The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

PRESCOTT - After losing Izzy in January, Tawnya and Mickey Richards have decided to begin another dromedary journey. Izzy left a big hole in the community and the Richards family's hearts. Hearing how his friends and neighbors felt about the sweet boy, Mickey knew they missed Izzy. However, finding a new camel was not only about the community. Mickey misses his friend of 17 years.

Mickey asked Tawnya what she thought about a new camel. She was on board but asked if they could look for a baby white camel. He warned her that white camels are rare and might be hard to find in the U.S.

However, he quickly found a beautiful, white, and geographically desirable baby boy. Their deposit was accepted, and Rizzy is on his way to Washington from South Dakota. He will be weaned in May at six months, and the Richards will be able to make the drive to bring him home.

The Richards are making plans, preparing the pasture, upgrading the trailer, and looking forward to introducing Rizzy to the community. Mickey will take Rizzy for his inaugural walk through Waitsburg, following in Izzy's footsteps.

Mickey said Izzy was weaned at one month, bottle-fed, and did not see other camels after. Rizzy is still part of a camel herd with his mom until May. Mickey said there would be a bit of a culture shock for the new arrival; it took Izzy about a week and a half to settle into his new life. The Richards have plenty of animals and people at their property in Prescott to help him ease into his new life–one pre-approved by the legendary Izzy.