On the Road Again!

Back on the Alpaca Trail.  

Yes, they cancelled all but the 1st alpaca show this season (which I didn't get to go to), so it's been a spring devoid of hauling a big trailer around the country behind my dually. 

But necessities are necessities, and with the first crias due at the end of this month, it was the last available moment to hit the road and take care of all the alpaca errands I would have done if the CABA Classic had been held this coming weekend.  We sorely missed the California Classic in March and the Great Western Alpaca Show in Denver which would have been last weekend (and our annual visit it Symphony Fibers!).

This week it was time to deliver several alpacas for breeding and pick up a couple on the way home.  And see some great friends along the way.

First, though, it's important to pack the right accessories for the trip.  Tracy gave me the idea for this appropriate fashionable face mask.  It's actually a child's t-shirt, but with a few deft strokes of the fabric scissors, it was transformed into the latest in Mask Fashion.  Friends "get it" when I wear it, but strangers and store clerks think I'm speaking of Social Distancing.  Even so, they chuckle.   It almost makes it worth it to wear the darn thing.

After enduring I-5 North as far as Modesto, we were finally able to leave the freeway and head east to the Sierra foothills to visit Alpacas of El Dorado. 

 Trusty Navigator Ellie is shooting pictures out the window.

Spring has sprung in the foothills.  Thanks to the late rains this year, even the lower elevations still have green grass, the wild flowers are still in bloom in many places, and the yucca have started to bloom in the hills.  The mountains in the distance are still covered with a deep layer of snow--good news for the annual water supply and the scenic value.!

The valley floor leading up to the foothills is covered with pasture and barbed wire fence to contain the myriads of cattle the roam the area.    There are places where you can see equipment like chutes and steel gates used to corral and sort cattle.  The land is really ideal, with its rolling hills, grass supply, oak trees for shade, and occasional ponds.

As we gained altitude, grazing land gave way to vineyards-- miles and miles of vineyards, each with its own specialties, some with wineries and tasting rooms, B & B's, and small restaurants.  The roads got narrower and twistier, which tested my concentration...and my courage sometimes...with the big trailer.   

When we got to El Dorado, Laurie gave us the tour, introduced us to her herd, and we left 3 females (2 of mine, 1 of Tracy's) with her for breeding.   It's exciting to plan a breeding at any time, but when there is a spectacular male that someone owns and offers for stud, it's so much fun to imagine what you will get from the cross to expand your herd bloodlines!   I always hope for a male cria from an outside breeding.  A stud quality male from an outside breeding means that I have fresh bloodlines to introduce to the herd genetics once he grows up. Thanks to Laurie Findlay and Dale Davis for the opportunity to breed to Poseidon!

Venturing into the upper reaches of I-5 in California we came across Mount Shasta--Home of Big Foot, Alien Sightings, and creatures my dad used to tell me stories about called the Lemurians. My grandparents, dad and uncle lived in the logging town of McCloud when my grandfather was the principal of the company school.  I personally think my grandparents told my dad and uncle those stories to be sure they would be home by dark.  😱

Once we got to Oregon, the scenery changed suddenly from grasslands and volcanic rock to mountains covered with thick forests, green grass, and acres of wildflowers.  The stark difference between California and Oregon terrain never ceases to amaze me.  It is a beautiful state to travel in, AND as a pickup hauling a trailer, I am no longer confined to traveling a maximum speed of 55 mph! Hurray!!

We made our way up to Big Timber Alpacas and were greeted by Sue King, owner of Fyre Dancer, the multiple champion I took my very best female to this year.  I am really excited about the outcome of this breeding!  Sue lives in yet another kind of terrain, filled with meadow flowers, forests that are dappled with light and "fairy dust" that floats through the air, and rhododendrons blooming at every corner.  It was such a pretty drive today!

Tomorrow, we head east to mid-state Washington by way of the Columbia River Gorge.  Stay tuned!

Cindy Harris ~ Alpacas at Windy Hill ~ www.alpacalink.com 

cindy@alpacalink.com ~ 805-907-5162

Love is in the Air!

Love is in the air at Windy Hill.  Everything is green, the weather is warm (but not too warm), and the almost-2 year old girls cush at the slightest provocation.  Walking any alpaca down the center pathway past the adult males is accompanied by wolf whistles and standing up on the fence.  Anticipation is high!

But let me pause for a moment and show you that our safety protocol is in order.   The twins who come to volunteer frequently had a birthday a couple of weeks ago.  Of course, they couldn't come out to the ranch for us to sing Happy Birthday, so instead we sent them a video of their alpaca.  [All safety standards were carefully adhered to]  A good time was had by all!

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We decided to start breeding season a little early this year with some pasture breeding because the weather is so nice.  Yesterday I put 7 girls (4 of them maidens) out in a pasture together, and then last night as it cooled off I introduced Admiral to them.  It was hysterical to see all the girls gather round him saying "Pick me! Pick me!"  After some deliberation, he chose silver gray Victoria.  She plunked herself down, he climbed on and began to sing.  

The happy couple was blissfully unaware at first of the stir they caused (you can only see a small outline of Admiral behind Honeysuckle Rose).  

The maidens began to circle, sniffing and asking questions:  

"What are you doing?"

"What is that song he's singing?"

"Who is he, anyway?"

"Can I play too?"

Some of the experienced girls watched silently out of the corner of their eye.  They knew.  They were just waiting.  One of them left and started eating at the other end of the pasture.  She wasn't interested at all.  It will take her a couple of days to get with the program--her hormones and the stars all have to align.

After I came home, Tracy texted me to say that he had also bred Pepita.  A maiden.  Such good news! This morning they were all happily grazing together. One big happy family.  I find that when I put a group together to pasture breed they naturally fall into a pattern of breeding at night when it's cooler.  I guess that's true Alpaca Romance.

I'm not sure how many pasture breedings we will do this year.  Below is a picture of how we usually set things up.  We breed by appointment.  Because our alpacas are registered, we need to know who Daddy is, so we bring the male of the day to a breeding pen, and put the chosen female in with him.  Sometimes he will breed a couple of girls in a day.  This way with a young male who needs a little coaching (like the alpacas in the next pen) or an older male who has a little arthritis in his hindquarters we can monitor and assist more easily.  We also can be sure that they only do one or two breedings in a day.  Our breeding pens have a carpet of green grass, all the better to stay clean.

With any luck, 11.5 months later, you get a beautiful little cria like this guy from last year. 😀

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Here is one of those great success stories that we like to celebrate with our alpacas.  Seminole Wind had a big ugly bump growing on her muzzle.  Sometimes these skin issues come up and we never know from where.  It appeared, based on past experience, to be fungal.  In the past, the vet has come out, giving it a name in Latin that means something akin to "cruddy skin", and suggested we apply any number of remedies to resolve it.  Then we spend weeks putting product after product on the spot until it goes away.  It's rarely clear what caused it, or even what solved it.

This time I decided to use a zinc based moisturizer on it and add a couple of drops to pure, water-based CBD to it.  The lesion was twice as big as the one in the first picture (I wish I had taken a picture that day, but didn't anticipate such a dramatic change so quickly!).  I applied it heavily.  The next day it looked like the first picture! I was shocked!  I even have witnesses.  I reapplied the cream and waited for the next morning.  

Nothing prepared me for what I found. The lesion was completely gone!  The skin was smooth, and it was hairless like the day before.  Amazing!  I washed it and reapplied the cream.  By Day 4 I could see no reason to keep her at the barn any longer and turned her out.  

The third pictures shows Semi 1 month later--all her hair completely grown back!

I had thought of using the CBD product on Semi because I have used it for skin issues that I have had-- a skinned elbow, a rough patch, and a suspicious looking bump on my arm.  In all cases the problems resolved very quickly and thoroughly-- much faster than I would have imagined.  I also take this product for arthritis and have almost no pain anymore.  Headaches gone.  Amazing stuff!

If you are interested in finding out more, I sell it and can help you get some.  Just give me a shout!

805-907-5162 or cindy@alpacalink.com

I plan to try it with any other skin issue that an alpaca has, and might even put a smidge in an eye that has irritation or infection.  I'll let you know how it works.  😎

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I understand California is moving into STAGE 2 as of Friday this week.  Good news!  If you are thinking about raising alpacas, this is a great time to get started.  Give us a call and before long we can invite you out to talk business!

Being at the ranch might also lower your blood pressure.

Cindy Harris ~ Alpacas at Windy Hill ~ Somis, CA ~ 

805-907-5162 ~ www.alpacalink.com ~ cindy@alpacalink.com

Frogs, Fish and Fun Stuff

Spring has blessed us with jungles full of weeds!  We've discovered that 30% vinegar applied to plants makes them wilt and die really quickly!  Recommendations include cutting the weeds first, then spraying.  And it really doesn't take much!  A little spray and 2 hours later you begin to see the fruit of your labor!  That beats Round Up all to death (pun intended).  

So, let the weed whacking begin!   Farmer Don has been out cutting down thistles and echinacea and fox tails for days!  On one of his breaks he paused by a tree and found this cute fellow doing his best impersonation of a leaf.  I hear them all the time, but have never seen one before, have you?

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I think I mentioned that I had an appointment the other day with the SoCal Fibershed and a new friend named Lesley Roberts.  We did a presentation via ZOOM on how the concept of Fibershed fits into a more responsible, local clothing economy (which seems like an even better idea with current international snafu's).  "Soil to Skin: What's in my clothes?" It was a hoot!  Lesley did her presentation from home, and the other rancher and I did ours with a phone, wandering around the ranch.  There are a few places where the video dropped out, but over all it was really fun.

I'm including the link so that you can join us for our presentation if you are interested.  My part comes near the middle.  Enjoy!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1d-6-kmMoYOl_eXoHud7B1fTy6Mgk1GZE/view?usp=sharing

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Don wanted me to be sure to include a picture of his relaxing, colorful salt water aquarium.  Tracy and I asked why.   The answer? Because.  So here you go! (do you see the star fish and the Clown fish?)

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I still have 5 young males who are under a year old who are looking for a home this spring.  They are adorable and well trained.  They've recently been sheared and have had their immunizations.  If you are looking for some little buddies for your yard or your herd or your fiber projects, these guys would be ideal.  Take a look here, and then follow the picture link to their webpage.  Call or email me if you see something you like. 😉

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Christian Dior

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Decked Out

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Hot Diggity

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Right On

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Black Label

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Have a good week, until next time.

Cindy

cindy@alpacalink.com

Cindy Harris ~ Alpacas at Windy Hill ~ Somis, CA 93066 ~ 805-907-5162 ~ www.alpacalink.com

 

Unusual times, unusual opportunities...

These are Unusual Times, have you noticed?  Sometimes Unusual Times bring Unusual Opportunities....

My 1st Unusual Opportunity happened when a new friend called me this morning.  She is a nurse on a week's break, and she wanted to add some adult male alpacas to her life so she has positive things at home to help her relax and take her mind off of the hospital.  How many of you know that hanging out with alpacas can help lower your blood pressure?  Many of us benefit from that aspect of alpaca ownership. 😁  

What is unusual about this call was that she wanted adult male alpacas, and I happened to have 4 that needed a home!

Here is her first sweet boy-- a rescue llama who needs a few buddies and a good shearer (who is coming in a few days).

Tomorrow she will be adding 4 of my sweet boys to her herd.  You should have seen them when I put them together for the first time this morning.  They all just sniffed each other and then went about their business.  So sweet.  I'm so happy they will have such a special life.  I know they will be loved and cared for.  This makes me so happy.

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My 2nd Unusual Opportunity this week was also fun.  I got to be an online panel member with the Southern California Fibershed for the Fashion Revolution discussing "What's In My Clothes?"  Desert Churros also presented.  The really fun part was being able to walk around the ranch and introduce people to my alpacas, show them some fleece I was skirting, and talk about how Earth Friendly and Sustainable alpacas and their fleece are....all on Earth Day!  There were people on the call from all over the country.

For more information, contact:

Fashion Revolution, Nicholas Brown nicholasjb@me.com 

Southern California Fibershed, Lesley Roberts:  http://www.socalfibershed.org

Desert Churros, Katherine Tucker: @desertchurros

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My 3rd Unusual Opportunity this week was a call I got from the mom of a 4th grader.  She called to see if she could order an Alpaca Zoom for a 4th grade class!  I had recently posted this service on my website as well as my Facebook page.  My daughter in Portland OR saw it and forwarded it to her friends and co-workers.  One of her co-workers posted it, and one of her friends called me.

Don't you LOVE Social Media??

The mom who called paid me  via PayPal, and I am now waiting for the teacher to call me so we can design this alpaca visit to her class.  I already have the lesson plan in my head (4th grade teacher?  That's my middle name!).

If we pulled off a Family Zoom with wiggly grandchildren, I am confident I can host an Alpaca Zoom.

And by the way.... if you or someone you know would like to have an Alpaca Zoom for a class, a party, a business meeting... Just send me an email. We will make it a good one!  

Cindy Harris~ Alpacas at Windy Hill~ Somis, CA

 www.alpacalink.com~ cindy@alpacalink.com

Every day on the ranch is like a week!

 A ranch with 260 alpacas has a lot going on all the time.  Sometimes every day feels like a week!

After shearing and dividing all the fleeces by owner, we put the ones that belonged to our boarders on shelves in the warm room in the barn.  It’s the only place where we can close fairly secure doors and have it be safe from pesky creatures (like rats and sneaky dogs).  By the way, if some of those fleeces are yours, please call about coming to get them.  :-)

After shearing we washed all the halters.  And the walls.  And lots of rags.  Their real colors came back after having been masked in a coating of green slime.

A couple of our retired girls recently left to go to their cushy new home in nearby Simi Valley.  They have tons of fresh green stuff to graze during the day and a cozy enclosure in the evening to munch and sleep safely. They follow their new mom around like puppy dogs.  It’s a match made in heaven.

New gopher mounds erupt daily on the ranch.  We have been pretty free of them all winter, but they have made their annual debut with lots of fanfare.  Klick (AKA “Rat Patrol”) is on the job!  He can dig faster than any other dog I have ever seen.  He’s also really fast!  His little girlfriend Kallie is starting to learn the ropes.  The floppy rabbit toy is no longer just something to chew on.  Now it gets convincingly shaken every time she picks it up.  She’s a going to be a force to be reckoned with.

Our little “squirrel dogs” are much more active now that they weather is warmer, too.  They came to us several years ago now from a rescue that wasn’t able to socialize them as pets, although they had tried everything.  Coming out of a rescue litter of 120 terriers in someone’s back yard, these 2 just never warmed up to people.  Rather than put them down, Pearla and Dallas came to live on the ranch.  Pearla will take a treat from my hand now, but Dallas still stands a long way off.  They are happy little guys, though.  After all, what more does a terrier need than a Territory, a Job, and an endless supply of creatures to chase?

Everywhere I look now there are blossoms!  The plum tree is blossoming, the peach tree just finished, and the zucchini plants are showing off with big yellow flowers.  I think you could feed the world with a few zucchini plants!  I’m also growing some tomatoes, lettuce, spaghetti squash, and blueberries this year.  2 rat terriers and an Aussie in my yard is giving me confidence that we might derive some benefit from the garden without interference from the local thieves—squirrels, gophers, rabbits… you name it.

BTW…I found this varmint hopping through the yard a few days ago.  It appears the Easter Bunny felt the need to take precautions in delivering so many baskets…

Our little show string is enjoying the new grass in their pasture.  We’re letting a few of them grow through the summer this year—something I haven’t tried in several years.  But these fleeces are so pretty I just couldn’t shear them this time.  I’m still have hope that AOA will declare that suris should be shorn every year like huacayas in order to show, but it hasn’t happened yet.  We’ll see how it goes.  

We’ve got our fingers crossed that there will be a couple of alpaca shows this fall. :-) 

The Post-Shearing Cold Snap

Every year, right after shearing, we get a cold snap.  Of course, it's not a cold snap like most of the country gets.  It's a California Cold Snap.  That means that temperatures might plummet to 45º F at night and stay in the 50's during the day.  BBBbbbrrrrrrr.....!  This year, it also rained for 3 days, so everybody got wet.  Oh NO!

A couple of the little guys shivered where we could see them, so they got coats.  Everybody else seems completely unconcerned.  It's not that they are pansy Calfornia alpacas-- it's that they are in the care of all of us California Weather Wimps who project our discomfort onto the alpacas.  It's similar to your mother.  Remember?  You had to wear a sweater when she got cold.  Alas.  Our mothers live on! LOL

The good news is the grass seed we planted before the rain started is coming up!  Hurray for Farmer Don and his new orange rototiller.  The next task is to rehab the sprinklers so that we can KEEP the grass after the rain stops.   One of the prices we pay for living in Paradise, I guess.

The yearling girls are anxious to talk to anyone who wants to stop by.  Remember when you were 14?  These girls are going to get bred this summer. I had hoped to show a couple of them, but the shows fell prey to  the stay in place orders, so now they just get to meet the boys a little sooner, maybe.

The little girls are just curious about everything!  When I walk by with Klick and Kallie, they all rush to the fence to see what's going on.  The dogs couldn't care less--after all, they don't look like gophers or squirrels.  It's a fun time to shoot pictures of the girls, though. They look so cute on their tippy toes with their ears up.

The blue sky is actually peeking through today after 4 days of rain.  They said there would be snow last night down to 6000 feet in the surrounding mountains.  I hope we get to see it before it melts.  Being surrounded by mountain ranges and rolling hills is such a beautiful west coast benefit.

We are doing an experiment this summer. We haven't left any juvenile suris in full fleece for 10 years, but this group is so pretty and didn't get to show, so we're going to try it. We can always belly-shear if it gets too hot for them.  It turns out that our average temps here are generally lower than the Portland area, and we don't have the humidity that they do.

Just like all of life...it'll be an experiment.  We've got the hoses ready to squirt legs and bellies.

Here is Ivan being curious about the dogs as I walked by.  He has had such heavy bangs that it's a whole new world now that they are trimmed!

Admiral and his 3 buddies seem to be under the impression that they look as majestic as they once did.  I don't have the heart to tell them that they look like giant Easter Bunnies now. They're so cute, aren't they?

Some of the yearling boys came up close for portraits.  Thor even gave me a profile shot.  They all got their bangs trimmed, so they can see each other better.  Consequently, there is a little more neck wrestling and chasing going on because they can actually see each other!

Danny Boy is posing almost all the time.  Now that he can see, I guess he figures everyone wants to see HIM.  He might be right.  I reinforced that behavior by taking his picture.  In another year or so, all the girls will probably want to see him too!

Every day it gets closer to birthing and breeding season around here.  June isn't very far away.  It's time to start planning for births, and planning breedings.  I can't wait to see crias from a couple of our new herd sires from last year!

Happy Easter, everyone!  We had chicks hatched today.

Here is a card I drew for my granddaughters.  (Yes, I did draw sheep this time instead of alpacas, but they are cute too.)

Have a great weekend!