Llamas in Lewisville

May 1, 2009 · By Deb Phillips – The Photo Gal 
Rivermont Llamas on Yadkinville Highway in Lewisville, North Carolina is home to a number of llamas who spend their days grazing and basking in the sun. Deb Phillips, photographer.

Rivermont Llamas on Yadkinville Road in Lewisville, North Carolina is home to a number of llamas who spend their days grazing and basking in the sun.

Diverse Population

It’s not every community that can boast of an outstanding llama population among its fine citizenry — but Lewisville can!

When traveling west on Yadkinville Road from Winston-Salem, you’ll eventually drive by the home of some prestigious llamas on your right, just shortly before crossing the Yadkin River. Their home is actually Rivermont Llamas, which is located at the original home place of Sattsgate Farm.

Photo Sessions

As I mentioned in Lessons from a Llama, my first encounter with the llamas occurred one day in February when I spotted several of them being backlit by a gorgeous sunset. I managed to click off a few good shots of them before the sun dipped out of sight. But to round out my photo coverage, I knew I’d need to return on another day.

A few days later, I pulled off the road at Rivermont Llamas, where some of the llamas were standing at the front fence basking in the morning light.

As I approached the llamas, to my disappointment, they scurried off toward the middle of the field. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a long enough lens to cover the considerable distance, so it appeared doubtful that I’d get any decent shots of the timid llamas.

Patience Required

On a hunch, though, I decided to hang around for a bit, and I began walking the perimeter of the property. Every time I glanced at the llamas, they were all watching me intently. I just kept walking. Time passed, and the llamas remained huddled in the center of the field — still watching me.

Meanwhile, I happened upon some beautiful low-hanging tree blooms, and I spent some time photographing them. (Those photos were featured in the Springing Forth post.) When I finished photographing the tree blooms, I resumed my walk around the edge of the property.

I was on the verge of calling it quits, when — all of a sudden — three of the llamas began making their way toward me. It was as though — after much deliberation on their part — a consensus had been reached among the “head honchos,” and they had finally decided that I was “safe.” So here they came!

CLICK to learn more about the LLAMAS and to view the PHOTO GALLERY

Lessons from a Llama

April 29, 2009 · By Deb Phillips – The Photo Gal 
A llama in Lewisville, North Carolina (Forsyth County) appears to bask in the light of a brilliant sunset. Deb Phillips, photographer.

A llama in Lewisville, North Carolina appears to bask in the light of a brilliant sunset.

Stunning Discovery

I might never have shown you this photo had it not been for a conference I recently attended called “Shame Off You.” The conference, held at Reynolda Church in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, addressed the symptoms of and the path toward freedom from the effects of shame.

Led by Senior Pastor Alan D. Wright, the conference was based on Pastor Wright’s book, Shame Off You. One of the “quizzes” we conference attendees took contained 24 statements that we were to mark as either “true” or “false.”

Once everyone had completed the questionnaire, Pastor Wright informed us that all of the statements were “false.” I was stunned because I had marked 20 of the 24 statements as “true.” Simply stated, those 20 statements represented false assumptions that I’ve built my life upon. One of those assumptions is:

“Perfect is always better than good.”

I’m slowly realizing that if I continue to measure my work, my goals, my relationships, and even myself against a self-constructed model of perfection, I’ll miss out on the “good” opportunities that will come my way. While I accept this concept in theory, in reality, it’s not easy to implement.

This “perfection” issue surfaced again this week when I considered whether to share the above photo with you.

CLICK for more on perfectionism and lessons from a llama

  • Photo Moments

    “Lewisville’s“Lewisville“The
  • VISIT THE PHOTO GALLERY

    Visit the LewisvillePhotos.com Photo Gallery
  • Photo Quote (Rotating)

    What I really enjoy about night shooting is that I'm not just recording fractions of a second of time, but minutes, and sometimes hours of time on film. —Stu Jenks
  • More Photo Moments

    Lewisville citizens pose at the Nissen Wagon at Shallowford Square in Lewisville, NC (Forsyth County).Held at Shallowford Square, the First Annual Best of Lewisville Festival was sponsored by Karate International of Lewisville and MediaFit.West Side Civic Theatre sponsored The Pirates of Penzance at Shallowford Square in Lewisville, NC.The Old Cemetery at Shiloh Lutheran Church in Lewisville, NC (Forsyth County). Photography by Deb Phillips.Shallowford Square with a beautiful covering of snow.Memorial Day Service by American Legion Post 522 in Lewisville, NC (Forsyth County)The home of Dr. Joe and Barbara Brooks in Lewisville, NC is surrounded by beautiful flowers of all types, especially daylilies.James E. (Jim) Munden, Sr. spoke about The Great Depression to the Lewisville Historical Society in Lewisville, NC (Forsyth County).Brad Craver and his sons Austin and Andrew shared about the Civil War with the Lewisville Historical Society in Lewisville, NC (Forsyth County).The 4th Annual Yadkin Valley History Fair & Conference - Transportation in the Yadkin Valley Before the AutomobileLewisville celebrates its 25th year of incorporation” width=A redbird claimed his territory at the Veterans Memorial at Shallowford Square in Lewisville, NC (Forsyth County).The Lewisville Historical Society sponsored a graveyard tour which included Lewisville United Methodist Church. Host: Ruth HartleThe West Side Civic Theatre put on a splendid rendition of Peter Pan at Shallowford Square in Lewisville, NC.Llamas at Rivermont Llamas in Lewisville, NC (Forsyth County).The garden of Robin McBride in Lewisville, NC (Forsyth County)The Lewisville Historical Society sponsored a Historic Graveyard Tour, including the graveyard at Lewisville Baptist Church.The West Side Civic Theatre produced the Hello, Dolly musical at Shallowford Square in Lewisville, NC (Forsyth County).A beautiful snow on a barn and field on Conrad Road in Lewisville, NC (Forsyth County).Sponsored by the Lewisville Historical Society, a graveyard tour was conducted of six graveyards in Lewisville, NC (Forsyth County).New Hope AME Zion Church in Lewisville, NC (Forsyth County) celebrated its 125th anniversary on February 1, 2009.Jones Grocery Store resides on Shallowford Road in Lewisville, NC, not far from the Yadkin River (Forsyth County).A visit to Shallowford Square in Lewisville, NC (Forsyth County) on a snowy morning.The Lewisville Sesquicentennial Committee and the Yadkin Valley Historical Association hosted an exploration of the Shallow Ford.Meet dog, Missy, who was walking with her master at Shallowford Square in Lewisville, NC (Forsyth County).Oklahoma! was produced by the West Side Civic Theatre at Shallowford Square in Lewisville, NC (Forsyth County).