This is a hard one....

Today we are saying good bye to our little Lady KampBell. She has been purchased by our friends at Wildwood Alpacas, Judy Howe and Sue Hammer. Kammie just turned 5 months old on the 18th. She isn't weaned yet but that's okay because her dam is going to Wildwood with her and they will wean there. Kammie will be going with them to the State Fair Alpaca Show the end of September. We all decided that it would be best to spread the "new" adventures out a little bit and let Whitney also see that her little girl is in good hands. Kammie will actually have her grand dam and two uncles at her new home.... Okay- so she won't have a clue. It does make it easier on us!

Tomorrow Jumanji, our llama, will most probably be going to his new home. Met a lady at the Caroline County Fair who is interested in him. She already has llamas so he will no likely be happier with more "Big Dude's" around.

We will then be concentrating on doing some liming and planting in our pastures and hopefully catch some nice rain to get them started. Whitney will only be away for about three weeks - if not for my farm sitting there one of those weeks it would really seem like a long time.

Sigh. This is really hard. I have to keep reminding myself that this is what it is all about and what we went into business for. For one who cried when she brought chickens from her farm to the other (yup- chickens!) I expect I will need to pull the Kleenex out soon!

Until the next time!

Tuesday, August 8th

Greetings all!

It's a lovely day here in Virginia! Still too warm for my liking (I would be happiest in a constant 60 degree temperature, no obvious humidity and showers in the dead of night only!) but the 'pacas have all ventured out of the barns and away from the fans. Even with the fans running I think it feels like standing in front of a furnace blower.

I have been researching evaporative coolers and I am liking what I have been reading. I am not sure where on the wish list this lands but I really think it is going to have to be a priority. I was happy to find that these can be operated with a separate water tank making the unit somewhat more portable. What I have to decide is if I can keep the barn open while using it. I am sure it would work better with a closed barn but I wouldn't want that- only in an emergency situation. I will keep you posted on this....

Another wish list item is probably the next item we will purchase. There is a combination respirator and aspirator that I really want to have on hand in time for our next delivery here in December. Back in March when Lady KampBell was born our vet had one and we used it. It was great- cleared her little lungs right out. So much so that my children, who were a distance away watching, were able to see the fluid that was aspirated. I know oxygen needs to be on hand when we can swing that but I think this will be a forward step for our cria kit.

December - that is when the next two babies are due. Some days December seems very far away. And then- all of a sudden I realize they are about into their last tri-mester! It's almost time to see weight gain and these two dams are the heavy girls to begin with...

Well, I guess that is it for this entry. Until the next time!

It's Another Heat Wave!!!!

It is terribly uncomfortable here in Virginia these days. As I write this, at 8:04pm, the temperature outside is still 90 degrees. Humidity is at 75% and it is so oppressive I find it amazing the alpacas are dealing as well as they are. Thank goodness for fans and water hoses!

Well, last Saturday was the 2nd Annual Membership Meeting for VAOBA- the Virginia Alpaca Owners & Breeders Association. We had our elections and I am now President-Elect. That means another three years on this board... We had a great meeting and have a lot of enthusiastic members. That never hurts!

Plans are coming along nicely for the VAOBA Alpaca Expo. We have all of the major tasks accomplished and are working out the other details now. Any day now we expect the entries to start coming in. Our Spin-off entries close at the end of this month and I have my forms out and have started filling those out- should get them in the mail this week.

I really like the spin-off since the fiber portion of our business is a cottage industry type. It is good to get a spinners point of view on these crias we are making! Halter ribbons are nice but I enjoy hearing about the fiber from an artisan's point of view.

Until the next time!