This was my first year to be preparing for the first day of school by myself with my four kids so I was a little nervous about how it would go.

The kids love for me to make “farm waffles”, so I woke up extra early to make those for them. “Farm waffles” are waffles from my special waffle maker that make “farm shapes” like a barn, a cow, a pig, and a chicken. (We wish it had an alpaca shape, but oh well.) The barn (above) is the biggest so I think that’s the one they like best. I use Pioneer Brand Baking Mix – the Buttermilk kind with melted butter in the batter and a dash of vanilla. They are delicious!

The kidlets all got ready on time. Notice that it is so early that the light is on behind them in the house. Why we have to get up so early is hard to understand…

The little ones were so excited for school to start that they ran ahead to go meet the bus. They blurred out of my focus. Whooosh! They were happy for school to start!

I was too….

- until I realized that I would lose my friend, Sleep, with this new schedule.

*Sigh*

She and I had gotten so close this summer.

Oh well. Now that the kids are back in school – it’s time to get reacquainted with my friend, Productivity.

"We make a good team don't we?"

Anne made a shawl from Stephanie’s alpaca Pilar’s fiber. OMG, it is SOFT! Pilar hails from Gulf Breeze Alpacas. The handle on the yarn is so unbelievably luxurious – you just have to feel it to believe it! Once Anne was finished with it she brought it over to let us see.

I had to get some pictures of Anne and Pilar, who donated the fiber for this lovely creation. We had Anne model her work, and Pilar model her lovely self, though she isn’t carrying much fleece these days, only a few months growth.

This photo is my favorite because it looks as though Pilar is saying, “Really, Anne, you made that with my fleece?” like maybe she’s not so sure. But you can see what a beautiful piece it is, and how much hard work Anne put into it!

Anne says that if I give her the yarn she will make me one for my 4oth birthday present. I’m so excited! I am thinking we will dye it too, not sure what color, lots to think about. Whose fleece to use? all that good stuff…

What a fun process to see, from hoof to shawl…

Thanks to my beloved Anne, and to Stephanie and Pilar of Gulf Breeze Alpacas for sharing with us!

A couple of weeks ago I went out to the barn to see Rusty.  Rusty was our old Great Pyrenees livestock guard dog who has been with us for over ten years. He was one of the most incredible dogs I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing.

But that day Rusty didn’t know me. because he was dying.

I was filled with regret. I wished I had been there one more time with him. Why couldn’t I have just one more time to love on him, when he knew me? Why does death cheat us of our loved ones? – take them from us before we are ready? I wanted to know, anger burning, tears not stinging yet.

I took the kids out to see him. They looked at him and didn’t understand why he didn’t raise his head in greeting, why he didn’t look at them. My oldest explained that his muscles were in the process of trying to relax. His breathing was beginning to cease. His eyes had already stopped focusing. He was really gone already, his spirit seemed to have already flown away.

Rusty last November

The alpacas that he had guarded kept coming in and milling around. They didn’t seem to notice that their big protector was gone, but I did. It sliced through my heart like a hot knife cuts through butter. I swiftly hustled the kids out of the barn, swiping at tears with the back of my hand, forgetting the box of tissues I carried.

“How in the world am I going to dig a hole big enough to put him in?” I fretted to myself as I hugged my babies one by one as they walked by me on their way back to the house in the sweltering heat.

On my small farm we don’t have a backhoe, though it is at the top of the my wish list for my next farm. Let’s face it. Digging a huge grave in South Alabama in the summer is just not fun. Nothing about it is fun.

Usually when animals die on our farm, the children gather flowers and place them on the grave, especially if it was a beloved animal like Rusty. Usually they make designs like crosses and things. There was something special about how this time they just threw flowers all over with abandon for Rusty! He and his partner Joy, were our first livestock guard dogs. They have been with us since the the beginning of our alpaca farm. This was a sad day for us all.

We will really miss you old boy…..

Read more about Rusty here.

Roo and Katy

A couple of months ago I had the pleasure of meeting a fiber diva, Roo of Moonwood Farm whom I had long admired – in the flesh! I had heard about this incredible lady and I had almost gotten the chance to meet her at SAFF. But every time I had gone past her booth, she was mobbed with admirers. It’s true. She is so charismatic, and her fiber is to die for. When I heard she was coming to my farm, I knew I was in for a real treat!

My dear friend Pam Pullins, of Sweet Home ALApaca was bringing some alpaca girls down for breeding, and she was bringing Roo with her. Roo is someone who is well-known in the fiber world, to which I am a novice. And Roo is newer to the alpaca animal world, to which I am not. So this was a joy for us both.

It was so much fun getting together! We talked alpacas, fiber, and girl stuff. We got to giggling so much that Pam and I couldn’t stop.

I was doubled over laughing, we had so much fun. I wish they lived closer so that we could get together more often!

Pam and I really couldn’t get our serious face on for the camera, oh well.

Roo and I had a lot of fun getting to know each other and talking alpacas, fleece, and drum carders. I’m hoping to get a chance to learn from her in the future. She is an awesome talent. You can see some of her fiber art in her Etsy shop.

Moonbeams

Above are strips of fiber from Roo’s Moonbeam Club – 4 months subscription – long ago sold out, of course. Color me gorgeous, aren’t they to die for? Now do you see why I just had to meet this woman! She is an Alabama treasure. (Oh, yes, she is in Alabama!)

And, for an added bonus, how sweet is this, it was Roo, who went home with the sleepy Loretta from the How To Put Your Alpaca To Sleep Post. What a fun day we had. Makes me motivated to start playing more with fiber!

This fourth of July we broke with our tradition of going to the beach. For one, the oil spill has kinda changed the landscape of Gulf Shores. But I am also doing things on the farm on my own these days and it is more difficult to break away so we stayed home.

My parents joined me, as did our friend Anne (above with kids). There was much talk of knitting and writing around the kitchen table. It sounded very much like my house! We made some crazy cupcakes that are our family’s traditional 4th of July baking project. I have to admit this year they were a real #FAIL. (Thank goodness they tasted great!) Some years they look like the Statue of Liberty’s torch, like they are supposed to, with real flames coming out the top. This year, it was a comical attempt, with the kids laughing at mom. They told me that mine looked like blood, like vampire’s cupcakes, or bad accidents and all sorts of unpleasant things. Most of the kids said things like, “Don’t put that stuff on mine!” So at least it was entertaining…

Later I took my little darlings downtown to see the fireworks. I wasn’t sure how this was going to go. We got there just at the end of the “Pops” concert.

They began by complaining about the music, the “weird music”. Then the didn’t like when the weird music stopped for intermission  before the fireworks began.

I absolutely adore having four kids! Here is what I heard in the next two minutes:

Don’t they have food? (from the child who had eaten 2 helpings of lasagna and a cupcake 30 minutes ago)
The grass is itchy!
Mom, why didn’t you bring chairs?
I’m thirsty!
I hear fireworks, but I can’t see them. Mom, we’re in the wrong place!
Mom, can I sit in your lap?
No, I want to sit in her lap!
I have to go to the bathroom!
When is it going to start?
We need a blanket to sit on.
Mom, I can’t see. That tree’s in the way.
Can I play in your purse?
Is there a gas station around here? I really have to pee.
Are you sure they don’t have food?
Mom, can I go over there?
Do you have any gum?
Quit poking me!
Mom, he’s poking me!

and on and on….

Once the fireworks started we moved to a different location.
We actually found a great spot, nestled at the bottom of the bluff, just to the side of a bridge, behind a bench. The view was a photographer’s dream. It was a steep incline, but fabulous.

And we got to watch the fireworks on an oddly cool summer’s night.

It was a Happy 4th of July. I hope yours was too.

Tell us. How did you spend your 4th this year?

photo by Ivar Vong of Oregon Daily Emerald

Participating in Wordless Wednesday

Read the Oregon Daily Emerald article about Audacious Alpacas at the Alpaca Festival of Oregon.

Seven years ago, I received a call from the Peace Corps asking me if I’d be ready to jet off to Peru for 2.5 years.  Sure, I had completed the long application process but the thought of packing up and heading to South America still seemed distant. I knew nothing about Peru and started frantically researching the country; Peace Corps told me that I’d be leaving in three short weeks. Of course I would go, there was no question in my mind but suddenly, my world turned upside down as I prepared myself to join the Peace Corps!

A few months later, I found myself in the heart of the Andes Mountains in a small community.  The weather was COLD, but the sun shined bright and the snow-capped peaks in the distance were absolutely beautiful. I began working with a group of women who were talented knitters. In my mind, they were like machines; they practically knit with their eyes closed.  I wasn’t a knitter so I found their abilities fascinating. As knitting is a large part of Andean culture, the women had learned to knit at young ages and were accustomed to knitting scarves, hats, sweaters and blankets for themselves and their children.  It was amazing to see the women multi-tasking – babies on back, knitting, shopping, cooking.  And, they never made mistakes!  The products they knit were flawless and the alpaca fiber they used was beautiful. Alpaca is native to the Andes Mountains of South America so the knitters were able to go straight to the source, just a few miles away…

After discovering the small knitting cooperative, I started helping them develop their business and market the lovely alpaca items they created. As a result, they were able to increase their income and better provide for their families in the form of higher education, better health care and more nutritious food.  Falling in love with the whole project, I created Mayu, a small social enterprise that imports and sells the 100% alpaca accessories that we created during my Peace Corps experience.

My next post on Alpaca Farm Girl will profile two of Mayu’s Peruvian artisans. And, stay tuned for a special giveaway this Fall, just for Alpaca Farm Girl’s readers!

For Mayu’s short video on alpaca fiber, click here. And, to learn more about the intensive process of creating hand-knit alpaca accessories, read here.

You can visit Kate at www.shopmayu.com.

Participating in Wordless Wednesdays

There in the field was a little treasure. Adorning the green, green grass of spring, was this beautiful bright blue birds’ nest. It had fallen from its lofty throne, sometime during the winter months when the last of the winds blew the last leaf off the bare branches, leaving only silhouettes of trees. I thought about that little nest as I picked it up. It was so beautiful. It had been carefully and thoughtfully constructed by a master at the art of recycling! The main part of this blue nest was an old tarp that had been covering some wood.  This little bird had used the blue tarp as her main weaving material. And then there was a fishing string found from a nearby brook. And then I saw the ribbon; it was the ribbon from a child’s balloon. I imagined that perhaps it was a child who’d had a special day. The balloon had floated away as the child watched, soothed by loved ones with gentle words, and a hug that the balloon would find a happy home.

Little did they know that the ribbon would weave a home, safe from winds and storms and give a family a chance to soar.  As I held this tiny little nest in my hands, I then looked into the nest, and there inside the nest was a thickly felted layer of alpaca fleece! Soft, and felted to perfection! I imagined how the nest was at first lined with fluffy fiber which swaddled the tiny eggs, and kept the little bird warm while she warmed her eggs. Then as the eggs hatched and the tiny little bird feet started to pitter and patter when mama brought them their food, they felted the nest! Teeny, tiny baby bird feet felting away!!  This little nest had been a wonderful home, protected them from harm and kept them warm and safe till they were ready to fly.

This nest is a lot like our lives; we weave it together. Our relationships, some like the old tarp, some the fishing string, some the ribbons, and our families, they are like the felt. We keep them close to us. Sometimes things change, sometimes our lives take turns, but the stuff we are made of, and what we choose to weave into our lives, gives us all the chance to “soar.”

This post was contributed by Val Newell of Crown Point at The Green Alpaca and Co-Founder of CIABA.org.

The other evening I was walking out to move the alpacas out into their pastures, (these days it is too hot for the alpacas to be in the fields during the day so we pasture them at night) and I noticed Poquita was breathing very hard. I moved another group of animals and kept an eye on her because I thought she might be in labor.

As it came time to move her group, she went to the poop pile and pushed. She cried and something was trying to come out. “Oh my,” I said. “You are trying to have a baby! Let’s you and me stay up here at the barn while your friends go out into the fields. And we will have a baby.” I was on the phone with a friend while all of this was going on, talking on my headset. She got a big kick out of the whole thing.

I was concerned when I returned from taking out all of the other alpacas in Poquita’s group to the field because all I was seeing was a huge red bulbous thing coming out of Poquita. Also, she is older and she was tired. I feared that she had been in labor for hours and that she didn’t have much energy left to deliver the cria. I remembered having to help pull her cria from last year, Rachel Alexandra because she had been rather large. This time she was a week early and I was concerned about placenta previa where the placenta separates. This is a dangerous condition that often results in the loss of the cria.

Nervously, I popped the sack. (Do not try this at home. I’m not sure if I was supposed to do this…cuz I’m not a vet..But I’m not sure what ELSE I would have done…) And I found baby – Yay! Snorting and gasping…there were feet and a head in there obviously trying hard to get out. Mom must not have had the energy to push them out so I knew I had to pull and quickly. I did. I tried to get Poquita to get up and give me some gravity. Nothing doing.

She seemed to think that I was here to save the day and that she was finished. Like she was saying , “Finally someone else is here to get this baby out!”

Ladies, can anyone relate here?… I just had a flashback to some of my own deliveries. OK, maybe it’s just me…

The baby was easy to pull out. Thank goodness! Out within minutes. Then the dear little thing was scooching around trying to get up. It pooped within minutes! I couldn’t believe that. If it had been as big as last year’s horse-sized cria, Rachel Alexandra (almost 23 lbs.) I’d have needed the jaws of life to get that baby out, but this one was only 16 lbs. a good size but easy for Poquita to deliver. Whew!

I felt like a nitwit.

I first looked and determined that this cria was a boy. For the first few hours I was calling it a boy. Then I saw her going to the bathroom and I realized I had either made a mistake or there was something really wrong here. Uh, yeah, I had made a mistake. A rush to judgment. This cria was a GIRL! You would think after 11 years I could tell the difference…but I guess sometimes, in all the excitement, with all the children, and the phone calls, and the chaos, I totally GOOF!

In the above picture Poquita is helping her cria learn to nurse. She is making a clucking noise at the cria. This is a noise to communicate with her and tell her where to come to nurse. She also nudges the cria to the right spot.

Last week my Daddy took me to LuLu’s for lunch. For those of you not familiar with this wonderful restaurant, it is a Gulf Coast tradition, owned and operated by Jimmy Buffet’s sister (they call her Sista). It’s on an intercoastal waterway in Gulf Shores, AL. It has a beach and a fun atmosphere. Just having a margarita and some fried green tomatoes for lunch and dipping my toes in the sand make me feel like I’m on vacation even when I’m not.

I think I’ll name this little cria Sista Quita. It kinda goes with her sister’s name, Princess Quita too. Luv it.

Thank you, sweet readers, for letting me share my new baby with you!

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