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When Winter Comes . . .
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BRRR . . . thank goodness we're wearing alpaca! |
We're hoping that's true! While thus far we have had a very mild winter in Pennsylvania, our Oklahoma Ranch has had more than its share of cold, ICE and snow! Check out these photos to see how it looked with nearly 5 inches of ice coating rooftops, fences, trees and pastures. For those of you unfamiliar with ice storms, they are immobilizing! We ended up grounded, causing us to miss our first show of 2006 and one for whom we were a founding sponsor.
But you can't fight Mother Nature - and the safety of our alpacas and personnel means sometimes the most prudent thing is to stay home!
So, spring is now just around the corner, thank goodness. Check out our shearing tips if you're new to this very important activity. Shearing means many things beyond "scissors," as you prepare your show fleeces, arrange for fiber testing, and determine end uses for your fiber.
We have more than a dozen new cria already this year, and will introduce them to you as we get the chance. And the response to our newly publlihsed alpaca fantasy book, Cavern of Babel, has been really gratifying! It premiered in late December and copies are being sent out all across the nation. It features the champion huacaya heroine, Buttersby and her suri sidekick, Meander on an adventure to be enjoyed by families everywhere - but targeted specifically for middle grades (ages 9 - 12).
Check out the interview with the author, Albert Packard, and dust off a shelf in your barn or farm store for some copies of Cavern of Babel. While you do that, I am planning on enjoying these last weeks of winter by dragging my spinning wheel to a warm place by the fire. There's nothing more relaxing you can do on a cold day.