Raising alpacas isn't all just going to the shows or utilizing the fiber; there is so much more that alpacas have to offer. They are such personable animals and truly have personalities that make everyone feel better. For us we like to share the relaxation of being around alpacas with others and often make trips out in the community with them. We have been to local nursing homes and also have spent time at our local feed store. It's a great chance for people to meet these remarkable animals and for us to talk to fellow animal lovers. We had a local retirement community come visit our farm not to long ago and the people and animals just clicked. Of course the babies and yearlings were a big hit, as some are still young enough to be carried around, which allows for easy petting. The biggest shock was one of our six year old mothers. She had visited nursing homes and went to shows when she was about six months, but hasn't done much off the farm since. Now she is one of our tallest females and around two hundred pounds (not too overweight either). She was hanging around the fence, so we just thought we would see how she would react toward the people. Once on the halter and in front of her audience, her demeaner completely changed. The residents were all sitting in chairs or wheelchairs but she went right up to them and stood there, shrinking herself down to there height, and even gave some residents a "kiss". Today, we were at our local feed store, Tractor Supply, for the afternoon with two of our little ones, Rachel Alexandra (6 months) and Karrington's Kale (4 months). For both of them it was there second time on the halter and the first time away from their mothers. Alex and Kale are both so full of energy and love racing through the pastures with all the other babies. Today though, they were both very calm and stood very still for all the curious visitors that came to pet them. It was a great experience for all of us, as the crias enjoyed the attention and we enjoyed meeting and chatting with the many animal lovers that passed by. Alpacas are wonderful animals and can bring so much happiness to people. That's just another reason why we love raising alpacas. It's simply seeing the joy that they can bring to whomever's lives they encounter.