Crosswind Llamas experienced the recent unbounded joy and honor of attending the very first national finals, the ALSA Grand National Llama Show.  Our solid black HGL Maria La Voe qualified twice during the show season to go straight to the national finals, once as reserve champion heavy wool female at the Virginia Classic in Lexington, VA, and once as grand champion medium wool at the Kentucky Derby Classic in Louisville, KY.  She qualified for the regionals by placing third at Llamafest in Lansing, MI.  We are looking forward to great things from her as a mom.  She has a beautiful, graceful stride and elegant stretchy neck.

Sonny (Canadian Sunrise), my very first llama, went to a new home in the hills of Irvine, KY.  It was difficult to let him go, but he will be extremely happy there.  He has a cool stream flowing out of a large cave, hills to climb, goats to guard, horses and other animals to be friends with.  Here at home he was just plain old running out of space.  He's a masculine kind of guy and had to be separated from other males.  Talk about a hiker!  Once we went to Big South Fork, just the two of us, and he followed along at the exact perfect distance, with the uncannily perfect amount of slack in the lead rope at all times.  When we came to a creek on our way out I didn't want to get my feet wet by falling off the small rock path, so I said, "Help me out, Buddy!"  He moved up to where he was exactly by my side and let me lean on his back with my hand until we were across, then went back to his spot at the rear.  Talk about intelligent and intuitive.  He has a nice new place but I will always miss him and love him and regret that I don't have enough time for him now.  Whenever I drive past his spot along the driveway, I can still see his big black eyes looking up at me intently as he rushed up to the fence below.  And when I stopped to put feed in his bowl, he would let me rub his neck and ears while he ate--if he wasn't too ravenous to be disturbed.

Hope everyone has a happy new year and a llama.
                                                                                     Linda