s e v e n i s a j o u r n e y

What are you willing to sacrifice for your friends, for honor, to get the job done? In Dunedin this weekend, I might not have given it my all, but I gave my pants. For science.

It was the 2007 alpaca conference. I had foolishly asked the “do you need any help?” question. I took up the call, went down early, and did the scut-work that helps make a conference run well. On Thursday afternoon that involved helping to load and unload animals that were being moved around fro various workshops. The little newly weaned ones were fine, but when it came time to load a massively pregnant girl onto the back of the van things were a bit more tough. A mighty heave got her aboard, but at the cost of my pants, but not my dignity. No fear there, nothing to lose. At least I had emergency pants. Always travel with emergency pants.

The conference was great. Super-informative. I have pages and pages of notes in additional to the comprehensive conference book. It was all rather exhausting, though. I was completely “on” for the entire time (7Am to 11:30 PM, for 5 days) in what has been most eloquently described as “The Stephen Show.” Which is even measures entertaining and alarming. I am sure I left a strong impression in the minds of many of the guests and delegates, an impression that will take major medication and years of therapy to remove.

My talk on Sunday went very well. It is always a good sign when internationally reknowned camelid vets are asking you to mail them your data, and asking when you plan to publish it all. I guess I should start working on that. It would be good to get the peer-reviewed publications rolling again after a few year hiatus. I have also been asked to give the talk again at other conferences.

It does seem that we are in fact the only people running national health surveys. I probably have one of the better alpaca morbidity and mortality databases in the world, now. I had Australians coming up and volunteering to send in their info, as there is no such service there. We shall see if the enthusiasm of the moment translates into action later.

Now to play catch up with all the things that need to get done. All the trips lately have really put me back on lots of projects. My hopes for a quiet winter where I could work on my book don’t seem to be coming to pass.