tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76151026384818266822024-03-13T17:15:24.346-07:00Aragon Alpacas ~ a journeyTransforming our dreams into reality!Ann Dockendorfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14087868841723783711noreply@blogger.comBlogger54125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7615102638481826682.post-85214836578081598202012-05-20T07:57:00.001-07:002012-05-20T07:57:43.815-07:00Curious Adventures<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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As I was working in the garden this week, I noticed that several of the dams were
looking towards the neighbors' 30-acre field: there was an animal in there, just
on the other side of the fence, and not a deer. Hmmm, an alpaca... but I
couldn't tell which one it was other than brown with no white on her face. (I suspected the precocious Chantica or Aymara.) As I moved
quickly in that direction, I considered my options -- maybe not
enough time to go up to barn to get a halter, but the herding tape would
do.<br />
<br />
So I untied the webbing tape from the post where I use it, took it down to the corner area, and
found a place to climb through the barbed wire, which is what Ruana
must've done since I could see no breaks in the fence. I tied the tape to a fence post and around some trees to
box her in. Not quite a year old, she's a bit skittish so a
halter wouldn't have worked very well with her anyway. <br />
<br />
Ruana was staying near the herd, wanting to get back to them but still exploring the new area. And of
course they were all wanting to know how <i>She</i> got over <i>There</i>, could they come,
too?<br />
<br />
I pried open the very loosest of the barbed wire with some branches
and stretched an opening for her; I slowly moved behind her so she would go that
way and see it. She had had enough adventure and stepped back through to the safety of her herd. Whew!<br />
<br />
I collected the herding tape, climbed back through myself and found
several more branches to weave between the wires, taking off the slack. Mike
can pound some t-posts in and wire it up better, but that will keep them safe and
at bay for awhile.<br />
<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir295qTkz1WSfWW4lGm28JyxHY8ss9O_9ZZTnJXPjSgo_FQf4autPus-ich5hkWFPTUw0X6t733HnFM6HUMOf4VoY5MgBvixqWYCN6W0D4YMfOu6kyiDPM0Ij06ltupA0cF4Wch7nn1vY/s1600/ph_killdeer_nest_eggs2.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir295qTkz1WSfWW4lGm28JyxHY8ss9O_9ZZTnJXPjSgo_FQf4autPus-ich5hkWFPTUw0X6t733HnFM6HUMOf4VoY5MgBvixqWYCN6W0D4YMfOu6kyiDPM0Ij06ltupA0cF4Wch7nn1vY/s200/ph_killdeer_nest_eggs2.jpg" width="178" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Killdeer nest on the ground</td></tr>
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A friend had called just as this scene was unfolding and she stayed on the line
with me while I talked through what I was doing. Afterwards, walking back
among the alpacas, I heard a <a href="http://www.birdwatching.com/stories/killdeer.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">killdeer</a> squawking at them. I had noticed its
distinctive call the day before, too. I was
close enough to see that the bird was doing her
lame-wing routine, so I walked slowly in that vicinity until I spied its ground nest tucked beside a fallen branch. <br />
<br />
When Mike called me on his break from running the counting machines at Elections, he asked how my day was going so far...<br />
<br />
<br />
Two days later I returned to check on the nest. No squawking, and no eggs -- they had hatched, cleaned house, and run away!<br />
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<br />
<br />
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Life on the farm!Ann Dockendorfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14087868841723783711noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7615102638481826682.post-53396894788897438502012-05-12T07:18:00.000-07:002012-05-12T07:18:52.062-07:00Sheared, Gelded, and DeliveredShearing Day is one of the busiest and most stressful days on the farm, for both the alpacas and the humans. Being organized and prepared is key, as well as having a great team of helpers. And a great shearer, Steve Bell.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gryffin, Sorrento and Orion still wearing their coats,<br />Sundancer, Navarre and Troubadour are freshly shorn.</td></tr>
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Steve set up two shearing stations, so we were able to accommodate our herd of 49 all in one day. First we sheared the weanlings, then the pregnant dams, the rest of the females, and finally the males. Volunteers prepped each animal by calming them with essential oils while cleaning the fleece with a 'dusting' wand. Others assisted the shearer, gathered fleece into labeled bags, collected the sample to be sent off for micron testing, trimmed toenails and gave shots, and vacuumed the shearing station after each one. Next! And what's her name?<br />
<br />
The day flowed smoothly. We took breaks as needed, lunching in shifts. Each newly sheared alpaca was checked out by the others in their group. They get a bit embarrassed, sometimes they do not recognize each other. Mostly they are quite delighted when the ordeal is over, romping into the field, kicking up their heels.<br />
<br />
Shearing slowed a bit when we got to the adult males, checking their fighting teeth and trimming as needed. The best surprise was Troubadour whose fleece weighed in at 12.7 lbs.<br />
<br />
We were almost finished as a storm was moving in, and even though it was not in the immediate area, suddenly there was a power outage. Three boys left to shear! Steve returned a few days later to finish.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdPhLuPm-DeCsND09FatmqpIdKbXMtX13WwSm6yU_r70o-c4vg3RQ5bohiSKTfaVVcBArtTo2hrbUJu6nK6SNyDgwa6uwBkYxBUDHLH21wV5fO-SzXVAuN3PtHgnPGYKf7nDJH_PZZNek/s1600/ph_bluetails.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdPhLuPm-DeCsND09FatmqpIdKbXMtX13WwSm6yU_r70o-c4vg3RQ5bohiSKTfaVVcBArtTo2hrbUJu6nK6SNyDgwa6uwBkYxBUDHLH21wV5fO-SzXVAuN3PtHgnPGYKf7nDJH_PZZNek/s320/ph_bluetails.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Blue-tail gang: Tecumseh, Schubert and Opus</td></tr>
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Helping out at <a href="http://alpacabreedersconnection.com/RidgeView_Alpacas.html" target="_blank">RidgeView Alpacas'</a> shearing tipped the scales in my gelding decisions. Aragon co-owns Oso Blanco whose stunning fleece weighed 14.25 lbs! Good news for us, but bad news for two of our males who I was considering gelding. Oso cinched it, so they joined the line-up when Dr Pat came.<br />
<br />
Gelding male alpacas (after 18 months old) who are not intended to be used for reproduction helps to keep their temperaments calm and their fleece soft throughout their life. As fleece production animals, they are also useful in the herd in a variety of other ways: companion animals to either males or females, an 'uncle' to the weanlings teach them alpaca manners, and public relations animals who are not distracted by the urgency of breeding. <br />
<br />
After their minor surgery, the newly-gelded are kept separate from the others in order to monitor their healing. Long-lasting antibiotic wards off infection, and to minimize swelling, I gave them the homeopathic arnica montana. Their colorful tail wrap is left on for quick visual checks for the first few days.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Regalo (huacaya) and Opus (suri)<br />lovin' this grass!</td></tr>
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Now with shearing and gelding behind them, Regalo and Opus were finally ready to go to their new home, <a href="http://www.vrbo.com/199344" target="_blank">A Peaceful Sanctuary</a>. We loaded the boys into the van and drove them to Pam's where a new shelter and verdant pasture awaited. They watched the chickens who greeted the new arrivals with much chatter, and met the miniature Olivia, a rescue chihuahua. We stood back and observed them settling in as the proud new owner showed us all the things she had ready to care for them. We left knowing they are in very good hands, for we choose the new owners just as they choose their alpacas. And in this case, Opus and Regalo chose Pam, too!<br />
<br />
<br />Ann Dockendorfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14087868841723783711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7615102638481826682.post-86689604695552638072012-03-19T07:15:00.009-07:002012-03-22T12:55:53.953-07:00Il Vino Vita<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhikWPKkHo_sv8kRETrKEnFwl3jiq8Nj2LEjW0u2o4IWcyAzqrHbfm6kHpVFGIeeJiTp9fo9VztwhTfVFKPRXdS4nXwRDZjRihQPjHwXTmtmzB7LfV68aOAgk8u7FfPes0Fg6lDcxRxRP8/s1600/ph_sunshine_fencing.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="240" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5722757661072443330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhikWPKkHo_sv8kRETrKEnFwl3jiq8Nj2LEjW0u2o4IWcyAzqrHbfm6kHpVFGIeeJiTp9fo9VztwhTfVFKPRXdS4nXwRDZjRihQPjHwXTmtmzB7LfV68aOAgk8u7FfPes0Fg6lDcxRxRP8/s320/ph_sunshine_fencing.JPG" style="float: right; height: 150px; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 200px;" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunshine fencing</td></tr>
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Four rows of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Pinot</span> Gris are the starter population of our vineyard. Mike's vineyard. It's been his 40-year dream coming to fruition.<br />
<br />
Mike intensified his research on vineyard planting these past few months: what kind of posts, at what angle; how many wire supports; best row spacing for maintenance and harvest; plant spacing to allow sun and airflow for best canopy and fruit production. We acquired the parts list — we'd never build a fence by ourselves before. Some assembly required!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7IofEdX2gr2zDcmISgHCTofHvSIPOl5qfJafTCXRoPQWM4bCQ6_hfX_usW9ULqfPX55Ru_Cag6mGcH3vVsLbAsjE6_AUbOhXQsjKwv0i0sw8inT65rP9TKD2nrhjf69JG6cAwYWVQfKs/s1600/v_Smuggler-Trinket.JPG"></a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7IofEdX2gr2zDcmISgHCTofHvSIPOl5qfJafTCXRoPQWM4bCQ6_hfX_usW9ULqfPX55Ru_Cag6mGcH3vVsLbAsjE6_AUbOhXQsjKwv0i0sw8inT65rP9TKD2nrhjf69JG6cAwYWVQfKs/s1600/v_Smuggler-Trinket.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="200" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5722759977347565442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7IofEdX2gr2zDcmISgHCTofHvSIPOl5qfJafTCXRoPQWM4bCQ6_hfX_usW9ULqfPX55Ru_Cag6mGcH3vVsLbAsjE6_AUbOhXQsjKwv0i0sw8inT65rP9TKD2nrhjf69JG6cAwYWVQfKs/s200/v_Smuggler-Trinket.JPG" style="float: left; height: 200px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 150px;" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">onlookers Smuggler & Trinket</td></tr>
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<br />
The vine cuttings we rooted last year must be planted while still dormant, and we only have a few more weeks of opportunity before they 'wake up.' The ground is prepared — trenches dug months ago to 'fluff' the compacted soil — and the fence and gates are finally in place, although we allowed the weanling alpacas in to keep us company. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjUL7iKMjljIHWJLszffPbmMcqq1khm_m3WhJMQ3jshgdYyFhLUGM7MyCJbQOIN2iJVrBxIaftoG9j-fY609PoUbKRYMtIegzWHd6b6C4f3iApEr6sCaalD-vGnUu7qk9xvV5zI4guUjM/s1600/v_roots.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="200" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5722756605447069362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjUL7iKMjljIHWJLszffPbmMcqq1khm_m3WhJMQ3jshgdYyFhLUGM7MyCJbQOIN2iJVrBxIaftoG9j-fY609PoUbKRYMtIegzWHd6b6C4f3iApEr6sCaalD-vGnUu7qk9xvV5zI4guUjM/s200/v_roots.JPG" style="float: left; height: 200px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 150px;" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">roots uncovered in grow box</td></tr>
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<br />
Now to plant...<br />
<br />
The convergence of plant dormancy, reasonable weather, and days off has been the challenge.<br />
<br />
Digging up the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">rootlings</span> in the first raised bed proved to be harder than we'd thought. Most of the roots are strong, long, and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">tenacious</span>! Pitchfork engaged, we loosened the dirt and wiggled or tugged each one out.<br />
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Roots and stems are pruned before planting, and a 'grow tube' collar is slipped over it, ensuring a mico-climate that promotes growth. The tube is specially designed to enhance the sunlight while it buffers the plant from wind and drastic temperature changes.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kelly helps us!</td></tr>
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One day's work garnered not quite two rows of planting. Friends volunteered to come help, and by the end of the next day, and between minor onslaughts of sleet, we had four rows completed, 68 vines. Clippings from these will be rooted to fill in any gaps or to add another row.<br />
<br />
Waiting in the wings are about 150 pinot noir vines! We will start those rows at the top of the vineyard, leaving a blank area in the middle for adding to each type without mixing them. The weather is taunting us with two days of snow, but once that melts, we're ready to go at it again.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTGuPKnpJ8wFtbbXPNhI2nFVBFXCf9pajxW__WBAiYLg8SsTrBwVkU1W7ix_iYMWqLhwEHEZxEKi4Ue21pcR554IIj6OygeGzDEtPLUZqfGnQER2bdF9LpLU8Wshzd0G8P5RafCvDvmeI/s1600/v_gris.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTGuPKnpJ8wFtbbXPNhI2nFVBFXCf9pajxW__WBAiYLg8SsTrBwVkU1W7ix_iYMWqLhwEHEZxEKi4Ue21pcR554IIj6OygeGzDEtPLUZqfGnQER2bdF9LpLU8Wshzd0G8P5RafCvDvmeI/s400/v_gris.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View to a Vineyard</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Ann Dockendorfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14087868841723783711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7615102638481826682.post-79451057852867250942012-03-10T15:39:00.016-08:002012-03-10T17:25:05.499-08:00Spinning Camp<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC2Q3D9V-hXudgOm6-tkeQgf_e3YCt0W2aQxTk1keD8B1CWNe72oEhWbSlQFOQTtzJHiRy190IXatyiAmOMyzZZFqEXxdw0PcF89Jut399nMeWEBw0kdTvtfL85HEOFpAYybaDxIKIxBY/s1600/SF_prep.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC2Q3D9V-hXudgOm6-tkeQgf_e3YCt0W2aQxTk1keD8B1CWNe72oEhWbSlQFOQTtzJHiRy190IXatyiAmOMyzZZFqEXxdw0PcF89Jut399nMeWEBw0kdTvtfL85HEOFpAYybaDxIKIxBY/s200/SF_prep.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5718433809441214178" border="0" /></a>No, not the exercise kind of spinning that is so popular these days. Rather, the old-fashioned spinning wheel to make yarn kind of spinning. Besides small suitcases and our spinning wheels, we bring bags and baskets of fiber, roving, yarn, projects-in-progress, assorted needles, niddy-noddies, swifts, ball-winders, and books to share. Oh yeah, and an inflatable Scrabble table.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwl2Jx5VxhxzyefgFMUGVbW1pNvvtl1C1Bw9jpdiw6ynUO0vJcGRIVHZBlqg7apOT8qnqvbEKmxaDySXTcaQ3DnoypDIA7K1kukYvd-UWVxldQ3SqsZE3YogUwBtsW-jibpuVhV8hscag/s1600/SF_scrabble.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwl2Jx5VxhxzyefgFMUGVbW1pNvvtl1C1Bw9jpdiw6ynUO0vJcGRIVHZBlqg7apOT8qnqvbEKmxaDySXTcaQ3DnoypDIA7K1kukYvd-UWVxldQ3SqsZE3YogUwBtsW-jibpuVhV8hscag/s200/SF_scrabble.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5718433225089757394" border="0" /></a>It's the annual spring retreat for the EWES group (Eugene Wednesday Evening Spinners), held again at <a href="http://www.silverfallsconference.com/">Silver Falls State Park Conference Center</a>. We carpool as best as we can and show up on Thursday afternoon. Cell phones and laptops barely work here, so we're can remain submerged in our common world of fiber and creativity.<br /><br />There is no particular schedule other than to show up in the lodge for breakfast, lunch and dinner at prescribed times. No classes or meetings. Lots of walks in the forest, along the creeks or to the waterfalls. Naps. Lots of lively conversations, raucous laughter, catching up, whirring of wheels and clicking of needles.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUIOF2lir2Z7G5v6fclgdX7IsldPGVvxYgBqdjV_0YxQ19-FLkBcGVvkFYzeYqKbE_jFcZxSpZgaRFCHgQyZvDt5bKXWRFZGFtoce1RCa2ZyHw9L4R-PaQjEBhCUsDr6fbJg-rYeEov7s/s1600/SF_spinner04.JPG"></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUIOF2lir2Z7G5v6fclgdX7IsldPGVvxYgBqdjV_0YxQ19-FLkBcGVvkFYzeYqKbE_jFcZxSpZgaRFCHgQyZvDt5bKXWRFZGFtoce1RCa2ZyHw9L4R-PaQjEBhCUsDr6fbJg-rYeEov7s/s1600/SF_spinner04.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUIOF2lir2Z7G5v6fclgdX7IsldPGVvxYgBqdjV_0YxQ19-FLkBcGVvkFYzeYqKbE_jFcZxSpZgaRFCHgQyZvDt5bKXWRFZGFtoce1RCa2ZyHw9L4R-PaQjEBhCUsDr6fbJg-rYeEov7s/s200/SF_spinner04.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5718434377260926114" border="0" /></a>Most of these spinning wheels are not so old-fashioned: there are folding portable ones, sleek and modern ones, even electric spinners (4 of them in this group) that run on batteries and require no treadling. Beautiful wooden wheels constructed of cherry, oak, ash, and myrtlewood, some lovingly handmade, some commercial.<br /><br />A few of the regulars had other things going on this year, and although we miss them, there are some new faces that fit right in. A parade of life is represented by teachers, pharmacist, veterinary technician, nurse, author, computer geek, web designer, retirees, professional gardener, sheep and alpaca owners. This is my fourth year to come. Mike gets to enjoys a few days to himself, and graciously takes on all my farm chores so I can be here. The fall retreats occur during birthing time at our farm, so I can't attend them.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH3a-oOXnhXpK08Ey22aS9upN1KRxmVPVzusBESarkjx0vb487a19Txqc16LWN2bKgJwuOe62LxTMabAuXtUAY9L4q4UtLSRE1fOpV-CF5njxQOfteu1bvDkTBiWhAJW0mvxBw3obKkfk/s1600/SF_spinners03.JPG"><img style="float:center; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH3a-oOXnhXpK08Ey22aS9upN1KRxmVPVzusBESarkjx0vb487a19Txqc16LWN2bKgJwuOe62LxTMabAuXtUAY9L4q4UtLSRE1fOpV-CF5njxQOfteu1bvDkTBiWhAJW0mvxBw3obKkfk/s200/SF_spinners03.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5718436182344177586" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrzHL73by-j1pro-zKHBQvLNhXS2r-EUY9F3nfjHRseGP9m0iWsyzk5-v3sC_P0v5IE66O3eNxeYFl1qfgEZsJeJ4vgGVUX_8smhO_91Skj4ojryywuoRhs_LScrEc4pMgJ9l3xcQTAG8/s1600/SF_spinner01.JPG"><img style="float:center; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrzHL73by-j1pro-zKHBQvLNhXS2r-EUY9F3nfjHRseGP9m0iWsyzk5-v3sC_P0v5IE66O3eNxeYFl1qfgEZsJeJ4vgGVUX_8smhO_91Skj4ojryywuoRhs_LScrEc4pMgJ9l3xcQTAG8/s200/SF_spinner01.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5718436185410487778" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwgAhRbDPNaHTPaudxw1ar3-P198_e9f2eOrKm6oDJmC73ju3NQV0Vo44WivNLHz01_wU7OZZnxpy_tZWICSzuk85j0gPhteO9kk3d3FAze72YC-9q1IaMVGEoXBtxk0yg-DBLtLN4Qzo/s1600/SF_spinner02.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwgAhRbDPNaHTPaudxw1ar3-P198_e9f2eOrKm6oDJmC73ju3NQV0Vo44WivNLHz01_wU7OZZnxpy_tZWICSzuk85j0gPhteO9kk3d3FAze72YC-9q1IaMVGEoXBtxk0yg-DBLtLN4Qzo/s200/SF_spinner02.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5718436192031701138" border="0" /></a><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho1Qychib5r-34BxNW4CXSJhIk5LLlthbMpi8fq0MLXhmoP4CUobmjQX97GcJWaD5VWI1NkdM78-Vu6ib7GNWuekAFiVjBRT-FoN_31zBV75JKiC95nOrhAPAcqB44JRLesYbvKUaLQgU/s1600/SF_Catalina_yarn.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho1Qychib5r-34BxNW4CXSJhIk5LLlthbMpi8fq0MLXhmoP4CUobmjQX97GcJWaD5VWI1NkdM78-Vu6ib7GNWuekAFiVjBRT-FoN_31zBV75JKiC95nOrhAPAcqB44JRLesYbvKUaLQgU/s200/SF_Catalina_yarn.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5718440951518649330" border="0" /></a>Spinning camp is an opportunity to try out new techniques, to get advice on color combinations, and to show off pretty, practical and wearable hand crafty art pieces.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmemTl7Rb89dOdPEwdI1LrwkPgMcoctuRz7sJTplWF0g1LZ2STMRNQkvP11uUpXeHV-bGbuom01hUvCbjuuP9IhIlexEDmmaJzU9ODZjleD2tGpp5kPE3AsojoDa9Bbyo2ZGnPXvlt01U/s1600/SF_cottage.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmemTl7Rb89dOdPEwdI1LrwkPgMcoctuRz7sJTplWF0g1LZ2STMRNQkvP11uUpXeHV-bGbuom01hUvCbjuuP9IhIlexEDmmaJzU9ODZjleD2tGpp5kPE3AsojoDa9Bbyo2ZGnPXvlt01U/s200/SF_cottage.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5718441652684849746" border="0" /></a>All of this amidst set in Nature's artwork, so nurturing and inspiring.<br /><br />Who knows, this lichen may make an interesting dye color? I'll take it home to try out.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuvY3kx-77qYoNvrWSQdGkvP6xrTvkF_1Oo0pL2otG4Z2UIXlXCgGcDMhyphenhyphen4dlQJeCLSG3Z0Y0vyG95QnYl3XOoJJrjmEoEjqUTQGt8gj5LCviL05HGFvl0SxPqY-b7he-hCpKt9lG46Cg/s1600/SF_moss_stream.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuvY3kx-77qYoNvrWSQdGkvP6xrTvkF_1Oo0pL2otG4Z2UIXlXCgGcDMhyphenhyphen4dlQJeCLSG3Z0Y0vyG95QnYl3XOoJJrjmEoEjqUTQGt8gj5LCviL05HGFvl0SxPqY-b7he-hCpKt9lG46Cg/s200/SF_moss_stream.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5718442069511184498" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxXR_wAGNdmKtEGveW-nnzsbZO7M9eiwvd_-d5UNAuRknCCewEroyZjLLwzsF62FIfo8NQ_krQQDRYONUSTj9ntMzvcLjlHyIQJhfeCaogoG0b0jtm-XDrz3Aj8b3cOahjSbwNyxn9tmY/s1600/SF_lichen.JPG"> <img style="float:center; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxXR_wAGNdmKtEGveW-nnzsbZO7M9eiwvd_-d5UNAuRknCCewEroyZjLLwzsF62FIfo8NQ_krQQDRYONUSTj9ntMzvcLjlHyIQJhfeCaogoG0b0jtm-XDrz3Aj8b3cOahjSbwNyxn9tmY/s200/SF_lichen.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5718442602455689122" border="0" /></a></div>Ann Dockendorfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14087868841723783711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7615102638481826682.post-53706093011971082722012-02-27T08:29:00.000-08:002012-03-22T13:05:15.141-07:00How Big is BIG?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtOwiemSZxxxBTC_lqPvRfB3V03Jp7EL2MkGSXd51qa3bVKzWn0rDtR3VVJ3oFgobPNKGDldQ7rdjIwjlkUHkpzxYLwo0IqCFENdSOANzkNh7iofmg5OdUkOx2taWj37m7x8m71_6B3cU/s1600/ph_Tesoro_carrot.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtOwiemSZxxxBTC_lqPvRfB3V03Jp7EL2MkGSXd51qa3bVKzWn0rDtR3VVJ3oFgobPNKGDldQ7rdjIwjlkUHkpzxYLwo0IqCFENdSOANzkNh7iofmg5OdUkOx2taWj37m7x8m71_6B3cU/s200/ph_Tesoro_carrot.JPG" width="149" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tesoro figures it out</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkX2OnVrzXFR9hjIiDfLjckywrXGBm-VqAqn0I5c28gJFFxYLsZGUp2tal1ljASbmty_uQhd2g64EZhwFMO3ev1t3QOmctkf3x46jBHo0sACkucax1FLOjTL4yK4ScLpHDXji097tsOoA/s1600/ph_Orion_carrot.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkX2OnVrzXFR9hjIiDfLjckywrXGBm-VqAqn0I5c28gJFFxYLsZGUp2tal1ljASbmty_uQhd2g64EZhwFMO3ev1t3QOmctkf3x46jBHo0sACkucax1FLOjTL4yK4ScLpHDXji097tsOoA/s1600/ph_Orion_carrot.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkX2OnVrzXFR9hjIiDfLjckywrXGBm-VqAqn0I5c28gJFFxYLsZGUp2tal1ljASbmty_uQhd2g64EZhwFMO3ev1t3QOmctkf3x46jBHo0sACkucax1FLOjTL4yK4ScLpHDXji097tsOoA/s200/ph_Orion_carrot.JPG" width="149" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Orion with carrot 'cigar'</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
When visiting another alpaca farm recently, I was surprised to see the owner offer whole carrots as treats rather than the bite-size rounds that I slice for them. Sure enough, the animals handled the long root just fine. So tried it with our adult males, making sure no one choked. It's entertaining to watch them figure out how to get the carrot into their mouths, but I still slice carrots for visitors to feed by hand.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkX2OnVrzXFR9hjIiDfLjckywrXGBm-VqAqn0I5c28gJFFxYLsZGUp2tal1ljASbmty_uQhd2g64EZhwFMO3ev1t3QOmctkf3x46jBHo0sACkucax1FLOjTL4yK4ScLpHDXji097tsOoA/s1600/ph_Orion_carrot.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><br />
<br />
Hopi the llama is a member of the adult female herd. She is a good education prop, displaying the answer to What is the difference between a llama and an alpaca. Hopi weighs in at 450 lbs, while Gracie ('Amazing Grace') is 155 lbs, an average size dam in the group. Behind the stands 18-month-old Raisa, about 120 lbs and not yet full height.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF0_X4H-yS8ow8e8xqeM9US6IpTrMpCAtwxPZ0dEPjL9PllrOKHgPSyuQynM3UZwCX-4UpLIwi9nWf9K3ZQ0GGyUI0_YA8WsoHpmEhvOSo5lGR773aho_-naik-7TEjCjatqIkb7FtyAA/s1600/ph_Hopi_Gracie_Raisa.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF0_X4H-yS8ow8e8xqeM9US6IpTrMpCAtwxPZ0dEPjL9PllrOKHgPSyuQynM3UZwCX-4UpLIwi9nWf9K3ZQ0GGyUI0_YA8WsoHpmEhvOSo5lGR773aho_-naik-7TEjCjatqIkb7FtyAA/s320/ph_Hopi_Gracie_Raisa.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Raisa, Hopi & Gracie</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeskjXSYbDRLVrRyChPPWZh8KYbYPGxBHHrOxjLWPG9lTqB1UcYj1KIyASoYpbY-8qGOPPhK0pS-VH46Jh8wCIeUrxBDyllg79kKxFaAmrDvCWNfEPl402h_lDVElAc8vxRMvnCxm6wWY/s1600/ph_earthworm.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeskjXSYbDRLVrRyChPPWZh8KYbYPGxBHHrOxjLWPG9lTqB1UcYj1KIyASoYpbY-8qGOPPhK0pS-VH46Jh8wCIeUrxBDyllg79kKxFaAmrDvCWNfEPl402h_lDVElAc8vxRMvnCxm6wWY/s200/ph_earthworm.JPG" width="149" /></a></div>
Striding back to the house after chores yesterday, I was just in time to see this incredibly healthy earthworm (are we sure he's from <i>This</i> planet??!) squiggling across the sidewalk. My boot was the handiest way to display his size. Alpaca 'gold' (manure) for sure!Ann Dockendorfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14087868841723783711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7615102638481826682.post-55228996677815540892012-02-25T21:55:00.001-08:002012-03-22T13:07:02.146-07:00Weather!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhONHOZarA-qWykt_8IOJvf3gq_2casVVjdjbb1mj5i1XL-0GEKKQL6GM8GgmFP5AlyFHvq-qGIYFRR0iuB0hcxUXk5PUQ41nLn3IKOQoSl59hpD7pymuHvYoXC8WL-kDkMEsXzHcWz7J8/s1600/ph_frosty_web.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhONHOZarA-qWykt_8IOJvf3gq_2casVVjdjbb1mj5i1XL-0GEKKQL6GM8GgmFP5AlyFHvq-qGIYFRR0iuB0hcxUXk5PUQ41nLn3IKOQoSl59hpD7pymuHvYoXC8WL-kDkMEsXzHcWz7J8/s200/ph_frosty_web.JPG" width="149" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.eugenecascadescoast.org/" target="_blank">Travel Lane County</a>, our local Visitors Information Center, uses a
descriptive tag line: "See all of Oregon in Lane County." We could have a
similar one for yesterday's weather: See all of Oregon weather in 24
hours! The morning dawned in a crystalline fog, making the grass crunchy
underfoot and icing cobwebs into visibility. A few hours later, the sun
burst forth from cloudless skies to warm the day, enticing me outdoor
to do chores rather than attend to indoor ones.<br />
<br />
Barn cats Blue (a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snowshoe_%28cat%29" target="_blank">Snowshoe Siamese</a>) and
Pangur Ban (named for a cat in an <a href="http://homepages.wmich.edu/%7Ecooneys/poems/pangur.ban.html" target="_blank">Irish poem</a>) kept me company, catching rays instead of mice.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRL_UZXjjcQRBPXQzpA4X0GTEhiCm29MLvUx3BHSxZtjkWeAavszvZzfKdg7d3PQnNrK7cM7sRad0hsN1sn40H6v1bLSAxCJKmS4kKyOqQeJn8HZjrj26mOxUPSiv2VVtj-vN4DlgtjmM/s1600/ph_Blue.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRL_UZXjjcQRBPXQzpA4X0GTEhiCm29MLvUx3BHSxZtjkWeAavszvZzfKdg7d3PQnNrK7cM7sRad0hsN1sn40H6v1bLSAxCJKmS4kKyOqQeJn8HZjrj26mOxUPSiv2VVtj-vN4DlgtjmM/s200/ph_Blue.JPG" width="149" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKvX0DDi7jJsyGKbdc8BdSUwoLKdbvOqPfoK9A851w_86_Pe6r1Y5sf1bBi04xcexEGX0cs4VOteyPripNliGmGWxb6stL3DZ58jw8Al7yq7Z2Lddt3caVemXKjsAhAQ5lBaajGcq6mII/s1600/ph_Pangur.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKvX0DDi7jJsyGKbdc8BdSUwoLKdbvOqPfoK9A851w_86_Pe6r1Y5sf1bBi04xcexEGX0cs4VOteyPripNliGmGWxb6stL3DZ58jw8Al7yq7Z2Lddt3caVemXKjsAhAQ5lBaajGcq6mII/s200/ph_Pangur.JPG" width="149" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhfyfsqfjOZXh-aVV7EYwqrfEkIvl1HQnE5xv2fGcjo1yrtAWGp-iaGRv08KwxHITY2EiINjUXvVWG8xt3s-A-v76cg98iMYYw8xem2n24N9A4w8b3dbpKcvuFW1ruujTpaFeSjuQehlo/s1600/ph_Kelly_snow.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
<br />
As predicted, the afternoon witnessed a march of clouds from the coast.
Overnight, a cold front blew in. Windows rattled and trees swayed, and
the rain was intense. When I peered out at first light, I could see No
Alpacas beyond their shelters.<br />
<br />
After enjoying a cup of coffee and the <a href="http://www.agweb.com/usfr/" target="_blank">Farm Report</a>, I glanced out
the window to discover fat, slow snowflakes falling all around! They
made a valiant try of whitening the landscape, but the ground
temperature was not cold enough for snow to stick. <br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhfyfsqfjOZXh-aVV7EYwqrfEkIvl1HQnE5xv2fGcjo1yrtAWGp-iaGRv08KwxHITY2EiINjUXvVWG8xt3s-A-v76cg98iMYYw8xem2n24N9A4w8b3dbpKcvuFW1ruujTpaFeSjuQehlo/s1600/ph_Kelly_snow.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhfyfsqfjOZXh-aVV7EYwqrfEkIvl1HQnE5xv2fGcjo1yrtAWGp-iaGRv08KwxHITY2EiINjUXvVWG8xt3s-A-v76cg98iMYYw8xem2n24N9A4w8b3dbpKcvuFW1ruujTpaFeSjuQehlo/s200/ph_Kelly_snow.JPG" width="149" /></a>Mike ventured out to open gates while I started breakfast. Kelly
only wanted out long enough to do her business, then return indoors.<br />
<br />
Snow melted, further hydrating the mud. Skies cleared and reclouded alternately
throughout the day. <br />
<br />
The alpacas are pretty oblivious to all this. If sleet pelts down,
they run to get under trees until it passes. During such weather
patterns, they have accessibility to shelter, if they
choose to use it. Most just continue grazing.<br />
<br />Ann Dockendorfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14087868841723783711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7615102638481826682.post-47051175929729775482012-02-22T06:05:00.000-08:002012-03-22T13:08:55.538-07:00Production NotesThree-day weekends are such a boon to us, for Mike and I completely enjoy working together on a myriad of things. This past President's Day weekend we:<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSe37g4ov3s7kie74Ljn9MGDWhFWuXjGIkIkBDqnpN-wQNEdVt6Lgq1bDPl2zmnjbZtirbS1D-uS5owGEdWcf1riNiZzmNrFSeAXyPj0cgiBxdjKpDQsMkWvmHddNgd_W9PyCnHD0otgs/s1600/Hopi_face.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711999033259734450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSe37g4ov3s7kie74Ljn9MGDWhFWuXjGIkIkBDqnpN-wQNEdVt6Lgq1bDPl2zmnjbZtirbS1D-uS5owGEdWcf1riNiZzmNrFSeAXyPj0cgiBxdjKpDQsMkWvmHddNgd_W9PyCnHD0otgs/s200/Hopi_face.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 200px; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; width: 140px;" /></a><br />
<ul>
<li>Caught up on herd health, sharing the time with a few 'students' from our recent <a href="http://alpacabreedersconnection.com/">ABC's of Alpacas</a> class. Updated a few dams with vaccinations and trimmed some toenails and top knots. Hopi, the llama, stood so patiently for her 'spa day.'<br /></li>
<li>Concreted in the H-brace posts for the vineyard fencing. The rain and a bit of sleet teased us, on again, off again, but we (mostly Mike!) persevered. The posts are even leveled, so mostly straight. Now to attach the cross pieces of the H, and to put in the metal T-bars and string the fencing.<br /></li>
<li>Watched "<a href="http://www.ingredientsfilm.com/the_story.php">Ingredients</a>" a documentary-style movie about farming in general, CSA's (community supported agriculture), the sensibilities of shopping local, and some of the chefs whose culinary creations are farm-direct. Partially filmed in Oregon.<br /></li>
<li><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzqA4mRcW4KxvtnCdTpzgTdSyk5y9oovncq7PPVLX-IvwpqJCOEJn6Pv6vCXmQWEnDbLD3USTff-ptHi5nWisO-GLaJs089TsUuOZ2_msWqmKfPkFilfLynOKNqCdtIr6ubszldQX6pSg/s1600/btn02_green.gif"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711998436054975954" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzqA4mRcW4KxvtnCdTpzgTdSyk5y9oovncq7PPVLX-IvwpqJCOEJn6Pv6vCXmQWEnDbLD3USTff-ptHi5nWisO-GLaJs089TsUuOZ2_msWqmKfPkFilfLynOKNqCdtIr6ubszldQX6pSg/s200/btn02_green.gif" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 63px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 63px;" /></a>I attended a bi-annual <a href="http://blacksheepgathering.org/">Black Sheep Gathering</a> board meeting in Salem, OR. Rode up with a friend, caught up on lots of stories of interest. What a great team of volunteers who put on this lively event each June!<br /></li>
<li>Took Mike's motorcycle in to get a new tire, went out to breakfast at <a href="http://goodfoodeugene.blogspot.com/2010/06/love-me-diner-love-me-true-buddy-diner.html">Buddy's Diner</a> (one of our favs), then toured the <a href="http://littleredfarmnursery.com/">Little Red Farm</a> plant nursery (new to us) -- we'll return in the van instead of the VW, to purchase some trees.<br /></li>
<li><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRgeqqhk2vkoUSBN6VZY6DKsSB6UY4_aunHtsdw6B9GIYDllgYJ5PhPjOu6xTbZjnsxGjjXfZZxRdzkIPK-HRV1CGUXiBBzyNqUiOvT0IVwKDUgfUuSrEm_v7S_0AxAwoxp6vCsv8Ozwg/s1600/Friendship_7.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711993760748089138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRgeqqhk2vkoUSBN6VZY6DKsSB6UY4_aunHtsdw6B9GIYDllgYJ5PhPjOu6xTbZjnsxGjjXfZZxRdzkIPK-HRV1CGUXiBBzyNqUiOvT0IVwKDUgfUuSrEm_v7S_0AxAwoxp6vCsv8Ozwg/s200/Friendship_7.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 200px; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; width: 162px;" /></a>Bottled the latest batch of beer, an IPA (India pale ale). Washed and scrubbed 4 dozen bottles first. While Mike filled and I capped them, we selected a name for it, based on the day we bottle: February 20 was the 5oth anniversary of <a href="http://www.digtriad.com/news/watercooler/article/214229/176/Today-In-History--February-20">John Glenn's 3-orbit flight</a>, and the 220th anniversary of President George Washington establishing the U.S. Post Office, I found a stamp commemorating the Friendship 7 space capsule. I created the labels, yet to be affixed.<br /></li>
<li>Oven-roasted a chicken on a rainy day, helping to warm and scent the house. An easy dinner (and leftovers!) on such busy days.<br /></li>
<li>Observed <a href="http://pleinaireugene.blogspot.com/">plein air artists</a> braving the fickle weather to capture the landscape on canvas. They are so perseverant and self-contained, their supplies all bundled in waterproof rolling totes, umbrellas clamped on expandable easels, donning rain gear as needed.<br /></li>
<li>Performed the usual morning and evening farm chores of raking, feeding, shepherding and enjoying the alpacas.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI9DjN1TPtYJQGmIiV2aHuqNWgfenGja6ydlRR8A5_zSqJ5iFRIoyefsusckL9HVTsOzcprf3XdjtehQsdX557KB5ciA3CC7KQWGFjLNZIkCsmMwyZjJT-HNyt5bDgV23bovHOrTipW7A/s1600/farmhouse_pacas.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711999511480923874" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI9DjN1TPtYJQGmIiV2aHuqNWgfenGja6ydlRR8A5_zSqJ5iFRIoyefsusckL9HVTsOzcprf3XdjtehQsdX557KB5ciA3CC7KQWGFjLNZIkCsmMwyZjJT-HNyt5bDgV23bovHOrTipW7A/s320/farmhouse_pacas.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 214px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a></li>
<li>Enjoyed a glass of wine with my love.</li>
</ul>
Nice that it's a short work week!Ann Dockendorfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14087868841723783711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7615102638481826682.post-74692310771068445262012-02-16T07:02:00.000-08:002012-03-22T13:10:18.103-07:00Kumari Comes to Stay<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8PPwlHfWYDlaGv0Y_bmjPt7NgLcEtyLzHxmTq7LldHqS6RTakifznbEsnPdSwoPoyDNE_jzP3GITkhXp79qNYcQGVN_thLO0jpXZ9xTXNX3nLtGhItjzEwF_g_P5nQmNRJtc0IAKKgGE/s1600/koolaid_green02_spwheel.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711693379802661010" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8PPwlHfWYDlaGv0Y_bmjPt7NgLcEtyLzHxmTq7LldHqS6RTakifznbEsnPdSwoPoyDNE_jzP3GITkhXp79qNYcQGVN_thLO0jpXZ9xTXNX3nLtGhItjzEwF_g_P5nQmNRJtc0IAKKgGE/s320/koolaid_green02_spwheel.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 192px; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 222px;" /></a>One creative way to diversify our herd was to trade like-valued animals with another farm. Alpaca Country, with a majority of white alpacas, wanted to add color to their genetics. We have many brown and black animals and could use more light colored (aka, dyeable fleece) animals. So we assessed the possible candidates and selected two 14-year-old production dams to trade.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFK-DqmeqT3twx639PrSfv_KWNPpyg4HzKYo0QFh_mbDQ8ER06EEzYh5lnMZ8Z1XAnzaz8oqZL_AirykPrFP4wEVCzKO_hSVV294BrUeYvOYXdqxeRMdOsze6_0ELjCi2QJ-QaCMdD5sQ/s1600/W_cria04_Jan806.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711694057127573474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFK-DqmeqT3twx639PrSfv_KWNPpyg4HzKYo0QFh_mbDQ8ER06EEzYh5lnMZ8Z1XAnzaz8oqZL_AirykPrFP4wEVCzKO_hSVV294BrUeYvOYXdqxeRMdOsze6_0ELjCi2QJ-QaCMdD5sQ/s320/W_cria04_Jan806.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 176px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 146px;" /></a>On Valentine's Day, 2005, Windancer was one of two alpacas we purchased to begin our herd. The daughter of Yupanqui, the number one pick of some of the first Peruvian imports, she is a small-framed mahogany-brown female who reliably breeds in one take and delivers unassisted on due date. A 'clock-work' dam. Windancer is not gregarious -- she prefers her independence -- yet her offspring are alert and engaging. Her daughter, Aymara, is ready to carry on the genetic line for us.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4gByLgzBJgRq5rn_nK5yG3r2KEQDKgQZ1Dl2eMcl901agfeRKSGnnABcXHGqYWUVfECxpHMOLdFkp_nph6RfC4FrVPb_0Hc5-qJOH2_WSeUMkBANTSVxY3f-8eKfqwC89nMu8HMzvYns/s1600/Kumari_Feb2012.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711694312867008322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4gByLgzBJgRq5rn_nK5yG3r2KEQDKgQZ1Dl2eMcl901agfeRKSGnnABcXHGqYWUVfECxpHMOLdFkp_nph6RfC4FrVPb_0Hc5-qJOH2_WSeUMkBANTSVxY3f-8eKfqwC89nMu8HMzvYns/s320/Kumari_Feb2012.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 251px; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 228px;" /></a>Now in her place is Kumari, a fine white female who is easy-going and friendly. She immediately found her place in the herd, self-possessed without being insistent. After just a few days, Kumari has learned the daily routine, the gates, and where the new-to-her boys are. It is fun getting to know her.Ann Dockendorfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14087868841723783711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7615102638481826682.post-81585455682674013782012-02-12T17:11:00.000-08:002012-03-22T13:11:37.986-07:00Happy Birthday, President Lincoln!Today marks the birth of <a href="http://http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Lincoln">Abraham Lincoln</a> 203 years ago. As a nation, we have been fascinated by early stories of the 16th president of the United States studying law books by candlelight, his pivotal position as leader of a divided country during the Civil War, and his murder at age 54.<br />
<br />
Recently we enjoyed watching <a href="http://http//www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/04102009/profile.html">Sam Waterston's portrayal</a> of Lincoln as a real human being who faced severe challenges on personal and national levels.<br />
<br />
Lincoln's stern-looking profile is as iconic on the copper penny as is his face on the $5 bill. Generations of Americans recognize his tall figure in black top hat, black vest and tie, and long coat. And that <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=xTvM2AqCaYkC&pg=PA18&lpg=PA18&dq=lincoln+alpaca+coat&source=bl&ots=24A0Th-UPP&sig=iu9Cf8ZRnpuwEcr8ZALqVjKgOwM&hl=en&sa=X&ei=wWk4T_-8M9PIsQKvuOSCAg&ved=0CJUBEOgBMAc#v=onepage&q=lincoln%20alpaca%20coat&f=false">black coat</a> so identified with Lincoln was made of alpaca!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyb0_sC1sCYaf-rlNEnoI7iu4PaVUtXY0wyfq_E6AOANZS5poXD3ei_4t-828iI5dlicgeI1i9d7mDp-uLgl_-sa8_xpc2PbE1ZcGvXBrjJ9WcXTobCHKZCKfP6jwRclGi_3DWTIejiww/s1600/Lincoln_USA-1x2.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5708436171546376402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyb0_sC1sCYaf-rlNEnoI7iu4PaVUtXY0wyfq_E6AOANZS5poXD3ei_4t-828iI5dlicgeI1i9d7mDp-uLgl_-sa8_xpc2PbE1ZcGvXBrjJ9WcXTobCHKZCKfP6jwRclGi_3DWTIejiww/s320/Lincoln_USA-1x2.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 300px; margin: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 173px;" /></a> "Lincoln became one of the first Republicans. The oratory of this strange, serious man seemed to inspire the hopes of the people. They looked upon him in bewilderment as they saw this giant of the woods, <span style="font-style: italic;">in a black alpaca coat</span>, with his sleeves rolled up, hammering away at the institution [i.e., slavery] which he believed to be unjust. His appeal was always one of peace..."<br />
(quoted from the<span style="font-size: 100%;"> "Portrait Life of Lincoln: Life of Abraham Lincoln, the Greatest American"</span> <span class="addmd">by Francis Trevelyan Miller, 1910)</span><br />
<br />
<span class="addmd">With this bit of history in mind, we proudly named one of our black male alpacas 'Mr. Lincoln'. And whenever we 'dress' the boys </span><span class="addmd">with bandanas </span><span class="addmd">for visitors or excursions, he always wears a red, white and blue scarf.</span>Ann Dockendorfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14087868841723783711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7615102638481826682.post-40930700918336061632012-02-04T18:47:00.000-08:002012-03-22T13:13:03.148-07:00And his name is....Kokopelli<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_fIm4Ckc3QSwyzO1yWDpSACv9MlABi7JAq-NwWso8-rFpFTfX2yNbLvUen98YIG1lEcfXLpEyO12IB8u5R9CEtKQZpy6Q5B4Sjw3uayClTlIr8-1RBmI0ebpkhvOXyJRJSG1GsnNZ3P4/s1600/ph_Kokopelli-shiny.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5708420141613682034" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_fIm4Ckc3QSwyzO1yWDpSACv9MlABi7JAq-NwWso8-rFpFTfX2yNbLvUen98YIG1lEcfXLpEyO12IB8u5R9CEtKQZpy6Q5B4Sjw3uayClTlIr8-1RBmI0ebpkhvOXyJRJSG1GsnNZ3P4/s320/ph_Kokopelli-shiny.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 171px; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 214px;" /></a>When we bought Q'Inti and her nameless cria, we decided to hold a Name the Cria contest at the recent Green Home & Garden Show. From almost 100 entries, we selected Kokopelli, a playful trickster and pied piper.<br />
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Kokopelli is the youngest of the six weanlings. Yesterday, Cindy and I weighed them all and took the opportunity to assess their fleece. Our little suri boy's is gleaming white fleece up close, and very fine.<br />
<br />
The biggest surprise of weighing was that Ruana (female) weighed in more than either of the two slightly older males. Her fleece is dense and soft, but I really thought Tondero was the heavier. Can't tell by looks! ~ the scale is an important tool for herd health.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE0E-J_CBU6Cr60RLEuwmaeELBpjG6lVe3MKiTGWQAEOc7hZk0KMTvHAJ7MDKX01PEpCeT9BuehjZcgI1EtUIn3zI7js9zBgrDozefnwPZPjJ8NhWH0Qri4tl4uw2h03ptJRVoPozByDk/s1600/ph_Farm_Day_Jan2012.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5708420965137872034" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE0E-J_CBU6Cr60RLEuwmaeELBpjG6lVe3MKiTGWQAEOc7hZk0KMTvHAJ7MDKX01PEpCeT9BuehjZcgI1EtUIn3zI7js9zBgrDozefnwPZPjJ8NhWH0Qri4tl4uw2h03ptJRVoPozByDk/s320/ph_Farm_Day_Jan2012.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 217px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 290px;" /></a>Today we had return visitors from last week's Open Farm Day -- two girls who where completely taken with the alpacas. After doing a bit of farm chores (spreading shredded bark in muddy walkways), they broke out the bags of carrots they'd cut up to share with the alpacas. When they walked into the hay field where the dams were grazing, alert eyes and ears quickly spied the orange-colored treats in crinkly plastic zip bags, and the excited girls were practically mugged.<br />
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Another visitor, a neighbor who is an artist, came with camera in hand to take photos of Kokopelli. It was her first time to meet a suri. Her paintings are quite remarkable, capturing the personality of each of her subjects.<br />
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All of this while Mike busily dug post holes for the vineyard fence!Ann Dockendorfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14087868841723783711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7615102638481826682.post-58458659731008301292012-01-13T21:00:00.000-08:002012-01-15T17:30:41.833-08:00to Bend and Back AgainHopi the llama has been a such good 'visual' for farm visitors to see the difference between the camelid cousins that I have wanted to get a suri to demonstrate the two types of alpacas, too. Suri fleece drapes from the animal's body in silky locks, rather than fluffing outward like the huacaya's crimpy fleece.<br /><br />My good friend Cindy, of <a href="http://www.humsweethum.com/Site/Welcome.html">Hum Sweet Hum,</a> and I made the trip to central Oregon (near Bend) on Thursday to pick up a suri dam and her young son. We are the proud new co-owners of <a href="http://www.alpacanation.com/alpacasforsale/03_viewalpaca.asp?name=47274">Q'Inti</a>, a multi-award winner before beginning her breeding career. Her name means "hummingbird" in Quechua (Peruvian Indian).<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAjS0yFLCQwHDoHJcIHnd2xOe3ADbIj0roZ9vzy99h045tdRboGIX04qJAaRiOBLGvxU8PvZ3EcYfxfKUsV14uFBEG_Co8-HAZhjPBaVsexlB7PokNyYA83lmMOW1YIAE4fdfHHlDgJ5Q/s1600/QInti_Kid_01.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 253px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAjS0yFLCQwHDoHJcIHnd2xOe3ADbIj0roZ9vzy99h045tdRboGIX04qJAaRiOBLGvxU8PvZ3EcYfxfKUsV14uFBEG_Co8-HAZhjPBaVsexlB7PokNyYA83lmMOW1YIAE4fdfHHlDgJ5Q/s320/QInti_Kid_01.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698033750091564386" border="0" /></a>Although recently weaned, we rejoined dam and cria for the ride to their new home in the back of Cindy's Honda Element. To minimize stress, I have left them together for the first few days of adjustment to a new environment, new herd mates, new routines. The Kid is asking to nurse again, Q'Inti is stepping aside. No, no, no!<br /><br />Soon I will reshuffle the groups so all 6 weanlings are in a pen by themselves, the Kindergarten class. Meanwhile, the Kid is getting to know Smuggler and Trinket and the others, and the dams are accepting Q'Inti. Bred to <a href="http://www.alpacanation.com/herdsires/03_viewherdsire.asp?name=26661">Cha'ska</a>, another show-stopping suri, Q'Inti is due in June.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrm_QpcvdzOZVBW97ETLyKi6ktrKwkafPqwl7HKcXdSfwOymPwOkGsTPQh1HAReLne9yN5fgc6YnFNBj84nNaA2ZhNstignbTb3s3jHkhcHYrKp9uWTjo_WFAmGawv-6PFj75Z_XpxPIg/s1600/QInti_Kid_02.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 209px; height: 279px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrm_QpcvdzOZVBW97ETLyKi6ktrKwkafPqwl7HKcXdSfwOymPwOkGsTPQh1HAReLne9yN5fgc6YnFNBj84nNaA2ZhNstignbTb3s3jHkhcHYrKp9uWTjo_WFAmGawv-6PFj75Z_XpxPIg/s320/QInti_Kid_02.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698034259651933602" border="0" /></a>Now to come up with a suitable name for the Kid! He's our candidate for "Name the Cria" contest at <a href="http://http//alpacabreedersconnection.com/">ABC</a>'s upcoming booth at the Eugene Green Home & Garden Show next weekend.<br /><br />Q'Inti and her current and coming offspring are all full Peruvian suris. Their fleece just shimmers. New spinning experiences await!Ann Dockendorfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14087868841723783711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7615102638481826682.post-65050963500136315182012-01-10T06:58:00.000-08:002012-01-11T08:22:14.048-08:00Around the Bend<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiqGKeninvOcDGecTYaJzoGSvg-vyABMwwPZq9-rwjW8SsE8sxnskJIgpz7eQgL90zYtiqE5wkYJTMIkrYPvIDEnx90jlmUx5Pfct69zg7BXlX_VKsOOvMeOKfxFLbjybq-jzYgopde44/s1600/sunrise_glory.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 162px; height: 216px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiqGKeninvOcDGecTYaJzoGSvg-vyABMwwPZq9-rwjW8SsE8sxnskJIgpz7eQgL90zYtiqE5wkYJTMIkrYPvIDEnx90jlmUx5Pfct69zg7BXlX_VKsOOvMeOKfxFLbjybq-jzYgopde44/s320/sunrise_glory.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5696138369470419250" border="0" /></a>Winter Solstice was just three weeks ago, and already we notice the difference in length of daylight. Solstice is a welcome marker to the shift in natural rhythms -- and I inwardly celebrate passing it.<br /><br />Besides the inevitable season of mud, winter brings foreshortened days and I am time-challenged by solo farm chores. But now we've rounded the bend, and darkness before 5:00 p.m. has stretched to dusk at 5:15. Wow, simple pleasures! A minute per day gain may not seem like much, but the affect is noticeable and welcome.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPkGCm1xKVATr1tUalELjhkTxReKPQEf6-Pp-LXEsUmBeEVqRfHJI25lJKDk8qtDpid7ZyRWQdJGB6yX2-6TiTEiWeNqoSZb58g3QY6MJGTP8I-gtM3rDlsVb8-1-4csPWyeGqtf3oYyM/s1600/daylight_map_sm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 180px; height: 101px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPkGCm1xKVATr1tUalELjhkTxReKPQEf6-Pp-LXEsUmBeEVqRfHJI25lJKDk8qtDpid7ZyRWQdJGB6yX2-6TiTEiWeNqoSZb58g3QY6MJGTP8I-gtM3rDlsVb8-1-4csPWyeGqtf3oYyM/s320/daylight_map_sm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5696409488872148818" border="0" /></a>On my iGoogle home page I have a <a href="http://www.daylightmap.com/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">map</span></a> that displays the dark/light phases across the globe. By observing these shifts through the seasons, it helps me to feel more connected with folks I know in other parts of the world: family in Southern California and Texas, friends in Michigan and Massachusetts, and wishful travelers to Ireland or Japan.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirntIla0yWUQQp8zEXJzgKs0mUf_TD7f8khwub9oaWQyq_teKu_HzS12tU4oSfGHs66LU6bAlEMYM_dRSBE_SVNdiXhwmEh2WqVls6AHSROf17WlVo7L3HvZa_R8oAANsfSiO-fmRGPq8/s1600/moon_phase_sm.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 179px; height: 86px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirntIla0yWUQQp8zEXJzgKs0mUf_TD7f8khwub9oaWQyq_teKu_HzS12tU4oSfGHs66LU6bAlEMYM_dRSBE_SVNdiXhwmEh2WqVls6AHSROf17WlVo7L3HvZa_R8oAANsfSiO-fmRGPq8/s320/moon_phase_sm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5696410029350869906" border="0" /></a>The continuous, inevitable shifting of daylight to darkness and back again is the earth breathing in-n-n-n-n and out-t-t-t-t, yoga-like. And the moon phases to and fro, accompanying the melody.<br /><br />And so the seasons flow one into another.Ann Dockendorfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14087868841723783711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7615102638481826682.post-18997762158684590112012-01-07T07:22:00.000-08:002012-01-07T12:17:30.048-08:00Avoiding Weaning Woes<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj2vZsIgUNhQIiaIkIkNv1HFJV-brZvDSMBel5g2TGuu-mLQxi9iYdQ-aBVvf6UZAWTyAtcAP7HrlCi8BmfhUhrVHfbnfHXInADTKnMf33OeQOI70nou_Fa026k52AhoI7yw4Er01pFI8/s1600/Garamond_Tondero_09-11.JPG.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj2vZsIgUNhQIiaIkIkNv1HFJV-brZvDSMBel5g2TGuu-mLQxi9iYdQ-aBVvf6UZAWTyAtcAP7HrlCi8BmfhUhrVHfbnfHXInADTKnMf33OeQOI70nou_Fa026k52AhoI7yw4Er01pFI8/s320/Garamond_Tondero_09-11.JPG.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5694984479498990082" border="0" /></a>Our 2011 cria arrived in May and June, their births grouped together and timed so that they would grow and develop over the summer instead of during Oregon's sun-challenged fall and winter. However, that means that weaning at six or so months of age comes in the midst of winter.<br /><br />Rather than segregating the young alpacas from the main herd, I chose to take their moms out and group them with newly pregnant dams. This way, I could continue to "feed 'em up" with extra calories. And the weanlings were well supported by remaining with their buddies and aunties.<br /><br />Garamond and Tondero (photo taken in Sept) were the first two to wean over Thanksgiving weekend, when Mike was on hand to help me with sorting into feeding areas until they learned the new routine. I think Murphy Brown and Gracie missed their boys more than the boys missed them, even though both are experienced dams. But they soon got over it when they realized extra food was involved.<br /><br />The next set of cria were old enough for transition on Christmas weekend. I checked the weather to make sure the nights were not too cold since they wouldn't have mom to cuddle with. Two of the nursing dams are rebred, so for the mom's health, it was important to separate the cria from them. Again, I moved the dams to the other group.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYYdHz4p9EvGua9BvPoQEj1NpUkXVWWdY3ykrlqJfyDLH7oe59vJz5QSyHugU8vYcZSs5dZzbsdNpANay-YyUCPp-gcV5s8_3M5k8a3jXZUMU0eUsaBjtVcUFZ8Y5Ih0iRribjLNKT2Tw/s1600/Jedlicka_5crias.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 272px; height: 272px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYYdHz4p9EvGua9BvPoQEj1NpUkXVWWdY3ykrlqJfyDLH7oe59vJz5QSyHugU8vYcZSs5dZzbsdNpANay-YyUCPp-gcV5s8_3M5k8a3jXZUMU0eUsaBjtVcUFZ8Y5Ih0iRribjLNKT2Tw/s320/Jedlicka_5crias.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5694985168123678338" border="0" /></a>The moms and weanlings could visit over the fenceline for reassurance. For the first few days it was a challenge to urge Smuggler out into the pasture with the rest of the herd -- his buddy Trinket would call to him to come along. After a week of lagging, I decided to allow his mom, Jedlicka, back into the main herd. She is not pregnant so her health is not compromised. Jedlicka's presence had a calming affect on the other weanlings, and I have not observed Smuggler nursing any more. That's an unusual bonus.<br /><br />Gradually I have shifted the two female herds from "main" and "young females" to "main" and "pregnant/weaned females" -- the feed 'em up group. Plus Blackberry, our lively 19-yr old who has lost a tooth.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt05KBki6ub7UkdxQ5ZHtEaelClv8TPGpQfSC_JUla0P_o5pL2yoc-fifVdKl4hglS4Dv51hxd66jEuzSY7YaRplBuN-LwmZ1Z-hmkSI8xSuPoDsqqQfLXWisyZ9wYZW5eT5w99X35a8M/s1600/trinket_smuggler_kiss_150dpi.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt05KBki6ub7UkdxQ5ZHtEaelClv8TPGpQfSC_JUla0P_o5pL2yoc-fifVdKl4hglS4Dv51hxd66jEuzSY7YaRplBuN-LwmZ1Z-hmkSI8xSuPoDsqqQfLXWisyZ9wYZW5eT5w99X35a8M/s320/trinket_smuggler_kiss_150dpi.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5694986312648566898" border="0" /></a>The weanlings continue to eat pellets in their kindergarten group at evening feeding. During their transition, I added probiotics to the bowls to alleviate any digestive stress. One of the most fun parts of my day is to spend some time in with them as they eat, and they are accustomed to my presence among them.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;">Trinket and Smuggler (unrelated)<br />are best friends, born a day apart.<br /></div>Ann Dockendorfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14087868841723783711noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7615102638481826682.post-3494631463780849252010-02-14T06:54:00.000-08:002010-02-17T08:35:42.213-08:00Life lessons<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNwmxyzj4jEDiTMWW0xj06-EAWzegenP8G1pZ8P57tH8YLkIXvctUNCMU1LHcYUgEqPxQVGGO1AdcuKTZrZvQQJMxiBeAXp6_I1cQRYpucOOm3Wkvrs64HwVJDOxuOE4PM34CvPtFxVcA/s1600-h/Chantica_day1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 256px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNwmxyzj4jEDiTMWW0xj06-EAWzegenP8G1pZ8P57tH8YLkIXvctUNCMU1LHcYUgEqPxQVGGO1AdcuKTZrZvQQJMxiBeAXp6_I1cQRYpucOOm3Wkvrs64HwVJDOxuOE4PM34CvPtFxVcA/s320/Chantica_day1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438985472259090306" border="0" /></a>Chantica has finally joined our herd. She was the last of our agisted (boarded) alpacas, remaining down south until she'd weaned her cria and been rebred for a spring birth. She's the daughter of our Sheba, and half-sister to Jedlicka (f) and 4-month-old Sarek (m). Sheba greeted her daughter quickly, then returned to grazing. It's been two years since they'd seen each other.<br /><br />Hopi takes her new guardian duties seriously -- when she met Chantica, she chased her. I stepped between them, held my hand wide in front of Hopi's face, and told her "Stop! -- she's OK, she's one of us now, too."<br /><br />The other dams and cria came to check out the new girl as Chantica surveyed the landscape. For the first few days, I kept her in small groups so she could become accustomed to her new home and learn the daily routines. At feeding time, Hopi tried to segregate her once more, but again I firmly told her No, and she backed away.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhefvRRIQBCoBzyH2WaW66bHH1TF9iJOo-K8s1xCw_yF7AzSgFvMT1RO8goC0KaxDpcZg6dkLDIBRBtH0BL0o7gRUhdYQWq8bG-wQDkAuNmxB1TALxiQTWzAYFbGdx02gQ8Ayi2vYUfXkI/s1600-h/Sheba_family.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 164px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhefvRRIQBCoBzyH2WaW66bHH1TF9iJOo-K8s1xCw_yF7AzSgFvMT1RO8goC0KaxDpcZg6dkLDIBRBtH0BL0o7gRUhdYQWq8bG-wQDkAuNmxB1TALxiQTWzAYFbGdx02gQ8Ayi2vYUfXkI/s200/Sheba_family.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438989643225073762" border="0" /></a> Chantica is in with the weanlings, maiden females, and a couple of dams with cria, including Sheba and her crew -- here the 'little family' is seen sharing the hay bin. I selected a range of ages and sizes to be in this mini-herd so the separated babies won't feel so alone.<br /><br />It's been a full week now, and all is well. Chantica and Black Sable are both due mid-May, the first births of 2010 here at Aragon Alpacas.<br /><br />On Friday I spent awhile mucking out a couple of barn areas where the weanlings and companions are penned at night. It rained most of the morning, and the dams chose to remain out in the hay field, obliviously grazing. Their fleece is so long and thick that only the top gets wet, they're still dry at the skin.<br /><br />Getting ready for a trip to the feed store, I looked out the window and noticed Blackberry had come back up toward the barn and was all by herself, cushed or laying on the ground. At 18, she is our eldest, and her fleece is shorter because of her age. I recognize that she gets tired now more easily, too, and lately she sometimes cushes to eat. With a halter and some pellet treats, I went out to check on her.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCcryN9V8AGDFY-KF0UGg_c0oY6UXxgSiYpsaOkki2ksHAYzYEghDIo6qWf5SlGPO60d7yfZB8Vj-c9QKY7c2n6DoMfmneFA-YQ5jZQNgiJnPTs83mY6a9PG7LCxmZK4s9Llhr3g9XwIQ/s1600-h/Blackberry_jacket.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 172px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCcryN9V8AGDFY-KF0UGg_c0oY6UXxgSiYpsaOkki2ksHAYzYEghDIo6qWf5SlGPO60d7yfZB8Vj-c9QKY7c2n6DoMfmneFA-YQ5jZQNgiJnPTs83mY6a9PG7LCxmZK4s9Llhr3g9XwIQ/s200/Blackberry_jacket.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438990230825113010" border="0" /></a><br />Blackberry stood to eat from my hand and I haltered her easily, led her back to the barn where I toweled her off, put on a jacket, took her temperature (it was low), and gave her more food. Before leaving for the feed store, I put another alpaca in with her, as companion -- they stress when left alone.<br /><br />Mulling all of this over as I drove down Dillard Rd, I glanced over at a pasture of sheep and goats. Down away from their house I saw a white animal laying on the ground, head in an awkward position, and thought, "Oh no, another animal in trouble. I hope they do not come out to discover a dead one."<br /><br />That concern hovered in my thoughts as I did my errands. Driving back, I looked in the pasture again to see if anyone had noticed the downed animal. To my great surprise and delight, there was a white goat standing with two little bright, shiny white kids nursing! It wasn't a death, as I'd feared, but Life!<br /><br />Blackberry was fine. I took off her jacket so the afternoon sun could continue to warm and dry her, then unloaded bags of supplies, and went to check on the weanlings. The clever girls discovered that I hand not quite closed a partition in the barn, and next I saw Blackberry and Jedlicka in the gated driveway, headed toward the pasture.<br /><br />This time when I tried to get Blackberry back to the barn, she steadfastly refused to go. It's always preferable to their well-being that they're not stressed, so I took the cues from her. Since she <span style="font-style: italic;">really</span> wanted to be back out there with her herd, I let them out and both girls ran down to rejoin them.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikwy9sygdWHUPBNDW4KUinMtAGi514-Ek0Qxq8KMDXGZ5lZNf3ACKl24v3V24BRB6Abyw20TNc_lqRPW2zCS2M0X8lFauiKaYqxcVVwTL0dV1YSIzpN8bylve5ncV5VHxJCNMskihRC2s/s1600-h/weanlings01-group.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikwy9sygdWHUPBNDW4KUinMtAGi514-Ek0Qxq8KMDXGZ5lZNf3ACKl24v3V24BRB6Abyw20TNc_lqRPW2zCS2M0X8lFauiKaYqxcVVwTL0dV1YSIzpN8bylve5ncV5VHxJCNMskihRC2s/s320/weanlings01-group.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438990541757859602" border="0" /></a>Blackberry's boy Toledo is one of the weanlings, and now all of her resources can be solely for her. For the first week I day-wean, allowing the pairs back together at night. This way they are not quite so frantic, and the moms' milk can begin slacken off. Then it's 24/7.<br /><br />Since we have so many cria of similar color and size, I put bandannas on the weanlings for simpler sorting. The three girls who generally stayed near their moms have had less trouble adjusting than the two free-lance boys who are now whining and crying until distracted by food.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYAeOtqjsNiDYX827uNqhpvUCfZ2EcshHKvHlhkFB-6TiLsX3MryBxBqfDkiSJWYEZn81a79Zn8R_bGuyO92yICinyTwx9_lt5NYyNT3am8AsCoD2lLU4Kd7qdVLmppR1lz9xHIXBEFcY/s1600-h/Hopi_face.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 140px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYAeOtqjsNiDYX827uNqhpvUCfZ2EcshHKvHlhkFB-6TiLsX3MryBxBqfDkiSJWYEZn81a79Zn8R_bGuyO92yICinyTwx9_lt5NYyNT3am8AsCoD2lLU4Kd7qdVLmppR1lz9xHIXBEFcY/s200/Hopi_face.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438992891219302322" border="0" /></a>And Hopi the llama just observes all of this, not quite understanding what all of the activity is about or why her herd is in different sections now.<br /><br />We are preparing to plant our spring garden. First of all, deer fencing is going up. Mike has designed a gate with an arbor above it, yet to be built. We're researching roto-tillers, trying to decide if we really need one, and if so, which brand and style? Laying out a bit more cardboard (from a neighbor's new stove), lasagna-gardening style; and marking pages in the <a href="http://www.territorialseed.com/">Territorial Seed Catalog</a>. This will be quite grand in size, since I've only gardened in a small backyard plot until now.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwZJ4AgZi4IbUUgflRScWdyvRbHTx0Xscl7RZsqQS566dRBDXKFDZ0uFO6BzJ0kkYsggDFzxkzNY-6wbkf9VQ2sNwCD01ptLOaBiDJHPito52MgWlaF0le-cSGEe4uUwFkaqgOWmwku5c/s1600-h/Galileo_shed-walls.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwZJ4AgZi4IbUUgflRScWdyvRbHTx0Xscl7RZsqQS566dRBDXKFDZ0uFO6BzJ0kkYsggDFzxkzNY-6wbkf9VQ2sNwCD01ptLOaBiDJHPito52MgWlaF0le-cSGEe4uUwFkaqgOWmwku5c/s320/Galileo_shed-walls.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438996091367544194" border="0" /></a>Lastly, we have finally installed the walls on the back of Galileo's shed, and painted on the primer coat before the weekend rains. He seems quite pleased with it! A sliding door is next, so we can store hay and supplies for him there instead of bringing feed up from the boys' barn each evening.<br /><br />Slowly, our plans continue to take shape!<br /><br />Much like a website, a farm is never 'done.'Ann Dockendorfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14087868841723783711noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7615102638481826682.post-7427864244131901422010-01-23T18:04:00.000-08:002010-01-23T19:29:33.177-08:00"Green" Alpacas<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.eugenehomeshow.com/"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 128px; height: 80px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiNAMNetYtEsPI6Y0h4Zl0_mUgZH4zcHlcz9icdnZFyD4qESBA0KxVqIESO2vlfL292CR0K3gl-nPLv9gS39xupglBY9DKR62wQ2cJeGDSsqHiMtkEJlxQjaPkVKHaA5YuuRIgBPW1TYY/s320/logo_Good_Earth_Home_Show-sm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430125326310632690" border="0" /></a>The fifth annual <span style="font-weight: bold;">Eugene Good Earth Home, Garden & Living Show</span> has a few new stars this year: Alpacas! What better place to showcase how connected these unique livestock are to sustainable living?<br /><br /><a href="http://aragonalpacas.com/">Aragon Alpacas</a> has joined with a few other local alpaca farms to form the <a href="http://www.alpacabreedersconnection.com/">Alpaca Breeders Connection</a>, (ABC) and this Show is our first group outing. The response from the organizers, Berg Productions, was immediate enthusiasm. As we set up our booth and the pen for guest alpacas, other vendors came to greet us. And the public flocked to our booth non-stop, full of wonder and questions, and eager to purchase alpaca products.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://alpacabreedersconnection.com/"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 172px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqLqRtoN1ae2OF2lIJzYtf3O9O2CHEXCtANNdWFx11GtXZDLX-xHssGyfYFd5syD4nPo8WDajAUZNu4M5qYFl_t3vTQ2C2HLBkJpBR5NEps2t-k7dw7LcDX3TQPcB_NcHsqHtMaxWYYK8/s200/Cocoa_and-_King.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430129929751520178" border="0" /></a>Our goal is to introduce folks to the entire process of raising alpacas, harvesting and using their fleece, and creating warm, wearable art and useable objects.<br /><br />Each day, two alpaca ambassadors fresh from our pastures braved the crowds of curious people. Baskets full of fleece elicited many Ooohs and Aaahs when touched. Folks gathered to see yarn being spun on a spinning wheel — an old-fashioned machine that you don't plug in!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.alpacabreedersconnection.com/ABC_Gallery.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivSWWb8e-FwUIEziXWtduQ0Ym9dyyvprjQBnEaYY_EMCRORpOodKpUW1A3QT_O2V19NIIvzEnAK34f8SRJt4rHmEqPSqPPd03e9cB38JF0QCwbbkjwmsifEcaXj5aCY2jSauHFET1-mTw/s200/EHGShow_10.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430130365466793618" border="0" /></a>Hand-knit or crocheted accessories, commercially made sweaters and coats, socks and gloves — all lined our booth. And there are so many earth-friendly things you can use this "wonder fleece" for:<br /><ul><li>line hanging baskets to keep in the soil and moisture</li><li>embed seeds in a roll of the fleece for planting</li><li>stuff a pillowcase for a cozy pet bed</li><li>put a bit in your shoes for warmth and comfort</li><li>felt it around a bar of soap for a gentle scrub</li><li>endless felting possibilities: hat, purse, rugs, chair seats, placemats, 3-dimensional designs</li><li>and of course knitting, crocheting, weaving...</li></ul>Even beyond fleece, there is the final product: "alpaca gold". Since alpacas are ruminants, their manure does not have to be composted before applying to plants. Vegetables, flowers, fruit trees, vineyards — all will benefit from direct application or manure tea. We even spread it in our hay field, completing the circle of life.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD8iMi5OIsTeFcUV9Ko2Eodketyj0WK9AQqWWVeyLXZecpobjHikx7yxp8ZAzc8buCfhHSyQ50GsGuut9ZayuO6QgLu78vOgp_xLVZOSWvgpW1xxvinciZ-tFgL-wAGw2Co5G8lqJjvQU/s1600-h/Aragon_pumpkin_vines.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD8iMi5OIsTeFcUV9Ko2Eodketyj0WK9AQqWWVeyLXZecpobjHikx7yxp8ZAzc8buCfhHSyQ50GsGuut9ZayuO6QgLu78vOgp_xLVZOSWvgpW1xxvinciZ-tFgL-wAGw2Co5G8lqJjvQU/s320/Aragon_pumpkin_vines.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430136992596783426" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">We often state that alpacas come in 22 natural colors,</span> </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">but all of them are "Green."</span></span><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhctUQQ9VHB-_YUxRGL5URe92U94sOTDL4AVPcTZOqRJ9EfP74MFEexDQ8urI8_4Zg6ZmZSTl0kw_3TQym427YKK1TQTxpfZg2t2RrAGLx111UEkHdCPDi5mVyftACl-gzpdxsR_99LClo/s1600-h/Aragon_Alpacas-Fabia-grazing.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 195px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhctUQQ9VHB-_YUxRGL5URe92U94sOTDL4AVPcTZOqRJ9EfP74MFEexDQ8urI8_4Zg6ZmZSTl0kw_3TQym427YKK1TQTxpfZg2t2RrAGLx111UEkHdCPDi5mVyftACl-gzpdxsR_99LClo/s320/Aragon_Alpacas-Fabia-grazing.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430137622863124338" border="0" /></a>Next Saturday, January 30th, the ABC Farms (<a href="http://www.alpacabreedersconnection.com/Alpaca_Breeders_Connection_Farms.html">map!</a>) will host Open Farm Day from 10-4:00. Seeing alpacas in a show setting is one thing, but seeing them in their home pastures, grazing and resting and playing, is much more fun, for both the alpacas and the people!<br /><br />Thank you to all who visited us at the Eugene Home Show! We love what we do, and we love sharing that with you!<br /><br />(And if you are reading this and you are nowhere near Eugene, Oregon, I invite you to find an alpaca farm near you and go for a visit. That's what we did <a href="http://www.aragonalpacas.com/about_Aragon-Alpacas.html">five years ago</a>...)Ann Dockendorfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14087868841723783711noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7615102638481826682.post-55217018999871874192010-01-02T15:06:00.000-08:002010-01-05T08:32:03.759-08:00Happy New Year!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHkNnLfL5SNOzMusUHrXEbANjLSWkEt_htirkbJ0rFC2WejDBXXak6NL-jROBa0c5J3VPYpYjiG6YVYLADl8eeK3XTJSfQexUi42od0TPvKzTTvsq-WJ0977RHWvNnNzq3h5mAgTnk0PQ/s1600-h/Hopi_herd.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 233px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHkNnLfL5SNOzMusUHrXEbANjLSWkEt_htirkbJ0rFC2WejDBXXak6NL-jROBa0c5J3VPYpYjiG6YVYLADl8eeK3XTJSfQexUi42od0TPvKzTTvsq-WJ0977RHWvNnNzq3h5mAgTnk0PQ/s320/Hopi_herd.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423262235480131634" border="0" /></a>In this New Year, we have a new addition to our herd: Hopi is a stately llama lady who formerly lived with horses. Her llama companion was killed by a cougar last year, and she mourned him, so her caring owner wanted to place her with other camelids.<br /><br />Overwhelmed by all of the curious alpacas for the first few days, Hopi has made a good adjustment to life among them in less than a week. Surely they must seem like munchkins to her! Most of our adult females have lived with a llama in the herd before, at their other farms.<br /><br />Now Hopi lopes and frolics with the dams and cria down to the big pasture each morning. She is a watcher, a sentinel guardian. And she gives us llama kisses.<br /><br />Once again we prepare for the onset of the Winter season at Aragon Alpacas. The indoor barn areas are fluffed with bedding of the generic "horse hay" we grow in our hayfields during the growing season, and a solid wall built from a couple of tons of bales stands against the Norwest-wall incursion of cold winds. It's actually great hay for horses, cattle, sheep, and other livestock, but the alpacas only seem to be interested in it when it's either growing in the field or they can pilfer it from somewhere they're not supposed to be. (Did I mention they can be a little on the mischievous side?)<br /><br />A cold snap rolled through a few weeks ago, driving daytime temperatures into the "teens" for a week -- it was 7° on our front porch one morning! -- and the studio and barn water pipes froze solid. Each primary water bucket in the pens had a heater, but they had to be resupplied daily. We experienced firsthand the age-old Pioneer Method of dipping water by the rope-and-bucket from the underground reservoir, which was fortunately being refilled by the well pump. We insulated it last year when the well-head plumbing froze. We also lost the rechargeable Ni-Cad batteries from our cordless power tools to the cold.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGC7js1XTEDNR-BiuSTYoIXJJBQj8djlfdrmteoHOOEPW8yw6pmR2p2nGJ1nz1P5EmQ84s-UjfeafoEnSpLbAmMTp_sX-aAtt-hqrEvCV2ff-zL0yeLfrSN6DHrQ5VAs8ANB4JyVGQh_c/s1600-h/Galileo_shed.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 152px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGC7js1XTEDNR-BiuSTYoIXJJBQj8djlfdrmteoHOOEPW8yw6pmR2p2nGJ1nz1P5EmQ84s-UjfeafoEnSpLbAmMTp_sX-aAtt-hqrEvCV2ff-zL0yeLfrSN6DHrQ5VAs8ANB4JyVGQh_c/s200/Galileo_shed.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423283319537358914" border="0" /></a><br />Our "alpha" male herdsire, Peruvian E Galileo, has a new feature in his pasture - a small but heavily engineered and constructed pole barn to keep the rain and snow off his ears. He, of course, doesn't seem to care much, but we got worried about him when, last year, we could only see a flat field of snow with a "bunker" in it that got up and shook it off every once in a while. He actually didn't seem the least bit cold while doing his "day job" of managing All Things Alpaca, but it offended our sensibilities that he had no place to get out of the weather should he want to, not even a tree. So in addition to the new pole barn he has a new apple tree that will eventually diffuse any wind from entering from the lower pastures. We have yet to enclose the back side of his barn, which is the direction from which the wind-driven snow and rain arrive. We may only get to putting up bales of horse hay or a tarp wall this year.<br /><br />Last year, the Beekeeper [shameless and unsolicited plug: Rowan Beetanical Apiary, Creswell, OR, 541-942-6479] who keeps hives at the other end of our ranch gave us some of the honey, with which we made Mead (honey wine). Not being real fans of sweet wines, we fermented it down to a standstill, and the initial tasting proved it was going to be great. At four months, it's still technically "too young" to be tasted, but it seems to be losing the dryness a bit as it ages into the bottle. Impatient, we toasted Thanksgiving and Christmas with sips of our "Druid's Nectar."<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTaCqonoEtDyuMqeeb7s_3zigLyGE6IN03AlZy_92uqMlcbNESv4tM1gqRfPzVzIw-VXza3h_2spbTNCO94JWe1d3flKbuQwYJBzI14iiMdBxLgw5U-0676UJJyf3IEnLG4g3ge8nelZE/s1600-h/Druids_Nectar.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 175px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTaCqonoEtDyuMqeeb7s_3zigLyGE6IN03AlZy_92uqMlcbNESv4tM1gqRfPzVzIw-VXza3h_2spbTNCO94JWe1d3flKbuQwYJBzI14iiMdBxLgw5U-0676UJJyf3IEnLG4g3ge8nelZE/s200/Druids_Nectar.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423258681528873890" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMj3kpeBjrQS3sJcStfncI0j2aNTNDKZ_pHVjy3K28bgSB9poQ6Nhy-swS1iD4c52xWNWdI3hv1NRH_f8amiTAdRiNPs1pnrFouExLlr_O-NDowS74rNzpVY3CBIPznW-cIqdRBXHDZnE/s1600-h/mead_bottled.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 231px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMj3kpeBjrQS3sJcStfncI0j2aNTNDKZ_pHVjy3K28bgSB9poQ6Nhy-swS1iD4c52xWNWdI3hv1NRH_f8amiTAdRiNPs1pnrFouExLlr_O-NDowS74rNzpVY3CBIPznW-cIqdRBXHDZnE/s320/mead_bottled.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423261668019556674" border="0" /></a><br />We just received a batch of this year's honey, which Jason says is a richer flavor than the first year, so when we get a breath we'll start the 2010 Mead. Most likely in the spring -- one of the hard parts of wine and beer-making here is keeping a room up to 70 degrees to keep fermentation going.<br /><br />We also homebrewed two beers this year, a Porter that was quite good while it lasted, and a nearly-extinct "WWI Flying Ace pub" chewable brown ale called "Yorick Ale." We generally try to make a lighter beer for summer cooling off and a heavier winterbrau for winter settling in. We planted four varieties of hops last year which I hope are wintering over to be back in the spring: Willamette, Centennial, Goldings, and Mt. Hood. We know the Goldings didn't make it. The rest are all patent OSU clones.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXuuVag8tw5yrc5NVxKu1PwpgW_dDGl7WNO2bl3sK9pKhEKa0srE_zc0qWobXBuumdHhsChR9b4t13ICtEeXT9CTiBU477e23RYHwQKY6HV_0DhSojl__hZwDCqb_55OKHvOkl-GfZOYM/s1600-h/hats_4-knit-crochet.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 140px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXuuVag8tw5yrc5NVxKu1PwpgW_dDGl7WNO2bl3sK9pKhEKa0srE_zc0qWobXBuumdHhsChR9b4t13ICtEeXT9CTiBU477e23RYHwQKY6HV_0DhSojl__hZwDCqb_55OKHvOkl-GfZOYM/s200/hats_4-knit-crochet.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423286467204434370" border="0" /></a>Winter also brings the opportunity for more indoor activities. Even though there seems to be endless computer work to be done (basically we are still nerds, after all), delving into handcrafts is much more satisfying for us. Mike crafted a new niddy-noddy for Ann, and Ann is spinning more, and knitting and crocheting hats and scarves and such for sale in our farm store and at event booths. One client commissioned a dozen hats to be made of sari silk yarn combined with yarn from our herd, destined for a retreat group in Germany.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3tnsDFICGbuQJPdYGDlI4_AZESvx_2ABMBEC4m4fIwjmwHRsAunfgoCovXyyU6k0JwyqJOXuBxNLFOHLokQ95ubQT7x9HZJH5XFfYfTQKzXgBhyphenhyphenHWzmWN4Iavbf1y7nlm2Npwb_lmQ-c/s1600-h/label_handmade.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 95px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3tnsDFICGbuQJPdYGDlI4_AZESvx_2ABMBEC4m4fIwjmwHRsAunfgoCovXyyU6k0JwyqJOXuBxNLFOHLokQ95ubQT7x9HZJH5XFfYfTQKzXgBhyphenhyphenHWzmWN4Iavbf1y7nlm2Npwb_lmQ-c/s200/label_handmade.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423286005752480482" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRmJqzORBb8LzadNCriHJl3u5YP9sqcua4HaFR9P6uLrWLu8hHEFRYhI1CHz65Hbf6lmlMnvugHLG_d-Wz32A5iigOsUid91cMZwpt0MKop7UNEBG28xidrKkVh5ksBoi_jKDr-4ct1uY/s1600-h/rainbow_barn.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRmJqzORBb8LzadNCriHJl3u5YP9sqcua4HaFR9P6uLrWLu8hHEFRYhI1CHz65Hbf6lmlMnvugHLG_d-Wz32A5iigOsUid91cMZwpt0MKop7UNEBG28xidrKkVh5ksBoi_jKDr-4ct1uY/s320/rainbow_barn.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423257711497627410" border="0" /></a><br /><br />New Year's Day dawned with a rainbow of promise above the barn. May 2010 be happy and prosperous for us all!Ann Dockendorfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14087868841723783711noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7615102638481826682.post-29474601934524108162009-12-23T10:08:00.000-08:002009-12-23T12:15:15.732-08:00Alpacas in Bethlehem<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi01mc2fhdF3EwWuDQ9H0q-eKXGNDC5qAALJboaeTLSBVmY-LJIkBwTpo6kJKWMY4TFDBX6AdJSmzHFziNbRBJNhlZHG35QX8KbgdxeO0LSDqAg3fL3RSWRv0zWAsPdfkmQYgLciuvSFA0/s1600-h/Nativity02_opt.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 148px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi01mc2fhdF3EwWuDQ9H0q-eKXGNDC5qAALJboaeTLSBVmY-LJIkBwTpo6kJKWMY4TFDBX6AdJSmzHFziNbRBJNhlZHG35QX8KbgdxeO0LSDqAg3fL3RSWRv0zWAsPdfkmQYgLciuvSFA0/s200/Nativity02_opt.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418497435848672434" border="0" /></a>Gryffin and Lincoln visited Bethlehem's manger in a local stable last week, participating in a living Nativity scene presented by the youth group of Grace Lutheran Church. The Christmas story of Jesus' birth was staged in the church parking lot in a 3-sided 'stable' with sturdy fence, good lighting and sound system. At first the yearling boys were overwhelmed by traffic noise, lights, and people, but then they settled down and nibbled the at the straw bales. Sheep and donkeys were unable to come this year, so alpacas represented the animal kingdom at the humble birth.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi372VWsfbO8p8_UV64twynTrUWBHzwr3zGko_IrTKJCUIWzBwEFvYoXO5zQW6Qi0onaqWjy03au-X6LQI2k79KVJcrpo6p6DH9iw4wZltI2IN_HBJvbAu6oMvJeZB9Fk9alhhKR4tE8Lo/s1600-h/ice-crystals_barn.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi372VWsfbO8p8_UV64twynTrUWBHzwr3zGko_IrTKJCUIWzBwEFvYoXO5zQW6Qi0onaqWjy03au-X6LQI2k79KVJcrpo6p6DH9iw4wZltI2IN_HBJvbAu6oMvJeZB9Fk9alhhKR4tE8Lo/s200/ice-crystals_barn.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418500049146666802" border="0" /></a>Early in December, Eugene experienced a week of below-freezing temperatures. The great challenge was to make sure water buckets remained liquid, so we invested in some floating warmers. Another technique is to mount a light just above a large bucket so that the air flow continues to move due to the heat of the bulb. But that method did not work well in 7° weather! Pipes to the barn and in the studio froze, but nothing burst. (View to the barn through the frosted sliding door.)<br /><br />Freezing temps made cleaning up simpler since the 'beans' remained solid. And I listened to several audio books to distract me while raking the barn pens each day, all bundled up in hat, gloves and thermal boots. All 13 cria snuggled up next to their mamas and did well, even though a couple of them are only a few months old. I jacketed two of the older dams whose fleece is shorter than the younger ones. I am not sure they appreciated it, but it made me feel better!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjb-pd3rQoVeQFIb-9jc4CCq8KatJeRY2h03K3o0ffBspOpq8lXsIPB1uPw6qvvCsY3S9I-H9W4fD-Llh_tgIbpFJ_Yh3Z-D6i2wqDddqexento0jS60CXa6jgZNjy7f0qT2qPVgh8D4A/s1600-h/Blackberry_jacket.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjb-pd3rQoVeQFIb-9jc4CCq8KatJeRY2h03K3o0ffBspOpq8lXsIPB1uPw6qvvCsY3S9I-H9W4fD-Llh_tgIbpFJ_Yh3Z-D6i2wqDddqexento0jS60CXa6jgZNjy7f0qT2qPVgh8D4A/s200/Blackberry_jacket.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418501345874092914" border="0" /></a></div><br />There was no precipitation during this frigid weather, and I am healthy, so the cold did not bother me. In fact, it was preferable to working out in the 105° weather of August!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjosTepsAk6yxHgBAhnq7C2yZR6of1FyjmmJAcEfqE_zO9djzfeh2XocEaeQVyfcp8F0NPQsn6kY2yE-Gv-76fduYLZBtFKPDZnZ0DFYs2xcMXaejVCxwa6ByBeLnd-Aeo_LiqibTOtjZ8/s1600-h/crias_leaves.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjosTepsAk6yxHgBAhnq7C2yZR6of1FyjmmJAcEfqE_zO9djzfeh2XocEaeQVyfcp8F0NPQsn6kY2yE-Gv-76fduYLZBtFKPDZnZ0DFYs2xcMXaejVCxwa6ByBeLnd-Aeo_LiqibTOtjZ8/s200/crias_leaves.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418503321937936802" border="0" /></a>The pacas have a natural rhythm to their day -- the girls and cria all return from grazing in the big field about the same time every afternoon. Yesterday a movement caught my eye, and I glanced out the window to see the young ones running in circles and racing back to the pasture up again. Such delightful dancing, even the teenage girls joined in, and a couple of the moms, too. Maybe they were celebrating solstice and the return to lengthening daylight hours!<br /><br />I wasn't able to capture that cavorting on film, but here are a few of the cria playing in the leaves.Ann Dockendorfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14087868841723783711noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7615102638481826682.post-64811768233177605872009-11-16T18:42:00.000-08:002009-11-26T07:24:30.283-08:00Thankfulness<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD5rvWt4xGkhyphenhyphen_VQCbH9nImRPQBAtfUdml28YWxI1XKFU-vUcGsLNPbLiB531XHQotdC-vM1Ga6pteB4-5AK8WtFHVFAKjyPdNWJ-2FfP_cm__-vr5WyfJoMubUjxg67KetBusyQnPduc/s1600/fog_barn.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD5rvWt4xGkhyphenhyphen_VQCbH9nImRPQBAtfUdml28YWxI1XKFU-vUcGsLNPbLiB531XHQotdC-vM1Ga6pteB4-5AK8WtFHVFAKjyPdNWJ-2FfP_cm__-vr5WyfJoMubUjxg67KetBusyQnPduc/s320/fog_barn.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408426850273842130" border="0" /></a>For so many things on our farm, I am thankful...<br />That all 13 of our crias this year were born healthy, and that they continue to grow and flourish. Seven boys and six girls:<br /><ul><li>Trinity, Valrhona, and Roark (girl/girl/boy, aka, the Triple Fudge Brownies)<br /></li><li>Cadence, a maroon and white female (gig 'em, Aggies!), from Autumn Sun<br /></li><li>Toledo, fawn boy with a black nose, born to our spunky old dam, Blackberry<br /></li><li>Celeste, our only Galileo daughter, out of our first alpaca, Flora<br /></li><li>Ramiro, a red-brown boy from Sonnet ~ named for a king of Aragon<br /></li><li>Latakia, a brown boy <span style="font-size:85%;">(pictured)</span> from Murphy Brown and Galileo ~ name of a spicy tobacco</li><li>Juliaca, a light fawn girl from Nutmeg ~ a city in Peru</li><li>Rigel, brightest star in constellation Orion, his sire, and mom Solstice Summer</li><li>Sarek, from Sheba and Galileo; named for Mr Spock's Vulcan father</li><li>Tecumseh, meaning 'shooting star' because he has one on his forehead; from Amazing Grace and Orion<br /></li><li>Mariquita, 'ladybug' is a red-brown girl with white face, from Black Lace and Orion.</li></ul><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq0ga1gDi4XMK-y10E77T92bUVpvq9St9xPFffinaY3FC9v1Bg4rQYddYfzG79m9fNBTnpfs3v_b34LMX06KadTg20evOVzXcDAfSmDyRR5sPxb3DiHQBcJaPQo1xOn38QzxLWbv76AB0/s1600/Latakia_2mos.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 162px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq0ga1gDi4XMK-y10E77T92bUVpvq9St9xPFffinaY3FC9v1Bg4rQYddYfzG79m9fNBTnpfs3v_b34LMX06KadTg20evOVzXcDAfSmDyRR5sPxb3DiHQBcJaPQo1xOn38QzxLWbv76AB0/s200/Latakia_2mos.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408427267887927570" border="0" /></a>I am thankful for clients who entrusted the care of their alpacas to us, adding new dimensions to our herd. Some have now gone to live at their newly prepared farm in Texas. And 4 of our boys are delighting a young family near the coast with their charm and antics.<br /><br />I am thankful for the bounty of our land:<br /><ul><li>tons of hay our field produced</li><li>68 volunteer pumpkins in the plot we are readying for the garden</li><li>the first pear from our little tree</li><li>gallons of plums we harvested for cooking and eating and wine<br /></li><li>blueberries ~more than last year, not enough for a pie yet</li><li>wild blackberries offering juicy treats and possibilities<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8bHbQDbMB253dgOXskj_b1HaUVFQRbELIr4vNsX7UWjnu6da9Psnpkm6Vs0NFZJRH0M9wKFuZjWBJYM_ttLSYljW2k2kYPtp-EM-nyHBCMhs_T1snkGzCX4-3oj2cd46wiUEo7WVWn8k/s1600/Teresa_boyz_trailer.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8bHbQDbMB253dgOXskj_b1HaUVFQRbELIr4vNsX7UWjnu6da9Psnpkm6Vs0NFZJRH0M9wKFuZjWBJYM_ttLSYljW2k2kYPtp-EM-nyHBCMhs_T1snkGzCX4-3oj2cd46wiUEo7WVWn8k/s200/Teresa_boyz_trailer.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408428534842269506" border="0" /></a></li><li>honey from Jason's hives, and the tasty mead we brewed</li></ul>I am thankful for friends and neighbors...<br /><ul><li>with their unique sets of ideas and enthusiasm, challenges, frustrations and laughter</li><li>sharing their friends, expanding our circles of connection</li><li>celebrating birthdays and holidays, achievements and surprises</li><li>visiting us on their travels, bringing news and reminders of other days</li><li>helping when extra hands are needed.</li></ul>I am thankful for our families...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNvS5m28rU0lOOoTb011XnyrebLbG1B9bXFqXpmaorzr1d0JU1s7ugmKWuEbxYYeSrDkc8pwaKcPNTsKtJrP7MGqaWUX-liPpvU4ph_VCjTrp_95Lm_mQbs6hKTXJJsxyH3ZOMRxM2uHk/s1600/pumpkins_chair.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNvS5m28rU0lOOoTb011XnyrebLbG1B9bXFqXpmaorzr1d0JU1s7ugmKWuEbxYYeSrDkc8pwaKcPNTsKtJrP7MGqaWUX-liPpvU4ph_VCjTrp_95Lm_mQbs6hKTXJJsxyH3ZOMRxM2uHk/s200/pumpkins_chair.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408428049398512866" border="0" /></a><ul><li>grandchildren that delight in visiting</li><li>a house for nesting Jennifer and family</li><li>extraordinary experiences and connections for Paul at <a href="http://www.ephemerisle.org/">Ephemerisle</a>, and for <a href="http://blogofabird.wordpress.com/">Erica</a> rebuilding homes in New Orleans with her <a href="http://www.americorps.com/">Americorps</a> team</li><li>cousins who stay in touch across the miles and years.</li></ul>I am grateful to our country's service men and women who give so much more than has ever been asked of me.<br /><br />I am thankful for the grandeur and bounty of this place on earth and for the privilege of caring for it. I am ever-grateful to my dearest Mike who has consciously postponed his dream for a time to support mine. I am thankful for our continued health and well-being and mindful creativity, the very spark of life.<br /><br />For all of these things and more, I offer humble thanks.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyseM4IMloKpxABc9aFnsDKqI0iY-sxlWBuWrTIITf6N6VgSgKvW66juPOBjCpNQO9DK-lJmbSwKO2aICUm5yD74-d0i1y5sTC5LHXOfxREtDSBvlsvPw6CxoC45epPRGo9Trt24ZGRfc/s1600/Roark_5mos.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 160px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyseM4IMloKpxABc9aFnsDKqI0iY-sxlWBuWrTIITf6N6VgSgKvW66juPOBjCpNQO9DK-lJmbSwKO2aICUm5yD74-d0i1y5sTC5LHXOfxREtDSBvlsvPw6CxoC45epPRGo9Trt24ZGRfc/s200/Roark_5mos.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408429988625996050" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtnQFDKiM7qBw5qtU82DRbhtOs5yHAi1PgV7fUErBVce4bjbQcTbdCHZsJztCKnkCE0rGEFHqoYmnxbRSQRQv7wP3WoWowNepJtEma5Q95SsYAP3KUYJGzd1PsQnRHAWisrsLkwfKjZ4w/s1600/Cadence_4mos.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 116px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtnQFDKiM7qBw5qtU82DRbhtOs5yHAi1PgV7fUErBVce4bjbQcTbdCHZsJztCKnkCE0rGEFHqoYmnxbRSQRQv7wP3WoWowNepJtEma5Q95SsYAP3KUYJGzd1PsQnRHAWisrsLkwfKjZ4w/s200/Cadence_4mos.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408430370414521282" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCL9_gWCR-uhAZV7Xv0UCzYc2as8nxCWbMVj5wfNtv5LcJtBqiU1bzbO-dmAkmwrBLDuO4gS6-dwsW4YlteF7VMNCDa-5MSuATvoRHKlAH_aUiDdTHy211b-VjlsV678elHAHuR8aGdw0/s1600/Valrhona_head_5mos.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 158px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCL9_gWCR-uhAZV7Xv0UCzYc2as8nxCWbMVj5wfNtv5LcJtBqiU1bzbO-dmAkmwrBLDuO4gS6-dwsW4YlteF7VMNCDa-5MSuATvoRHKlAH_aUiDdTHy211b-VjlsV678elHAHuR8aGdw0/s200/Valrhona_head_5mos.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408430103641981954" border="0" /></a>Roark ~ Valrhona ~ Cadence<br /><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTnQuGLI6PAJTjRFj7vNjef5ilKUu0r8LxUvsXHj-HnUL9So80QSHf1O6umI4HlBygeL2ky-vGBr6KYDGyGgnnsjLGRS1bKYxPyPZIK27kU-SIedn_0hCItRkd9ilAT9WoTJmbINN12fc/s1600/Tecumseh_6-wks.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 125px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTnQuGLI6PAJTjRFj7vNjef5ilKUu0r8LxUvsXHj-HnUL9So80QSHf1O6umI4HlBygeL2ky-vGBr6KYDGyGgnnsjLGRS1bKYxPyPZIK27kU-SIedn_0hCItRkd9ilAT9WoTJmbINN12fc/s200/Tecumseh_6-wks.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408430780111243714" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiELbdNLvVkgrWSzvD3UgmIsnFVHKqHlDi7NlsdJDAqbXGhDzd-ia5Lt8rkHtE43UBRBwW2zQFxjlVrXMyB41E6XrNUbaC4crEz18yZ7pjQyr9jPUGmhOcPGxohc_yvRFuVJFeQg0lX3As/s1600/Sarek_2mos.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 115px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiELbdNLvVkgrWSzvD3UgmIsnFVHKqHlDi7NlsdJDAqbXGhDzd-ia5Lt8rkHtE43UBRBwW2zQFxjlVrXMyB41E6XrNUbaC4crEz18yZ7pjQyr9jPUGmhOcPGxohc_yvRFuVJFeQg0lX3As/s200/Sarek_2mos.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408431120189745762" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq2rY8-KnSgl9wMNuqJxMaY5d19DGEeCLygLw8H039vqwwhlXBdX2r221vwi6HmqincMgk2Dv2jyDq2ZRqQsO9oSGvhOrPeta6TYm4eDz2U6I6h7c7L72zYrN5liN_vaRyEQly8xEZbUw/s1600/Juliaca_2mos.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq2rY8-KnSgl9wMNuqJxMaY5d19DGEeCLygLw8H039vqwwhlXBdX2r221vwi6HmqincMgk2Dv2jyDq2ZRqQsO9oSGvhOrPeta6TYm4eDz2U6I6h7c7L72zYrN5liN_vaRyEQly8xEZbUw/s200/Juliaca_2mos.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408430958428968786" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Mariquita & Tecumseh ~ Juliaca ~ Sarek<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGa882m6LcMkj6a7kGxDNsOcYKUATq17j2Rf2HTLjEA1mn8HvDiEN7yqBOPR8CC4MvUoaNv7UoCkT_KPFbWy_0AFfbj1wo51lC-MzQqdS00-NapjTnnErR48rG54Z0lon1QFP_YYXuBlk/s1600/Celeste_2mos.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 176px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGa882m6LcMkj6a7kGxDNsOcYKUATq17j2Rf2HTLjEA1mn8HvDiEN7yqBOPR8CC4MvUoaNv7UoCkT_KPFbWy_0AFfbj1wo51lC-MzQqdS00-NapjTnnErR48rG54Z0lon1QFP_YYXuBlk/s200/Celeste_2mos.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408431749640477474" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYaxuLtjVjU77rGOFLFYl8JdrzYduYXyS02Wps_mKSi0Cizt8hTtFvfvrAdN-snDkaSiQ1Osv4WyhwAjACVtHWJY5fEO4qW5sGU4q2rGaQvWnSk7iV4e1YmZJmucN_Q9_pVB0pEhENeIM/s1600/gobbler+yarn+basket.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYaxuLtjVjU77rGOFLFYl8JdrzYduYXyS02Wps_mKSi0Cizt8hTtFvfvrAdN-snDkaSiQ1Osv4WyhwAjACVtHWJY5fEO4qW5sGU4q2rGaQvWnSk7iV4e1YmZJmucN_Q9_pVB0pEhENeIM/s200/gobbler+yarn+basket.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408432227289309890" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilmkPFIW1j3FwlGBQetKGlz755iFmQKA6p14sRt09_YhRlGB8FeQyj5nwfZ0Anc-wMq4Gt5aEB8U-SJMo5WbJ6CHkgbHJScLfhDUJKblR_UNqMrTjXGimNf1GSm0rqPWoxPoPVd5c4u0Y/s1600/Toledo_3mos.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 186px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilmkPFIW1j3FwlGBQetKGlz755iFmQKA6p14sRt09_YhRlGB8FeQyj5nwfZ0Anc-wMq4Gt5aEB8U-SJMo5WbJ6CHkgbHJScLfhDUJKblR_UNqMrTjXGimNf1GSm0rqPWoxPoPVd5c4u0Y/s200/Toledo_3mos.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408431884760436162" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Celeste ~ Toledo ~ turkey basket of yarn<br /></div>Ann Dockendorfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14087868841723783711noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7615102638481826682.post-50611857338803909102009-06-22T18:53:00.000-07:002009-06-26T18:20:50.166-07:00Triple Fudge Brownies<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGHirn5pC4lCIMg43A9wF3J_IIlkbJarPKEjSHAWqf3SnKg2IgwNJG7CmCHIJiAwwzW2weEBGp11OktoOdF45CGvQW160JGyveHFVg9ZJQUODOaVRW49b93Fh8Q1D4j4lHIRYbPdMMr5U/s1600-h/Windancer_Gboy_5min.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 241px; height: 161px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGHirn5pC4lCIMg43A9wF3J_IIlkbJarPKEjSHAWqf3SnKg2IgwNJG7CmCHIJiAwwzW2weEBGp11OktoOdF45CGvQW160JGyveHFVg9ZJQUODOaVRW49b93Fh8Q1D4j4lHIRYbPdMMr5U/s320/Windancer_Gboy_5min.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351773904650244226" border="0" /></a>Cria #3 (of the June set) arrived last Thursday morning, another flawless birth in the field by Windancer on day 354 of gestation (first photo at 5 minutes old). And another dark brown cria with black points, this time a male.<br /><br /><a href="http://aragonalpacas.com/alpaca_herdsires.html#Galileo">Galileo</a> is the sire, and this was obviously a great pairing!<br /><br />Windancer was very patient as the other dams and yearling girls in the pasture came over to greet her baby.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglH7AGXpanB0CzeGnrQBv_IjxKDJz4iC0ZMeUQXr9KLdQe-FdD6eJ3ag-_yxXZUU0il_f42AXZU-A4iLJYY2ZJKU8FqiS9Jo1V_DSdS75HGnIQs20uy4JZj6PJBJxebRTpEQ-t55B8zg0/s1600-h/greeting_newborn.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglH7AGXpanB0CzeGnrQBv_IjxKDJz4iC0ZMeUQXr9KLdQe-FdD6eJ3ag-_yxXZUU0il_f42AXZU-A4iLJYY2ZJKU8FqiS9Jo1V_DSdS75HGnIQs20uy4JZj6PJBJxebRTpEQ-t55B8zg0/s320/greeting_newborn.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351775725675302274" border="0" /></a><br />This boy's fleece is curlier than I've ever seen on a newborn, even though Mike claims "you always say that!" We are still contemplating his name: Galileo's _________. Perhaps something astronomical and suitable to the human namesake. Herdsire Galileo already has sons named Aries, Cassini, and Callisto (moon of Jupiter that the astronomer discovered). Since we have other Galileo cria due in the fall, perhaps a theme of names from Star Trek...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXzATKDAe57j8OKklYAPGEDv2jCOo5SCtK5V_i4GlRfA6CWgM8y-vILzIwStGIUFkYITGuw0XwxmECzejGeGsXd_Le2l9qyeIXVtCZ8Hrv7tRwO7Hl2c8JpnS3FTUS4qWqmv1ZdYdxBto/s1600-h/cousins_Gitana_GBoy5days.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 256px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXzATKDAe57j8OKklYAPGEDv2jCOo5SCtK5V_i4GlRfA6CWgM8y-vILzIwStGIUFkYITGuw0XwxmECzejGeGsXd_Le2l9qyeIXVtCZ8Hrv7tRwO7Hl2c8JpnS3FTUS4qWqmv1ZdYdxBto/s320/cousins_Gitana_GBoy5days.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351780757309324962" border="0" /></a><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >Galileo's son with Aunt Summer and cousin Gitana.</span><br /></div><br />Now there is a trio of dark chocolate brown babies dashing through the fields, and usually I can only tell which one is which by the mom it's next to. Perhaps I could get colorful ribbons to pair the sets: green, yellow, and purple. ~ Just kidding, I would never put a nametag on such young, adventuresome animals...<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxqZdBAI5AFvdVTS_0immjh-lGbGdh-4FbOWicQOYQ1aplSREViYkdsMRh9syu9mdm49-nQewoSGqpDCghWqA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAYd2s7b9RJAqwBL44lXJKg8Ye7l05kLofYnsuzSiA66lXaBBk-69LiJ_5bnPnTF68tg8-1SAeNJdy1UE17nSMKMHBU5b9eMbV2QaUkHpjcf_yryNeLTng-0zhvQxrrpNfaKWoMbR4Iko/s1600-h/two-sisters_moms.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAYd2s7b9RJAqwBL44lXJKg8Ye7l05kLofYnsuzSiA66lXaBBk-69LiJ_5bnPnTF68tg8-1SAeNJdy1UE17nSMKMHBU5b9eMbV2QaUkHpjcf_yryNeLTng-0zhvQxrrpNfaKWoMbR4Iko/s320/two-sisters_moms.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351809692335308194" border="0" /></a><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >Rockford half-sisters and their moms</span><br /></div>Ann Dockendorfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14087868841723783711noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7615102638481826682.post-55305413570135634482009-06-12T17:37:00.000-07:002009-06-14T15:55:11.235-07:00Dependable Moms<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWX_9GHzr_ZBlJdmi7dynBKIVVDQkGqrhbeaxQ9kTweZJ4ykcPV4jj_KNVMD9qOwxboBWPGcLr873evhko8S7vcS7_nUA3vhEFeBZNm4_oKHHXkP23c3366LJCvmezp7ubxPgZEbvjc2s/s1600-h/Killdeer_warning.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 100px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWX_9GHzr_ZBlJdmi7dynBKIVVDQkGqrhbeaxQ9kTweZJ4ykcPV4jj_KNVMD9qOwxboBWPGcLr873evhko8S7vcS7_nUA3vhEFeBZNm4_oKHHXkP23c3366LJCvmezp7ubxPgZEbvjc2s/s200/Killdeer_warning.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347192821910924018" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Killdeer, the Sequel</span><br />As predicted, the killdeer parents took turn sitting on their eggs and protecting the nest. Whenever I ventured through the gate to check on any progress, the resident one would go to another area, feigning lameness to draw me away. I'd quickly snap a photo and exit.<br /><br />On Day 24, I noticed both adult birds present in the dirt. Thinking this signaled hatching, I checked the next day and was completely surprised to find <span style="font-style: italic;">no</span> evidence of birds at all -- no discarded shells or feathers or poop or any other traces of their almost month-long habitation of the dip in the dirt that had been their home.<br /><br />The dams were quite happy to have that pasture again, only now the grass was so tall that Mike had to mow it. Pacas are particular and will not graze tall grasses, preferring shorter, more tender (sweeter!) shoots.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cria Watch</span><br />After waiting almost a year, due dates for three of our dams were this week: two due June 9th, and one on June 11th. They are all experienced moms, and as the days drew nearer, I kept the herd close to the house so I could observe through the windows. Cria are generally born between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., so they will be up and running away from predators by evening.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi68QH4bcXBz2UYmf_jqzhyphenhyphenbfMnJvihn5wgRlHNt01a0jwGvBeCQag5skDZlenOCn2i9AjfMAP7CfgH3q9SavJRIFi-CjTwaDvZ2wee6FyTVSP-LPhwyxxuDK-ERj0T-sS-X1Ew2YL3Gxw/s1600-h/Disa_cria01-picaboo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi68QH4bcXBz2UYmf_jqzhyphenhyphenbfMnJvihn5wgRlHNt01a0jwGvBeCQag5skDZlenOCn2i9AjfMAP7CfgH3q9SavJRIFi-CjTwaDvZ2wee6FyTVSP-LPhwyxxuDK-ERj0T-sS-X1Ew2YL3Gxw/s200/Disa_cria01-picaboo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347193187773196162" border="0" /></a><br />There are definite physiological signs to watch for, such as a softening and stretching of the tendons beneath the tail, frequent visitations to the poop pile in response to the internal pressures, and perhaps laying on one side or the other, to get comfortable as the cria repositions itself.<br /><br />Once I saw Disa head back up towards the barn, where her daughter was born last year -- sometimes they return to the same place for birthing. But no, she was simply grazing along the driveway. She moved to different areas frequently throughout the morning, and was humming a lot. The next time I glanced out the window, I noticed another dam peering intently towards a tree. There in its shade was Disa, and a baby on the ground. None of the other alpacas had noticed yet, so it had just happened.<br /><br />I grabbed a notepad and my iPhone, and ran to the barn for my 'cria kit' and towels. The cria was already sitting sternal (upright), and Disa had delivered the placenta. Flawless alpaca births are essentially bloodless. The baby was wet and easily chilled on the overcast day, and laying in the dirt, so I scooped it up with a towel and carried it to a flatter area in the grass. A girl! Very dark brown, graduating to black on feet, ears and nose.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitsgRg6nVCOi6XIgb-ish0KOzExGExSphLzYkU1P0gD32smFQMQtl4S2ikU9ES7d1pzHhWFH93d00MbcEpQaKomJh66MHZ5g2eigOsGS5U9xJtwxYIC_Mdlx50-cj5ti0x_JzQleEeFao/s1600-h/Ladyhawke_Disa_cria.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitsgRg6nVCOi6XIgb-ish0KOzExGExSphLzYkU1P0gD32smFQMQtl4S2ikU9ES7d1pzHhWFH93d00MbcEpQaKomJh66MHZ5g2eigOsGS5U9xJtwxYIC_Mdlx50-cj5ti0x_JzQleEeFao/s200/Ladyhawke_Disa_cria.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347193852838296098" border="0" /></a>Once I was sure that mom and baby were safe, I dialed Mike to let him know, sent him a photo to show around the office. And called neighbor Elissa to come see.<br /><br />There is a post-birth checklist to step through, so the notetaking began: time of birth, first standing, first nursing, dip the umbilical cord, etc. All of this while sitting on your hands as much as possible and observing from a distance, to allow bonding. Disa did good: got pregnant on the first breeding, and her delivery was "textbook" quick and clean.<br /><br />This was Disa's third pregnancy and third daughter, all by the same gray champion herdsire, Aussie Rockford. Hence, we're considering the name "Trinity." She is of solid coloring, whereas her two older sisters are light/medium rose gray, with unique markings. [photo: Ladyhawke greets her little sister.]<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9ews31KolyQbZpcJ8n4xjx46ugSfSmDJ6whf73MSopVyvCD1iHgA7T3MzhwN_emS7bOmNEB1xgJHQpcXZkHtTddfumghs-9NC9DqIFZhx1ffrtsHNjINBGHp13ecpmIbKFQosxAr8ryM/s1600-h/Disa_cria_styling.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9ews31KolyQbZpcJ8n4xjx46ugSfSmDJ6whf73MSopVyvCD1iHgA7T3MzhwN_emS7bOmNEB1xgJHQpcXZkHtTddfumghs-9NC9DqIFZhx1ffrtsHNjINBGHp13ecpmIbKFQosxAr8ryM/s200/Disa_cria_styling.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347314363227159554" border="0" /></a><br />Night temperatures are in the low 50s, and since crias do not regulate their body temp well the first week, I put a jacket on our new little girl. It's a toddler-size flannel one that I got at a thrift store and cut off the sleeves, buttoning along her back. She only needed it for the first couple of nights.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">One Down, Two to Go</span><br />Windancer is a small-framed dam and it looks like she swallowed a watermelon. However, it was Fabia that birthed next, in 15 minutes from start to finish. Like Disa, she's a push-button dam: one breeding, quick delivery, and she knows what to do. This time Fabia was in the field (with Disa, her baby, and Windancer) -- they are so much happier there than being confined, stressed and nervous, in a pen away from their herd. I was watching through binoculars as she paused in her grazing and began pushing. Fabia lay down a couple of times, readjusting.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEDSAFfTk8l62avTUpKRIV6ZzhhaEYFdJPTRhsze0BKHii1r2V9HQLXNhwp79k_VLlPqoJzSdc3a1itLronQhweVQLn0z7ukBMw9JmgN2-4HLlBRwvwitFFycEm-9efPKfc3Keh7CFUUw/s1600-h/Fabia_cria_06-12-09.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 199px; height: 242px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEDSAFfTk8l62avTUpKRIV6ZzhhaEYFdJPTRhsze0BKHii1r2V9HQLXNhwp79k_VLlPqoJzSdc3a1itLronQhweVQLn0z7ukBMw9JmgN2-4HLlBRwvwitFFycEm-9efPKfc3Keh7CFUUw/s200/Fabia_cria_06-12-09.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347315896462103394" border="0" /></a><br /><br />By the time I got out there with cria kit, towels, etc, the baby was on the ground, cushed (sitting upright). Only when she rolled to her side to stretch did I discover that we had another girl (!), and almost the identical color of Disa's cria. Again, the papa is Rockford, and Fabia is also gray, but their daughter (the 5th pairing of these two) is dark brown with black points. Wow, half-sisters and so very similar!<br /><br />I took a lawn chair, clipboard with checklist, a knitting project and audio book out to the edge of the field to observe. This little girl is strong, too.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-V1CN3iGRsuVS8_FjnsfflGzP8UsRaXTttDDNS5Os2sRm_Di5W_mPThtxR8SrMQF5KOPscVb2IruLlrnqHTHFhKBD3yWA9Eb-2VLX4iXeoF1Hl5E4DsvO1mcKAzksXn92DbF8sf5ztdE/s1600-h/crias_Fabia_Disa.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 193px; height: 276px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-V1CN3iGRsuVS8_FjnsfflGzP8UsRaXTttDDNS5Os2sRm_Di5W_mPThtxR8SrMQF5KOPscVb2IruLlrnqHTHFhKBD3yWA9Eb-2VLX4iXeoF1Hl5E4DsvO1mcKAzksXn92DbF8sf5ztdE/s320/crias_Fabia_Disa.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347316151067373858" border="0" /></a>Thankfully we've had overcast days, so the sun has not been too hot for these dark little ones. I try to shoo them into the shade so they don't overheat, but the moms often have different ideas. Here, gray Fabia is checking on her daughter, with Disa (sitting) and her cria in the background; Windancer looks on just behind Fabia's head.<br /><br />Name choices will be announced as soon as Windancer's cria births. She doesn't appear to be in any rush!<br /><br /><br />The photo of the "sun goddesses" was snapped the previous week. Pacas love to soak up rays, belly-side to sun. They can lay very still for many minutes, even the blackest alpaca on the hottest day.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVRH6fI2UviUXYdoyzb8Lw1NqU4pgyXtk3J2VMbuXlLnQa5zpZ2MUQcainMVn8V-gpMg4ik95GSzZy51hvHvilljP22EystOFfIP78LVT6nf6pk6Bj32XdI30VRfxy33K-xemAzDfvM1o/s1600-h/sun_goddesses.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 469px; height: 176px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVRH6fI2UviUXYdoyzb8Lw1NqU4pgyXtk3J2VMbuXlLnQa5zpZ2MUQcainMVn8V-gpMg4ik95GSzZy51hvHvilljP22EystOFfIP78LVT6nf6pk6Bj32XdI30VRfxy33K-xemAzDfvM1o/s400/sun_goddesses.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347318702638777794" border="0" /></a>Ann Dockendorfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14087868841723783711noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7615102638481826682.post-76179844798161317122009-05-20T21:04:00.000-07:002009-05-21T11:45:24.893-07:00Killdeer was here...*<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYocVyEYkq_DPVBW719zuG3aFJLONEs005ZRFPMJiB91gIweEJNKi4Fxn_MGbJ22AWWX2RU_PF8DhBLDgRqENLiqnOsBvTztXK_HCUw64ola8_HqsssuTciT-XFmFbPd8R1bVnEs2cm3w/s1600-h/killdeer_nest_12days.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 166px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYocVyEYkq_DPVBW719zuG3aFJLONEs005ZRFPMJiB91gIweEJNKi4Fxn_MGbJ22AWWX2RU_PF8DhBLDgRqENLiqnOsBvTztXK_HCUw64ola8_HqsssuTciT-XFmFbPd8R1bVnEs2cm3w/s200/killdeer_nest_12days.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338331662498734098" border="0" /></a><br />They are still here, in fact.<br />*<span style="font-size:85%;">Poetic license taken for the grammatical lapse.</span><br /><br />In the pasture behind the house, I noticed a few of the alpacas peering at something in the former burn pile. I got the binoculars and saw it was a bird flapping on the ground. Quickly, I moved the dams into the adjacent pasture and closed the gate, then went over to investigate. I found a ring of rocks with an egg in it. After about 15 minutes, the bird returned.<br /><br />Before letting the girls into that pasture the next day, I checked again, and there were 2 eggs. Guess they hadn't scared the bird off after all. A couple of days later, there were 4 eggs. I placed a rusted coil nearby so I could sight it more easily from the porch.<br /><br />By the brown and white striped markings, I identified the birds as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killdeer">Killdeer</a> and researched them online. But I could not find any information on how long they incubate the eggs before hatching. So I emailed the president of a local birding group (an ornithology instructor at the University of Oregon) with my main question: <span style="font-style: italic;">How much time am I investing in keeping my herd out of this sizable pasture?</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbdFmK4dsbB2CXz4emaq7fpRaNaLmzDaGcQeHskBLu-J4pwiMP7Erfr9MD0dtVpZObqJ4RO4dxjFnry01Su8OhWGlnN3PyiYPP1V7m-z-c8z4TLNR9FI2bje1lFBPca4FKenc1xUCI1j8/s1600-h/Killdeer_nest_20days.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbdFmK4dsbB2CXz4emaq7fpRaNaLmzDaGcQeHskBLu-J4pwiMP7Erfr9MD0dtVpZObqJ4RO4dxjFnry01Su8OhWGlnN3PyiYPP1V7m-z-c8z4TLNR9FI2bje1lFBPca4FKenc1xUCI1j8/s200/Killdeer_nest_20days.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338336495149403570" border="0" /></a>His response was quite informative:<br /><div></div><blockquote><div style="font-style: italic;">Killdeer almost invariably lay 4 eggs and usually 1 egg per day. Two-day laying intervals are very rare, as are 5 eggs, so you can safely assume that the complete clutch was laid over a four-day period. Once the final egg is laid, the adults will begin incubating so that the eggs will all develop at the same rate and hatch on the same day, frequently in the same hour.<br /><br />The incubation period is somewhat variable and is affected by the outside temperatures. Right now we are not having any extreme weather so I would expect a normal incubation period of 22-28 days. Longer incubation periods have been reported but are rare. </div><div><br /></div><div style="font-style: italic;">If you saw one egg 2 weeks ago (14 days?), then the birds have likely been incubating for ~10 days which means that they have another 10-18 days before hatching. Both parents will share incubation duties and assist the young after they have hatched.</div></blockquote><div></div>So this Friday (May 22) will mark 22 days of incubation, and hopefully hatching. I am not clear how long they will be nestlings, but since they are "precocial" they will be able to see and walk immediately. There's even a YouTube <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69j2qbXe9r4">video</a> of a similar nest.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXIRVDmFH2bnV3EKC0Y2g7mUNt6R_boEjVryveDkX5IzuFIQPwy-zk7Rv474E1ISA_kPK-OqDz4YqXoGsjXCVDlkb7M7KRZlyiS0fGsY5bfMq0ZgHsYaa4_u1IzGrHk_jY1qmgTZQWrpI/s1600-h/goslings02_3wks.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXIRVDmFH2bnV3EKC0Y2g7mUNt6R_boEjVryveDkX5IzuFIQPwy-zk7Rv474E1ISA_kPK-OqDz4YqXoGsjXCVDlkb7M7KRZlyiS0fGsY5bfMq0ZgHsYaa4_u1IzGrHk_jY1qmgTZQWrpI/s320/goslings02_3wks.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338338322519673026" border="0" /></a>The alpacas look across the fence at the parent birds, no doubt wondering why they are kept out of the pasture with all of the tasty grass. I put our herdsire Galileo in there for the day a few times and he grazes without bothering the nest. The girls would be rolling in the adjacent dirt, but he doesn't do that.<br /><br />At our neighbor's pond on the other side of the fence, there are 2 sets of Canada geese goslings. One group of 7 evidently hatched in our pasture (I never found the nest) and, with their parents, spent their first day marching up and down the fenceline, looking for a way to get to the water. Even though the adults could easily fly to it, they remained grounded with their fuzzy offspring.<br /><br />We opened the gate to the hayfield for them, and they toddled over to a gap in the fence and made their way to the pond. Both parents care for the young until they can fly.<br /><br />All of these feathered babies are a prelude to 3 cria due in early June. Windancer, Disa and Fabia look especially large after shearing. I feed them rice bran pellets (for calories) along with their regular daily mineral pellets, so they will not be too drained of resources this last month, and to give them a good start towards lactation.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.aragonalpacas.com/alpaca_sales.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 244px; height: 244px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCSixF1KlP26e3RUi4PPZKaC6D8oboyYnddCncwEKEFm7nFoRCaL9nbfjhqkdVrejY-h_6obRJvi0kuTE2OUGELhAH9rVxVZe8ihRDSxjARaTtgpGXvFk9Zspl3-HB99VPn8z1zb1YUdM/s320/Fabia_April2009.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338339918983831218" border="0" /></a>Our stately gray Fabia is 15 years old, and this will be her 10th cria (her first for us). She is strong and healthy, and births easily. This photo was taken a few days before shearing.<br /><br />The 3 most pregnant dams were 6 wks away from delivery, and I chose to shear them. It's is a judgment call whether the stress of shearing might cause premature delivery, or the stress of over-heating if they are not shorn and the weather turns hot. I gave these three dams Rescue Remedy to calm them, and they were sheared first and quickly. They exhibited no problems; I was glad I made that choice.<br /><br />A final sign of spring is that the bee hives have arrived. They are placed at the far end of the hayfield, across a seasonal stream. What a surprise to see the patchwork of colors this year! The beekeeper tells me that bees forage for nectar up to 3 miles, so they enjoy the fruit trees, willows and garden plants in this rural area. And we have a gallon of honey from last year's harvest, and a recipe for mead!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFUXTLJDL9eXcnQYezYcrpkc95i9kjlVBHcNi6c6EKhMI439VS9o1QQy3e3HyP24Ae6_r22_iRfQFK0hxhu5_W8ePRjr7m5mmYfnErsU_6yadM4w7y_iORN7Mf9Tfat9buaNdtY4s5P38/s1600-h/beehives_600w.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 271px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFUXTLJDL9eXcnQYezYcrpkc95i9kjlVBHcNi6c6EKhMI439VS9o1QQy3e3HyP24Ae6_r22_iRfQFK0hxhu5_W8ePRjr7m5mmYfnErsU_6yadM4w7y_iORN7Mf9Tfat9buaNdtY4s5P38/s400/beehives_600w.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338347221847167826" border="0" /></a>Ann Dockendorfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14087868841723783711noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7615102638481826682.post-10032364940282553392009-03-15T21:48:00.000-07:002009-03-23T08:57:12.706-07:00Arts & Crafts<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXy6jJyRQ21aNo7Qy8oPA8mwsa3Gq9fRLe688UKk9kWC_Ey6UoAoVWz-WQ0prNmBoyQLbxyOXT0VwTO4UtgOxBqmzU1ZbHvwrXDk-JtfOP4lbXm6GGt5p5f7fmo07tLUOq-BXkZgEm89M/s1600-h/AA_sign.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 285px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXy6jJyRQ21aNo7Qy8oPA8mwsa3Gq9fRLe688UKk9kWC_Ey6UoAoVWz-WQ0prNmBoyQLbxyOXT0VwTO4UtgOxBqmzU1ZbHvwrXDk-JtfOP4lbXm6GGt5p5f7fmo07tLUOq-BXkZgEm89M/s320/AA_sign.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316154932673500034" border="0" /></a>Combing the arts of design, supplies acquisition, construction and painting, we have completed our sign! Along the bottom we will hang notices like Open Farm Today 10-4, Yarn & Roving, etc. -- as soon as I make them. When granddaughters are here next week, we will plant a flowerbed beneath it.<br /><br />People enjoy this road as a lovely "back-door" drive into Eugene, and the sign will capture the curiosity of passers-by for Open Ranch Days. We love visitors!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Very Local Painters</span><br />As Mike and I unloaded the van recently, we noticed a car driving slowly past, and a few minutes later, it returned up the hill. The car stopped across the end of the driveway and the passenger jumped out, rushing to introduce herself as a neighbor from a nearby street. She and her friend were in search of a place to set up their easels and paint boxes, to watercolor landscapes before daylight eluded them. We made our introductions and invited them to look around for a vista that would work.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrUeDdnGUQq2e02kd07UR7JIZ_9IJmRJt_EJayyjLJ_HRhPgVNRqBN9Y8SCLtaRrMQUSIDP1yN0L0wBoxvSu0n8LtvQ9jixAny8LWS0_7AjDHwFlfLGE8Xbpwyo7oRGJCxSqN9KoGLFaY/s1600-h/painter_Victoria.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 285px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrUeDdnGUQq2e02kd07UR7JIZ_9IJmRJt_EJayyjLJ_HRhPgVNRqBN9Y8SCLtaRrMQUSIDP1yN0L0wBoxvSu0n8LtvQ9jixAny8LWS0_7AjDHwFlfLGE8Xbpwyo7oRGJCxSqN9KoGLFaY/s320/painter_Victoria.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316147294176038434" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglzEVu5FUvPbZdBxE8Ks3OiOt8KaHsUy-QAvQKrJLgN1ruqawldckPxqF0U4al3N-MI9gLmrDfjSNG850uAlkmFYpNqp9WqYnwRH8XgJeNcHt_aAU6PG6IDkDc6OdpW5yLDPrKNc_OiQ8/s1600-h/painter_Kathy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 285px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglzEVu5FUvPbZdBxE8Ks3OiOt8KaHsUy-QAvQKrJLgN1ruqawldckPxqF0U4al3N-MI9gLmrDfjSNG850uAlkmFYpNqp9WqYnwRH8XgJeNcHt_aAU6PG6IDkDc6OdpW5yLDPrKNc_OiQ8/s320/painter_Kathy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316147478477788946" border="0" /></a>Cathy and Victoria are members of <a href="http://pleinaireugene.blogspot.com/">Plein Air Painters of Eugene</a>, and they go out each week, rain or shine, to paint outdoor scenes. Enjoying their enthusiasm and expertise, I invited them to come again, and they connected me with their fearless leader, Brooks. Now Aragon Alpacas is on the painters' April calendar, and we look forward to hosting the group, rain or shine.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpGNgqVtklvj4TtO1i8Gq3q6SQMCZRvZZHVb2KmAm_GiawRPSC-xOPgTuSS6XX9cchAIuPT1htUI4HlxFMbsvyL9yChtet8wbt1r9G4Q-U_1ixRto5XJDNLzYw3RYw44nfcjo45bEGgDA/s1600-h/spinning_wheels.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpGNgqVtklvj4TtO1i8Gq3q6SQMCZRvZZHVb2KmAm_GiawRPSC-xOPgTuSS6XX9cchAIuPT1htUI4HlxFMbsvyL9yChtet8wbt1r9G4Q-U_1ixRto5XJDNLzYw3RYw44nfcjo45bEGgDA/s320/spinning_wheels.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316408071359724274" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Spinners' Camp</span><br />Mike gifted me with my first trip away from the farm since the alpacas began to arrive last March by taking over my chores while I attended a 4-day spinners' retreat at the <a href="http://www.silverfallsconference.com/">Silver Falls Conference Center</a>. The <a href="http://www.uoregon.edu/%7Ecwinter/EWES/index.htm">EWES</a> (Eugene Wednesday Evening Spinners) get away for a long weekend every spring and fall. This time, 16 clever, bright, creative, energetic women shared their expertise and joy as we spun, knitted, crocheted, and laughed our way through the days, pausing only to eat and sleep.<br /><br />Besides me, the EWES welcomed two other newcomers to the retreat, one a knitter, the other a crocheter. We stayed in threesome cabins, and geek-knitter <a href="http://geekknitter.blogspot.com/">Andrea</a> bunked with Elissa and me.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_g1vOFmzf5HqkFj7pNaPtjiXVoFx9eNLXWMWIxK7vIjw_j1Djfj7Ay27utFnMKOgSGHt4ErWPiO3NFcR4a1GZzIWwHZ6Ke1jqckTP7Yw1Mb6Ew5Ipii0GaWTXQl2298L3w3yWMYneTZQ/s1600-h/yarn_chunky.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 197px; height: 171px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_g1vOFmzf5HqkFj7pNaPtjiXVoFx9eNLXWMWIxK7vIjw_j1Djfj7Ay27utFnMKOgSGHt4ErWPiO3NFcR4a1GZzIWwHZ6Ke1jqckTP7Yw1Mb6Ew5Ipii0GaWTXQl2298L3w3yWMYneTZQ/s320/yarn_chunky.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316404773920392914" border="0" /></a>No longer can I shyly claim to be a beginning spinner, although as with everything else, there is always more to learn. I came home with a greater appreciation for fiber arts and a heightened self-confidence in my spinning abilities.<br /><br />I learned to ply my early spinning attempts into chunky yarn. With practice, and from watching others, I can spin more delicately. Now to complete some other projects on the needles so I can knit something from my beginner yarn. Much like the first pot that comes out of the kiln in pottery, this first yarn attempt will be memorable for its own lessons and reasons.<br /><br />I have signed up for the 'wheel mechanics' <a href="http://www.blacksheepgathering.org/catalog/workshop.html">class</a> at Black Sheep to learn which knob to turn when, and how to alter the functions of my double-drive Ashford Traveller wheel. Hopefully the four births due mid-June will be accommodating so I can attend this session!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEpJEdt0f75pdFBS0jnOvaGLchCijjZMrvQ5uASnZoCbf8u09gruVJOg3Iw7aeUSmtMCtmAsXuz2IjCFMvWH9bkZP5URvY4hyphenhyphen7wOPYHANE3IqU74z6LPIjk1FHodbKk_do7A_qpHiYRfw/s1600-h/wet_Troubadour_Jedlicka.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEpJEdt0f75pdFBS0jnOvaGLchCijjZMrvQ5uASnZoCbf8u09gruVJOg3Iw7aeUSmtMCtmAsXuz2IjCFMvWH9bkZP5URvY4hyphenhyphen7wOPYHANE3IqU74z6LPIjk1FHodbKk_do7A_qpHiYRfw/s320/wet_Troubadour_Jedlicka.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316148729704139522" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Art of Weaning</span><br />While dancing with the rain these spring days, I am weaning cria: day weaning for a week, and then 24/7. Troubadour and Jedlicka are looking especially damp, although beneath all of that alpaca fleece is a very dry animal.<br /><br />Mike is drafting plans for another shelter, to increase the use of our pens. Then we can house the kindergarten class of weanling boys in the male area.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Brew-crafting</span><br />Oh, and we've purchased four <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hops">hop rhizomes</a> as starter vines. In home-brewing, hops are one of the most expensive ingredients. By growing our own, we'll not only have enough for the recipes, but also for making into fragrant wreaths and arrangements.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmWR51_gHA35mzclN7qLExiTsD3uJMms41_uOPZOJwFlv2bdLJNwTsa32JeXJuv0vJO_Kksi6bFRtslKnwbwNgdjZIcTLvgrg41L98ADdPiIRfNmRYeDk2CQVmgVBTbPRdTCVgNxA_Xik/s1600-h/daffodil_pacas.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmWR51_gHA35mzclN7qLExiTsD3uJMms41_uOPZOJwFlv2bdLJNwTsa32JeXJuv0vJO_Kksi6bFRtslKnwbwNgdjZIcTLvgrg41L98ADdPiIRfNmRYeDk2CQVmgVBTbPRdTCVgNxA_Xik/s320/daffodil_pacas.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316408775951104338" border="0" /></a>Our beekeeper brought by a bucket of honey and recipes for mead, so that's on our agenda, too!<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">(our little cabin in the woods at Silver Falls' Retreat</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifvvUW52pBt8Khi-hlWtHs-BWPj06Z0cxjASHO7SZo6V8yRXLoWVt4Ne92PWa2ldWDkVaOpX-rreR6SCYqLZglJVyVr74UYsd_HhMneSl4jkOb_P2QT8KhiT9virsDFKrzOrAg2kiXmDA/s1600-h/little_cabin_woods.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 256px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifvvUW52pBt8Khi-hlWtHs-BWPj06Z0cxjASHO7SZo6V8yRXLoWVt4Ne92PWa2ldWDkVaOpX-rreR6SCYqLZglJVyVr74UYsd_HhMneSl4jkOb_P2QT8KhiT9virsDFKrzOrAg2kiXmDA/s320/little_cabin_woods.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316408664355713026" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">)</span>Ann Dockendorfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14087868841723783711noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7615102638481826682.post-27959287359449720472009-02-08T09:39:00.000-08:002009-02-13T11:01:36.332-08:00Crazy Feet!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS4Mzb20g20P_uKan7QGcjqByO3yi0z3qbtTGYQ49ghK_uhrPrO0z48TCgaYIWtFXic-hJCxc8E7Rb7het7gYwhyVLJ_7jjjCFpMr56ZhDwM3fK9OXLN7ldyu7joxXJt3gn9Ynx-M2q28/s1600-h/field_run.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 185px; height: 247px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS4Mzb20g20P_uKan7QGcjqByO3yi0z3qbtTGYQ49ghK_uhrPrO0z48TCgaYIWtFXic-hJCxc8E7Rb7het7gYwhyVLJ_7jjjCFpMr56ZhDwM3fK9OXLN7ldyu7joxXJt3gn9Ynx-M2q28/s320/field_run.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301260280672465506" border="0" /></a>For an hour or so each afternoon, I have been letting the dams and crias (25 total) out into the hayfield. As soon as they see me heading toward the gate, they run ahead in anticipation. That's <a href="http://aragonalpacas.com/alpaca_sales.html#Sable">Sable</a>, practically attached to my shoulder.<br /><br />The young alpacas especially love to romp on the 10 acres, and sometimes the dams join in the pronking (boing... boing... boing, as if they're spring-loaded). Then they break into a full-out run, and sometimes do a side-kick that Mike fondly calls "crazy feet."<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6M8PG7uc3DobDPkB2iWAfwPJoZ4gUB_M3RA-9e4BY12AHbvHGuqMj9OGxZHPQQzt3r_5dOvtBAGuuGDv667D6itwOj7xJm2u5rDzWv2bp3CVDzI0GtIWM0cZ_QExuQLJ2QBeLDH8M0SY/s1600-h/to-the-field_03.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6M8PG7uc3DobDPkB2iWAfwPJoZ4gUB_M3RA-9e4BY12AHbvHGuqMj9OGxZHPQQzt3r_5dOvtBAGuuGDv667D6itwOj7xJm2u5rDzWv2bp3CVDzI0GtIWM0cZ_QExuQLJ2QBeLDH8M0SY/s200/to-the-field_03.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301260740323554498" border="0" /></a>The hay field remains a perplexity to us. If we plant orchard grass (alpaca's hay of choice), at the most nutritious time in its growth cycle for mowing, the weather is too wet to cut it. And if we leave it to grow until the weather is dry enough, the plants flower and go to seed, draining the leaves of nutrition. So last year we planted horse blend (timothy, rye, orchard grass and one other), and it was indeed harvested when most of the grass and seed heads were dry.<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwOUveW2aftnM1iq63FveseRX8CNTBmo68b3Sw2Dz5uLz1fh_vgdw3e73bC1D7rAg6zhipcpkILiBBL0Q35mA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br /><br />Most of the 420 bales we sold -- folks just came and loaded up their trucks right in the field. We used some of them as a boundary for our garden, and I have built up layers of compost within it over the fall and winter months. (We can even hollow out places to plant trailing vegetables atop the bales.) And some bales we stacked in the barn as wind-breaks in stalls, and to be used as bedding on the concrete floor. A few of the alpacas choose to munch on it for diversion, but it offers very little food value for them. Granola, I call it, because it is just a crunchy snack.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4q0gcr0_TDNsvrKu1YFo7GcZNpLH3m-XtFf9ieRSdXO3fiNB5N7zj5wEOlRwZeJkv1QlAZqFFjcu9smdQckpV6cYP4QsMgI-pjDLYO3Ge6LGXuGIr7KNBMXuN-sQ4YCwRC6KN5m-tsLc/s1600-h/snow_barn_pacas.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4q0gcr0_TDNsvrKu1YFo7GcZNpLH3m-XtFf9ieRSdXO3fiNB5N7zj5wEOlRwZeJkv1QlAZqFFjcu9smdQckpV6cYP4QsMgI-pjDLYO3Ge6LGXuGIr7KNBMXuN-sQ4YCwRC6KN5m-tsLc/s200/snow_barn_pacas.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301277522205889522" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Weights and Measures</span><br />I started the year by getting a weight on each alpaca. Most do not mind being haltered and led to the scale, and some stand there more calmly than others. A few need patient coaxing, and two refused to budge, so I had to enlist help from a friend. Fabia is the most reluctant to be 'processed' for anything she considers unnecessary. But she also loves her carrots, so she was easily lead, unhaltered, to the scale and stood quite happily while munching on the dish of sliced carrots I held in front of her. I woulnd't mind if they all did it that way!<br /><br />I do not <a href="http://aragonalpacas.com/alpaca_word_barn.html#spit_test">spit-test</a> the girls in winter months, because I would not breed them if they became open. We will test them again at end of March, hoping all pregnancies have held. The first four births are due in mid- to late June. Most of the other dams are due in Sept and October.<br /><br />Since the winter sun is at such a low angle, we give Vitamin D paste to the crias bi-weekly. At end of day, while the adults are enjoying their pellets, the crias come into the creep feeder to eat unchallenged, so it is simple and safe to catch them there and give them a dose of 'orange sauce.'<br /><br />Even though there are not as many chores to do for herd maintenance during the winter, the season brings on many more farm tasks. Mostly due to the weather and the latitude. In mid-December, I began afternoon regathering from the day pastures and feeding at 3;30 in order to be done by dark.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://aragonalpacas.com/alpaca_herdsires.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 159px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXjX-VbTlqG-pNomHRwZdztcCEg16qqt2EUrkJvv99l33aPxPqBZ3Ineqfsiz_SIaLEWC8bBcmRBvLY_-BS9G3P9AsLY3PkwbHHSYSKkccRAU7KTyOEXK6nNv8ZtswJyY2Wqzc98x2kmg/s200/frosty_Galileo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301276871962828882" border="0" /></a>Once we passed Winter Solstice, the days began noticeably lengthening. Reading the Farmer's Almanac, I discovered that as days lengthen again, daylight extends about four times faster at the end of the day than at the beginning -- a fact of Nature I never realized when holding an office job!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Frost is Our Friend</span><br />The frost is often quite beautiful, caught cobweb-like in fuzzy ears or outlining leaves and grass blades. Mud and ice offer their own challenges. When the ground is so wet, the riding mower with trailer is unusable for poop scooping so we reverted to pushing wheelbarrow. A 4-wheel drive 'gator would be handy, but we haven't made that investment yet. And so far, we do not feel the need to get a tractor.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9XB05tPl3SOFJTxm9_-t7QSjqyqMNAUXvr8i0kS4iQLH4e8iISj3KryGrLkLy0MHPt5e1albVhbENz4jPhjM-zB5yEjNB9xMBUve9XhfE3IJ7cS4oPcURUjbmEWsuJPtkorcDy8fM2c0/s1600-h/frosty_leaf.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 175px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9XB05tPl3SOFJTxm9_-t7QSjqyqMNAUXvr8i0kS4iQLH4e8iISj3KryGrLkLy0MHPt5e1albVhbENz4jPhjM-zB5yEjNB9xMBUve9XhfE3IJ7cS4oPcURUjbmEWsuJPtkorcDy8fM2c0/s200/frosty_leaf.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301278003765133458" border="0" /></a>We put straw down on the pathways so they are less slippery. I did land on my tush one time and had to carefully sit sideways for a few weeks until the tail bone bruise healed. But we also discovered that frost is our friend. After driving a load of wood down to the workshop, the van kept spinning on the way back up the driveway. Early the next morning, the ground had frozen and Mike was able to drive it up just fine. I used the same technique to move the mower with trailer around for the next few mornings, and once again could take the load down to fertilize the hayfield.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiYr6oiAZ2adrZmv441OJQEuY5CNtbEp6-APJt-hX-BVtJDAmyyh8g4HUI0FAIbnbd6UzMu5QpunxrOy60sRdTcDq2WXsjjHSvV6HqxXzcgTtkom5o2Xka4iKyh4AbSbAas0ltsbR1WEs/s1600-h/frosty_morn_pacas.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 233px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiYr6oiAZ2adrZmv441OJQEuY5CNtbEp6-APJt-hX-BVtJDAmyyh8g4HUI0FAIbnbd6UzMu5QpunxrOy60sRdTcDq2WXsjjHSvV6HqxXzcgTtkom5o2Xka4iKyh4AbSbAas0ltsbR1WEs/s320/frosty_morn_pacas.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301283902206746994" border="0" /></a>Ann Dockendorfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14087868841723783711noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7615102638481826682.post-68579940318123813362009-01-24T16:34:00.000-08:002009-01-26T13:15:27.871-08:00Winter sets in<div><div><div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295023763960514770" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; float: right; width: 320px; height: 240px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg39cUZhDoL0Nl23muK8wC-cJyiG8Dsz84z6szrDoTT1uQirT_L1lpDy4heG1oxN2res_l85BEqv_-UU_Cy5j0WwbUp1F_EYR-tGMujaLxr3to4_uuFW2H4SV03l_ijWIq_OLORnnACy58/s320/12192008233.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div>Strange winter happening outside. It hit pretty hard in December, was quite the adventure driving to work on ice - spent a couple hours on a blocked freeway one morning when I was supposed to get to work early to install some new software. After a week or two of this stuff, it warmed up (to freezing) and it's held there at night ever since. Days are a balmy 40-45, though. Crisp but not really cold.</div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>Had a good Christmas on the farm, fairly quiet but we're not really removed from family here, just at the other end of the wireless.</div><br /><br /><div>The WinterBrau - a nice quiet reflective Organic Brown Ale - I made in November (dubbed it Amber Waves because we bottled it on Veteran's Day) sat in our Alpaca Store, where the heaters have been off all winter. As a result, it must've thought it was a Lager and never quite carbonated in the bottle. But it isn't bad, and I discovered that bringing it in the house for a week or two before opening one helps.</div><br /><br /><div></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirDkaPJR13rQh_jVOYHdDmfSTEI_1Y6VZAL4npTFSXMv_Lg9Ao0BWsLFcDYsV28uQlAyu8nwZb0bjU0UgYfnbTU1wRFBfZrouQjeIXn6morzZ4_HBw6w2TLRk_gTSmm1cS6AKrKmYjzfQ/s1600-h/11092008193.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295025680801311202" style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; float: left; width: 320px; height: 240px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirDkaPJR13rQh_jVOYHdDmfSTEI_1Y6VZAL4npTFSXMv_Lg9Ao0BWsLFcDYsV28uQlAyu8nwZb0bjU0UgYfnbTU1wRFBfZrouQjeIXn6morzZ4_HBw6w2TLRk_gTSmm1cS6AKrKmYjzfQ/s320/11092008193.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>How to boil the wort in a deep-fat turkey fryer.</div><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><br /><div>Then my lady surprised me by smuggling my daughter into the state for a visit. It was a Great Christmas present. We went up to Oakridge where I was born and played in the remaining snow one day. My family will recognize this picture as the selfsame spot we all learned to swim as kids, and yes, you're right - that water never does warm up. But it is beautiful up there.</div><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295027164052302562" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 240px; height: 320px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaQfawJac0yG1f0OQxrHeqlX3kjgJKp9O_ydZcTpgAng4-BrfJw4kpIvKM5posmVCfG1tcR6vIIj_ykOyx7-sn4WeYlHiWgGygBqivXacIGxQ8FMpG6zTd7KdQv2ssq8-hA3RjsF2AEmo/s320/Willamette_Greenwater_Park04.JPG" border="0" /><br /></div></div></div></div><p>Meanwhile, the alpacas don't seem to notice that it's cold out. They do prefer their water LIQUID though, so Ann's been hauling buckets of boiled water all over the farm to melt the ice in their waterbuckets. We should have some better solution ironed out by next winter...</p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOIyN0K8kjOFUFxuWK0GH3JOxOQLjGxJsBJhsHdF-XOxnerwfP9jVxzCCgsw33riFyzBYJkRjGRnWjGsUotn_L_VM-C2kAI5gVywKZ9szqlnfNHfLI8HgK0jIVVt7zvSgx09ZdXXqUTdA/s1600-h/12192008227.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295028110953463602" style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; float: left; width: 240px; height: 320px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOIyN0K8kjOFUFxuWK0GH3JOxOQLjGxJsBJhsHdF-XOxnerwfP9jVxzCCgsw33riFyzBYJkRjGRnWjGsUotn_L_VM-C2kAI5gVywKZ9szqlnfNHfLI8HgK0jIVVt7zvSgx09ZdXXqUTdA/s320/12192008227.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixztRDSlBlHgP3DVriMXsKsJ9G715KcyrTK96Bb91ZYqg3Y92d6qMcW0NmELQKly4dcteNKQE3O31ZhMpXGvDHNymPmTbuv6ov8T9z78HGJ3EMnlHKQNMSE2tem_xHzzxXy837V6ZqQl8/s1600-h/12152008212.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295028401141002146" style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; float: left; width: 320px; height: 240px;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixztRDSlBlHgP3DVriMXsKsJ9G715KcyrTK96Bb91ZYqg3Y92d6qMcW0NmELQKly4dcteNKQE3O31ZhMpXGvDHNymPmTbuv6ov8T9z78HGJ3EMnlHKQNMSE2tem_xHzzxXy837V6ZqQl8/s320/12152008212.jpg" border="0" /></a></p></div>Sundancerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15437684343817453741noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7615102638481826682.post-27223387919977342722008-10-05T19:25:00.000-07:002008-10-06T13:35:43.571-07:00Dawn meets Dusk<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5ZTIwtRFCv-zT2jSfqyS1P4D6InFacJqixq1eO5hpdHyX4AFb8oknR0SqoBqbUayZUxYP2kQB_vARe5U4B4bVzwn_xCztNQqF88KQg891DTnfxgfKKvfDVKtmSpNHyF90thH3caJ4Rxc/s1600-h/Murphy_boy01_kisses.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 208px; height: 286px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5ZTIwtRFCv-zT2jSfqyS1P4D6InFacJqixq1eO5hpdHyX4AFb8oknR0SqoBqbUayZUxYP2kQB_vARe5U4B4bVzwn_xCztNQqF88KQg891DTnfxgfKKvfDVKtmSpNHyF90thH3caJ4Rxc/s320/Murphy_boy01_kisses.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254056990140619794" border="0" /></a>The last cria born to our herd this year arrived on Monday, September 29, and thankfully it was a simple, quick birth.<br /><br />Murphy Brown is generally the first to greet me in the mornings, and very interactive with me when I'm in the pens. About three weeks ago during evening chores, I noticed her sitting very still, then sometimes rolling as if uncomfortable. I thought perhaps the baby was shifting and pressing on a nerve, and consulted our vet for his advice. Since Dr Pat was in our area the next day, he stopped to check her.<br /><br />From my description, he suspected a uterine torsion (twist), but Murphy's heart rate and temperature were normal, which is generally not the case if there is a torsion. They are more common when the fetus us large, and if anything, Murphy looked small for her 10+ months of pregnancy. But when he did a manual check, there was a definite rotation of the ligaments supporting the cervix.<br /><br />Torsions are rare, and most are "right-twist." Only one in 20 twist to the left, and that was Murphy's case. He could reverse it with external manipulation, but it would take three people, so I called our neighbor Elissa to come and help.<br /><br />Once Murphy was mildly sedated, we got her to cush and rolled her on her left side. Dr Pat held and pushed on her uterus as Elissa turned her hind quarters and I rotated her neck and front legs. We returned Murphy to cush (upright) position and rolled her in the same manner one more time. Upon another manual check, Dr Pat declared her returned to normal positioning.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmK8-6gY2HnnKf3Z9dNA8UwflIFUtkZqshYEcryj2q9wVNCWjMnVZLzNeVSzYIOf8AZfzU2UY4d84gPsghEBgAVVsH_mxW2RloyIR-8FHoKhRcLxI3J-DYIuIKXG5kDJbZ3UMhTrss0lM/s1600-h/Murphy_spitface.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 203px; height: 203px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmK8-6gY2HnnKf3Z9dNA8UwflIFUtkZqshYEcryj2q9wVNCWjMnVZLzNeVSzYIOf8AZfzU2UY4d84gPsghEBgAVVsH_mxW2RloyIR-8FHoKhRcLxI3J-DYIuIKXG5kDJbZ3UMhTrss0lM/s320/Murphy_spitface.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254058878506215538" border="0" /></a>I kept a close eye on Murphy for the next few days, and she was once more her curious, interactive self. She's a tall, elegant dam, but needed some extra weight in the last few weeks of pregnancy, so she eagerly anticipated her morning bowl of pellets, rice bran and a handful of alfalfa for added calories.<br /><br />Last Monday morning, I did not immediately see Murph's engaging face, so I went looking for her. She was one of the last to emerge from the barn, and when she turned, I saw that she had begun birthing. The cria's head and two legs were out, though still encased in the unbroken sac. I nicked it to release the water, then edged Murphy into a clean pen, and the other curious looky-lou's out.<br /><br />Keeping a watchful eye on her, I gathered towels, the cria kit, a note pad and pen, and my camera. Within 15 minutes the baby was on the ground, a healthy, normal boy. There is little fluid and no blood with a normal birth, but the morning air was cool, so I towelled him lightly and stepped away.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwLutS9HMWOskFun_Isp4unanvTPKdVriDf-4H02t2YUHLFxJl3PTcMC4Pffm4_isJW-xx8XYmkOU17rpsQGG1aCmtS_WVESQqpTT8882VAsWCd4YaR-QJOsW6sssc9FPD9zOfzB9cXKE/s1600-h/Murph_Navarre05b_left-face.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwLutS9HMWOskFun_Isp4unanvTPKdVriDf-4H02t2YUHLFxJl3PTcMC4Pffm4_isJW-xx8XYmkOU17rpsQGG1aCmtS_WVESQqpTT8882VAsWCd4YaR-QJOsW6sssc9FPD9zOfzB9cXKE/s320/Murph_Navarre05b_left-face.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254057355681918402" border="0" /></a>I was thrilled to see that the cria was black, for this is the first offspring of our vicuña-colored herdsire, <a href="http://www.aragonalpacas.com/alpaca_herdsires.html#Canzelles_Orion">Canzelle's Orion</a>. He is bred to two other black dams, and soon to a gray one. Orion's sire is medium silver gray <a href="http://www.canzelle.com/Quijote.html">Patagonia's Quijote</a>, so we are hoping that Orion will also produce gray.<br /><br />This is Murphy's second cria, and she is an attentive mom. Elissa and visiting friend Una came over to see him. We kept our distance to allow mom and baby to bond, while I took notes of when he sat sternal, tried to stand, tried to nurse, etc. Although he seemed small to me, he weighed 15.7 lbs that afternoon. By Friday, he had already gained two lbs.<br /><br />Murphy still gets her morning bowl of calories, to increase her weight during lactation. On a scale of 1-5, she is a 2.<br /><br />We have named him Navarre, the black-clad captain in the tale of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ladyhawke">Ladyhawke</a> who cared for her each dawn, then turned into a wolf at dusk as Isabeau reclaimed her human form. Since Ladyhawke was the first cria born to us this year, it seemed fitting that the last one is black Navarre.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSja0Xfs19A3EEOwxQ2Hsb3fXu_Zioskls7RSPiNaPzCU12H0mgrbZSewG9mk30ZFCOd01HlAynXzl674is9MaxnAFXMDFTyr5NWd2z6_skQ_njnluNFZRlJhT_aaQ9DbCOji8dzkp9ko/s1600-h/Murphy_boy02_Ladyhawke.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSja0Xfs19A3EEOwxQ2Hsb3fXu_Zioskls7RSPiNaPzCU12H0mgrbZSewG9mk30ZFCOd01HlAynXzl674is9MaxnAFXMDFTyr5NWd2z6_skQ_njnluNFZRlJhT_aaQ9DbCOji8dzkp9ko/s320/Murphy_boy02_Ladyhawke.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254059314017237058" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Ladyhawke greeting Orion's Navarre</span></span><br /></div>Ann Dockendorfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14087868841723783711noreply@blogger.com5