Move over Bette- there's a new girl in town ...

Doesn't the name just reek of glamor and class. Manhattan is the full package.

I know you know but, she is another one of my absolute favorites- I mean it this time.

Manhattan is Ember's daughter by that handsome male Chaucer. They really got it right with Maddie, fleece, good looks, mothering ability, friendly and my god those eyes!! She has these little curls that come down around her face and her kohl smudged eyes that make you want to give her anything she wants. Grain, oh I would love to give you grain Maddie, hay, oh let me get that for you too. Back rub? New car? sure what ever you want darling.




Maddie for all of her beauty only went to one show. By the time we moved to Orcas, Maddie was only eligible to show one more year. I took her and Brooklyn. You can read how that turned out for Brooklyn here.

Manhattan the glamorous beauty... got the gate. We were set up to not do well from the get go. There is always a story huh?

The show was Alpacapalooza and there were three show rings being judged at the same time. Manhattan was in the middle ring with activity brewing on either side. The activity wasn't a real distraction until the ring closest to where she and I were being judged started an obstacle course portion of a class that some shows have. I don't want to judge, but why stop now. I am not sure why one needs to make an alpaca walk through hula hoops while someone dressed like a clown honks a horn and throws confetti. But I am not bitter that my alpaca couldn't even be close to the circus that was taking place not 10 feet from us. (Well that was a lie- I am a little bitter.)

I have moved on from that experience and Manhattan never cared anyway. She has given us two gang buster beautiful cria- Summer Thyme and this years bucket of yummy- Clackama. You haven't met him yet so stay tuned...it won't be long there are only a few more days until Christmas!!

But inside it's quite delightful- but there is a Tinkerbelle sized spot in the run-in because she is happier outside watching the wind blow.

Anyone in my family will tell you that Tinkerbelle- aka Tinker-belle, Tinker, or Stinker if your feeling funny, is one of my 24 favorites!!!

She is so funny that if there is one alpaca that defines what it is like to not be an alpaca, she is it!

(Please note: Her fleece is out of hand here- we had a bit of a communication problem with farmer Jeff and the sheerer) Please don't tell Tink I posted her on a bad hair day!

She is curious like all alpaca, but takes her curiosity much further. She will happily separate herself from the herd to see what is going on in the world. The chickens are her favorite--all those pretty colors and their voices, captivating.

Here is an example- my camera is still on vacation in Oregon so close your eyes and imagine- except well then you can't read- so figure it out yourself.

The weather has been really wet here. Wet like we could go rafting in our pasture wet. When it has gotten like this in the past I have set-up a temporary fence for the animals to have a pasture on the hill to keep their feet dry.

Let me go further to say that when it is too wet for the animals to effectively graze- you know find enough to eat- I give them hay to eat and make them happy...and frankly in many cases fat. Do not call the ASPCA they are not starving.

Onward,

Tinkerbelle, who is one of Trina's daughters, is more fond of hay than any grain you can put in a bowl at feeding time, however, she will forgo most anything for the promise of an adventure.

During the past day I have been setting-up a temporary pasture for the 'pacs to enjoy. Tinkerbelle is steadfast in her interest. I love when she is paying attention. Her eyes are amazing- kinda like satellite dishes- in the most attractive sense. They really poke out of her head.

Well, poor planning farmer- or maybe super-plan-ahead farmer I am making the temporary pasture a little bigger and a little more permanent than in times past. I plan to leave this one up until early spring. In order for this to happen I need more fencing materials.

I decided to do what I could with what I had and then get the rest of the supplies and finish the job tomorrow. I was able to get the pasture half fenced and then had to stop to purchase more supplies.

Tinkerbelle was facinated. Not only was I out mucking around in the field more than usual. I was pounding fence posts in grassy areas! Meals would come and go, hay would come and go and Tinkerbelle watched the soon to be new pasture. Talk about pressure. She was pacing at the gate.

I'll be picking up the rest of the fencing supplies tomorrow when they come in at the hardware store and will put Tinkerbelle's suspense to rest. She will be in her new pasture before the sun sets tomorrow. All will be well in her world and I will no longer be under such close supervision.

For more information on Tinker like when she had her baby last year click here!

Tick Tick Tick Christmas is coming!!!




We think she looks a little like Sara Jessica Parker but attractive Sara Jessica Parker has a unique look some might call U-G-L-Y, Tink on the other hand is drop dead gorgeous!! Sorry Sara you just can't compete!

It's a bird, no it's a plane, no it's Minnie's boy

After farmer Jeff did a guest blog the rest of the family decided they wanted in too. As happy as this makes me I still miss the opportunity to put my own two-cents in.

Today's guest writer is none other than my very own Sunshine Bunny, Lucille, the fun son,
Luke!!!!!

I am now going into secretary mode:

Well we are getting right down to it huh? I have been trying to figure out how to write about our next alpaca. I usually gush about how cute and yummy they are right? Well this one isn’t what one would call classically cute or yummy, classic beauties rarely are, so when you read about her, know that I love her at least as much as all of the others. Even though she is usually too busy to notice.

Ember

She is the biggest female we have on the farm and she knows it. Ember stands head and shoulders above all the other girls and well, truth be told, all but one of the boys- and he is her son. When we first moved, anytime I would go out Ember would be right there pretty much in my face. It took me a couple of weeks before I realized that she was not ‘the queen bee’- that as you know is Trina. Ember was on duty.

Ember’s job in the herd is Chief of Security. She probably fell into this because of her size and height We live on an exposed corner. Ember has an obvious height advantage. She can see over anyone’s head to find danger. She is in charge of alerting all alpaca including the boys of any danger headed their way.

When our girl Ember senses danger she stands up tall- very tall, and lets out a warning call. (Beeep Beeep Beeep- which doesn’t sound like it would be a call to action but it is.) All motion in the field stops and all eyes are on Ember. ( I am having a flash of a vision of Ember in a Superman cape with the wind blowing her beautiful hair, while all of the citizens of Orcas Moon look to her to save them) Each pasture group pulls closer together and waits for the next command from the top. Ember takes her job very seriously.

We have no predators that would harm the herd, but our dogs would love to get in there and muck up some trouble. Our neighbor Sherry across the street just got a new service dog and really enjoys taking him out and putting him through his paces. Our other neighbor has a spunky little border collie we call Shep.

On more than one occasion we have had one of our dogs slip into the field. Nothing slips by Ember- she is on alert and heads over to tell those pugs where to go. If walking towards them while looking big doesn’t scare them away. Which usually it doesn’t. (Pug is another name for dumb like a rock) She will try and stomp them. This only serves to make the dogs think she wants to play. Wrong. They then run and chase while the humans chase and yell at the dogs begging for them to stop literally fearing for their little dog lives. Our dogs are fearless and stupid and I hope it doesn’t come to this but if they get stomped by Ember she was just doing her job.

Ember is much more than the job she does- Of all the Mothers we have on the farm- she is possibly the best. She delivered her last cria, Sage Prince, and wouldn’t let us near him- not even to weigh him- he was about 20 pounds- we were weighing on the run so it is approximate.

Milk- She has it, plenty

Discipline- her kids tow the line.

Looks- Hello, have you seen her children? They are a chip right off the old block! She is a classic beauty!

We love Ember.

To start off on the right foot- Minnie is BIG- big, like tall and long legged -- not big like someone you are trying to set up on a date and say 'wow she has a great personality'. Minnie is not that kind of big. Minnie is actually fairly waif like- like a really tall ballet dancer-but fleecy.

Minnie is all things happy and good in the alpaca world. She is a little goofy- like a best friend you grew up with. When you come down to the fields she is always interested in what you might be up to. She has a kinda expectant, curious, looking for a little bit of innocent trouble look. If someone was going to pull a prank on someone and then own up to it it would be Minnie.

I was not there when Minnie was born. But looking at her now I find it hard to believe that she was ever- MINI- but I guess it rolls off the tongue better than Longleggity.

Minnie had a baby this year- he was full sized, not at all mini- and he is Minnie's pride and joy. She however gets a little absent minded and leaves him to fend for himself. When she gives a hum he comes a runnin'

One of Minnie's best features is her size and fleece combination. She is big and her fleece is fine- dynamite combo-


Just look at those equations. Can you tell that I have my MBA?

Minnie who is white was bred to Onyx who is black. At our home we like to gamble a bit during cria season. We try to guess the sex and color of the cria. We have given up on the expected arrival date it is hopeless.

I won this year on Minnie!!!!!
It was a no brainer!--I didn't know it was a boy but I had a fifty-fifty chance.

Here are a few photos and you can figure out how I knew





Here is Minnie and her yummy same color as the spot on my chin, and above my mom's eye baby!!! Ranger!

This is not random I just wanted to talk about her today - It is Prada's little bundle of joy- The youngest in the Wu Dynasty- Ho Ho Ho it is