Blossoms

My tomatoes, basil and jalapenos have not survived my risk-taking, early planting and we have a chance for snow on Wednesday.  At least the apples and strawberries are blooming.

Apples:

Strawberries:

Captain Jack

Last September we had a naming contest.

Alpacamundo's Captain Jack was named by @Molleo1.

Jack is just about ready to get his first hair cut.  He appears to have oodles of fleece which I think he gets from his poppa.

You can see from his newborn pic that he looks almost black, but a current pic shows him looking brown.  I'm anxious to see what he and his fleece will look like after shearing.  His poppa looked almost red in full fleece, but almost black when shorn.

Jack has a black face and points like his poppa, but his face is his momma's.  That's his best bud, Eduardo, on the left.

Captain Jack is our youngest alpaca and therefore still our smallest but he is full of personality.  He jumps with excitement at feeding time and is still a bit dramatic during halter training.

We love this little guy.

Shearing day is scheduled for May 22nd.

Fiber Arts Friday - Matter of Trust

Today's post is not necessarily about fiber arts, but more about the by product of fiber arts and a use for the waste.

With shearing season in full swing and a nasty oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, I thought I would talk a little about Matter of Trust for today's edition of Fiber Arts Friday.

I learned about Matter of Trust about 18 months ago when I wanted to make a hair donation for cancer patients.  Most organizations that take hair for wigs, have very strict guidelines regarding the amount of grey, length and whether it's been colored or not.  All of which meant I was not able to donate to them.

I found Matter of Trust through @SusanVLewis on Squidoo.  I made my own hair donation and vowed to send them the remnants from our alpaca shearing days.

@MatterOfTrust will take hair of any length and type as long as it's relatively clean.  They use the hair, fur and fleece to make booms and mats that collect oil.  Hair is a very good collector of oil, which is why we wash it on a regular basis.

Their Contribution Page has instructions for how to send in hair, fur, waste wool and nylons as well as cash and other donations.

Perhaps you have a dog or horse that needs brushing, or some waste fiber from making beautiful yarns, or need a haircut.  I encourage you to consider sending that fiber waste to Matter of Trust and put it to good use.

Our shearing day is scheduled for May 22nd.  I will be sending our waste fleece to Matter of Trust.

The 1st Annual North American Alpaca Shearing Competition

June 24th will mark the First Annual North American Alpaca Shearing Competition.

The competition will be held at Moonlit Alpacas in Cornwall, VT.

Points are awarded on the quality of the shorn blanket, the look of the finished alpaca and time. 

The classes are based on experience level.  So there's room for a "young" shearer like me, as well as the very experience shearer.

The competition is sponsored by:

• Light Livestock Equipment - I am a customer of LLE because they provide exceptional customer service.
• Best Shearing Services - I learned how to shear in one of Matt's classes.
• Tooth-O-Matic and Fight-O-Matic
• Beiyuan Combs and Cutters
• Andis Shears

If you are in or near Vermont or able to be. I bet the shearing competition would be really fun to watch.

The Alpaca Teacher

Keyla is our oldest female alpaca.  I call her my teacher.

• She loves to snooze in the sun.

• She is the first alpaca I have given shots to.  Actually, she's the only one, human, animal or otherwise, I've ever given shots to.

• 
  
  She stresses out during shearing so much that she prolapsed the year before I met her.
• We had a challenging session the first time I sheared her.  So now I keep her nearby all day, then shear her last.  When she's last, both she and the crew know what to expect.  Because of that change, we had an easier shearing last year.
• She gave birth to our very first cria, Alpacamundo's Augustus.

• and now, she's taught me that alpacas can and will get their heads stuck in a fence.

When we set up our place to receive the alpacas four months ago, some fencing was already in place.  Since I had always heard that alpacas don't challenge fences, I figured the existing fencing materials would suffice.

The existing fence is a five-foot, welded wire fabric with holes that are 6" x 8". The fence recommended for alpacas is a five-foot "no climb" fence with openings that are 2" x 4".

We used the recommended fabric for our new corrals, and ensured the existing fencing was secure.

All was well until last weekend when my husband and I found her after returning home from a Kentucky Derby party.  She was cushed, calm and enjoying some fresh green grass.  We freed her and figured she was smart enough not to do it again.  But the fresh grass was just too tempting and we had to free her three more times.

I decided to give her an extra portion of alfalfa until we could modify all of the fencing.  We skipped our plans to go to the Great Western Alpaca Show (GWAS) and embarked upon a day of fence augmentation.

We replaced one run of the existing fencing with the recommended 2" x 4" fabric.  Then the weather turned bad.  So we quickly moved some panels and set them offset against the existing panels to make smaller openings.

I am happy to report we have not had to free Keyla since.  So when the wind dies down we will replace the last run with the recommended fabric.

Welcome to O L D

Several years ago I ran a half-marathon that I was not ready for.  Which means I had issues negotiating stairs for several days.  One of those challenging days, my boss saw me, laughed and said, "Welcome, to O L D."

Of course I protested that I wasn't old, but he just laughed more.

Now, several years later I'm hearing those words again... in my head.

I've been using reading glasses for a few years.  I have noticed that it's more difficult to read without the aid of my glasses.  Not impossible, but definitely more difficult, especially on mornings after a poor night's sleep or reading for a long duration.

The OLD part comes in last week when I realized I forgot to bring my prescription reading glasses.  I was on my way to my client's office for 4 days.  4 days without my glasses!  I was having trouble reading the newspaper, how was I going to spend 4 days attached to my computer without reading glasses?  So I crossed the line, purchased my very first pair of drug store glasses and said to myself, "Welcome to O L D."

One Small Change - Shampoos and Conditioners

I've been thinking about reducing the chemicals in my bath products for a while.  While I don't think I'm quite ready for the "no poo" version of shampoo I found here, I am impressed.

I am about out of the shampoos and conditioners I have been using for the last several years.  So my goal for May to replace them with more gentle and natural products.

See what else people are doing as part of One Small Change.