Gardens, Alpacas, Fiber

It has been a strange, warm, spring.  The garden is in and growing.  I must say it is way ahead of schedule and it looks like mid-June.  The animals are nicely sheared and though we have had some heat it is not really bothering them since they were sheared in April.  The pastures are nice and green and the last one has been opened up to the alpacas.  They are like little kids in a new toy store.  I really love these days of fresh cut grass, gentle breezes and fresh new growth.  However, I am acutely aware of the time I have before Alpaca & Nature Day-Camp sessions begin.  I have much to do, including getting all this alpaca fiber to the mills.  Tomorrow and every day will be very busy, but I stop from time to time and inhale the clean country air and get ready to delve in to the farm chores.

Shearing Day 2012

Shearing Day 2012 was a beautiful day!  I am so happy to be able to say this, because more often than not we shear on rainy days.  Our favorite shearer  was with us, Michael Banks from New Zealand.  He is is a fast and accurate shearer putting very little stress on our animals. We had a great crew of friends out to help and it was a busy day.  I was so proud of how well we had our cria fleeces blown out,  It was a lot of work but it did pay off.  I need to weigh the clip and then it will be time to dive into fiber.  I am still looking for a good mill if you have any suggestions.

The alpacas were treated to fresh , new, green pastures after shearing . . .I know they are happy!

Spring Time on the Farm

It has been the strangest spring with record breaking highs and a lot of rain.  We are happy to have spring here, but wonder what this weather will do for us in future.  Putting those thoughts aside we are enjoying the beautiful days.  We have limed, fertilized, aerated, and seeded three pastures and now we have two more to go, but they will have to wait until we can move the alpacas off them.  We are now seeing the green . . . yes, the beautiful tender green!  The alpacas are going to be so happy when we can move them onto these beautiful, rich pastures.
We have shearing coming up on April 6.  We are working getting ready for the event.  For some reason the herd has found all the leaves, sticks and general junk they can roll in.  I guess they don't understand how much time it takes me to clean their fleeces.
Halter training is in full swing.  Dancing Paws was led up on the deck and visited with Annie our indoor cat.  There is not a lot of leading done in the winter, so spring is a great time to get everyone back into walking with us.  Alexi, the cria, is doing exceptional in this area.  He is a delight.  The two weanlings are a bit more hesitant, but two are doing pretty well on the lead.

Alexi seemed to have discovered the joy of loping yesterday after the chute was opened after being closed for several weeks.  I truly think loping is a dance of joy.

Eddie looking out.

Maverick caught in the bucket.

New Hay Stacked in the Barn

We moved 60 bales of hay from the drive down the hill to the barn.  It was cold and a lot of work.  Our son helped us which really reduced the amount of time it took.  Thanks, Isaac, for all the help!  The alpacas are happy for the beautiful fresh hay!

Rain!

I was so happy for the rain.  I loved hearing the rain hitting the roof when I awoke.  It was exciting to hear the rain giving  the farm a drink, however it meant I was going to have a wet trip to the barn.  I was shocked to find it was only 37 degrees, burrrr!  The wind was gusting to at least 15 mph.  So, I bundled up and headed to the barn.  For the most part the alpacas were dry and happy, but mostly hungry.  Of course there was a lot of poop in the barn.  I noticed the cria was going outside to use the poop pile.  That certainly explained why he was wet.  I always have a towel in the barn, so I dried him off and put his cria coat on.  I don't normally put a coat on a wet cria, but I felt I had dried him fairly well and I knew he would continue to run out in the rain to use the poop pile.  This afternoon I will throw his coat into the dryer and warm it up before the evening sets in.
I thought about not separating Bess and J. Arbuckle, but I looked at Bess and how skinny she has become and knew that even with a rainy day it was important to continue separating them.  Sometimes you just have to push yourself into do the right thing.
I am back in the house, nice and warm in front of the fireplace.  Ah . . . I did make it through the first really nasty morning.  

Halter Training, poor J. Arbuckle.

Oh, poor J. Arbuckle, today he started halter training and he was separated for a much longer time from his dam, Bess.  For halter training, I put Frederica, Priscilla, and J. Arbuckle in the catch pen.  We walked around to the right for a while, then we walked to the left for a while.  I looked at their fiber and just hung out with them.  After a while I gently placed a halter on each of the young alpacas.  Priscilla did very well, J Arbuckle and Frederica, who is already halter trained, fought the halters.  I left the halters on the three of them while we patiently walked around to the right and then to the left.  As J. Arbuckle calmed down I removed his halter, next  Priscilla's  was removed. J. Arbuckle was separated from his dam for the day.  Frederica and I took a walk around the farm, something I have not done in a very long time.  I think she enjoyed the walk down through the gardens and through the back yard. I certainly enjoyed it.

J. Arbuckle and Bess were not put together until 10 PM.  Bess was full of milk and went looking for her son as soon as the gate was open.  Ah, life on the farm. . .

Frederica on the right.

Cricket watching from the tree.

Cold and Damp but All is Well on the Farm . . .

It is a grey day.  It is damp and chilly and my muscles ache.  Ugh!   But the barnyard doesn't seem to mind the weather as much as I do.  I say that, knowing full well that the rain kept them close to the barn last night . . . because the barnyard was full of poop.   Good news is that it all looks great and who ever was having mushy poop is now back to normal.  I hardly know what to do with moist ground and chilly temps, but I know I will figure it out.  Here are some pictures to share.

Alexi in his night time coat.

Al 

Cloudy

Cloudy

Pippilotta Long Stockings

Alexi is always in motion.

Bess

When we put Arbuckle back in with his dam, Bess, she let him nurse briefly then started  kicking him.  she knows this big baby needs to be weaned!  Her weight is way down and he is a  big boy.  We will continue to separate them in the day time and put them back together at night for a while.  But soon we will separate him from her.  It is hard for me to watch, but I know it has to be done.  I think it will really be hard for him when he has to separate from Priscilla.  Being only two days apart they have never been separated and are best friends.  Priscilla is not ready to be weaned.    We will have to watch that Arbuckle does not start nursing off of Freja.  I have seen him do that several times and she has not seemed to noticed.She too is very thin and nursing an additional cria would not be good for her health.


We got some rain later in the day.  The rain is not much, but we are so dry, anything helps.  I worked in the fiber cottage for a good part of the day.  I have a shawl on the 7 foot triangle loom and I am spinning up the fiber I dyed with pokeberrys.  The pokeberries sure made colorful fiber that is making a slubby yarn.

Time to Wean!

We found J. Arbuckle in with the new cria.  The day before, we had to separate him from the cria because he was playing rough with Alexi.  This morning  seemed a perfect time to begin the weaning process, so Mom went in with Delilah and Alexi and others and J. Arbuckle went in the other pasture with Priscilla Queen of the Midwest and her dam Freja.   Usually we would hear a lot of humming and carrying on but Bess was more than happy to be free of her big boy for the day.  This evening when we went to the barn dam and cria were reunited and J. Arbuckle could be hear slurping all the way across the barn.  Tomorrow morning we will separate them, once again for the day.

Alexi is now 14.1#.  He is growing fine.  He is full of energy and becoming more of a challenge to catch.  I got a good look at his  fiber, how nice to see the tight bundles and the popcorn look!  Oh I cannot wait until I can get my hands on his tui (fleece from first shearing) fleece!

Males Jumping Fences

Wow, nothing gets the adrenaline pumping harder than seeing the wrong alpaca in the young male pasture.  It seems Fionn and Maverick jumped the fence to the front pasture.  Maverick was interested in the greener grass and Fionn wanted to put the youngest male in his place.  This is  done by chasing, neck wrestling and mounting the youngster.  Fionn is a very big male and he does know that.  Rich and I quickly got the two larger ones back where  they belonged only to find Maverick was back over and the rest of the mature males were scanning the fence line to find a weak point where they too could cross.  Rich repaired the fence and we are set for another day.  We know we need to replace some fencing . . . soon.  We are just pleased that we do not have any fencing that is common for the males and females.  That can give a very different ending to the story!

I took Illapa on a walk.  He hasn't been haltered for a while, so it was nice to see he handle so well.  I like to take them out of the pastures and out among the gardens and pines for their walks.  Delilah and Alexi seem to have a stronger bond and she has become a very attentive mother.  I think she knows she feels better when he nurses.

Catching You Up

It has a been a busy time on the farm since I last posted.  Weather has been changing, cria born and an unexpected death Sigmund.  The weather could not be nicer and I feel a real rush to do all the the things I have put  off.  It is almost overwhelming.  


On Wednesday I went out to the barn, a bit late because a had a call from one of my kids that needed my attention.  I could see Delilah  in the back corral where all of them were waiting for me to feed them.  I really didn't think anything about it, so I started cleaning up the poop piles in the barn and in the corral on the east to of the barn.  I was getting ready to get the grain to feed them when I heard a little noise, certainly not a hum.  I went to the barn door expecting to find a mouse or bird being tortured by Critter our kitten.  To my surprise there was a small dusty cria stuck in the corner of the fencing.  Oh, what a surprise, as I really expected this one, at the earliest, next week.  At first I thought he was a dusty white, but I soon found him to be a beautiful beige.  Yea, a new color on the farm and one I can dye!  He has now been named Alexi Laiho by our son Isaac.  Pippi is a bit confused by it all as she recently lost a cria.  I think she will be Alexi's second mother.  Alexi only weighed in at 13#, the next day he was down to 12.6#.  That is normal for a cria to lose up to a half pound on his second day.  I am anxious to weigh him tonight.

The Hay is done!

Richard got the rest of the hay into the barn.  Our grand kids were here so I spent a lot of time with them while he stacked the last of the hay.  The barn sure smells good.

It sure does not look like much in this picture.  This is about 2/3 of the hay we put up.

Our granddaughter helped with the barn chores.  It is nice to have her down at the barn with us.  After the chores were finished they had a good time playing out on the rock pile.  The shadows were long and they had a lot of fun playing with their shadows.

Catchin Up

It has been along time since I posted anything.  I do so like the feel of journaling , so I am going to post at least once a week.  Maybe, now that I have stated that publicly I will hold myself to it.

The farm really had a good summer with 5 one week long day camps.  They really make me smile and I find they give me purpose.  I seem to a have  a need to be involved with teaching children about the wonders of my little world.  Some of my campers have attended all five summers and at least 12 camps.  I have so much respect for these kids.  Our camps were hot this summer, one day reaching 107.5 degrees!  Not one child ever complained about the heat.  Instead they draped themselves with cold wet hand towels and wash cloths and played fashion show.  They were creative, fun to be around and eager to learn all I had to share.

Please give me Warmth!

It is looking pretty out, but the thermometer just is not reaching for the warmer temps.  This wet, cool weather is really hard on people with Fibromyalgia.  I hate it when I whine.  I really am screaming for a nice, beautiful spring day when I have the time to be out working in it.  I have the Fiber Cottage looking good and ready for me to use, a major feat.  I just need a warm day to work in the gardens.  
Mother's Day is this weekend and I think about the woman I have become because of my incredible Mother. If she hadn't taken to me to the woods and taught me about nature, hadn't taken in those orphan rabbits, allowed the numerous gerbils and hamster, I am sure I would never have been the alpaca breeder I have become.  If Mom had not taught me to knit, sew, embroidery and so many other hand crafts I know I would not be a textile artist.  Most of all, Mom taught me to to mess and be alright with it.  Thank you Mom.
But, I am still looking for sunshine and warmth.

Spring, Spring, Where are you?

Where is spring?  After the hardest winter in my history, I impatiently awaited spring.  Now I am so disappointed that it has not really surfaced.  When we do get a rare warm day my "To Do" list is so long I have little time to really enjoy the day.  My husband had back surgery this winter and though he is back doing many things, his stamina is just not back fully.  That just adds to the list, I am so proud of his progress and both of us look forward to him being back 100% percent.
The vet students were out to the farm yesterday.  I love the students working out here, as it gives me teaching time.  They worked with several of the alpacas.  Today,  I am headed out to  the Fiber Cottage.  A 4-H knitting group is out tomorrow . . .ah what fun to introduce them to the beauty of alpaca fiber.
Winter was so hard, I really didn't have much energy after coming in from the barn.  One would think I would have really been productive, but I was tired after caring for the animals and I had little energy to put into creative projects.
If SPRING ever happens . . . I am so ready to start being creative.


PS - We are on cria watch! 

Major Winter Storm

I went to the barn and slipped all over the place.  We had barely had any ice, but just enough to make it difficult to walk in the corrals.  I think I have everything ready for the storm, but maybe I have forgotten something.  they are forecasting a blizzard and up to 21" of snow.  Winds up to 40 mph will cause major drifts and serious wind chills.  I have hay in the barn, straw and grain in the barn.  I wonder if the faucets will freeze up in those temps making it difficult to water the animals.  I worry about my fingers freezing . . . it is so different when you are the sole person to care for this wonderful herd.  Some how, I will do it, but I know I will have little energy for anything else.  I will keep you posted.Publish Post

Blogging, Once Again

There is a major winter storm headed are way.  This is the third or fourth major store in a row and this farmer is ready for spring.  It would be wonderful to go outside in shirt sleeves and feel the sun beating down . . .oh well.  This storm has it all, freezing rain, snow and snow thunder.  We are expecting an accumulation of 12" to 18" which is too much.  I have hay in the barn, feed in the barn, heated water buckets, straw and plenty of clean buckets to scoop soiled straw into.  Now we just wait.


It has been especially hard with my husband unable to help as he is having back problems.  He is improving slowly.
Time to hit the sack . . . it is nice to be back.


Alpaca Lady

Fabric with an alpaca design you can order!

Here is a link to Alpaca fabric designs that you can order.  I designed these because I can never find fabric with alpacas on it.  Enjoy, if you  to order some go through Spoonflower.
Alpaca Lady

Buster before and after shearing!

Shearing Day

Today was Shearing Day!  It is a day I anticipate every spring, with some dread, but mostly with great joy.  That dread is of all the preparation and extremely tiring work, the joy is for  the unveiling of the beautiful fiber our alpacas have been growing all year.  I love to see what the year has brought.  We sheared over 80# of fiber from our 15 alpacas.  Some of the fiber is okay, but most of it is outstanding.  This year, two of my premium fleeces were pre-sold.   I am happy that we have sold the fleeces, but a bit envious of the buyers, as these fleeces are crying to me  to touch and spin. 

We had a new shearer this year.  I liked the careful attention to detail and the slower pace.  I especially liked the animal being on a table instead of on the floor. Much of the skirting I do in the cottage was done right there on shearing table.   My back lasted the entire day, since I was not on the floor.   Rich prefers a faster pace and thought the work on his end was tougher.  I think we all would have been more pleased had the weather been nicer.  the morning started out fine but it was not long before the rain was beating down.  The storm continues tonight.  I believe when all is said and done we should have gotten over 5 inches of rain.  Ugh, Mud!  Little Buster got the chills after shearing.  we put a coat on him and he seems, once again, to be happy.

A very long day,
Alpaca Lady

New Sign on our Farm!

We finally got our new sign up, and I must say it looks very nice!

So what do you think?