Happy, Happy New Year!!!

Ah, yes… In less than 5 hours, it will be a whole NEW YEAR, and I AM READY for it!

This last year has been trying for many, many people in our country, in the US Alpaca Industry, and for me for reasons other than alpaca-related.

Actually, I have been very blessed to be able to sell several of my beloved alpacas to good homes this year, in spite of the economy. I am very thankful for the buyers’ confidence in me, and confidence in my animals and breeding program. A heart-felt “thank you” to each and every one of them.

I fervently hope for our US alpaca industry a better year starting tomorrow—January 1st, 2010. In a country as large and complex as ours, there are no easy, quick fixes, but I think and hope that we are coming out of the worst part.

If we think of much of the rest of the world, I am certain that we can find many, many things for which to be truly grateful.

So, sincere blessings and prayers go out to you for a prosperous, happy, good 2010!

Merry, Merry Christmas!

I am writing this morning from Houston, where my 87-year-old mother and I are visiting my brother and his family for Christmas.

All my ‘paca beauties are being taken care of by Christmas helpers, who now have my sweet Sox (Giggi the llama’s last baby). Sox is companion to cutie-pie Tigger the llama.

Hopeful, happy wishes to all for a meaningful Christmas, and coming New Year.

Jeannie

Baby Time!

It’s Fall baby time here at Wellspring Suris!

Two female suri crias were born on Saturday, October 24th!

One is a medium brown, spunky, alert little girl, and the other is a light to medium fawn sweet small suri girl! They are both precious!

2009 Kid-n-Ewe Fiber Festival

Hi All,

Be sure to come and visit my booth, Wellspring Suri Alpacas, in the red dance hall building during the 2009 Kid-n-Ewe Fiber Festival!!

I will have some beautiful Suri roving, solid-color and hand-dyed Suri alpaca yarns, and several Suri-inspired patterns, from beginner to advanced!

Again this year, I will have my wonderful Extreme Alpaca Socks—made from American alpaca fiber, processed and made in the U.S.

I will have some alpacas to see right outside my booth!

National Alpaca Farm Days 2009 !!!!

Tomorrow is the 2009 edition of the Wellspring Suri Alpacas’ version of National Alpaca Farm Days!

Both Saturday and Sunday, Wellspring Suris will be open to the public from 12 noon until 5 pm.

Please come to see my beautiful Suri alpacas, and alpaca fiber products made from alpaca fiber!

Hooray for RAIN!

Yes, I’ve been gone from posting for a bit longer than I intended. I’ve been doing some of the needed tasks around my business—getting a new, beautiful ranch sign made (waiting to have it installed), selling animals, having house guests, and just generally getting better into gear for the Fall fiber season.

Anyway, regarding the title of this post: YES! We have had about 2 inches of rain in the last few days! Hooray!!!

Let’s See, Where Was I?

Oh yes…

The second alpaca that I purchased, was TVA Chocolate Swirl, aka Swirlie Twirlie. She is a west coast girl, from Oregon. She came to me bred, and with a 2 month-old female cria at side. She came cross country, all the way to Maryland. What a sweet, special girl she is.

My First Alpaca

I purchased my first alpaca, Alpacaria’s Fancy Tzgane (bred maiden female), in August of 2003. We lived in Bowie, Maryland at the time, and my daughter Madeline, was nine years old.

I first found out about alpacas at the 2003 Maryland’s Sheep and Wool Festival. Maddie and I knew about llamas, since we visited them periodically at Davidsonville’s Homestead Gardens. It’s a beautiful nursery.

We decided to go the the Festival, as we’d heard it was really great. I had recently gotten interested in knitting and in natural fibers in general, as a friend was planning on opening a Yarn Shop in addition to her Bowie Folk Art Studio.

When I realized that one could own an alpaca without having to keep them on one’s own property, I immediately started researching all about alpacas. After visiting 9 alpaca farms, I visited Alpacaria, in Whitehall, Maryland, where I met Ruth Inglefield, and bought my first beautiful Suri alpaca, Tzigane (aka Beauty). SHe was a maiden at the time, and bred to a beautiful Mahogony Prince son, Carlo Barberra of PVA.

To be continued… ))

Missed Rain Again!

Well, BOO!

We in Boerne missed the rain again today! It did cloud over and “cool off” a bit. I got to turn off the Port-A-Cooler in the girls’ barn several hours early late this afternoon. I am appreciative of being able to do that!

The girls and crias came out of the barn earlier than usual, which meant that it was tolerable for them in hte dry and dusty pasture.

New Hay!

Yesterday I picked up a load (50 60lb bales) of beautiful orchard grass hay. My animals were so happy! When I came out to water and feed this morning, all the animals were contented cushed, chewing their cuds. They didn’t even get up to come in the barn! Usually they come running when they see me coming in the pasture.

This hay is from Colorado, and is second cut.