June 1, 2017

Good Morning,
     Happy first day of June.  It is here and in sunny, beautiful fashion.  Today looks to be a great opportunity to spend some time outside doing projects, in which I hope everyone else is able to enjoy some time in the woods. Yesterday's high tabbed 62 degrees, and our overnight low was 46.  Guests were treated to a fabulous sunset last night, and there was no new precipitation.

     Oh yeah, it's that time again.  Our next llama to garner some special attention is a youngin'...RAINBOW REUBEN!!! Just look at that cute face.  Now surely some of you are wondering how on earth this particular packer earned such a name.  Generally, our boys receive shorter, one to two syllable average American male type names.  It helps if you're needing to get said llama's attention that you don't have to spend more time and energy just trying to pronounce his name. But sometimes, it's fun to step outside the lines and assist in giving one of these critters some character.
     Reuben came to the farm at a young age, donning a pink halter - unusual for a LeConte llama - and an obvious white patch on the forehead.  I was presented the opportunity of naming this little guy, an honorary first, so I wanted to make it a unique one.  I wanted to try and tie his name in with the mountain in some manner, much like Clifford Cliff Tops.  Given his physical appearance, the spot on the forehead represented where a unicorn horn could have been, and then to include that pink halter, it seemed like all that was missing was a rainbow to complete the ensemble.  Well, that solved part of the naming process, why not incorporate Rainbow Falls?
     I also felt it was important for him to have a surname, but one that would roll off the tongue and accompany the first name effectively.  Somewhere in my thinking process I turned to the subject of food.  I narrowed it down to a favorite sandwich, one that would also use some alliteration, which of course led me to Reuben.  Thus, a new adorable llama gained a proper identity...Rainbow Reuben.
     Fortunately for me, Chrissy, Alan, and Bonnie were accepting of this submission and it stuck.  They were less thrilled with my second choice...Myrtle Meatloaf.  Maybe we'll try that one again in the future!  This is just one example of the naming process when it comes to our famous fuzzy friends.  Reuben is small in stature, much like Kramer was, but he's already completed his training and is catching on to the packing routine quite well.  We're so proud of his progress.  He's still a little skiddish around new people, so if you have the pleasure of seeing him on the trail, please admire him and the rest of the team from a safe place along the path.
     Thanks for stopping by the site and have a great afternoon!