We’re used to journalists getting things wrong when they write about us and our llamas in papers or magazines, but the lastes example takes things to extremes. The Pays du Limousin summer special lists things to do and see in Limousin over July and August. A guy showed up a month or so ago to take a few photos. He wasn’t a journalist and only had a scrap of paper with him which I assumed were directions. He scribbled a few names down on it and that was all. So it came as a complete surprise when someone said what a nice write-up about us they’d read in the magazine.

My heart sank. What had they said? So I went to get a copy and, oh boy, it’s worse than we feared. I appreciate that they want to promote us, but I’m aghast that no one thought to let me know what they planned to say about us and check some of the details. They’re pretty much all wrong!

First up, the intro says that you can have rides on llamas. Horrors! You can’t ride llamas, end of story, as their backs aren’t strong enough, and no one has ever ridden ours. So where this came from, I have no idea. Somebody’s overactive imagination! I hope we don’t have the crowd from the DSV round again this year. They turned up out of the blue last August, saying they were in the area inspecting riding stables and had come to check out our llama riding. We patiently explained that we were about trekking alongside your llama, not on it, and they went away happy. I’ll be cross if they do come round again because of this crazy article.

Next up, it says that we left Ireland because we couldn’t find land to set up a llama farm there and so came to France for that one purpose. We had seen three llamas at an agricultural show in Ireland and thought they looked interesting, but that was it. It developed into a joke with our eldest son after our arrival here, which is what led us to go and visit Bernard Morestin’s llama farm. We ended up buying our first llamas from him. Our llamas have only ever been a hobby, and still are.

And it goes on. Llamas don’t like rain (nonsense), apparently we offer ‘sportive’ treks with our animals (?), and people can stroke, feed and brush our llamas. The llamas could cope with the feeding, although Katrina would get grumpy, but as for the stroking and brushing – no way. They are happy to come up and sniff visitors, but don’t want to be fussed over. Llamas aren’t into that. The anonymous writer then says that we let children who weigh less than 40 kilos have a ride on our animals. And that they’ll also happily carry our visitors’ luggage.

Annoyingly the article says we’re offering free guided visits on Tuesday mornings, which was news to us, and that we have pigs, along with poultry and rabbits. Well, we have guinea-pigs. It also implies we run a pet farm, which we don’t, because that would open up a whole new can of worms concerning business registration, safety regulations etc. Oh boy.

I know someone meant well by writing about us, but they’ve potentially caused us a lot of problems with their rash and just plain wrong  statements. And I hoped for a nice, stress-free summer!