Alpacas in California

Monday, February 8, 2010 6:54 AM
This is Hank and Blue, the new LGD's. They've lived with alpacas their whole life. The alpacas aren't quite sure what to think yet, although it's apparent that Penelope is used to dogs.
Hank (the tank) is the farthest one in the picture. He has a spot on his back that looks like a saddle. He's as big as a horse, so it's kind of fitting.

Sunday February 7, 2010 7:12 AM
We ended up with quite a bit of rain. Rainmaker, Nitro, and White Lightning liked playing in it. The other kids preferred to stay under cover. The sun is out this morning, so we'll be throwing hay on the ground in the sun to get everyone out and dry.
I'm heading down to San Diego this morning, I'm glad I don't need to put up with rain, as I'll have my trailer to bring back a couple of Anatolians.

Saturday, February 6, 2010 7:43 AM
We're having a bit more rain than I expected, but it's not as bad as we had a couple of weeks ago. It looks like it'll be raining off and on until tomorrow morning.

Friday, February 5, 2010 7:33 AM
The boys got to come up and visit with the girls yesterday. It wasn't much of the treat for them though, most everyone was painted green and had the walk of shame back to boy's town.
We'll be getting a bit of rain the next three days, just enough to wash the slime off of the boys.

Thursday, February 4, 2010 7:12 AM
Nitro is acting a lot different and more confident now that he has a name. This morning he was on patrol, guarding his herd, chasing bunnies out of the field.
Penelope arrived yesterdy for breeding, accompanied by her cria White Lightning. It looks like Nitro is showing him around this morning.

Wednesday, February 3, 2010 7:39 AM
What an experience yesterday! The movie was great, and instead of popcorn, Junior Mints and Coke, it was calamari, lobster roll and a cocktail. The seats fully recline, and we got to wear some cool Roy Orbison glasses. I'm sold on the Gold Class Cinemas.
On the drive over there, we started reading signs to try to get a name for Neeener Nooodle. We ruled out Best Buy, Trader Joe, Fantastic Sam and Woomi Sushi. Then a car entered the freeway next to us, a Nitro. We'll try it on for size, if it doesn't stick I'll just register him as Mr. Puddles.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010 7:09 AM
Today we're going to see Avatar at Gold Class Cinema in Pasadena. I generally avoid the LA area like the plague, and hate going to movies where I get Junior Mints, popcorn, and a coke, but this sounds like it'll be fun. Maybe we should take Neeener Nooodle and see if there's a character's name that he likes.
The storms have fizzled out, we may get some light rain over the weekend, but no gully washers.

Monday, February 1, 2010 7:21 AM
We're back to Neeener Nooodle for a name, I'm afraid the poor little guy will get a complex if we don't come up with something pretty soon.

Sunday, January 31, 2010 7:28 AM
It's still sunny and warm here, but we do have storms on the way. They say they're not sure when the rains will start, just that the chance of rain is 100%. Tomorrow we go on official baby watch for Armana. Her average is 334, which would have her delivering on Valentine's day. That would probably make naming the cria pretty easy.
Today, Breeeze's cria is named Swayze. We'll try that for a few days and see if it sticks.

Saturday, January 30, 2010 7:26 AM
I forgot to mention that Rainmaker got to try out the halter on Thursday. At only 52 days old, he did really well.
We're really ejoying the antics of Breeeze's cria, but we still need a name for him. We doubt anyone would want to breed to a stud named Neeener Nooodle.

Friday, January 29, 2010 7:48 AM
It was a perfect day yesterday for the alpacas and the humans. The boys enjoyed coming up to see the girls, even though they had to get spit on a few times before we found someone that would say yes. The show string all got a bit of halter work. It was Jelani's first time, overall she did pretty well.
We ended the day with steaks, portabella mushrooms, au gratin potatoes, and tiramisu. Yum!

Thursday, January 28, 2010 7:32 AM
The sun is shining, the birds are singing, we're expecting pretty close to 70º for the next few days. I'm sure the boys will enjoy the weather, they'll get to come up and visit the girls. We also need to get some halter training done for the shows.

Wednesday, January 27, 2010 7:55 AM
We did get a spot of rain late yesterday afternoon and evening, but the kids all managed to stay dry. It took all day, but they got the FIOS installed. I'm not sure about it though, supposedly the fastest internet in the world, but I can still only type 14 words per minute. Maybe I need to download typing fingers 4.0.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010 7:21 AM
Another great day yesterday, sunny and nice. We'll have a little bit of rain late today, but it should be over by the time the sun comes up tomorrow. We're having FIOS internet and TV installed today, hoping there aren't any glitches.

Monday, January 25, 2010 6:48 AM
Yesterday was absolutely perfect! We had bright sunshine, and threw hay up on the hill to keep everyone out in the sunshine. The new guy is just as independent as Rainmaker, just visting mom for a quick fillup. We now have 2 fast food moms, McMooney's and Tasty Breeeze.

Sunday, January 24, 2010 7:29 AM
We had a bit of sunshine yesterday, but all of the evaporation ended up making the day mostly cloudy. This morning we have bright sunshine, and we're hoping for a full day of it.
It's still kind of a muddy mess, so we're throwing hay at the tops of the hills so the feeder areas can dry out.

Saturday, January 23, 2010 7:36 AM
Our break in the rain didn't last long yesterday. By 9:00, it started back up, and it rained all day. This morning, there's bright sunshine, and the snow covered mountains to the north are beautiful. I don't think we'll get much time to enjoy it, there's a lot of poop scooping to do.

Friday, January 22, 2010 7:47 AM
The major storms are finally over. We had some really strong winds yesterday, but only minor damage. I'll be getting my power tools back out when the sun comes out. We had Breeeze and El Neeenio in a small pen in the barn for the storm. We just let them out and he's running all over the farm, jumping and kicking. They're also the only clean alpacas on the farm. We got a better picture of him this morning.
Oh yeah, when I come up with a real name for him, I'll be sure to let you know.

Thursday, January 21, 2010 8:20 AM
Just before the rain hit yesterday, Breeeze decided she'd been pregnant long enough. In the area we call "limbo", about 20' from the barn, she delivered a little boy. We got them up into the barn and situated just as the rain hit. It's a lousy pic taken with my cell phone right after I got him inside the barn. I'll get a better one later.
Today is supposed to be the last, and largest storm.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010 7:50 AM
Yesterday's storm wasn't too bad at all. It didn't start raining until about noon, and I took this picture at 3:00 as the last sprinkles of rain fell. Of course, as the rain was falling, Rainmaker was out checking on everyone and everything here. I kinda think that Rainman would have been a more fitting name.
Today's storm is supposed to be about like Monday's, but it'll probably go through most of the night. We have a couple hours available for poop patrol this morning before the rain starts.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010 7:42 AM
It poured down rain most of the day yesterday, with high winds for a few hours. Mimosa had a coat on, but hung out close to mom. Joe Montana also hung out close to mom. Rainmaker, however, considered the rain an excuse to play. He sat out and got soaked, and ran around trying to investigate each and every raindrop.
The rain died down at about 6:00 PM yesterday, and the next round is due here early afternoon.

Monday, January 18, 2010 7:28 AM
A strange phenomenon here, dihydromonoxide falling from the sky. The rain started at about 5:00 yesterday afternoon. We haven't seen anything heavy yet, but we know it's coming.

Sunday, January 17, 2010 7:46 AM
This should be our last clear day for a while, then a week of rain. We do need the rain, but I sure prefer that it happens while I'm out on a transport. I am hoping that Breeeze holds out for a sunny day.

Saturday, January 16, 2010 8:15 AM
It's rare that anything wakes me up, but at 4:00, a 4.3 earthquake was enough to get my attention. Because we live on solid rock, we don't normally feel them, instead we hear them. This one, we could feel and hear. The alpacas woke up also, but settled right back down.
We're getting ready for the rains, coming in late tomorrow and lasting all week.

Friday, January 15, 2010 7:31 AM
It looks like we have about three more days of sunshine, then the rain is supposed to come in. This round is supposed to do more than get the sidewalks damp. Based on some predictions, our roads may be impassable for a few days. I sure hope Breeeze either hurries up or holds on. I don't want to name a cria Mudddy Messs.

Thursday, January 14, 2010 7:34 AM
No baby yesterday, and really not much for rain. I ended up spending the afternoon in a courthouse regarding some repair work done on my truck in late 2008 and early 2009. The judge kinda agreed with me, but I don't think the dealership will want me back.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010 7:23 AM
The ayes have it. The rain did make it here. The sidewalks are damp, and it rained almost enough to keep the cats in this morning. Looking at the big doppler, I don't think there's much chance of us washing away.
I do guess that if Breeeze were to deliver today, we could call her cria Drizzzzzle.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010 7:11 AM
There seems to be a bit of a disagreement on the weather forecast for here. Maybe a bit of rain tomorrow, maybe not. We did have a red sky this morning, so maybe so. To find out for sure, I guess I'll just check my Captain Marvel Secret Decoder Ring.

Monday, January 11, 2010 7:21 AM
The rain for this week has been cancelled due to lack of interest. I guess we'll just have to tolerate the sunshine. Yesterday afternoon, it looked like auditions for "So you think you can dance with the stars" were taking place in Prissy's belly. It looked like either the conga or flamenco dancing was going on in there.

Sunday, January 10, 2010 7:38 AM
It's still winter here, we only saw 79º yesterday. I guess we'll just have to continue to deal with it. Rainmaker still drops by "McMooney's" for fast food and then heads out to play with Joe and Mimosa.

Saturday, January 9, 2010 6:59 AM
It looks like we have about five more days of days in the 70's, then we may get a day with rain and 65º. Pati did get fired yesterday, the trial is over. It was the guy's third parking ticket, so he got life without parole.

Friday, January 8, 2010 7:14 AM
No cria yesterday, I guess Breeeze was just funning with me. The boys got to come up and visit yesterday, and every one of them enjoyed the thrill of victory.
Pati got a promotion, her new title is Madam Foreperson. Hopefully, she'll get fired today.

Thursday, January 7, 2010 7:08 AM
Breeeze's average gestation is 350 days, and her shortest is 343. She's only at 327 today, but based on how her back end looked yesterday, I'd say today should be it. The annoying part is that she delivers between 6:00 AM and 2:00 PM. Too bad Juror # 12 won't be here to see the birth.

Wednesday, January 6, 2010 7:18 AM
All's well at the farm, but Pati went out and got a job. She's making $1.87 per hour, and gets reimbursed $.17 per mile. She even got a badge with her title. Juror # 12.

Tuesday, January 5, 2010 6:33 AM
Yesterday Rainmaker actually followed and hung out with his mom for 10 minutes. He soon got tired of that and snuck off to cause trouble. He's 29 days old, and we're already planning his move to boy's town. I can see it now, at six months, he'll be the alpha male down there.

Monday, January 4, 2010 7:20 AM
We're still having some really nice weather here, and waiting somewhat patiently for Breeeze to deliver her cria. Yes, I realize it looks like there are too many e's in Breeeze's name. Hot tip, wait until your second cup of coffee to register a cria.

Sunday, January 3, 2010 8:03 AM
Yesterday was fun, we got to go to the swap meet to buy rakes. It sure doesn't take much to keep me occupied. We're getting a kick out of Rainmaker. He's really independent, and only visits his mom for milk. He came up and hung out with Crystal for a while, but when Norma went down, he went with her and cushed by her. I'm wondering if he's not just scoping out future potential dates.

Saturday, January 2, 2010 8:16 AM
The holidays are over. It's time to take down the decorations and go back to "normal." It seems to me though that it would save a lot of work by leaving the decorations up and saying I'm ahead of the power curve for the next holiday season. Somehow, I don't think I'd get away with it.

Friday, January 1, 2010 8:08 AM
It's the start of a new decade! We lucked out and the dreaded Y2.1K bug never happened, the coffee pot worked fine this morning, the ice didn't vaporize, and water still swirls down the drain clockwise.
Bonne Annee turned one today, and Madalena is no longer a teenager. We'll celebrate with chili and fermented stuff.

Thursday, December 31, 2009 7:48 AM
We did get a little bit of rain and we're ending the year with a foggy morning.
Yesterday I got a call from a friend about 70 miles from here. She said she had a dam that acted like she was in labor, but it had not progressed , and she suspected a uterine torsion based on what she felt when she reached in. Her vet is out of town, and based on her remote location, it needed to be fixed on the farm.
I loaded up my kit and headed over there. I reached in, gave my opinion on the twist direction, and it agreed with hers.
Uterine torsion correction is not for amateurs. There we were, a couple of amateurs with no choice.
Our only drug available was Ace, but it did the trick.
Using a 2X6, we attempted the correction. On the first roll, the weight (human) fell off. With the second attempt, the owner, then I, reached in to feel a normal uterus. I went in far enough to feel a head. We did a slimy lubed up high five.
About 30 minutes later, we saw fetal movement.
Yep, a way cool day!

Wednesday, December 30, 2009 7:34 AM
It's cloudy and cool this morning, but we're supposed to get back into the 70's for New Year's day. Time is running out, gotta get all the checks written while I can do it without mucking up the date.

Tuesday, December 29, 2009 7:33 AM
It's hard to believe the year is almost almost over. I think I'm about ready for 2010. Of course, Pati added in one more project to end the year. When I walk into Home Depot I say "Hi honey, I'm home."

Monday, December 28, 2009 8:18 AM
During poop patrol yesterday I noticed Kir had bagged up, but her behavior had not changed a bit. After breakfast, we rounded up some girls for breeding. About 30 minutes later, I noticed a bunch of girls in one area, and sure enough, a little girl on the ground. She's only an hour old in the picture, and alert as can be. For now, we're calling her Mimosa.

Sunday, December 27, 2009 7:45 AM
After poop patrol today, Pati is going to make Eggs Benedict. I've never had it, but Pati said Eggs Benedict is an English muffin, topped with ham or bacon, poached eggs, and hollandaise sauce. When I mentioned that it kinda sounded like an Egg McMuffin, Pati said, well, I won't repeat it ;)

Saturday, December 26, 2009 8:53 AM
We had a great Christmas. We got to see some Show Me The Money offspring, drank fermented beverages and again ate like kings. Now it's time to get ready for New Year's.

Friday, December 25, 2009 7:15 AM
Yesterday, we went to Pati's parents for a traditional Swiss dinner. We had mousse au trouffle, viande séchée, cornichon, fondue, and of course wine. Translated, that's liver and fungii, dried meat, tiny pickles, melted cheese, and fermented grape juice. Sure sounds better the first way, but it's delicious no matter what language it's in.
Today we'll head down to Ramona. The food will be more traditional American, but I'm sure the grape juice will still be old and fermented.
Merry Christmas!

Thursday, December 24, 2009 8:18 AM
'Tis the day before Christmas and I walked through the gate,
No crias arrived yet,
I'll just have to wait.
Joe Montana and Rainmaker run all over the farm,
They annoy the adults,
But mean them no harm
"On Kir, On Breeeze, On Armana!" Rick said
The ladies all thought that something was wrong with his head.,

Wednesday, December 23, 2009 7:28 AM
The wind died down, the sun is shining, but it's still a really cool morning. Pati has some errands to run, so I get all of the poop patrol. It'll still be there when it warms up about 9:00.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009 7:41 AM
The construction work is done and the tools are put away. When this house was built, 90º angles and levels must not have been invented yet, so every project ends up being a can of worms. It's a good thing we're done, because last night a rain storm came through. The rain has moved on and it's cold and windy this morning.
It looks like Mooney took Rainmaker into the barn last night, he's as dry as can be.

Sunday, December 20, 2009 7:59 AM
We're technically on baby watch for Kir, but she is only at day 330 and has been within one day of 344 every time. I guess it will be one more day playing with saws, hammers and nail guns around here.

Saturday, December 19, 2009 7:01 AM
We played construction games all day yesterday and hope to finish up today. We're taking advantage of the 80º days.

Friday, December 18, 2009 7:27 AM
The boys really had a good time yesterday. Every time they came up, the girls said yes. Majik and Mo came up once, Merlin and Conquistador came up twice. I'd imagine they were bragging about it.

Thursday, December 17, 2009 7:48 AM
We're going to be up near 80º today, so we'll be getting some breeding and spit testing done. Based on the group we're working with today, I think the boys will enjoy their day.

Wednesday, December 16, 2009 8:24 AM
I got home about 6:30 last night. Other than some nasty thunderstorms in Missouri, the weather was great on the entire trip. I'll probably not hit the road again until February, I can use some time at home.
I'll get some pictures of Mooney's cria up, his name is Rainmaker.

Saturday, December 12, 2009 3:11 AM
I've had perfect weather on my trip across the country. I dropped the kids off at their new home in Georgia yesterday, they seemed to like it. They ran around and marveled at the grass everywhere, then found the only dirt spot to roll.
I'm heading to Louisville this morning, and will shut down near Little Rock tonight.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009 7:19 AM
On December 17th last year, in the pouring rain, Mooney delivered Winter Rayne. It was pouring down rain yesterday, so Mooney decided it would be a good day to deliver a 21.4 lb boy. I was thinking Rain Man or Mr. Puddles for a name. Pati says I should let her know if I come up with any ideas.
I'm hitting the road today, off to Georgia and Kentucky. I'll update if I can.

Monday, December 7, 2009 7:51 AM
It was a rough day yesterday, the vet was out to deliver a stillborn. It's pouring down rain today, I'm just hoping for an uneventful day.

Sunday, December 6, 2009 6:54 AM
It's actually pretty warm this morning, the calm before the storm. We're going to save poop patrol for later in the day so there's not as much heavy stuff tomorrow in the rain.

Saturday, December 5, 2009 7:10 AM
It's cooling off and there may be some rain coming late tomorrow. We're really hoping these girls don't decide to deliver in the rain. Today would be fine. "Okay ladies, 1,2,3 push!"

Friday, December 4, 2009 7:56 AM
Nope, no babies yet. Everyone decided to hold out again. We did $1 bets on delivery date. I chose Tuesday, I think Susan chose Saturday, and Pati tried to cheat by choosing three days and upping the ante. Nice try barfomatic veggiebrain!

Thursday, December 3, 2009 7:22 AM
We have a busy day planned. A vet visit, hay delivery, some teeth to trim, and of course brie en croute to eat. I'm really hoping that no crias arrive today. I guess we'll see what happens.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009 8:00 AM
I guess it's a good thing I have more than one hat, nothing yesterday. She's probably waiting to let Mooney go first. No worries, we're not in a hurry. Nothing but time...

Tuesday, December 1, 2009 7:04 AM
I've figured out the deal with Princess. She's had a cria in October, two in November, but never had one in December. She wanted a change, so she waited until today. I'll bet my hat that about 11:00 today, she'll deliver.