you seemed to perk up after I got you to the vet and I was convinced that you were going to be able to fight whatever was wrong. So this is our good-bye to you and we know you are in a better place with lush green pastures and that you have Macho and Sport to keep in line. Good-bye little man we will miss you terribly, Gayle Paige | 
Llama Memorials 
