I have one hospital patient to round on. So I drove in.
It's pretty damn cold out today.
I'm in the suburbs of a large, modern, American city. Generic suburbia.
And I had to slam on my breaks to avoid a llama running across the street, being chased by a man on a horse.
WTF?
No, I don't live anywhere near a zoo, or movie set.
That's pretty awesome. Every so often when I lived in Chicago, I'd see a group of people riding their horses down the Midway Plaissance. Never a llama though.
ReplyDeleteMaybe the circus is in town?
ReplyDeletego ask alice
ReplyDeleteYeah, I've had those mornings. There are a lot of farms around us, and all sorts of critters get out. A couple of farms over, they raise thoroughbred race horses. A couple of those that get free will bring out the sheriff and fire department.
ReplyDeleteMaybe you should see a neurologist about those hallucinations you've been having.
ReplyDeleteWow, and I thought your previous post was kinky.
ReplyDeleteDid the man have sandy blond hair and a beard? Was he distracted?
ReplyDeleteAlpacas. They look like llamas, but with one important difference: the 2003 Jobs and Growth Reconciliation Tax Act gives immense tax breaks to alpaca farmers. Suddenly, everybody with a large backyard and income to shelter buys alpacas. Your tax dollars at work.
ReplyDeleteLOL.
ReplyDeleteWas it the Old Spice Guy? "I'm on a horse!"
ReplyDeleteDid you notice what the llama was wearing? Could you've picked it out of a line-up?
ReplyDeleteYep definitely could have been an alpaca. At least it kept you awake while driving & gave you a story to blog about!!
ReplyDeleteFugitive llamas (or possibly alpacas) are not unheard of...
ReplyDeleteLOL!
ReplyDelete(Literally)
<>< Katie
I know...you've been singing the llama song.
ReplyDelete(http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/llama)
It has been known to attract them.
Better stop.
>:p
My kind of Sunday drive!
ReplyDeleteChrysalis has it right, I think. Calling Dr. Rob!
ReplyDeleteI don't know what kind of vibes you are sending out to the universe, but you sure attract a LOT of weirdness, don'cha???
ReplyDelete;-)))
Where you hallucinating a scene from the Monty Python skit "llama" and dressed in Argentinian garb?
ReplyDeleteDid anyone see my llama? I seem to have misplaced it.
ReplyDeleteWe have roving bands of ferrel peacocks here in Florida.
ReplyDelete*teardrop* Reminiscent of scenes from old country!
ReplyDeleteThat was just the right amount of laughter required to wake up on a sunday afternoon after a night shift!
Yes, calling Dr. Rob. http://distractible.org/
ReplyDeleteFirst thing I thought of. he,he
I have just one question.....
ReplyDeleteWas the llama wearing red pajamas and running away from his Mama?
Maybe it was a yak and the guy on a horse was the yak herder?
ReplyDeleteI think you overdosed on either the goldfish crackers or the plastic bags, that's what I think.
ReplyDeleteI was once taking a shortcut through a hoity-toity neighborhood to get home once. Had to slam on my brakes for a peacock sunning itself in the middle of the road.
ReplyDeleteLlama: the new chicken!
ReplyDeleteWhere I grew up (in northern New Jersey, not somewhere exotic) we had baboon problems. The Jungle Habitat theme park was just up the road and the baboons were always getting out. If you had them in your yard, you had to call the fire department (the firemen would blast 'em with fire hoses so they could be captured).
ReplyDeleteReminds me of the family in Los Angeles county that looked out their window to the backyard and saw a real live momma bear with her two cubs taking a swim in their pool.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSew7eYbaZw&NR=1
The above video -- the location is Monrovia. It is NOT the wilderness so to see a bear in the backyard probably is as bizarre as seeing a llama cross the road being chased by a dude on horseback.
The bear obviously came down the San Gabriel mountains but Monrovia is not at the base of the mountains. He had do some traveling through populated areas to get to where he ended up for his swim.
I can't even imagine the shock I'd feel if I saw that in my backyard but I would be videotaping it for sure.
It must have been the drama llama making sure he spread around enough drama for your stories. Good sighting!
ReplyDeleteNo llamas around here but I live in a nice middle-class neighborhood right around the corner from the Krogers (grocery store chain) and one of our neighbors has several peahens & a peacock. Fortunately they're quite car savvy but they do enjoy an occasional romp through the neighborhood!
ReplyDeleteWhat's the differential diagnosis on hallucinations?
ReplyDeleteI was driving down a major boulevard in St. Louis County, doing the posted speed limit, of course, when suddenly a donkey burst from the side of the road in front of me, followed closely by a guy on an ATV. I proceeded to the next light (a hugely traveled intersection) to find several police officers attempting to restrain several horses and that donkey, but it was obvious that they were not used to horses and were losing the fight. And so many confused cars! This wasn't the country; it was a fancy suburb, but here's this donkey, probably laughing his donkey butt off at everyone!
ReplyDeleteI have seen llamas in the back yard of one huge home in the ritzy River Oaks section of Houston. I have a neighbor in Bellaire, TX, who has llamas in their back yard. That same neighbor has recently photographed coyotes and a bobcat in their back yard, eating their pet deer. This is in the city, not some bucolic suburb.
ReplyDeleteI was paged by a llama farm this weekend. The caller hung up without leaving a message, so I didn't find out the nature of the emergency. As I don't do llamas (or alpacas), I figured it was a wrong number and didn't pursue it further.
ReplyDeleteDo you think...?
I once had to break for a baby cow running down the middle of the street with a guy on a tractor chasing it. I live in the same type of area you describe.
ReplyDeleteI think your situation was way more interesting!
Dipping in to the RX cabinet?
ReplyDeleteI'd say it's time to lay off your patients' Oxycontin.
ReplyDeleteCentral Heights AL?
ReplyDeleteA zebra escaped from the traveling circus downtown Atlanta a couple weeks ago and was found walking down the interstate. Needless to say it caused more traffic than usual. I thought if I was driving down the interstate and saw a zebra I'd think I had gone off the deep end.
ReplyDeleteRodeo time here in Houston. Alas, a "bucking bull" escaped in the middle of the city.
ReplyDeletehttp://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=7319384
I was that 8-month-pregnant lady in TN about 11 years ago chasing down a rogue llama near a busy street at my MIL's farm. Ugh. My parents now raise alpacas.
Grumpy, there must be a llama magnetic gene or some such shit.