The Hollyhock Blog

Last Friday it rained and rained and rained.

Saturday morning we woke to this:

Wet alpacas, wet snow, wet ground, more rain/snow forecast for Sunday and shearing scheduled for Monday.

The alpacas were a mess.  I was a mess.  It is difficult to reschedule a shearing day.  The shearer has other commitments, people have taken days off from their ‘day-job’, and what guarantee is there that it won’t be raining on the next scheduled day.

On Saturday Darryl and I visited Rum River Alpaca Ranch to do a little alpaca dentistry.   (The teeth of alpacas continue to grow all their lives.  They are naturally ground down by the grit on the grass they eat high in the Andes Mountains.  But many of the pampered North American alpacas need to have their teeth trimmed periodically.)  As he drove, I called to find out our shearing day options.   Our shearer was….  shearing!  So I left a message and waited.  At Rum River Alpacas Ranch, Darryl trimmed the teeth with a Tooth-a-Matic.  It works pretty darn slick and quick.  And soon we were headed home again.

 I finally connected with our shearer on Sunday morning.  The strong winds on Saturday started to dry the alpacas, the chance of rain for Sunday evening had decreased and we decided we just had to go thru with shearing. 

Sunday did stay pretty dry and windy – which helped dry the alpacas.  Monday there were a few snow flakes, but no rain.  It was cold and we had chilly alpacas, but the sun sorta came out Monday afternoon.  We had a great crew helping!  Thanks to Mike, Mary and Mary’s parents, Kathe, Kathy, Lynn and Karen.  Karen took great photos and has the shearing process well documented with lots of photos on her blog.  Go check it out.  

Without the big blanket of fiber around their bellies, I could see the babies bulging inside their moms.  So I checked my records and came up with this:  today is day 323 of Embrace’s pregnancy.  Her last 5 babies were born between 323 and 340 days, and she is looking like this one could come soon.  That is Embrace in front of the others.  She’s been humming a lot the last few weeks – Mom’s do that so the cria (baby) will know their voice after being born.  Pretty smart critters! 

Spotsie is due next.  She was pregnant 350 days with Annie last year and that is my only point of reference.   350 days from her last breeding would mean she is due on June 1.   She is the white one on the right of this photo. 

Don’t worry – you will get updates and progress reports.

All in all, I’m very happy to have the shearing done.  I do a brief skirting / cleaning of the blanket while shearing is happening, and it appears that my sweeping of the barn floor paid off a little anyway.  With all the wetness, the fleeces are dirtier than usual, but still not bad.  I have 4 to prepare for the Shepherd’s Harvest Fleece Show.   If anyone is interested, most of my fleeces are for sale.   Just send an email and claim one for your spinning pleasure!

And today – the sun and the alpacas are out!  Soon they will be very thankful to have with winter coats off! 

Seems like I have a lot to catch up on with you.

First — Look at these! 

I made them on Friday – there are still a few left!  I shared some with a little neighbor girl who loves to come help with the alpaca chores.   I must admit, it is kinda nice to have cookies sitting around – although I tend to eat them instead of meals! 

Saturday was the Environmental Expo in Ramsey.  It started out with a drizzly rain, but that stopped.  It was windy and not very warm, but I thought the turn out was still pretty good. 

Kathe was spinning, which many enjoyed watching.  The drawing for the alpaca bear was a hit.  Especially with the girls of a local dance troupe who were doing face painting!  We had lots of things for sale (sold a few things) and chatted about alpacas with all who would listen! 

The Raptor Center brought a few birds to observe!  They were just down the aisle from us.  Between the Raptor Center and us was the Kelley Farm.

They brought Roostini II (as we named him!).   Once the eagle and hawk arrived, Roostini decided he preferred to be closer to our table!  He was a great attraction for the kids, as he would let them pet him, and he kept us all alert with his crowing – from 8 AM to 1 PM! 

If you missed the Environmental Expo, I hope you plan to attend next year.  There were snakes, frogs, ‘baby’ mosquitoes, trees, shrubs, gardeners, and lots more.   We plan to return next year!

And then there is my trimming project – Annie.

This is the ‘before’ shot of her blanket.  Karen has already reserved this fleece, so I want to try to get it a little cleaner for her before we shear on 4/28.   My plan is to trim off the outer inch or so of fiber from the blanket.   My first attempt (a few days ago) did not go very well.  I haltered Annie, tried to hold her by the lead rope and trim.  She circled around and I followed, she circled, I followed, etc, etc. 

You can sorta see where I trimmed here.  Once the lighter, bleached tips were gone, the fiber is a little darker, and the hay will fall out.  It is the tips that hold the VM (vegetable material – hay, straw, etc) in the fiber.   Over the coarse of the next several days, I determined that if Annie had some hay to eat, she would eventually settle down and let me get the trimming done. We had 2 really good sessions and she is now pretty much done.

As she moves and rolls in the sand, some longer tips will appear and I’ll try to trim them off.  Annie let me trim down her legs and a little ways up her neck.  This was a bonus as my goal was to trim just the blanket (around the mid-section). 

Looking for something to do on May 3?  The Sherburne History Center in Becker is having Tree Day on May 3.  Take a bird walk, learn about trees, even plant a tree!  Visit the gift shop!

Only a few days until we shear!  I’m busy sweeping the barn floor, raking up spilled hay from the barn yard and trying keep the alpacas as VM-free as possible! 

This Saturday, April 19th, we’ll be at the Environmental Expo in Ramsey, Minn.   It is a celebration of Earth Day, Arbor Day and the beginning of Spring (yes, it seems Spring has finally arrived).   There will be lots of trees and shrubs for sale outside and many ‘green’ exhibitors inside.   We’ll be there with some of my hand-made Minnesota grown alpaca things for sale.  Kathe will be spinning.  I might spin a bit, too.  Darryl and I will be touting the environmental ‘green-ness’ of alpacas - not the spitting kind of green!   If you are in the neighborhood – stop by and see us between 8AM and 1 PM.   Just the opportunity to celebrate Spring is enough to make most people around here giddy!  

I’m not generally lucky at raffles or drawings or lotteries.   I rarely (I don’t recall ever) buy a lottery ticket, but I will often buy tickets for good causes.   In my mind, it is a donation to whom ever is selling the tickets.  If I won even a small portion of the things I’ve bought tickets for, I would have quilts to cover me three feet thick, ATVs, a fishing house, lots of cash, lots of gift certificates and lots of other stuff! 

So a couple weeks ago, I bought $10 of tickets from the youth group of our church.   They had created theme baskets – very cool baskets – kids games, books, fishing, cooking, and other themes.   Each basket had a plastic bag attached and I stuffed my tickets into several of the bags – not really paying much attention to what was in the basket.   After all, it was just a donation – the thought that counts.

We were at my sis’s last weekend.  When we got home we had a message on our answering machine “You won a basket!”  So yesterday I went and claimed my prize – The Cookie Making Basket!

Yes – that basket is nearly as long as my range.  Raisins, powdered sugar, molasses, choc chip, butterscotch chips, M&Ms, white chips, toffee bits.

Cookie sheets, cookie mix, frosting (5 cans), cups and spoons, food coloring, frosting in tubes, sprinkles (lots of sprinkles!), even hand written cookie recipes from the 8th graders who put this basket together.

A bowl, oven mitts (2 sets), cooling racks (nifty stacking ones), and lots and lots of stirring spoons, bowl scrapers and turners.    How cool is that?

Now, some of you may be thinking “This is the chick who hates to cook, hasn’t made cookies since her last 4-H project, and prefers to boils flowers or wood chips over anything edible!  What is SHE going to do with this windfall?”

To you I say “Oh, yee of little faith!”  I plan to make cookies!  At least from the mix pictured above!  Bake them on my new cookie sheets, cool them on my new racks! And frost them with the frosting in the tubes and sprinkle them with LOTS of sprinkles! 

And then, I’ll eat the frosting from the cans, and the chips and raisins from the bags!   And I’ll beg my Mom or baking friends (Karen, that means you!) to try the recipes and share! 

My momma didn’t raise no fools!  

Friday started out as a fine day.   Darryl went to get the rental trailer, I did chores and started staging all the ‘stuff’ we need for an alpaca show.   Alpaca food, hay, feeders, halters, lead ropes and more.   Show display, paperwork, hotel confirmation, directions, etc.  And clothes, shoes, knitting projects, and a cooler of beverages.  Lots of stuff! 

Soon we were on the road and in Owatonna at the Minn Alpaca Expo, where we were informed a tire was flat on the trailer! So among the other little projects on Darryl’s agenda, he had to take the trailer to get the flat fixed. 

The Show was very fun!   Lots of wonderful alpaca people to visit with.  Lots of Owatonna locals who stopped by to visit and learn about alpacas.   The Four Seasons Centre is a great venue and the staff there is exceptional. 

Rosita got the third place ribbon in her class. 

She was even pretty well behaved.   With a little stick of hay as a pacifier in her mouth, she survived judges inspection and even stood pretty still.  I was quite proud of her.  She did spit at/on Darryl a couple times, but only when we were in the stall trying to pick debris from her fiber.  

Annie was the first to walk in the ring in the first class on Sunday morning.  Apparently, she is not a morning alpaca!   She would  not stand still, which made her too warm, which made her squirm around even more, which made her warmer.   I’m sure you can see where this is going.

She got sixth place in her class, and was very happy to get out of the ring!  The rest of the day, she was a gracious hostess, letting kids touch her and making friends with several visitors. 

My parents came to the show, and brought Flat Stanley.  My nephew mailed Flat Stanley (a boy-sized paper cut out) to see the sights of Minn with my folks.  FS had his picture taken with Rosita and Annie and he was while watching the show.   FS and the photos, taken on film, will be mailed to my nephew, and he will give a presentation to his 2nd grade class when FS finishes his visit. 

And before we knew it, the show was over and we were packing up all our stuff again – minus the alpaca feed and most of the hay (which was left in the form of a small pile of alpaca beans that the local hockey players of Owatonna had been commissioned to remove!  Bless their hearts! 

We were nearly home when a driver on the freeway motioned to us that our trailer tire was flat – AGAIN!!   Fortunately, we were close to a big truck stop and they got a new tire put on for us.   Annie and Rosita just sat in the trailer and chewed their cud – they didn’t even stand up when a semi put on the air brakes!  

We made it home, the girls are happily back with the others and all is getting back to normal – or at least the Hollyhock version of normal!    Shepherd’s Harvest is just around the corner.