Dinner with the vet!

We have been so happy to have a new vet, Sierra Guynn, move to Bastrop! She was with a vet previously who had 25% alpaca "clients" so she is very experienced! She and her husband, Richard and several other neiborhood alpaca farmers had dinner on the back porch on a beautiful December evening, and we ate and talked and talked!

I think we should at least do this yearly. Besides, Sierra and Richard a good folks!

White Shadow and Zoomer

We bought a pregnant female today, and lo and behold, she delivered a little boy! We bought her from John and Jan Pierce, who are gearing down their operation, and she is really pretty. We named the little boy Shifting Gear's White Lightning, but we're calling him Zoomer. His father, Crescent Moon's Shifting Gears, is a champion many times over. Expecting good things from this little one! We'll probably bring them both over here in about a month.

Taking in a boarder!

Today, Blue Gate Woodford (Woody) became a member of our heard. Mike and Eileen Coyle have brought him over here to board, until they are ready to have their own farm.

He rode back from the show in Louisiana, with us, so by the time we got home, he was great buddies with Mr. D and Sonny Boy.

He is beautiful dark brown, with a black face. We're very happy to have him in in the fold!

Show results

Well, we came back with 2 ribbons, 1 first place, and a 5th place. The Convention Center was new and this was the first show of this type that was held there. The floors were very slick, and the animals were jumpy. Kim showed both Sonny and Mr. D and let us say that they weren't on their best behaior. The fifth place ribbon was for "show" so we hope to improve in the future! Our next door neighbors, The Jacks came to Louisiana for the show, and we were happy to have them there to cheer us on

Showtime!!

Showtime! We're getting ready for our first show where we will be physically showing our own animals. We're going to Shreveport LA on November 2,3,4 and taking Mr. D. and Sonny Boy. Vicki and the Jacks are going with us, and Carl, Mindy and Cole are going to baby-sit the remaining animals! We decided to take the little boys, because they are the easiest to handle and hopefully it will be a good learning experience for all four of us. Kim is going to show them in the ring. We've been doing all the prep work like designing and having a banner made for the stall, printing brochures, getting new air-conditioning for the trailer along with a trailer cam to watch and hear the animals while we're driving. The cam can be used in the barn after we come home, and we can put a picture on our television in the bedroom! We've also designed a way for Cagney and Lacey to go from pen to pen via a sort-of doggie door cut in the fences/gates. So as you can tell, we've been busy bees!Making my lists and checking them twice!

Fleece!

I went to a seminar in Medina (near San Antonio) this past weekend. It was a fleece seminar, hosted by Leigh and Chuck Thomas and I learned so much about the fleece that I did not know before, but even more beneficial was that 10 ranches were represented, and it was very valuable to be able to share info and ideas over the two days. We had a vet who had taught at A&M for twenty years (before they closed the camelid program) come for dinner Saturday night and speak to us and answer questions, which was really great! I am going to try to do this more often, as it is good information and they actually offer credit toward a "masters" credential.

Kids and 'Pacas!

There is something about kids and alpacas! They are both at ease with each other and oh so curious about each other! Zack was visiting Carl and Mindy from California, and he and Sonny really hit it off! (I think Sonny is telling him a secret). Ah to be young!

A new ranch hand!

Austin came to visit us from Los Angeles, and he is a great ranch hand! He gets up early every morning and goes to feed the alpacas, and pick up poop! (it's a dirty job but somebodys got to do it!). The alpacas are all very comfortable around Austin, and he does a great job. Here he is with Mr. D.

Shearng Day!

Today was really busy! We took all eight of our animals over to Jan and John Pearce's farm for shearing! The same guys (who go all over the states doing this) from New Zealand were our shearers once again. They really have it down to a science! And the alpacas don't seem to be too traumatized by the process. The Pearce's have a great set-up organized and make a pretty hard task seem easy. They have 20 animals so it was a full day. We all had crock pot stew and cornbread when we finished, and it was good even on a hot day. Vicki, Rachel and my Dad stopped by for a visit to see how it is done, and seemed to enjoy the day, too. Everyone trailered pretty well, but I think this may be the last year that we can cart all our animals in one trip! It's amazing how different everyone looks when the fuzzy coat is removed!

The Trio

This picture just makes me laugh! I swear they are humming "I'm Just Wild About Harry" or something like that! Hum along with Mr. D, Carmella and S'mores!

Camelidynamics!

Kim and I took Sonny Boy and Silly to a Marty McGee Camelidynamics seminar on Saturday and Sunday. (it was more for us than it was for them, but since Silly is our diva, we thought it would be good to work with her.) It was a great experience! Marty is such a great proponent of keeping the alpacas' interest paramount, and showing us that as long as the alpacas are comfortable and you are respectful of their feelings almost anything is easily accomplished! Robin and Paul Roberts were the hosts at their beautiful ranch in Navasota. If any of you alpaca owners ever had the opportunity to attend this seminar, we highly recommend it! It makes you a better owner and I'm sure that the alpcas appreciate it! *grin*

Gaining strength everyday

"Sonny Boy" (we're trying this name on for size) Royal Son aka Sonny Boy, has been getting stronger every day. He is so cute and he is finally up to the weight he was before he started nursing, so we think that we've turned the corner and Silly is producing enough milk. He's quite a hot rodder at sunset and early in the morning, and his idol is Mr. D whom he imitates all the time. Julia is his good friend...she helped me talk him to the vet in Blanco on the 24th and I think he remembers that she held him and fed him a bottle during the trip.

We have lift off!

Well, it has been a long time coming, but little boy started nursing Silly, just a few minutes ago! (I am so relieved that I can probably skip the 3am and 6am feedings!) I think I will still have to give him a supplementary bottle for a while until she has enough milk to feed him, but, boy! are we relieved! He weighs 13.6.

Now we have to officially name him...got a few ideas, but not decided just yet!

Breathing a long, exhausted sigh....

A Difficult Birth.....

Hi...the last few days have been really hectic, but the bottom line is that we have a beautiful white baby boy cria. (not named yet).

Silly starting acting strange on Tuesday, lots of pacing and "moaning" and she seemed really uncomfortable on Wednesday night, so I got up and checked on her every two hours. By Thursday morning she was really in distress, so we called the vet. He came out and tried to examine her and take an ultra sound, which was inconclusive, and her pelvic exam he thought he could feel the baby's ribs. We decided that it looked like she needed a cescerian so he went back to prepare and we started hooking up the trailer, and by that time she wouldn't stand up, so you should have seen Kim and Diana and me trying to carry her (192 pounds) to the trailer! When we got to the vet, and opened up the back door, we could see the baby's head out. Long story shorter, she had one leg in front, and the other locked behind her, so the doctor had to help deliver him. He's really tiny (10 pounds) and is pretty stressed from the birth so we've had to give him plasma and tube feed him (in the parking lot of Wal Mart in San Marcos with Rhonda Deshner), and bottle feed him every two hours, since he is still not strong enough to stand up and nurse). So....we're tired, but hopeful that both he and Silly will be okay.

Mr. D's games

Mr. D is quite a card. He loves to hot rod and he plays a bump and run game with the "ladies". They all fuss at him and he usually backs off, but he's especially bad with his sister, Carmella. It's fun to watch and I think secretly the girls think he's cute!