Meg Doesn't Deliver, She Sits

Once again, I apologize for not writing after last Saturday's visit. When I went out to the ranch on Saturday, September 13th, Rick had just returned from his cross country transport. He brought Lucy back from Virginia, where she had a date with Invinceable. While in Virgina, he attended an auction and bought a new female. She's really pretty and is glued to Lucy. Her name is Bellona. Every time I say her name, the Oscar Meyer song runs through my head. :(

Rick told us all about his trip and details of the auction in Virginia. It was rather warm, so we didn't do too much with the Alpacas except belly hose in the afternoon. Early in the day, Rick assessed which young girls would be "show material". Pati Cake, Norma Rae and Cher were selected and gathered up for halter training. That was an experience. Cher was the best of the 3 and she wasn't very good. We've got lots of work to do. While we played Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, Pati did a practice set up of her booth for the Farmer's Market. She's going to have a booth on Wednesday and Sunday, selling Alpaca yarn, garments, stuffed animals, and various other knit and felted items. It looks really nice.

We watched an auction in Pennsylvania on the internet, while sipping on Rick's Famous Butt Kickin Margaritas, and eating chips and guacamole & salsa. Dang, Rick! I helped with treats before I left. Today, we are still wondering if Meg is pregnant.


Now, Saturday, September 20th. Gorgeous, gorgeous day. Sunny yet cool with a wonderful breeze. Great day for spit testing, breeding and halter training. First up for breeding.....Meg!
Clearly, she is not pregnant, so today she had a date with Fred. She only bred once last year, with Fred, and had to be calmed down with a pacavalium in order to sit. It was a good breeding, but obviously, didn't take. Today, she acted like an Alpaca. She ran around a few times, but then sat. She was very cooperative and kept turning around and giving Fred a loving look, while nibbling on his halter. That was Fred's only victory today. All the other girls spit at him. Mo had date with Erica, and got his share of spitting with others, as well.

Pati went shopping to get ready for our upcoming cruise. While she was gone, Rick and I attempted halter training Pati Cake and Norma Rae. The halter part wasn't too bad. The lead part....a different story. Pati Cake cushes and will not get up. If you try to lift her up, she keeps her legs folded close to her body. If you poke her sides, she squeeks. She has a long way to go before AlpacaFest West in November. Norma Rae didn't look like the exorcist Alpaca today. I never saw the whites of her eyes as I had the week before. She flopped around quite a bit, then would stand still with her head down. I cradled her head, raised it up and rubbed her top knot and she seemed to calm down. She took a few steps, but not many. These girls are going to be a real challenge.

Little Miss Aurora now has competition for your heart. Aurora loves to give kisses and lets you rub her all over. She is so sweet. Now, Macy Grey is doing the same thing! She runs up and gives you little kisses and hums. She is too darn cute! She's a dark silver gray with a white face and very dark eyeliner around her eyes. I'll get a good picture and post it next weekend. What fun to go out in the main field and be greeted by these two special little girls. Heaven.

Next weekend is Farm Days. The ranch will be open to the public from 10AM to 4PM, Saturday and Sunday. I'll be out there helping both days. Diane is going to help, too. I'm not sure whether she'll be going both Saturday and Sunday. It should be fun. Last year was great. Lots of people came out to see the Alpacas. I love telling people about them. I certainly don't know anywhere near what Pati and Rick know, but I know more than most visitors. :)

Princess and Vanilla have pretty big bellies. They are both due the end of November. Rockstarr is getting big and his fiber is wonderful. Very crimpy! In the morning, I had let the boys out in the playground for awhile. Then, in the afternoon, I took Felix and Alpha for a walk. Felix was being a real brat today. I really believe he gets jealous when he sees me getting the boys for breeding before he gets to come out. Or, maybe I just want to think that's the reason. I got a few air spits from him, but that's O.K.

It was a great day at the ranch....

Happy 4th Birthday, Meg Ryan (but Star got the present)

Yes, Meg Ryan is 4 years young today. I was happy to spend her birthday at the ranch. I got there about 8AM so we could try to breed Star before it got too warm. We tried last Monday, but she wanted no part of Fred (Snowmass Jericho's Conquistador). Today, she thought he looked pretty darn good! She didn't run around and act crazy like she has in the past. She took a few minutes, but before long, cushed and made herself comfortable. Little Rockstarr wasn't quite sure what was going on. I can't believe today is the first day I've forgotten to bring my camera! Pati got some "family" photos of Fred, Star and Rockstarr. Thanks, Pati! After what they produced together this year (Rockstarr), I sure want to see if they can do it again.

Rick is in Virginia, halfway through a cross country transport. Today, he attended the Breeder's Edge Auction at Double "O" Good Alpacas in Gainesville, Virginia. Pati and I watched the auction on the internet, with Pati texting Rick every once in awhile if she saw something she liked.
I left about halfway through as I had things to do at home. Pati called me on my way home to tell me they bought a really pretty girl at the auction. Wow, I'm gone 30 minutes and they're buying Alpacas :) Rick will be bringing her back on the transport, so I'll get to see her next weekend. Congratulations, Rick & Pati!!!

It was really pretty warm at the ranch today with not much of a breeze. I spent some time in the field with the girls and crias. They are so cute to watch. Aurora walked up to me and let me rub her neck and back. She is so soft and so sweet. Before long, she was chewing on my clothes. Then, I bent down and got the best Alpaca cria kisses you can ever imagine. She started to follow me up the hill, but decided to go back and hang out with mom, Dusty Rose. Rockstarr, her half brother, on the other hand, isn't much of a people person. He likes to hang out with mom, Starr. On a hot day, there isn't anything much better than cushed next to mom, beside the feeder, in the shade, taking it easy.

I took some Pepper tree branches to the boys, which they gobbled up. It was too warm in the sun to walk them today, so instead they all got belly hosed. They really like that.

Pati and I ate chips and guacamole (Pati's homemade, yum) and drank ice cold Corona's, while watching the auction. I can't think of a better way to spend a Saturday.

Happy Birthday, Norma Rae

Norma Rae is one year old today. She's a big girl for her age, but Rick says even though she's big, she's not mature enough to breed yet. I spent some time in the field with her today. She's not real social. In the next few weeks, we're going to bring her and Pati Cake up to the show pen to see if their fiber is good enough to go to shows. If so, they'll need to be halter trained for AlpacaFest West in November. Rockstarr won't see his first show until March 2009 in Phoenix.

Wow, I've spent every other day at the ranch for the last few days. Thursday, Diane, Shelby and I went down and we had a nice lunch with Rick & Pati. Diane hadn't seen the Alpacas since shearing. There are many new crias since she was there. She, especially, wanted to see Aurora and get kisses. Aurora and her mom, Dusty Rose, did not disappoint her. I went down Saturday, as usual. It was very hot and humid (heat index around 130 degrees), so we really couldn't do anything with the Alpacas except keep them cool. The heat index is the total of the temperature and humidity percentage. 130 is really high for Alpacas. As Rick left on a cross country transport yesterday morning, Pati asked if I wanted to come down today and help with breeding and spit testing. Sure! It was really cool and overcast this morning, perfect for breeding.

Today was Star's day for her date with Fred. Nope. She wanted no part of him. I guess she's not ready yet. We'll try again Saturday. We spit tested Percy and she sat again. So, she had another date with Mo today. McGuyver's Storm hasn't had a date in a year, so today was a real treat for him! He had a date with Malea. At first, he fumbled around a bit, but then it was like riding a bicycle! This boy has stamina :) Poor Fred, girls either spit at him or ran from him. He'll need a cold shower.

Sonny and Soleil went to a new home in Northern California. Rick dropped them off yesterday. I'm really going to miss them. They are both so cute. I'm sure the new owners were very pleased when they walked out of the trailer yesterday.

We're already started planning the next Pacaribbean cruise. It will be on Royal Caribbean's "Oasis of the Seas", sailing October 9, 2010 to the Eastern Caribbean. We have already booked two balcony cabins to get the ball rolling. This ship is "one of a kind" and unlike anything other cruise ship. Check it out at www.oasisoftheseas.com, then call me to book it - 1-888-997-8726.

The next few months are going to be very busy. September 27 & 28 is Alpaca Farm Days; October 13 is Rick's birthday; October 18 to 26, we are on the First Pacaribbean cruise to the Caribbean on "Mariner of the Seas" (and will celebrate Pati's October 20th birthday onboard); November is Thanksgiving and Rick's famous turkey; November is also AlpacaFest West; December begins the holidays. I'm having Christmas dinner at my house with 19 of my family and very closest friends. New Year's Day at the ranch, then January 3rd I'm having a birthday party for my sister's 50th. Whew!

All the crias are doing great. Rockstarr is hot! He and Aurora are buddies. Maybe her kissy face will rub off on him. Yeh, right. They look so cute together as they look so much alike. Well, they are half brother and sister (same dad).

Since it was so nice out today, I got to take the boys for walks. First, Felix and Alpha (or Felix would have been upset). They were such good boys. Then, I took Majik and Luther. Luther is like a Mac Truck, but he was a pretty good boy today. Majik is just a sweetheart. I was going to take Apolla and Kona, but changed my mind. I haltered Kona and he started doing the funky chicken. Since I was walking two, I decided walking these two wasn't such a good idea. They need a little more work on the halter. Next week I'll take each of them with one of the other boys (Felix, Alpha, or Majik) which should make it easier on me. The boys hadn't been for a walk in quite some time. It's just been too hot lately.

I had to leave about noon today because I'm still working on remodeling my bathroom and bedroom. The flooring is in now. So, it's painting, wallpapering, molding, etc., etc., etc. It's alot of work, but I love it. It's coming out very nice.

Well, I guess that's it for now. I wish Rick a safe an uneventful trip from here to New York, and back, with many stops in between.

Sambuca and Kalea should be delivering soon. And, IF Meg Ryan is pregnant, her due date is September 16th. If she is, and has a girl, the cria's name will be Mys Tery.