Most alpaca owners have heard the phrase “Alpaca Lifestyle.” I recently asked a friend “what does the Alpaca Lifestyle mean to you?” That got me thinking…what does it mean to me? Living with alpacas has enhanced my enjoyment and appreciation of the lifestyle we embraced nearly 38 years ago. It was then that we left Southern California and moved to the quaint town of Fair Play in Southern El Dorado County. We still live in the same house on seven acres in the same community. Instead of leaving our piece of paradise to drive 100 miles round trip to a job, I now get to great each day knowing my “job” is just a few steps away. I can take the time to enjoy our beautiful view, smell the clean air, and look out over the fields filled with magical and mystical alpacas. For me, in no particular priority or order, the alpaca lifestyle is about: • being greeted by the barn cats each morning looking for their breakfast, • being greeted by the livestock guardian dogs looking for their breakfast • walking among the female alpacas, either cushed or standing, in the barn waiting to have their hay refreshed • walking out to the “big boys” area to check on their food and to make sure all is well • gently putting my hands on the cria(s) so they will learn to trust me • having to walk over and around our alpacas because they do trust me • waiting in great anticipation for every birth • being present and experiencing the miracle of birth • discovering that the dams can in fact have an easy birth and healthy cria without me being there • the relief and joy of the birth of a healthy cria • watching the bonding that goes on between the mother and offspring • the worry and concern that comes when an alpaca is injured or ill • successfully pulling an alpaca through an injury or illness • mourning the loss of an alpaca (or any animal on the ranch) • getting my hands into the wonderful fiber our animals produce • making products from the fiber our animals produce • the wonderful and supportive extended alpaca community • the close friends we would have never met if not for the alpaca community • the experience of participating in alpaca shows • educating and mentoring new alpaca owners • the physical work that comes with caring for the alpacas and the ranch • the educational opportunities • identifying fiber traits needed to advance the fiber industry • how to make breeding decisions that support the industry • how to build and manage a successful alpaca business Living with alpacas is a sensory experience beyond description. From their big spellbinding eyes to their luxurious fiber alpacas are beautiful to behold. Watching the crias run and pronk brings an instant smile to my face. They communicate with their body language and the soft humming sounds they make are so soothing and relaxing. To me, as a down to my bones country girl, I love the smell of fresh hay. And some of the minerals and supplements I feed smell good enough to eat! When it comes to the sense of touch who can resist putting their hands deep into or on the fiber? This is far from a complete list or description. For me there is so much more. What does the “alpaca lifestyle” mean to you? By Dianna Jordan, Alpacas of Somerset Farm