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| Harry looks across the bay to Damariscotta that he was about to visit |
“What did you see this time, Harry?!” asked little Opie, very excited, as Harry the llama and I returned form our outing.
“Many things of interest,” Harry said. “Many things. Some beautiful, some strange.”
Harry and I had just returned from one of our Window Walks to a nearby retirement home where we go regularly. Because of the The Covid virus, we can’t go inside, or be near the elders or staff, so I came up with the idea to do Window Walks. It gives everyone a smile even though we wish we could all be outside together.
But on our way home, I stopped in our little village of Damariscotta with Harry. I wanted him to hear and see new things, it would be good for his therapy training. The minute we stepped out of the parking lot, people of all ages were flocking to Harry. Shop keepers were coming out of stores to take his picture, cars were pulling over and windows were being rolled down so children could pet Harry. Even our gas station guys had to meet Harry.
“Did you get take out at Eider’s?” asked Earnest the pig.
“No, Earnest, I’m afraid not, maybe next time,” I said.
Earnest walked slowly back to his hut, head down like Eeyore, muttering, “I really would have enjoyed a grilled cheese and cucumber sandwich again.”
I let Harry into the paddock, and the donkeys and horses all gathered around him in a circle. I proceeded to do night time cleanup, but kept my ears wide open to the ongoing conversation.
“Tell us everything, Harry,” said Captain Sparkle.
And they all closed their eyes tightly, and listened to Harry as he described in detail all that he witnessed.
“There was an ice cream shop. They put ice cream in mobile little things and people walk about and lick them as they walk. Very odd, to see creatures eating and walking. There were signs everywhere! And lights that blinked. It’s not like here, the roads are black with yellow drawings on them, and the cars go both ways. All the windows have pretty things in them. I saw lots of beautiful children and they all touched me and looked at me like I was a God of some sort. And did you know that people buy little statues of lobsters and put them in their garden? Very perplexing.”
Paco the poet donkey opened his eyes and asked, “When you were amongst the buildings, could you still see the sky?”
“Oh yes, but it felt lower, and more cramped,” Harry said.
“I would like to talk more about the walking ice cream,” said the Teapot, the resident creature with a bit of a weight problem.
I was done with my chores and started to close up the barn. As I left, I heard Harry say,
“I have no idea what makes me so attractive to the humans. I’m just a llama,” he said.
“I bet it’s your haircut,” said The Teapot.
