Weekend to bring Alpaca Days | alpaca, alpacas, locally - TribTown.com

Weekend to bring Alpaca Days | alpaca, alpacas, locally - TribTown.com

August was soooooooooo busy!

August was so busy, but is gone now.  We had fog I think every morning.  This is a picture of our barn with the sun rising up above it one very foggy morning.  Feels like Brigadoon out here when it gets real foggy, and that by the way, is one of my very favorite movies.

Coming with the fog, also comes some very cool spiderwebs.  Big ones, little ones, mostly with the heavy foggy dew and they are very awesome.

Also, come some very lovely flowers.  Sunflowers, are one of my very favorites because my grandma Hendrix in Kentucky grew them, so I consider them "comfort flowers". 

Another of my favorites is one that I got from a friend, Teresa.  Teresa and I traded some perennials for some  Alpaca Gold, of which we have an unending supply.  This is one of the flowers I got from Teresa, it is a Sedum and it is in bloom now.  

And last, is a mystery flower.  I got about a dozen or so bulbs from my sister at our previous house and I planted them.  They never really did anything there, but regardless since my sister gave them to me, I dug them and they are now at our new Alpaca Farm.  Not really expecting anything, but I planted them anyway. They did grow in the Spring, some beautiful daffodil looking leaves and then of course, as their life cycle has it, they die down and are supposed to "bloom" again later in the summer, when you least expect it.  They did and they were magnificently gorgeous.  The funny thing about it is my sister had moved to California but was home for a visit.  They bloomed while she was home.  Surprise!  Yes, Surprise Lily, or Naked Lady, or Resurrection Flower!  Whatever you call them, they are a surprise.  Every single one of them bloomed while she was home, and very fragrant.  

And then it was September!  That brought company.  My in-laws came up from Florida for a visit.  We had a great time, and they now have a new found appreciation for our alpaca life style and totally understand why we never answer the phone....we're in the barn.

We got a lot of "deck" time with Ron & Helen, saw some wildlife too.  Deer way in the back, some turkeys trespassing close to the house, and lots of Canadian Geese swimming on the pond.

After Ron & Helen left, we had an alpaca friend from Churubusco, IN come down and show us, along with another local alpaca friend how to us OB wire to cut teeth.  Wonderful fellowship, although Tuco didn't think so.  On Thursday, dear husband, got to drive to Newton, Iowa to pick up 5 more alpacas.  Three are ours, Donna, Angel (who are both bred) and Cinnamon Twist who we will add to our herdsire list for next year.  He is beautiful and the girls are awesome too with their fancy hair cuts.

Meet Donna!

And Angel!

On Saturday, September 10th, we had our third 2nd Saturday Spin-In.  Here is a picture of the spinners spinning inside the barn, alongside our alpacas.

We also get to share snacks and oh, they are so good.  Bo the barn cat sneaked into a spinning wheel bag that belonged to Teresa (twice) and took a little cat nap.  We also got to observe baby Moses, nibbling his mother's ears, trying to get her on her feet so he can find the milk bar.  She just lets him nibble....guess that happens when babies get teeth.  OUCH!

At the end of our day, this is what we do!  Just stand around observing.  So much fun.

This Saturday, we're having the Southern Indiana Center for the Arts "painters" visit our farm and "paint the town".  That is exciting.  The following Saturday and Sunday is our National Alpaca Farm Days Open House.  Very busy but also very exciting times on the farm.  We hope you will stop and see us sometime.

Country Life!

God has been so good to us.  He has allowed us the opportunity to live in the country where the grass is green and the air is really pretty fresh.  We have alpacas that live with us and give us fertilizer for our garden and landscape, and wonderful luscious fiber in which to spin into yarn and then knit or crochet or even weave into something very special.

We have been priveliged to host several groups who wanted to learn more about our alpacas and now have been able to host a Spin-In every 2nd Saturday each month.  Last month we had 4 in our Big Red Barn spinning fiber right along side the alpacas.  This past weekend, we had 7 spinning there and even got to watch our newest addition to our alpaca herd.  A beautiful little white suri boy that I have been calling Moses.  He is gorgeous.

We have also been able to attend the Farmer's Market all summer on the 4th Saturday every month where they invite the crafters to sell their wares.  Yes, I take my spinning wheel there too.  It is a lot of fun and we have been able to meet a lot of people and re-connect with some we had lost touch with.

We are preparing for National Alpaca Farm Days, September 24th & 25th.  We will have some flyers and facebook posts as well as some newspaper and radio spots.  We are looking forward to visitors.  Maybe by that time, we will have our 2nd baby for you all to see.  In October we will have our 3rd one if all goes well.  Sometime, this fall, my wonderful husband will travel to Iowa again to pick up 2 more females who are bred and due in late Spring.  Very exciting time here.

Country Life!

God has been so good to us.  He has allowed us the opportunity to live in the country where the grass is green and the air is really pretty fresh.  We have alpacas that live with us and give us fertilizer for our garden and landscape, and wonderful luscious fiber in which to spin into yarn and then knit or crochet or even weave into something very special.

2nd Saturday Spin-In

At our farm we host a “2^nd Saturday Spin-in” each 2^nd Saturday of the month from 10am-2pm.  We hope that you will join us and if you have a spinning friend, please bring them along.  Last month (July) was our first and there were 4 of us spinning fiber into yarn in the middle of our barn with our 10 alpacas.  It was a lot of fun.  We had two Ashford Traditional Spinning Wheels (both had spun for only a year), there was a Kromski Spinning Wheel (she spins at Spring Mill State Park occasionally and has been spinning for 34 years now) and then we had a gal using a drop spindle that just started but has now also purchased her first wheel, a Kromski. 

There were fans and a wonderful breeze blowing right through the barn so  it was a really perfect day for spinning in the barn.  Bo the barn cat even found a nice place to sleep. He had been under my feet while I was spinning until the expert spinner from Spring Mill arrived and then he became her buddy.  By the end of the day, he was inside her Kromski bag in a side pocket sleeping soundly.  I guess he knew she wouldn’t mind. 

There were some really beautiful yarns made that day and I know we all look forward to doing it again on August 13^th.  I will provide drinks but if you would like to bring some sort of snack to share that will be great too.  I really do hope you will join us as we try to revive this lost art. 

Bring your spinning wheel, drop spindle and a chair (I have some white plastic lawn chairs if you forget).  You can also bring your own fiber to spin or I have some carded alpaca batts for sale in our farm store which is also in the barn. 

Directions:
From US Highways 50 & 31 Go north on US 31 approximately 3.5 miles Turn right on County Rd. 900 N. Go two miles to County Rd. 1300 E. (County Line Road)
Turn Left on CR 1300 E./1000 W.
We will be ½ mile on the right.
2500 North County Road 1000 West

Happy Spinning and hope to see you soon,

A 4H Farm Visit

On Saturday this past week, we had visitors.  Mom, Grandmother, Granddaughter and Grandson!  The Granddaughter in particular, Kennedy, is in 3rd grade.  She wants to be a vet when she grows up.  That is a great aspiration.  She wanted to visit our farm because she is working on a 4H project this year for the Bartholomew County Fair.  Her project is on the Vetinary science of the Alpaca.  She had a whole list of questions, I believe they all got answered.  We have one alpaca, Maggie, who was due 2 weeks ago and we hoped that she would be delivering our first Cria (baby alpaca) that morning, but Maggie didn't think it was such a good idea.  So we wait.  Kennedy wants to come back out after the baby is born.  She hopes that it happens before the fair so she can add that to her poster project. The poster has to be turned in on Friday this week so we'll see.  It was a very good visit.

Farm Visitors from Borchers VBS Day Camp

The bus arrived around 3pm followed by several other vehicles carrying the younger kids, about 85 in all.

 Inside the barn, I demonstrated my drum carder and showed them what the fiber looked like before carding and after carding.

 There was no age limit here.  One of these fine ladies was the great grandmother of these two little tykes at her feet.

 "Alpaca Gold" of course, I had to tell them about this too!  After all, I am the poop queen on this farm.  God gave it to us so we are going to use it.  We have it in both of our gardens and around all my landscape.  It doesn't smell, doesn't burn your plants and you can use it anytime of the year.  I do have it for sale in our farm store and I will take it to the 4th Saturday Farmer's Market in Seymour throughout the summer but if I miss you there and you want some, please call.

 I was explaining to them about the things we feed them, and add to their feed (minerals, garlic, lactation herbs)........

 Justice, taking it all in.  His fiber was what I had to show them on the spinning wheel, it is so soft.

 Taking it all in.  We had divided them into two groups so the alpacas wouldn't become too upset and also so that everyone could get close to the demonstrations and hear the talks.

 After the carding demonstration, I took them a few steps and showed them just how yarn was spun so that they could knit sweaters and socks.  They thought that was really cool.

This was the alpaca talk to the entire group outside under the shade tree before entering the barn.

 Walking to the barn, excited to see the alpacas.  They were some of the first to arrive.

This was our Borcher's Day Camp visit yesterday, June 14th. Doris counted 85 but may have missed some already at the barn. Fun filled day!

Home Schoolers visit to the farm

June 7, 2011

Today, we had about 17 home schooled kids and parents out to visit and learn more about our alpacas.  It was very good.  Two moms brought their looms with them and asked me for help... I hope I answered them right.  I think they will come back and bring their looms with them and we can just sit and spin and weave and talk..

Ed took off work and explained a lot of the details about how alpacas came into the United States and all the technical stuff about the animals and I just showed them and talked with them about the fiber and what all you can do to and with it.  They liked it as much as we like talking about it.  I am sure they will be back for other events we have here.

Japanese ESL Farm Visit

Japanese ESL Farm Visit   Actions

June 7, 2011

On May 25th, we had a group of Japanese ladies who are involved in an ESL class at Zion Lutheran Church.  Their leaders are Darlene Cooley and Maggie Schneider.  They were a great bunch of ladies and I think enjoyed their cultural experience on the farm.  We talked alpacas in the barn, they visited the farm store and then we went into the house to see the loom and spinning wheel and talked a little about needle felting.  They enjoyed some homemade, still warm, Persimmon pudding and Rasperry Iced tea.  They were so very thankful for the hospitality.  I hope they come again some day!

Loving the Country Life!

This past weekend was very full.  We got to go to Bluffton, Ohio and learn from Dr. Cheryl DeWitt how to deliver baby Alpacas called Cria.  Very interesting.  I hope when the time comes I will be able to help momma if I need to, although I hope the deliveries this year will be very uneventful since we are new at this.

On Sunday, we got to go to church and did our usual weekly grocery shopping date, came home from that and speed cleaned our house for company coming.  My brother-in-law Mike brought down a buddy from Indianapolis (a city kid) who had never been to a farm and had never seen an alpaca.  We visited most of the afternoon and not sure if Marcus will ever visit us again but I know it is one farm visit that he will remember.  I showed him my looms and spinning wheel and he told me he had seen that at Conner Prairie when he was a kid.  He was intrigued with the whole process.  He saw how we comb the sheared fiber and turn it into yarn.  It was a good thing.  

It was a great day on the farm and ended with a tractor ride with my husband to the back in the very muddy field to remove a fallen tree branch for our farmer who will tend our fields soon.  Now I know why our neighbors the Sharps take their "mule" ride in the evenings.......................