May 12, 2016

Spring is so busy!  Since our last post, we have been doing so many things, it is difficult to find time to blog.  As a matter of fact, it has been difficult to find room for anything in the calendar, but it is fabulous to be this excited about life!  Our friends, Kenneth and Lori Cherry, invited us to their farm to help with their alpaca shearing.  It was our first shearing ever.  We had a great time and learned a lot.  While we were there, they also had chicks hatching and a baby alpaca was born.  Loved the great time with friends and made lots of new friends. First they used a powerful blower to blow the dirt and dust out of the alpaca's coat.  Then they used ropes to stretch them out on the clean and cushioned floor so when the shearing took place, the other parts of the the alpaca was safe and out of the way.  My husband was brave and even helped put the ropes on the feet of the alpaca.  I helped gathered the wool in three different batches, the back, the neck, and the legs.  They were all carefully labeled per alpaca, and per part. It was organized so well by Lori, that the shearing team finished shearing all 18 alpacas in about an hour and 45 minutes, I think.  It is wonderful how many people from different farms and friends show up to help.  Many hands truly make light work.  Their website is here.

We also enjoyed being asked to chaperone an AIMS Club dance for the school where my husband teaches.  The students worked so hard to bring this together and are so polite.  Of course they couldn't do it without teacher and mentor, Rausie Hobson and her husband.  She works so hard to help the kids.  The theme was old Mexico, so we served drinks in costume. I made my husband's vest out of an old pair of black jeans, my belt out of a shirt with decorative stitching from the thrift store, and the fan came from the Dollar Tree.  The screen from the background is one I found at a thrift store for my daughter's wedding, which I added some curtains to the back.

Just because we are busy outside of the farm, does not mean progress stopped here, though.  The garden is growing, we are harvesting asparagus and strawberries, and we have been working hard on the fence for the cow pasture.  Finally finished it! 

It was a bit of a challenge since we had so many areas of the fence that were curved.  We had to judiciously decide which posts we went behind and which ones we kept the fencing in front so we could keep the fence tight and go with the curve.  Our daughter, Leah, came by to lend us a hand.  We are still awaiting a gate to arrive and for the calves to be released to us due to a vet visit before leaving their current farm.  We have gotten great advice from the Cohen family, the Clark family and the Lewis Family.  It is so nice that farm people are so generous with knowledge!  I am so proud to call them my friends.

I will leave with one last picture of the beautiful fuschias that are now blooming from the ERHS plant sale.