New Yaks and New Friends - The Move Odyssey: Day 12

The morning starts with a drive out to the land. Based on the realtor's info and a copy of a map she emailed us, we should be able to find the place. If things haven't gone horribly wrong.

Things HAVE gone horribly wrong.

We confirm at least that we DO have the right road. But we still can't find the place. We make it back up to the gate and Quantum hikes around it, and it looks like several new shacks and some low wire. Could be somebody bought the property before ours, could be squaters. Quantum has heard rumors of gangs squatting on land and growing illegal plants, so he's not comfortable, and gets us out of there.

Back in town it's time to meet the yak folks and pick up our girls. T has graciously agreed to put them up for us and won't even let us pay him. We resolve that he'll get yak cheese, eggs, anything we can do for him.

We meet the yak folks at one of the gas stations and our three ladies are in the back of their truck. They're a bit smaller than I'd imagined them (which is a plus, frankly) and absolutely gorgeous, with big dark eyes.Yazoo is now almost as big as Yonkers, her mom. Yeti Star is just adorable. We cause quite a stir, with several people who've never seen a yak wanting to look into the trailer.

We take them down to T's place and I meet his wife R. They've set up a small corral made of corral panels for us, and have a watering trough put together. We unload the girls. They're a bit standoffish. I've brought them some apples as bribes, but they're being shy and they've never seen an apple before, so they don't recognize them as treats.

T is as cool and more than we'd known from yesterday. R is absolutely fun!

We have a great time hanging out, and by the time we leave, I know we're going to keep these folks as friends. T not only is helping with the yaks, but he wants us to take apples from an old orchard he has, we talk about making beer and wine and cider. He offers us firewood from his land. I don't know how we're going to repay this wondrous generosity. He does mention he wishes to have a brick oven, and we realized this is something we might be able to help him build. R is cool and funny, and is just dying to show me her horses, but Quantum is in a hurry to get back and deal with the land problem, so we'll do that tomorrow.

All the time we planned our move to CO, we've fantasized neighbors like these. And maybe BECAUSE of the land/yak problem, we've run into them and connected perhaps much sooner than we would have otherwise. I'm thrilled.

And the yaks are wonderful. They're shy yet, but I have no doubt we can wheedle them until they're comfortable with us. Already Yazoo and baby Yeti have appeared curious, but they're taking cues from their mama. She's having fun mock-charging the fence, trying to scare me.

The yak people are way cool also, and she gives me some great pointers for dealing with the girls.

By the time we leave T&R's place we're both glowingly happy and excited. For the new yaks, for the new friends, for the wonderful plans and plots that seem to be working themselves out. Even though we're having trouble finding the land, our new life in CO is looking very happy.

Mid evening, T calls me to let me know where the Feed Store is and that they close at noon on Saturdays, and suggests we should probably get a salt block for our ladies (one of the things the yak people had suggested, along with several other supplements) since they're out in the heat. I'm touched by his concern and am feeling truly lucky.