Field Trip #2

We have decided Alpaca people are the most friendliest people on earth. Yesterday we phoned up a local couple that have an alpaca ranch and they couldn't have been more happier to have us come and visit! Anytime, they said, except 5 am is too early!

So off we went this morning before dog classes to play some more alpaca games! We got a tonne of good information, and this couple was so happy to share everything they know. They are having a shearing day in April and have invited us to come back and get some hands on experience....is it April yet?

Everything about alpacas is perfect for our acreage and our lifestyle. It is the perfect hobby farm animal! Today we found out about all the food and bedding and where to locate these things in our area, and vets and shearing and babies! So much information!

This is a mom and daughter duo that some day could be living at our house....the mom looks a little crazy, but I would too with straw in my hair!

And this little guys name is Max, and he can come too!

We have started work on finishing the fence and getting a gate put in.

And drum roll please.....tonight we have come up with a name.....

Alpacattack Ranch!

What do you think? Comments, suggestions???

And on the spinning front....no wheels yet. I have been on the phone and internet non stop. What a dissappointment. I have decided on a model I want, and entry level Louet S17. Its dead sexy. A few places in the Okanagon can order it for me, I am just waiting to see who has the best price. I can hardly wait. My wool is calling calling...spin me spin me spin me....it keeps me up at night.

Well, I better sign off, my needles await.

Alpacas and Yarn!

I am having a difficult time finding moments to sit down this week. So I will quickly post some pictures in between dog training, knitting and greys anatomy....which might I add is a little dissappointing this season.

Here are some pictures of the wonderful alpacas we met!

The two big guys in the back are actually Llamas! My favorite is the light brown guy on the right...he had the biggest brown eyes ever!

They let us stand right in them and they were very curious about us too.

These were all the ladies, we were just getting ready to help feed them and they were very eager to be fed!

We got to take these two little boys for walkies! ( The lady who owns the farm was British!) They follow along and walk nicer then most dogs do!

Oh, my precious yarn. The colors are all natural. The rose grey was my favorite. This picture doesn't do it justice. I also bought two little packages of fibre to practice spinning....if I ever get my hands on a wheel.

And for a souvenir, she gave us a little "prezzie"!

This is my Christmas ball of yarn from my mom, I am knitting Sunday Swing socks off the Knitty website. I am actually done this sock now, and getting along on the second one!

Lingy and I are getting pretty good at the self portraits...she took this one.

We are glad to be home in the Most Beautiful Place On Earth!

Field Trip!

Alpacas are awesome!

We had so much fun, we spent three hours at the alpaca farm! The lady was so kind and we helped her feed them and took two of them for walkies! It was so neat!

And then we bought gorgeous alpaca yarn...mmmmm.

I have some pictures, I will post them as soon as we get home.

We are stopping in Pincher on the way home to have a quick spinning lesson/demo from Tom's aunt!

Oh and also Dorian has two less jingle bells. He is doing great, and doesn't seem too upset!

The flame the flame!!!

Believe it or not the olympic flame came down our street this morning, and I do mean our street, not the highway, the actual street! Strange!

We are not really big fans of the olympics so we had no intention of getting up on a Sunday morning at 7:38 precisely to watch....but fate had other plans.

At 6:30 the tones went on Toms' firehall radio and off he went to the scene of an accident, it was a bad one and Tom even got to operate the jaws of life, the lady seems to be okay though.

So Maddy, Dorian and I were left behind, wide awake. We put on our coats and ambled down to the end of the driveway and laughed at the neighbor lady waving her flag like a kid at a parade!

Tom pulled back home just after the torch went by, but he did get to see it too!

This week Dorian got to help make his first batch of cookies, I wasn't sure it he could handle the excitement, but he was really good, as long as there were lots of taste tests happening.

I was attempting to make my own training treats, because we go through a ton of them and most of the store bought ones give them excessive gas, but it was a lot of extra work to make them all in fingernail size pieces....any suggestion out there?

Madeline got bored halfway through and decided to lie down on top of her kennel, she didn't dare get too far away from the action!

Also I have an exciting Alpaca update!

We are going on a field trip next friday to an Alpaca Farm just outside of Cochrane! I will take lots of pictures and tell you all about it, it will be just like my report after a school trip! We're pretty excited. I've also been trying to find a spinning class, with no luck yet, I have a few leads but no actual schedualed classes yet. I can't wait to visit this farm, she has the most gorgous yarn on her website....shopping spree!!!!!

Yay!

I have a dream,

I want to own alpacas.

Luckily, hubby agrees!

The research has begun! And I'm looking for a spinning class.

Anybody have an alpaca for sale?

Why aren't there any 24hour yarn stores?

Apologies again, it is knitting season. So much yarn, so little time, my thoughts are turning to gardening already, which makes me excited for spring, but sad that there is only a short time left in knitting season. I swore last year I would knit all year long, but there was just too much to do between yard work, gardening and getting wood for the coming winter. We'll see, maybe this year I could squeeze in a little knitting!

I finally finished Tom's socks that I started last year after a ten month battle with SSS. BUT, the whole reason I started these socks was to finish up a ball of leftover yarn. And to my horror, a few short rows, and I mean short rows literally...ahahaa knitting pun, I RAN OUT!!!! Arg.

SO luckily it was Wednesday night, which is the night our local knitting store is open late to host a stitch and bitch, but we were busy doing some dog training, so at 8:58pm, I stuck my foot in the door and forced my way in :)

And again to my horror, da da daaaaaa, she didn't have any more!!!!

So you will notice that the second sock has a plain green toe. Pooh. Oh well, it will be in his shoes anyways. I think they turned out well for my first socks! I have already started my second pair for me! I got some awesome awesome yarn from my mom ( and a yarn fairy) for Christmas, I am already almost done the leg!

And I am anxiously waiting for a pattern to arrive from Esty and I am going to knit the coolest hat for....to be announced!!!

Madeline and Dorian are back in school! We love having them learning on Sundays, then they are tired for days after!

They didn't move a muscle last evening, and we all woke up this morning in the exact same position we went to sleep in. And yes, they are still sleeping right now.

Dorian has 10 days left of testosterone heaven, next week we are heading back to Calgary to have his bells removed! Yay! Sometimes he gets a little amorous. Hopefully he will go back to being a little sweetie after! Yuck, teenage boys!

Well I should sign off a go get my chores done! The wood bin is empty again! And knitting to be done! I will try to be more diligent with my blogging from now on!

If you don't have anything nice to say,

Don't say anything at all.

Sorry I haven't posted in a really, really, long time. I'm glad the month of December is over and that another 1st of the month has passed.

Before I started my post, I caught up on some reading, everybody is posting the highlights of the past year. Everybody seems to have had a great year.

I'm going to move on from this topic. Looking forward to a new year. Making better memories. Never forgetting the old ones.