*The Call* critters and bees - OT

[Guest guest]

Saturday was quite a day! and I went down to the Spring Fair

for a 'day off'. Ate a bit of decadent food and then comes.....

*the call*. " your animals have broken the fence and are loose on

the street! " Not what I wanted to hear. So we rushed out of the

fairgrounds, Got stuck in the slowest traffic I have ever seen, and

finally were approaching the house, when I baled out of the car, lead

rope in hand.

The critters had made their way diagonally across the street and

were munching grass there. They were fine. Thank goodness!

Traffic was backed up all four directions, The police were there

directing it, and more on the way. Animal Control was there, a very

nice young man, but I suspect his experience is mostly small animals

instead of livestock, and a retired large animal vet was also on the

scene.

Baby, my Percheron, was not going to come to me. I forgot I

had a new beekeepers baseball hat. She didn't quite trust that

hat! , our llama, well..... he's just plain not sociable, so

catching him is another matter all together. Thing is, with

out, Baby is not going to go in!

After I remembered about my hat, and stuffed it in my pocket,

things went more smoothly. I still had to follow them around while

they kept me at bay through four of the neighboring properties. They

did much better through the brambles that I did. The advantage of

having longer legs, I think. Well, that and not having clothes to get

stuck on. I just didn't think the neighborhood was quite ready for

the sight of me chasing my critters in the nuddy.

I finally got a lead rope across Baby's neck and shoulders. I

don't know why it works, but she then knows she's *got*. After that

I can get ahold of both ends and get a bit of control. The Animal

Control officer had offered me his halter, and since hadn't

arrived with her halter and the grain bucket yet, I accepted. LOL

It wouldn't even go over her schnoz. Not that she was going to let

me do that with that scary clanking buckle on it, anyway. Thankfully

in the meanwhile john had arrived with grain and her own halter.

I got that on her and half the battle was won.

siddled up behind me and whispered, remember what I did

with Derrek (our previous llama)? I nodded my head and the circus

was on! got as close as he could to . Then launched

over and grabed him by the haunches, wrestling with him hand over

hand to the neck where he got him in a bear hug. weighs a

bit. When he becomes an anchor stops. The astounded State

Patrol officer exclaimed " he's nuts! " . I'm sure that's going to be a

story for her grandkids, someday.

I hollered for the Animal Control officer to get that lead rope

over to them. They got it on and led him off towards home.

Baby of course wanted to dash off after them, as thats her herd

mate. She kept almost dumping me in the ditch. I had to keep

turning her in a tight circle to mantain any control. LOL She's 16

hands 3 inches. Good thing she didn't try too hard.

Got 'em back in the yard, slammed some tougher boards up, got

my citation for my animals being 'at large', and was just going to

take a breather and then comes.....*the call!* Its , calling

from the back of the house, " You have a swarm of bees back here! " .

So much for taking a break. I came around the corner and sure

enough, there was a swarm on my garden fence. was standing way

back, as he is allergic to bee stings. We thought maybe my bees had

swarmed, but mine were just the same as they had been, and this was a

*huge* swarm! I donned my bee veil and scooped them up gently with a

shovel, got them hived. Never got stung once! They are very happy

campers. They like their new house!

So after about four hours total we went back to the fair. I

think it was fun. I'm still too tired to remember! LOL.

e

Who is now feeling more rested after four days.