More Arrivals

by transport, not by birth... yet.

With the latest nine sets of alpaca toes that stepped off the transporter this morning, most of our herd is at our Eugene farm now. Matt and Don drove through the night and arrived at 7:30 a.m. Flora was first off the trailer, quickly followed by the others. At four months old and still nursing, Tesoro stayed close to his mom, Windancer.

The girls were met with open spaces and lots of green grass -- and six other inquisitive dams on the other side of the fence. Galileo and Orion checked them out as the group ran past through the nearest open gate. Curiosity took them into the next pasture, where we really wanted them to go.

Next, the weanling males disembarked, to be rejoined with Dakota and Sorrento. Sundancer (7/06) is still small for his age, the same size as Sulaymon, who is a whole year younger (7/07). Sulaymon's white fleece is dirty enough to look like Sundancer's golden locks. Soon we will become adept at telling them apart at a glance. They all have their nametags on, scribed by Humberto, sometimes with Spanglish spellings.

Our last five alpacas more are in various stages of breeding in So CA and will join us in a few months. Plus the weanling Modoc who missed this 'bus' so will catch the next one. He was shorn yesterday, so at least he's ahead of everyone else in that respect.

Nineteen alpacas reside here now. Waiting for the birth of Disa's cria to make it an even 20!

and then there were Five

Delphi's Disa has joined our herd, from Peaceful Valley Alpacas. She is due in early May with her 2nd cria, so we wanted to integrate her in her new home asap. And since the farm is new to all five of them, they can sort things out.

I go out in the mornings, with cup of hot tea in hand, to check on the girls and let them out in to the pasture. They are all cushed by the nearest corner, and they fairly romp past the gate. I greet them each by name and observe them for a few moments.

Lace is a bit of a clown. She usually has some grass of hay stuck to her in a funny way. She approaches me shyly, and I bend my head toward her in a lama bow. Both she and Nutmeg are brave enough to take an offered carrot bite from my hand. Yet amongst themselves, these two are the least assertive of the herd.

For the first few days, Disa hummed a lot, letting us know that she was nervous. Other than visual checks, we have left them alone so they can work out the hierarchy.

As Barbara, her former owner, puts it, "Disa is a gray girl in a brown dress." She has lots of gray genetics, and indeed, her last year's daughter, Terra, is a lovely rose gray by Aussie Rockford. Disa was rebred to Rockford, so we're hoping for a repeat performance. Of course, having a healthy cria and mom is of foremost importance, but after 10 boys born in a row, a girl would be most welcome! And Disa's will be the first birthing for Aragon Alpacas on our own ranch.

Yesterday the veterinarian came for a preliminary visit, to meet us and see the layout BEFORE there is an emergency. He was very reassuring about our pastures and feeding program, filling in some gaps by recommending minerals, reviewing his protocol for shots, discussing whether or not to get guardian/sentinel animals, mousers for the barn, etc.

We are privileged to be in the area that Dr Pat Long services, and just in time to take his neo-natal class at Oregon State University at end of April. I have attended one of Dr Jana Smith's birthing classes in So CA, but that was well before the responsibility for our alpacas was in my lap. So this will be a heightened refresher for me, and I will listen with new ears. Disa and Sheba and all of the others will certainly benefit.

Mike has been installing new latches on some of our gates. The alpacas are comfortable us being in and out of their pens, and are quite inquisitive as to what is going on. I guess he can always use the assistance!

As if in allegiance to St Patrick's Day, we have had 'soft' Irish weather this week, and lots of rainbows, even double ones. And cheery daffodils are popping up all over. We watched a squall (at least that's what it's called on the ocean) march across the valley, with dry skies behind it. The girls are all two-toned now, wet above and dry below. Often they are out grazing in the rain, but their fleece remains dry next to their skin.

The wild turkeys strolled through our yard again, heading up the hill this time. If this is the same bunch we saw a few weeks ago, they have grown a lot! One tom, and seven hens. At one point he struck a pose, stretching out that fan of tail feathers and fluffing out his wings. Magnificent.

Our neighbor, Joe, said he's counted up to 500 geese at his pond this year. They must be moving northward again, their visits and numbers are fewer this week.

The wildlife is always a nice surprise to this countryfied city girl. But I'm even more enthralled by seeing alpacas in our pastures!

We snapped this one of Nutmeg at a particularly goofy moment...

Alpacas have arrived!

On the loveliest of Sunday afternoons, the first four of our dams stepped out of the trailer and onto our farm. As did Tom Goehring, from Ranch of the Oaks/Fiber Mill in Lompoc, CA, their shepherd/chauffeur for 14 hours on the road. All were glad to be out in the fresh air, moving their legs, strolling along.

We escorted the girls to the pens set up with hay and water. What a celebration for the old red barn to once again have livestock within its walls! And what a thrill for us to see our own animals on our own land!! I immediately called Mette to let her know that Tom had arrived safely, and Bonnie, from whose ranch they had come, to let her know the girls had made the trip just fine. Actually, eight alpacas arrived, since each of the dams are pregnant.

Over the past few months, I have visited other alpaca ranches to help to quell my missing these critters. But that was nothing compared to seeing the alpaca faces that I know so well!

Since purchasing two dams in 2005 and agisting (boarding) our growing herd these three years, the girls' arrival marks the realization of our dreams and plans. Tom was marvelous, and so reassuring for us nervous "first-time parents."

Indeed, it is much like having your first baby, with all of the excitement and anticipation of the impending arrival. We had the Layette to prepare: readying the barn, building feeders, buying water buckets, getting hay, stocking the medical supplies, reading the articles and manuals.

Then with their Arrival, the shift in focus and responsibility. No longer does Kelly-dog get our sole attention, and she has learned that there are new rules for her to obey, like waiting for "mom" on the other side of the gate. And husband Mike has less of my attention, too, for all of my going out to check on the alpacas, or to just watch and be with them.

And so many Photos of alpacas at every angle, just like with a new baby! Then there's the Showing Off to family and friends (like this blog!), and people stopping by to see the new arrivals. Best Wishes from so many, and a Celebratory Toast.

It's such a delight to watch the girls explore their new home, full of sounds and smells and sights and tastes they've never experienced before.

Sheba is the oldest one in this group, and she is the designated Watcher. The others keep close to her when the dog is out with us, taking cues from her attentiveness. But this morning, Summer was the first one to romp into a new pasture, and Lace and Nutmeg danced among the low branches of one of the trees, relishing the back-scratching.

Soon two more females will join this group, and then the boys will begin to arrive. Galileo is at home at Eclipse Alpacas in Michigan part of the year, and on his way westward, the transporter will collect Orion to join him. And the rest of our girls and growing crias from Canzelle in Carpinteria, CA. They're finally all coming Home.

And then the new cria will start to arrive, and I'll be a nervous mama all over again.

what day is this??

Mike often asks me that. He-of-Long-Sight-and-Great-Vision often forgets what day of the week it is. Our house is a circus of contractors and noise and phone calls and logistics. Folks are not meant to live this way for extended periods of time!

But all of this hub-bub is getting us closer to our alpaca farm. We are 'between nests' right now. As we sort and toss and pack, gift family members with furniture they can use and Craig's List readers or thrift stores with the rest, we are lightening our load, and getting ready to load the truck.

Meanwhile we' have had 2 new crias born, and another is due any day now. Since we board them 30 minutes away, I'm poised to hear 'Summer's in labor' so I can dash up there, hopefully to witness the miracle of birth. Cordova, one of our recent boys, is romping through the pasture; the other we had to make the difficult choice to euthanize when only a few hours old. He was born with a neurological disorder that could not be 'fixed,' and so with tears we let him go. Such is life, and death, with livestock.

A few days later I was at another ranch just in time to see a newborn, to observe his struggle to stand, his search for the milk counter. It renewed my faith that Mother Nature knows what she's doing. Each struggle is really a way of strengthening and preparing for the next phase.

Likewise, we're getting ready to say Good-bye to this house that we love, to go to another one that we'll love differently. This time another alpaca friend is making the trip with me. We're volunteering at the Alpaca Marketplace Fleece Show one morning, and attending Black Sheep Gathering. I expect to be wowed by many fiber and spinning goodies, playing on my addiction to handcrafting. I have a short shopping list: a fleece carder, and perhaps a new drop spindle. So much to learn and do!

Alas, I have not been able to podcast, even though session ideas are percolating in the back of my brain while roofers pound and painters spray. The process that I'd intended to share has been overtaken by its own noise. And once I am safely at the peaceful farm, there is too much to do to want to dive into technology for a time. The fact that I'm writing about it tells me that it will come together soon!

This month since my last trip has been busy with shearing on three different ranches. Probably 200 animals, total. I simply assist with readying the alpacas, or with gathering the harvest of fleece as it flows under the shearer's blades. Lots of work, and quite dusty and dirty. It's a good tiredness at day's end. Some of our pacas will be released from their coats this weekend, now that they've had their babies. Timing is tricky. So what else is new?!