Thankfulness

For so many things on our farm, I am thankful...
That all 13 of our crias this year were born healthy, and that they continue to grow and flourish. Seven boys and six girls:

• Trinity, Valrhona, and Roark (girl/girl/boy, aka, the Triple Fudge Brownies)
  
• Cadence, a maroon and white female (gig 'em, Aggies!), from Autumn Sun
  
• Toledo, fawn boy with a black nose, born to our spunky old dam, Blackberry
  
• Celeste, our only Galileo daughter, out of our first alpaca, Flora
  
• Ramiro, a red-brown boy from Sonnet ~ named for a king of Aragon
  
• Latakia, a brown boy (pictured) from Murphy Brown and Galileo ~ name of a spicy tobacco
• Juliaca, a light fawn girl from Nutmeg ~ a city in Peru
• Rigel, brightest star in constellation Orion, his sire, and mom Solstice Summer
• Sarek, from Sheba and Galileo; named for Mr Spock's Vulcan father
• Tecumseh, meaning 'shooting star' because he has one on his forehead; from Amazing Grace and Orion
  
• Mariquita, 'ladybug' is a red-brown girl with white face, from Black Lace and Orion.

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.

I am thankful for the bounty of our land:

• tons of hay our field produced
• 68 volunteer pumpkins in the plot we are readying for the garden
• the first pear from our little tree
• gallons of plums we harvested for cooking and eating and wine
  
• blueberries ~more than last year, not enough for a pie yet
• wild blackberries offering juicy treats and possibilities
• honey from Jason's hives, and the tasty mead we brewed

I am thankful for friends and neighbors...

• with their unique sets of ideas and enthusiasm, challenges, frustrations and laughter
• sharing their friends, expanding our circles of connection
• celebrating birthdays and holidays, achievements and surprises
• visiting us on their travels, bringing news and reminders of other days
• helping when extra hands are needed.

I am thankful for our families...

• grandchildren that delight in visiting
• a house for nesting Jennifer and family
• extraordinary experiences and connections for Paul at Ephemerisle, and for Erica rebuilding homes in New Orleans with her Americorps team
• cousins who stay in touch across the miles and years.

I am grateful to our country's service men and women who give so much more than has ever been asked of me.

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.

For all of these things and more, I offer humble thanks.

Roark ~ Valrhona ~ Cadence

Mariquita & Tecumseh ~ Juliaca ~ Sarek

Celeste ~ Toledo ~ turkey basket of yarn