Another Day at Addie Acres

I opened our back pasture today. It had been sealed off to all grazing animals for about two months so the grass would grow long and tasty. The more grass we had, I reasoned, the less hay I would have to feed them and the more money in my pocket. I walked out there to open it up, and every animal ran to the gate and stood there before I even got close. It’s like they had ‘green grass radar’! I wished I had my camera as I walked shaking my head all the way to the gate. Waiting for me to hurry up were three llamas, one alpaca, a donkey and two goats with non-stop baaaahhhing. I did my ‘crazy farm lady yell’ so they would move. Did … not … work. I swear they huddled closer to the gate as if to say “Let the games begin”!

Boy llama Sammie nudged lady llama Sweetie out of the way which made her angry, so she spit on him. This in turn caused alpaca Lincoln to head bump her out of spite. And, you guessed it, that sparked llama Violet to come to Sweetie’s defense and she spit a green cud at Lincoln who turned around and spit back! Oh brother, all that drama in less than 10 seconds or so. That gave Dunkay the opportunity to sneak up to the gate so he could be the first one in!

So … the donkey was in my way because he stood next to the latch, waiting, watching. The llamas had since taken their dispute to the middle of the field which left me, a donkey, two loud goats and a couple of flapping chickens. I shook my head, pushed Dunkay out of my way, which by the way, was the wrong thing to do. That gave my mountain goat the opportunity to bully herself in front of me pressing her wet nose against the metal mesh, loud baaaahhing all the way. I then grabbed her collar, forced her behind me so I could finally open the stupid gate before the spitting gang hustled toward us again.

Guess who was there waiting to run in? Yup, our awkward pit-lab mix Biskapit! He got through the gate first and he wasn’t supposed to be out there. The sight of a Pit running around like a wild man as two goats pushed past me and Dunkay trotted close behind with his nose inches away from Dillon’s butt. I turned around to look where the gang was, They were stampeding toward me! I jumped to the side and snickered to myself as I knew four large animals cannot press through an opening made for a human, at least not all at once. Somebody was going to have to slow down and let the other ones go through first. Nope, they all ran toward the gate, three llamas, one alpaca … they squeezed, spit, grunted and shoved through the small opening together. Yep, that’s my life.