April
11, 2005The crias are coming, the crias are coming! The first one is due in 2 weeks, with the other three to follow shortly after. This is a time of great anticipation for us. I choose names that follow the name of the mother. For example, Athena's descendants always have Greek names. Arielle's cria is Tritan. It is a process that parents enjoy, and I get to do it every year!
Easter has come and gone, with the long anticipated break. Thursday, March 24, we received our four new girls. Dan and Teri Adams of Heart of the Mountain Alpaca Ranch delivered them. In addition to our four (three bred and one maiden), four boys were added. Angel Whatcott is boarding a herdsire and junior herdsire at our place, and we are brokering two wonderful boys for the Adams. The adjustments proved to be minimal, with one girl settling in with our "Jennie Craig" group to lose weight, and the boys only participating in a token male dominance dance. We are so excited to have the new additions and they fill in the space we had from selling so many over the last year. We have also had some very nice visits from friends anxious to meet them.
I couldn't believe the wonderful colors of our Easter eggs this year. Dying over brown and speckled eggs results in deep, rich colors. We did some practice hunts with practice eggs and waited for the real event. Sunday was a beautiful day, and after church we all gathered for our family meal. Everyone contributed, and the deviled eggs are a favorite of our 97 year old matriarch, Clark's mother. Tina found instructions for large sugar cookies with a cupcake on top, frosted and decorated with jelly beans to look like a spring hat. The hats were all colors, and the men did not hesitate to have a "bonnet". Over dinner, we frequently share memories. We never forget when Eric was eating a chocolate bunny (frozen) one day and breaking it apart with a fork. Needless to say, the fork slipped. As he leaned over the sink, looking at the fork stuck in his hand, he said, "Dad, I have a fork in my hand!" With his usual type of response, Clark said, "Well, pull it out!" I hope Eric passes that down in his family, although he has had many finer moments over the years. Anyway, the Easter Bunny brought candy and animals and games, but the favorite was a big ball each. The four little ones (19 mo. -3.5 yrs) played with them, but as I put the two little ones in the house to have their coats off, the older two made a break for it. I found them getting in the well house, and after I showed them what was in there and they danced around, they left again, as I was closing up. This time they were on "Poppa's" tractor and it was being driven hard!
Spring means work outside, and the chickens have found a way out of the pasture into my garden. Now I have to worry about the deer and the chickens. When they scratch in a patch with weeds and no flowers, it really helps, but I even had to "swoosh" one of them with a broom last week. Our 6 new chicks are being "hardened off" and will be ready to join the 5 we have left. (Our son-in-law took 4 home). We have three different types this year, to add to the Austrolorpes (3), Barred Rock (1), and Brahma (1). It is the chore of the kids to handle them, but I really don't notice them getting any tamer.
Clark has been pulling up the sagebrush in the pasture, seeding other pastures, and killing weeds. It's a good thing he's retired. He has also made some beautiful looms. I had a pleasant conversation with a satisfied customer in Cincinnati yesterday.
Looking forward, we have two birthdays on the 27th. (Tina and her daughter, Hannah). The Snake River Fiber Fair is in Idaho on my birthday (mid May), and we're training weanlings for the national show here the first of June. That is a whole other story. Training is my favorite activity with these young ones, and we usually have other owners training at the same time, so it's social for all of us.
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