Meanwhile, back at the ranch....

 I think we're getting pretty good at Social Distancing.  We've been practicing and practicing.  The problem is, we miss everybody!  So where one thing is a virtue, it causes distress on the other hand.

Someone sent me this parody on Sound of Music today.  I enjoy parodies in general, but this one really hit the spot, so I want to share it with you.  I laughed and laughed--one of those things that is SO good for the soul!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMBh-eo3tvE

Here are some of the juveniles standing on the shore of Lake Windy Hill after the last rain--otherwise known as the giant puddle at the opening to OB.  They just looked so drenched I had to shoot the picture!

Tracy shared a letter with me that she got recently.  What a beautiful testament it is to how alpacas can minister peace and comfort to people.    Maria came to visit Windy Hill with her husband on Farm day, and came a few other times.  She had been around horses and other large animals in her life, and being around the alpacas was life-giving to her.  Tracy's giving heart and the ability to come see the alpacas brought some joy and comfort to Maria in the last 2 years of her life.  We love being able to provide this kind of care to those who need it.  We hope that through The Good Shepherd Alpaca Sanctuary we will be able to share our alpacas with many others in the future.  If you are inclined to pray, please pray that the County of Ventura would look kindly on what we long to do.

Don recently got a new BBQ.  It's a real Cadillac!  Propane with all the bells and whistles.  He's such good bargain hunter.  So when the restrictions are gone on Covid 19 we are planning a BBQ for all boarders and friends.  The Windy Hill Alpaca Owners Club wants to celebrate the recovery!

And for those of  you who didn't get to see the banner and ads we had made for the California Classic, here they are.  We hope to use them in the fall and the spring next season.

BANNER

ADS

Until next time!

Cindy, Don, Tracy

It's a Doggone Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Have you ever seen such a sky!  Real puffy clouds with no suspicious streaks running through them!  Hawks (and ravens and turkey vultures) soaring, all sorts of smaller birds chirping and trilling and warbling, tractors humming on the other side of the ranch, an occasional car making its way down Bradley Rd.  Yesterday we had quite a few people just  out for a drive in the country with their kids stopping along the road to watch the alpacas for a few minutes.  There's hardly any traffic on the road right now-- pretty peaceful.  The usual traffic is at 7 am and 5 pm--we are the "back way" to Santa Paula, Fillmore, and Moorpark.

The little dogs got to come out to the ranch today.  Kallie and Pixel romped from pasture to pasture asking the alpacas silly questions like, "Have you seen any squirrels today?"  Actually, that was Kallie.  Pix is just interested to see if a raven dropped an avocado somewhere.

 

The night before, Klick and Kallie expressed their undying love for alpaca blankets.  It usually doesn't slip that far off the back of the couch, so they took advantage of the moment.  It was kind of like one of those hidden picture puzzles... can you find the rat terriers on the couch?

The Anatolian is a noble beast.  Molly is a great representative.  I don't raise Anatolians, but I have always had them as LGD's (livestock guardian dogs for those of you not familiar with the lingo).  She is formidable by night (don't be a coyote!), but by day she takes a more passive approach to guarding.  Lately, she has been specializing in feeder boxes.

It's plain to see that she got an early start in this endeavor.  A girl has to sleep sometime!

She also seems to know the value of really good hay.  Besides, tarps are nice and warm on a cloudy day.  We are in the process of putting up a more substantial hay cover.  I'll post a picture when we get started with it.  Meanwhile Molly has it well in hand.

What parts of ranching are you curious about?  What would you like to see on this blog?  Leave you comments below.  We aim to please.  (be nice, now)

Hanging on a Saturday at Windy Hill

It's been a beautiful day.  A light breeze off the ocean with a strong salty scent.  Blue skies, puffy clouds, green (almost) everywhere.  Somis can look a little bit like Ireland in March with all the green. The blue sky belies the location, of course.  I was in Ireland in July one year for 3 weeks.  We had 2 1/2 days with some sunshine.  There's always a price to be paid for green.  We are just glad we have it for a few months in Southern California.

Usually we have boarders and friends visit on a Saturday, but yesterday we had to close the ranch because of quarantine restrictions surrounding the Corona virus.

WE MISS YOU ALL ALREADY!  

The good news is that no one we know has coronavirus.  That is so good.  God is so good.  The uncertain news is that we are less than 2 weeks from our shearing date and we still don't know if we will be able to have helpers or not.  It's one day at a time these days.

Here's a great factual article I read about Covid 19 today.  Thanks to Julie Power for the link!
https://medium.com/six-four-six-nine/evidence-over-hysteria-covid-19-1b767def5894

Some of the girls have decided that walking on the rototilled ground isn't so bad, but they still prefer the flat, hard ground if they have a choice.  I suppose they will get over it when the grass starts.

If you have Facebook, take a look at a couple of Tracy's videos today.  They are really cute.  Coco the Llama can surprise you when she starts to move! https://www.facebook.com/tracy.pellegrino.9/videos/10213757261524705/
The big dogs decided to howl when the humming bird came to visit.  https://www.facebook.com/tracy.pellegrino.9/videos/10213759430338924/

One of my goals for today is to get some alpaca videos up on YouTube.  They don't like to upload to this blog very well.  Probably my internet speed--one of the prices we pay for living in Paradise.  LOL

We wish you all a beautiful sunset, a peaceful evening, a good night's sleep, clean hands, warm heart, and a bright Sunday morning tomorrow.  Our church is live-streaming--we'll see how that goes. 😁

Tractor Fun!

Our new tractor has arrived!  It's a Kubota and we love it . (can you see the silly grin on Don's face??)
We have transformed the ranch in new ways in just 3 days.

Project yourself on the tractor as Don rototills some of the pastures.  Feel the sun on your face, the smell of damp earth after the rain, the vibration--and thuds and lurches-- as you ride along with him. lol

Not all the alpacas were happy to see him, but nobody escaped when we let him through the gates.  The girls in N11 didn't quite know what to do with the disappearing hard-pan they were used to.    I bet they'll know what to do with the new grass that starts popping up, though.  😄

Enjoy the ride!

 Have a great day!  We'll be posting more fun soon!!