Not much happening on the alpaca farm today as we are all going to watch the Ashland High School Graduation - Class of 2008.

Which includes our one and only daughter Camilla Rose Stewart.






Having graduation in the park reminds you just what an amazing state Oregon is and how wonderful it is to live among the trees.

Mulberry Alpacas want to remind everyone that National Alpaca Farm Day September 27-28, 2008. The 2008 AOBA marketing committee has designed a good plan to increase awareness of alpacas.
AOBA member participation is critical to making these days a success. The goal is for the public to easily find an alpaca farm or ranch in their area to visit on Sept 27th or 28th. This will give all alpaca farmers an opportunity to share their passion for alpacas and meet new people interested in learning about breeding livestock.

Remember however if you are an alpaca farmer (and AOBA member) you need to visit the AOBA web site and pay up if you want to be on the official AOBA Alpaca Farm Day website.

Now of course to participate in National Alpaca Farm Days you do not need to register for the special web site and pay over your hard earned money in fact you don't even have to be a member of AOBA....but you will have to undertake some marketing effort of your own or very few people will be coming to visit.

We put in quite a bit of effort last year and basically operated a petting zoo for two days so I think we will be giving it a miss this year. As always make sure that your alpaca marketing decisions are conscious decisions and assume nothing.

About 5 years ago, back when I was an alpaca farmer in England I remember seeing a letter to one of the newspapers during a very wet spell of " English Summer " weather saying :

"We have been promised global warming and I want it now!"

It was quite funny at the time...anyway my point is that just as "jet lag" has become "time zone fatigue" I have now noticed that "global warming" has become "catastrophic climate change". And that is what has no doubt caused the very long and wet spring/summer that we are now experiencing here on the alpaca farm in southern Oregon.....

Just as taking an umbrella with you is well known to prevent rain. I was hoping that by running the irrigation on the alpaca pastures I would prevent rain....it failed.. and the rain came anyway. But not until the afternoon by which time we had done a whole series of outdoor chores which had been on the to do list almost as long as there has been a to do list. As rain came we gathered up the washing that was drying outside and scampered inside.... with some sense of satisfaction..

There is no doubt that farming keeps you in close contact with the seasons and the weather forecast. Enjoy your long weekend.

Just like some parody of the worlds most anxious expectant father I am now pacing up and down all morning waiting for the two pregnant alpacas Minne and Sorpressa that are due to give birth to their cria (baby alpaca)... to actually get on with it......

Everytime it looks like something is about to happen it turns out to be false alarm...I think this is one of the soundest reasons I know for using the services of an alpaca breeder to agist your alpacas and then you can relax and enjoy the news...once it is all over.

Second only to getting someone else to shear your alpacas while you watch...oh sure enough its fun the first couple of times but after that the novelty does pale and the shear (pun intended) hard work of it all starts to kick in...wow I sound so stressed today.

Last night I discovered that the AOBA elections failed to reach a quorum ie 30% of the membership so will ow have to be conducted all over again...what a pain and what a waste of resources. Regular readers will know I have my disagreements with the AOBA BOD from time to time but when it comes to voting we all have a duty to stand up and be counted. If not then save yourself some money and become an Associate Member.

I think I better go take break this expectant watching stuff is getting to me.... see you all tomorrow. When hopefully we will have exciting news!

With two alpaca females close to giving birth I hate to leave the farm but...

I somehow damaged a disk in my neck a while back and finally I have had to give in and throw myself at the mercy of the medical proffesion. So I am going to have an epidural injection of steroids to reduce the swelling and get the pain under control...back tomorrow.


Adrian

Sadly Phoebe died this morning. She was too sick to recover and Howard Miller a neighbor and truly wonderful vet put her to sleep. She died at home safe and surrounded by the family who all loved her so very much.

One of the joys of being in the alpaca business and self employed is that you do get to do your own thing and when spring is in the air then it can be very enjoyable. Especially now that laptops are so affordable and connect wireless from just about anywhere in the house.



We are now getting into the cria watch time of year and our first two new arrivals should be here sometime this week I hope......we really don't want to be doing shearing on two overdue mothers if at all possible!

"Travel light in life, take only what you need; a loving family,
good friends, simple pleasures, someone to love, someone
to love you, enough to eat, enough to wear, and a little more
than enough to drink, for thirst is a dangerous thing."

Today I received a request for Alpaca Helmet liners for US troops. here is the email from Debra Edwards.

We are getting ready for my son Taylor's deployment. He is a Cavalry Scout with the 1st Infantry Division out of Fort Hood, Texas. He will be deploying sometime in June. He is coming to California for 10 days in May. Can hardly wait to see him.

He is deploying to Afghanistan, where we do not know yet. I understand he will be in the mountain region, which gets below 0 degrees in the Winter. From what I hear helmet liners would be a great comfort for the troops. I was reading a request for wool helmet liners and thought alpaca helmet liners would be even better! I have enclosed instructions on making the liners. They request that the fiber be non-flammable.

My son's platoon has 20 soldiers, his troop (Company) has 78 soldiers and the Squadron(Battalion) has 500 soldiers. Whatever you can supply would be so very wonderful and so very appreciated by our soldiers.

My cell phone number is 805 625-2661, if you have any questions.

Thank you in advance for your support of our troops and my very heartfelt thanks for your interest in my son.

Sincerely,

Debra Edwards

Here are the instructions for those of you who can crochet...

Support Our Troops…Crochet a Helmet Liner

Materials:
Size K and H hooks
6 oz. soft worsted weight 100% wool yarn
Accepted colors are tan, brown, olive, gray and black (black is
preferred and was requested)

Size: Adult Large
Crochet Notes:
Made in rounds – that is, do not join and do not turn.
Other Notes:
The headgear our military issues are usually made of
synthetic fibers or blends and our troops in places like
Afghanistan, Iraq and Kosovo are still cold. Please use a soft
100% wool worsted weight yarn to keep them warm.

Rnd 1 ...........Form a ring around your finger, work 6 sc in ring
Rnd 2 ...........2 scs in next 6 sts (12 sts)
Rnd 3 ...........(sc in next st, 2 scs in next st) 6 times (18 sts)
Rnd 4 ...........(sc in next 2 sts, 2 scs in next st) 6 times (24 sts)
Rnd 5 ...........(sc in next 3 sts, 2 scs in next st) 6 times (30 sts)
Rnd 6 ...........(sc in next 4 sts, 2 scs in next st) 6 times (36 sts)
Rnd 7 ...........(sc in next 5 sts, 2 scs in next st) 6 times (42 sts
Rnd 8 ...........(sc in next 6 sts, 2 scs in next st) 6 times (48 sts)
Rnd 9 ...........(sc in next 7 sts, 2 scs in next st) 6 times (54 sts)
Rnd 10 .........(sc in next 8 sts, 2 scs in next st) 6 times (60 sts)
Rnd 11 .........(sc in next 9 sts, 2 scs in next st) 6 times (66 sts)
Rnd 12 .........(sc in next 10 sts, 2 scs in next st) 6 times (72 sts)

Work over 72 sts until piece measures 7 inches.
Chain 22 ,skip 20 sts, continue working around until piece measures 10 more inches.
Fasten off and weave in ends. Attach yarn anywhere in face hole and sc around with
H hook. Fasten off and weave in all ends.

Pattern designed Aunt B © 2005. All rights reserved. Copies may be made only for the purpose of donating helmet liners to our service personnel. For additional patterns and helmet liner project information go to Skein Lane’s community page.

The big day has finally arrived and today is the start of our irrigation schedule for the summer of 2007.

The garden around the house is now slowly coming to life



And the house swallows are starting to build their nests in the bird house...they are amazing aerial acrobats.



But we didn't bother running the irrigation as there is a 70% chance of rain tomorrow.......

Still the grass in the pastures is now coming on in leaps and bounds so its time to start getting out there with the tractor and topping some of these pastures. Its the damned alpaca poop thats to blame even when you pick it up everyday the affect it has on grass growth is amazing.

Rural properties have more than their fair share of dirty jobs and not being on mains sewage means that you have to have more than a passing acquaintance with the workings of a septic system.

Which reminds me that recently a very nice man from Roto Router told me never to use Charmin toilet tissue as it can block a septic system and cause real problems. I couldn't help but pass on this piece of information to Proctor and Gamble the makers of Charmin toilet tissue. I didn't expect to hear anymore but today I did receive a reply thanking me for my interest and enclosing a 42 voucher off Charmin Toilet... I suspect they didn't actually read my email..oh well!

Our septic system is 14 years old and was not built with a flush out which is now mandatory with all new septic systems so we have had to retro fit one and providing you can find the pipe which comes out of the septic sand pit easily then the rest really is a piece of cake....so to speak!

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Well unlike unicorns apparently llama caddies do exist. I had an e-mail this morning from Pam a regular blog reader who gave me the facts on llama caddies. Alpacas are very cute but llamas can be very useful. Anyway ,here is the story.

The Village of Pinehurst in North Carolina is home to the new Talamore Golf Resort. Where the Rees Jones-designed Talamore Golf Club and the Arnold Palmer-designed Mid South Club, Talamore Golf Resort is apparently at the top of its class in the historic North Carolina Sandhills.

The great news is that Talamore have a competition going on right now to win a Llama Golfing vacation!

The Pinehurst area golf trip you will never forget! Two nights lodging at the Mid South Lodge, one day of play on the Arnold Palmer designed Mid South Members Course and a second day of play on the Rees Jones designed Talamore Resort Course. The Resort Course round will be played using the Club's world renown Llama caddies. Some restrictions will apply.

Restrictions:
* The Dollie Llama golf packages are only available during the months of November, December, January, and February. In addition, Llama Caddies only work on Sunday through Wednesday afternoons.

Pam tells me that they like the llamas because their padded feet don't tear up the courses and they can handle the weight of the clubs. Sometimes they carry drinks and food in cooler packs for the golfers too. I think this sounds like great idea and hopefully more golf courses will be taking on llama caddies in the not too distant future.

Thanks for the information Pam, much appreciated.

We awoke this morning to find the valley had been blanketed in a white carpet of snow, only about an inch and it was gone by lunchtime but it certainly delivered a timely reminder to local gardeners and alpaca farmers who were planning to wear shorts, that we are not in the frost free zone just yet....

The alpacas barely noticed the snow and just sat around chewing their cud and looking totally disinterested in what was going on. Of course they are less than one month from shearing so their fleece is very full at this time of year and extremely warm.

Now I did promise to tell you who I had voted for in the forthcoming AOBA elections and the answers are.... Monica Kline and Ian Watt...two more different people I find it hard to imagine but as my old mum says "variety is the spice of life" ....and the AOBA board certainly needs spicing up....so get your ballots completed and in the mail and may the best man or woman win!

Yesterday I mentioned that Llamas can apparently be used as golf caddies.....but I still haven't heard from anyone who can verify that story..... okay its my big brothers birthday tomorrow so I have to go into town now and send him a birthday card...

Happy alpaca farming where ever you are and enter to win the alpaca handling book...
Don't forget to check out our Spring Alpaca Competition.....

The second annual alpaca sock drive has begun it’s fund raising drive for the purpose of providing alpaca alpaca socks to US troops in harms way. In the 2007 drive 100 pairs of Extreme alpaca socks from AFCNA were distributed. Socks for Operation Sock it to Um are purchased at wholesale prices and mailed direct to selected military personnel for distribution.

This initiative was started in 2007 by Sgt. Jerry Coleman’s request to his parents for alpaca socks for his troops. As a direct result many thousands of pairs of alpaca socks were sent to our troops. Including the 100 pairs of extreme socks from the AFCNA mentioned earlier.



The 6th annual Fiber on the Foot, Natural Fiber Producer’s Livestock Show and Festival, on May 3 and 4th at the Tehama District Fair Ground, California will again be accepting donations to this noble cause.

Donations can be sent directly to:

Fiber on the Foot
C/o Shady Ridge Alpacas
1560 Hwy 99W
Orland, CA 95963

Winter’s done, and April’s in the skies.
Earth, look up with laughter in your eyes!

–Charles G. D. Roberts (1860–1943)

Today I was away at 5am to deliver two females for breedings to Northwest Alpacas.




The whole trip is 14 hours on the road including breaks so its a long old haul for me and the alpacas..... but there is never much traffic on I-5 so the journey is usually uneventful. Thank goodness.

The only complication I now have is that the girl I delivered is spitting off and that is very worrying as it usually indicates she is pregnant and the only way she could be pregnant is if a young male who was nursing till 7 months of age somehow impregnated her....

Why can't things just be stratforward.......

I was heading up through Lithia Park into the hills behind Ashland with my sons Jamie and one of the dogs when I came across the Sheriff taking his new toy out. I say new toy which is unfair really as I guess you really do need something like this to get up into the snow covered peaks around town during winter. Almost every year someone gets lost and dies on the mountain.



Time to go through the animal records this afternoon and start planning for birthing dates which now by some dreadful coincidence appear to be on or around the day we have selected to do our shearing....how stupid is that!

As so often happens in alpaca farming the best laid plans come to nought...which is when we reminded that this is farming and nature has a hand to play and that includes when your females become pregnant and therefore when they will be giving birth. It is fool gold to ever imagine you are in total control of this process or that you even understand all the variables.