Thursday, April 2, 2020
Alpaca mug -- coffee with heavy cream!
Do you find that as an alpaca lover, pretty soon everything you own either is made out of alpaca, or has a picture of an alpaca? Not that that's a problem-- I enjoy it--almost as much as I enjoy my coffee with heavy cream. (did I mention I've been on a KETO diet for a few weeks and actually lost some weight eating decadent things?)
The thing I like most about owning alpacas and living on the ranch is the ability to go outside and "commune" with them anytime I want. They are really good li read more...
Fromage pretending to be nettle
Happy faces waiting!
Cooper Ganache's fleece
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Monday, March 30, 2020
Juveniles on Lake Windy Hill shore
I think we're getting pretty good at Social Distancing. We've been practicing and practicing. The problem is, we miss everybody! So where one thing is a virtue, it causes distress on the other hand.
Someone sent me this parody on Sound of Music today. I enjoy parodies in general, but this one really hit the spot, so I want to share it with you. I laughed and laughed--one of those things that is SO good for the soul!
h read more...
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Tuesday, March 24, 2020
Have you ever seen such a sky! Real puffy clouds with no suspicious streaks running through them! Hawks (and ravens and turkey vultures) soaring, all sorts of smaller birds chirping and trilling and warbling, tractors humming on the other side of the ranch, an occasional car making its way down Bradley Rd. Yesterday we had quite a few people just out for a drive in the country with their kids stopping along the road to watch the alpacas for a few minutes. There's hardly any traffic on the r read more...
Klick and Kallie
Molly girl in a feeder box
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Saturday, March 21, 2020
It's been a beautiful day. A light breeze off the ocean with a strong salty scent. Blue skies, puffy clouds, green (almost) everywhere. Somis can look a little bit like Ireland in March with all the green. The blue sky belies the location, of course. I was in Ireland in July one year for 3 weeks. We had 2 1/2 days with some sunshine. There's always a price to be paid for green. We are just glad we have it for a few months in Southern California.
Usually we have boarders and friends v read more...
Lindsey and MacKenzie volunteering for us
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Friday, March 20, 2020
Our new tractor has arrived! It's a Kubota and we love it . (can you see the silly grin on Don's face??)
We have transformed the ranch in new ways in just 3 days.
Project yourself on the tractor as Don rototills some of the pastures. Feel the sun on your face, the smell of damp earth after the rain, the vibration--and thuds and lurches-- as you ride along with him. lol
Not all the alpacas were happy to see him, but nobody escaped when we let him through the gates. The girls in N11 didn read more...
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Friday, December 20, 2019
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsm1cAw9Dyo
Every night I am grateful for my livestock guardian dogs. They watch the fenceline, they discourage predators who lurk in places I can't see, and their barking makes me smile and go back to sleep.
This time of year, I think of some other shepherds--human ones--- who didn't have the luxury of a chainlink fence and a warm bed. They watched the Temple flock-- the one the sacrificial lambs were drawn from for the Temple in Jerusalem. And they were the ones to first hear of the arrival of the read more...
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Friday, July 18, 2014
STOP GLOBAL WHINING
I pulled up behind the truck, finally close enough to really read the bumper sticker: “STOP GLOBAL WHINING”. Humor is often based on a surprise—a word trick that suddenly spins the world sideways or upside down. This surprise made me shriek with laughter. I don’t really know why, but I giggled all the way home. It’s a good thing I was alone. I might have scared somebody.
Aside from the obvious reason it amused me, I was delighted to have a humorous reference to a pr read more...
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Wednesday, July 2, 2014
What will happen to our wonderful herds of alpacas in the next 10 years? Imagine with me for a moment what the alpaca industry might look like in 2024….
If we ask the man on the street in 2024 “What is an alpaca?”, we might get a variety of answers.
“Alpacas? Weren’t they like ostrichs? People used to pay ridiculous prices for them but the bubble burst. Now you don’t hear about them much anymore.”
“Alpacas? Yeah, they tried to make them into livestock. You know—sell the fleece to read more...
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Wednesday, July 2, 2014
What will happen to our wonderful herds of alpacas in the next 10 years? Imagine with me for a moment what the alpaca industry might look like in 2024….
If we ask the man on the street in 2024 “What is an alpaca?”, we might get a variety of answers.
“Alpacas? Weren’t they like ostrichs? People used to pay ridiculous prices for them but the bubble burst. Now you don’t hear about them much anymore.”
“Alpacas? Yeah, they tried to make them into livestock. You know—sell the fleece t read more...
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Thursday, June 12, 2014
What We Need for the Long Haul
The alpaca industry has undergone a shake-down during the recession just like all industries in the U.S. Prices have gone down, just like the housing market. Some breeders have trimmed their herds down to the very best. Some have taken this opportunity to retire. Most of us have had a long dry spell in alpaca sales. What used to pass for moderate quality alpacas are now relegated to the “rug yarn” herd…or even the meat market.
There ha read more...
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