Last month, my story was about the four-horned Jacob Sheep we met on our summer family outing. Not only did we learn about these unusual sheep but we enjoyed getting acquainted with their owner, John Stegemoller. John is a neighbor of our son Doug and his family near Lebanon, Ohio.
Now in his 80s, John lives alone in his home, which was once a one-room school house. He is the father of a family of 15 children, 10 of whom are his biological children.
In 1992, John had a tragic accident. While helping take down a tree in a church yard, a large limb broke and struck him on the head. The injury cracked his skull, and he had other severe head injuries. The long recovery and the disabling effects made John’s future uncertain.
John had to use a walker and it was hard for him to get around. A neighbor encouraged him to take part in a 4-mile charity walk in Springdale.
Finally he agreed and to help John make the walk, he was given a companion — Yawkee the llama. John could lean on the friendly animal, and he was so encouraged he made the whole four miles. Yawkee was given to him and is still an important part of John’s animal family.
Llamas enjoy a good reputation among hunters, fishermen and packers. They are easy to train, have a tranquil nature and require little care. A mature male can pack up to a third of its body weight.
But it is only recently that llamas have earned new accolades as sheep and goat guards. They can be trained to guard the flocks and soon become very protective of them.
If a coyote or dog tries to attack the flock, llamas will use a variety of methods to protect them. They will run after a predator with the intention to either stomp or hit it with their legs and chest. They might place themselves between the predator and the flock or herd them into a safe area. Some llamas will sound their alarm call, a high-pitched, pulsating vocalization as soon as they see a danger.
Since it is a relatively new use for llamas, information about their guard work is limited. But some guard dogs are being replaced by llamas. The U. S. Sheep Experiment Station in Dubois, Idaho, recently bought llamas to guard their experimental sheep.
Yawkee was friendly to us as we petted and fed him. After learning John’s story, we could understand his love and appreciation for Yawkee. He more than earns his keep by being a friend, a pet and a working guard for the Jacob sheep.
John is generous with his animals, and Yawkee has been a 4-H project for several youngsters over the years. Friends, neighbors and groups of school children come often to visit John and his animals.
I stopped by later for a longer visit with John. One wall of his living room was lined with birdcages containing finches and a parakeet. The finches multiply rapidly, and John sells them for less than a dollar to children who want a bird. His theory is that if they have to pay a bit for a pet, they will take better care of it.
After our visit with John, we spent the next day at Kings Island. All but one of our grand children are old enough to go around the park without an adult. There was a water area and lots of rides.
The grandparents mostly walked around, ate ice cream and watched the water fountain show. None of the other shows were open, but we watched a rehearsal.
The day was beautiful, the people cheerful and the young ones had a lot of fun.
Our vacation experiences were coming to an end. Everyone but the grandparents stayed up to watch a movie that night. Where they found energy for such a long day, I don’t know. Finally, everyone went to bed.
On Thursday morning, Doug had to be out by 7 a.m. for a business meeting in Columbus. Ed and I were up but everyone else was still asleep. We sat quietly, looking out the windows at the clear bright morning.
Suddenly, there was a knock at the front door. When I opened it, a man said, “Do you mind if we land our hot-air balloon in your back yard?”
Not knowing what to say, I went to our daughter-in-law’s door and asked her. She sleepily said, “Sure, they can land.”
As it turned out, the balloon already had landed. It was still quite muddy so the balloon had to be brought to the front yard near the driveway to be loaded into a trailer. The balloon pilot kept heating just enough air to keep the balloon off the ground. The other handler easily pulled it around the house. What a sight!
We roused the rest of the sleepers, and everyone had a good look at the beautiful balloon. Even the neighbors and passing drivers stopped to get a view.
When the balloon was loaded and on its way, the family gathered in the sun room. We relaxed and visited for a while before breakfast and time to be on our way.
We were greatly blessed during this vacation with meeting interesting people, getting reacquainted with family and having new experiences.
Family outings can be fun and pleasant or full of emotional and physical stress. Our family has chosen to set aside any differences and just appreciate the time together.
Meeting four-horned sheep, guard llamas and hot-air balloons certainly made for a surprising and interesting vacation.
Carolyn Lafever of Hagerstown writes about topics of local interest for Maximum Living. To comment on this article, visit the forums at www.pal-item.com, e-mail maximumliving@pal-item.com or call (765) 973-4468.
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