A Face Only A Mother Could Love?

I recently showed the above photo to someone who had not seen alpacas before.  I keep that photo along with two or three others on my Palm Pilot and the photos are handy to show people who are not familiar with alpacas.

On this occasion the lady viewing the photos made the comment “that’s a face only a mother could love”.  I had to chuckle because that comment in some ways had more truth attached to it than the lady knew.

The photo is of our of our girls TeQueely, granted it is not the most flattering photo, but TeQueely is one very special alpaca and to see her face looking out at me from my Palm Pilot always gives my heart a lift.

When TeQueely was seven months old she contracted a tick paralysis – we nearly lost her, but a combination of a determined owner and alpaca with an incredible will to live brought TeQueely through her illness and today she is not only alive and well but due to have a cria of her own next spring.

As a result of the tick paralysis TeQueely was unable to stand up for approximately a month.  Her story is one that I am in the process of writing and is too long to fully recount here, but for weeks and weeks my life revolved around keeping TeQueely on the road to recovery and working with her so that she was able to walk again.  It was an incredible journey that taught me so much about how if an animal has the will to live anything is possible.

Today TeQueely walks with a limp, her top line is a little too rounded due to her improper gait and her toe nails on one side are always worn down, perhaps she truly is an animal “only a mother could love”.  Ironically her own mother abandoned TeQueely when she was sick, we believe that when Queen left TeQueely’s side that night she did so having given her up for dead.

The bond between TeQueely and myself is unique and a treasure, she will never be sold from our farm and will live out her days with us.  TeQueely knows full well that she is special to me and we have our little routine after morning chores when she sees me headed back to the house.  Her head goes up, her ears standing erect and she runs over to the gate to have the special treat I always give her.  Sometimes the treat is some fresh grass, other times leaves, sometimes a small handful of pellets, TeQueely doesn’t seem too concerned as to what the treat is, but she is concerned that it is there.  Interestingly she doesn’t do the same to Ric, if he’s doing the chores in the morning she goes about her usual business exploring the pasture and joining the other girls at the hayrack.

A face only a mother could love? Perhaps so, but hidden behind that face is a character and strength of will that many would admire, and I am forever grateful that I am the one fortunate enough to be that mother who loves that face.

Rosemary