Goodbye my friend

If you've ever been to my farm you know who Patty is. The beautiful tuxedo grey girl that everyone wants to take home with them. Well behaved, graceful, and a great mom.

It is with a heavy heart that I say that Miss Patty passed away peacefully last night. She had been fighting a losing battle against what we think was a respiratory infection. We buried her in the pasture that she loved the most and planted a tree in her honor. 

If you have the great fortune of being a keeper of alpacas please take a minute today to appreciate each one for who they are. Patty was not just livestock or a pasture ornament. She was an individual and a friend. She will be greatly missed.

Patty's Big Smile

No Trailer? No Problem!

We have a trailer. We use it all the time. BUT, there are times when I just don't want to haul the trailer: bad weather, when I'm hauling just one alpaca, and/or on long trips. We recently experienced all three on one unavoidable trip. A mid-February trip to Cleveland, OH just after (and just before) a snow storm to bring home an awesome true black suri male. Ugh!
How do I solve such a dilema? Jeep Liberty to the rescue! Fold down the back seats, put down a tarp and a stall mat, bag of hay to munch on and off we go. Meet Cristo...

Cristo didn't seem to mind the 12 hour ride too much. After living in northern Ohio all of his life he seemed to rather enjoy looking out at the snow from the warm and cozy Jeep. We stopped at the occasional rest stop, got him out to stretch and get a drink of water. Of course there were plenty of stares and photos taken by the other travelers but he took it all in stride. He even waited until no one was watching to "go" in the grass. Good boy! Welcome to our herd. Please don't poop in the shelter.