Stanton Drew explains why straw hats are so very tasty

Yee haw.  We’ve just had a hoedown

This was the first of 3427 photos (I counted) taken on the llama trek and everyone was up for it.  Dungarees and straw hats for our guests, halters and ropes for us

Stonehenge nibbled a hat (ok, he didn’t just nibble it, he chewed it) and passed it as ‘very tasty’ so we all dived in.  Straw is not quite as wonderful as hay, but they say you also eat with your eyes, and presented in this very appealing way we really couldn’t resist.  The hats were a bit frayed by the time we’d finished.  Yum!

Moai (Momo) stood calmly so his halter could be fitted.  Mo always stands very well for his haltering, and then he continues to stand.  When asked to ‘walk-on’ three yards to the side of the barn so he could be tied up for grooming he continued to stand so he was groomed in the middle of the barn

Ann Howe (Annie) stands calmly for the camera.  These two got on very well indeed and there was talk of Annie travelling home with her new friend.  New friend has a D. O. G. called Annie, so the bond was immediate.  We had to make sure there were still 15 llamas on the farm when our guests left

Me (Stan).  This is an unusual shot of me.  Normally I stand for my picture and just before the shutter clicks I put my ears down flat which amuses me.  Now, people prefer it when a llama’s ears are up for their scrapbook pix so I agreed just this once to keep my lovely long ears up.  I won’t always be so amenable, but I got on so well with the two-leg I was happy to oblige

Hazelton (Hazelton).  She needs to keep her energy levels up on a trek.  It seems as if she feels she could simply faint if she didn’t tuck in to a good ol’ bolus of grassy pellet.  So when we stopped a couple of times for photos she started ruminating on matters and food.  This explains why her face looks so funny in her photo.  She was caught mid-chew so looks like she’s yawning

Tintagel (Tinty) is my younger sister.  Demure is not a word you would use for this Southern belle.  ‘Feisty female’, ‘bit of a madame’ are the sorts of things you hear about Tinty, but again she was so gentle on the llama trek.  She is great and was happy for her neck to be gently stroked and was really lovWe posed for a group photo, nicely framing it with Hazelton’s and my backsides facing the camera

Walking back to the farm with Tintagel in front.  Tintagel used to lead walks but now prefers to be near the back for most of a trek.  She likes to step out on the final stretch and lead her sisters and brothers back onto the farm.  This is where all the food is after all!

Our guests posed for a photo at the barn dance but Annie didn’t care and strolled straight through the shot.  Everyone liked that

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