Rubbing Shoulders with Llamas

First thoughts about Llamas:

1. They are much larger than you would think.
2. As with most species (actually, every species besides human) in the animal kingdom, the males are much better looking than than the females.
3. Rubbing shoulders with Llamas is really quite fun, once you get over the smell.

On November 14th, I joined a group of students volunteering at the Hare Krishna Temple in Spanish Fork, UT (utahkrishnas.org). They have a beautiful temple there where they do yearly festivals such as The Festival of Colors, The Festival of Lights, etc. Every year, this wonderful group of people helps with the Annual Hunger Banquet put on by Students for International Development and so we decided it was finally time to return the favor.
After meeting at the Duck Pond south of campus, we caravaned to Spanish Fork and made a beeline for the temple. After respectfully removing our shoes, we were given a brief tour of the temple and divided into groups for volunteer work. I opted for the outdoor "destruction" team, despite the cold, and we were promptly led to a fenced-off area wherein dwelt the llamas. My group was immediately put to work by a formidable member of the Hare Krishna community who had a slight British accent. Our job was to destroy the old crate-like feeders and scrap the remains. When asked how we were to destroy the feeders she replied, "With ferocity!" We were given one pick-axe sort of thing and a sledgehammer which we took turns using. By the end of destroying the crates we'd invented quite the system. Very fun.
After destroying feed-crates to our heart's content, we were invited inside to enjoy a vegetarian buffet and look around the bottom level of the temple which houses all sorts of Indian-style crafts and cloths that are (conveniently) for sale.
Here we are, tired, but happy. See me with my Harvard hat and Evan's Hairstyling College sweatshirt (quite the combo)in the front row?
I think I should also add that they really put us to work (which was awesome!). In fact, I was pretty dang sore for the next few days. Embarrassingly, this doesn't take much. I'm still sore from playing air hockey with Derrick at the cabin this last weekend.

Feeding the now-starving llamas. They'd been waiting around for their food for a while before we'd finished. Notice the lovely new feeders the other group had built?

• I think it's quite neat the relationship this community has with the far more prevalent LDS one. They were extremely welcoming and courteous to us and others that had arrived to volunteer. I hope to go back very soon for a yoga class they offer on Saturdays. Namaste.