The way it all began.

My journey began late summer of 2009. I was looking through the local internet classified ads, when I stumbled on a couple of ads for some male alpacas (fiber males). I starting thinking about them and the more I thought the more I wanted to purchase them.
I called my husband on the phone and just asked him to trust me and told him I wanted to spend about $1200.00 on the alpacas that I had found on the classifieds. To my amazement he simply agreed! So I made a couple of calls and made arrangements to go and pick them up.
There were 5 of them, 2 at one farm and 3 at another. When I stopped at the first farm I was met with the brightest eyes I had ever seen. These boys I was told were not registered but probably could be. Because at the time I was only thinking fiber I just loaded them up in my trailer and took off. I was instantly in love and hopelessly hooked.
The 2nd farm I stopped at had 3 white boys that had not been sheared in 2 ½ years. They were such a mess that I really could not see what they looked like. All I saw was giant balls of walking fiber. They all did have papers however and I guessed it was a good thing. The reason that they were being sold was that the gentleman that owned them had lost his job and was dispersing his herd. I was told that he had invested quite a lot of money in purchasing good alpacas. I bought them and home we all went.
I had been interested in alpacas for such a long time, it was such an amazing feeling taking them home. After I got them settled into their new home I got on the internet and started reading anything and everything that I could find. I soon started seeing a pattern in bloodlines and the actual value of well bred alpacas.
That really peaked my interest and I started wondering about my boys that I had just purchased. I soon found out that they were pretty well bred.
Well one thing led to another and I now have 8 females and 3 herdsires and several other fiber males.
I have spent the last several months going to shows and seminars. I have found that there is so much to learn. I am really wondering if I will ever get it down. I think that a lot of the fun is in the learning. So I will keep on keeping on.
Till next time.
Suzie

So I am very new to the wonderful world of ALPACAS. I have loved them for years and only dreamed of ever having the opportunity to own these benevolent creatures. There is something mystical behind those beautiful eyes. When they look at you, it is with an expectant intensity that I have rarely seen in other animals.

I have been around animals my entire life. Starting at a very young age, I seemed to have an inborn attraction to anything living. My first pets were 2 dogs Duffy (a Scottish Terrier) and Jack( a Tea Cup Poodle). I moved on to snakes, tortoises, an alligator named snapper, 2 orphaned black bear cubs that my big brother brought home from a hunting trip, barn owls and last but not least horses. All these animals I loved and cared for with loving enthusiasm. When I got older I worked for veterinarians and cared for animals great and small. As I entered adulthood I worked on movies as a handler. I had the great experience of working with wolves, horses and assisting with the care of a grizzly bear. I have looked into many animal eyes over the years and so when I say that their is something special behind an alpacas eyes I know it to be true.

I have decided to start this blog so I can relate all the amazing experiences that these animals are introducing me to. One of the scariest things that new alpaca owners must confront is the scarcity of alpaca veterinarians. You must learn to do it all, from drawing blood to giving IV fluids. I was amazed at the weight of this responsibility. When I consider the fact that many alpaca owners are caring for animals for the first time in their lives, I am amazed at their courage. I have worked with animals my entire life and I was scared to death.

But some how the alpacas and the people live through it all. I hope you will take this journey with me and I hope it will enrich your life as I know it is enriching mine. Well that's it for now my farm and its wonderful animals are waiting for their dinner. Talk to you later.