It has been a stellar fall at Windy Hill! Not much in the way of high winds (our name isn't just poetic, you know...) And the days are shorter, so even on warm days it cools off quickly at night. I have even had to wear a jacket twice!
Response has been terrific to our website re-design, thanks to the great team at Openherd.com! Everyone seems to be searching for something-- a peaceful alternative to the city, a meaningful way to spend retirement, or a healthy way to raise a family. I have spent many wonderful hours meeting new people, everybody with a dream, wanting to see if raising alpacas might fill that place in their hearts.
Our church came out for a Sunday afternoon gathering not long ago. We sang songs and enjoyed being outside together. Almond Joy loved entertaining the kids. They all got a chance to offer him a snack, and nobody go spit on!
The Beasley Family recently moved to Tehachapi from Florida, and bought a few acres hoping to have a farm for their family. They have been interested in alpacas for quite awhile, so they came out to see the girls I had for sale. They ended up taking Storm Cloud, Peppermint Patty, and Ilsa and her cria home. Jennifer said they would probably never go inside. It wasn't long, though, before they had their first snow-- a real change for Floridians! They alpacas did well, and they are off to a great start!
Jesse and his daughter came out to see if their idea would work with alpacas. They have a dog training business ( see their phone number if you need help with that!). and have worked with Cesar Milan.
One of the things they do is introduce dogs who have had certain negative experiences to a wide variety of scents and animals to help them recover. Here is a picture of Brickfielder being such a good boy, making friends with this dog.
Maria and I went to Bible Study several years ago. We follow each other on Facebook and keep up. She has a hot air balloon business-- pretty cool, huh? She and her family are thinking about expanding their balloon business by having some sort of event center/ bed & breakfast, and they fell in love with alpacas. While they are deciding where to move, they are coming out to the ranch to learn how to take care of them. Lots of our alpaca owners start out that way-- it's a great way to learn. They bought Sally Go Round the Roses who is scheduled to have a baby next summer. Once they move to their own ranch they plan to have several alpacas as part of their adventure. I keep trying to talk her into bringing a balloon out some day soon. Wouldn't that be fun?
Lois saw a commercial for ILoveAlpacas.com in 2002, and has been trying to talk her family into owning alpacas ever since. Well, she finally succeeded! Her growing family, home schooling and working from home during Covid, have decided to explore what it would be like to own alpacas and maybe start their own small sustainable farm. They have all the skills they need to succeed, as well as a love of animals and kids who are eager to get their feet wet doing the work. I see lots of volunteer hours in their future-- HURRAY!
(By the way--if you are interested in volunteering, we have lots to do! 40 crias to halter train, the show team to polish up their leading skills, and endless ranch tasks that need doing. Give me a call or an email and let me know when you are available.)
I love this chill picture of Taj and her daughter our walking their boys. They have some high pressure jobs and come out just to commune with their alpacas. Alpacas are famous for lowering blood pressure, and nothing releases endorphins like a kiss from a soft, velvety muzzle.
Our Molly made a sudden departure two weeks ago. She was a magnificent guardian and beautiful soul. No coyote or anyone else ever thought about crossing her. In fact, one time she got ahold of a coyote's tail through the chain link fence and, well, the coyote left without his tail-- she still had it the next morning!
Molly had congestive heart failure that came on suddenly and caused strokes that paralyzed her hindquarters. She wasn't one to sit around, so it wasn't long before she made her journey over the Rainbow Bridge. She was brave to the last.
Click on this picture of Molly to see a wonderful video of her running about a week before she died.
And raise a glass to her bold spirit and watchful eye if you think about it. 💖
As Molly was going down hill, we began looking for her replacement. Zeke is great, but he needs help on 25 acres. We were fortunate enough to find Tucker! Tucker found himself without a job when his family moved from 100 acres to 5. They have plenty of Anatolians to take care of this smaller space, so they began looking for a home for Tucker. He has been raised by his parents and grandparents, and his sweet human family, so he knows the drill with everybody. He's perfect for us because we need a dog socialized to people. Now he is on patrol every night with Zeke, and still has youthful energy for some petting and playing in the morning with the rest of us.
Here is Kallie with her very first 2 puppies! My granddaughters were visiting a few weeks ago, and Kallie was sweet enough to have her puppies while they were here. It was so exciting for the girls! Kallie has 6 puppies-- 2 girls and 4 boys. They are 2 1/2 weeks old now and have grown so much I can hardly believe it! Every day they change a little. She eats 4 times a day to keep up with them!
The pups will be 8 weeks old on December 22-- just in time for the holidays if you are interested. Rat Terriers are very sweet, loving dogs with a great ability to keep varmints out of your garden. They are fabulous companions, and these guys are being handled every day. Let me know if you are interested in adding one of them to your family.
I have spent the summer and fall in search of the elusive Push Me Pull You. I knew we had one on the ranch, but it didn't show up in plain sight until just the other day. Notice the extreme symmetry, the matching color and height, the contented posture. Ahhhhhhh.... my hunt is over-- success at last!
(And thank you to Zurich and Phoebe!)
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ALPACA HOLIDAY BOUTIQUE
on Don & Tracy's patio (7660 Bradley Rd. Somis)
Saturday, November 28 ~ 10 am to 3 pm
Bring your friends and shop for Alpaca Holiday Gifts.
Ventura County Guidelines for mask and social distancing apply.
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Remember-- I offer a free 1-hour Consultation for those of you who are interested in owning alpacas. Give me a call-- we'll talk all about alpacas!
Take care.
Cindy
Cindy Harris ~ Alpacas at Windy Hill ~ Somis, CA ~ www.alpacalink.com ~ 805-907-5162
