You call this Spring?

I know it’s been ages since I’ve posted; and thank you to everyone for urging me to update the blog! I would say it is because I have been so busy, but quite frankly, when I look back on my accomplishments over the last couple of months, I cannot account for my time. Late winter is supposed to be a time of rest, meaning to us that we do the “indoor” things: update the web site, create fancy new brochures, work on knitting and weaving. Maybe even clean the basement. But none of those got done. Sure, I finally got 28 sets of clipper blades cleaned and sent off to be sharpened (yes, that sounds like an awful lot of blades, but we hate to interrupt our marathon shearing sessions once we get started just to send in blades for sharpening.) I got our first entry for our first show of year in the mail this morning, right on deadline as usual (see you in Illinois everyone!) But my Pinata-and-white scarf remains only half done, and the lavender silky llama scarf I promised my mother has not even been officially started yet. I have mailed out several orders of llama yarn, and finally finished the jet black silky llama roving that I promised Lee Ann of FuzzyLogicKnits in Canada. The only problem is, I promised her this last Thanksgiving! Thank heavens for her patience. Actually, I can’t wait to shear some more of this heavenly silky pure black; I can just imagine myself with a ruana out of black, perhaps with a little angelina for good measure, to wear when showing my favorite llamas when the cold permeates the show ring. But that can wait; I have more projects than I can handle right now anyway, and I know Lee Ann will love the black llama and make something marvelous out of it.

I did order my garden seeds, for which I spent extra for expedited postage. The “pea fence” I ordered arrived almost immediately; but the seeds took another two weeks. I won’t waste my money on that option again. I have not gotten the energy to trim the overgrown Concord grape vines, but I did convince my husband to use our one dry weekend to till my garden! It sat ready for potatoes and spring vegetables, which I was stealthily planning to sneak in after the next rain. Last weekend would have been perfect, but…we decided to reseed a couple of the pastures instead. It seems that March was again going to be true to its name of “out like a lion,” as they were predicting snow! There is an urban legend in Indiana that we always have a heavy snow fall during basketball tourney-time. Fred and I can each remember a heavy March snow during our high school years, meaning we get one about every ten years. I don’t see that this constitutes a consistent weather pattern, but everyone is convinced that this is our “tourney-time” blizzard. Whatever you want to call it, I don’t like it. I came to work extra early in blinding snow that was just starting to accumulate. They are predicting 5 or 6 inches here in Indy, and we may get more “on the hill” because we are farther south. So much for the second official day of Spring. The snow will help settle in that new grass seed, but otherwise I have little use for it. My thoughts are turning to outdoor things, including cleaning the trailer…my goodness, that first show is only three weeks away! Let’s hope the weather is more spring-like by then.

A Weird and Warm January

Christmas passed in its usual flurry of last minute activity, highlighted by a wonderfull relaxed visit with our family. We hope everyone was able to enjoy their friends and families both near and far as we shared the celebration of the birth of Christ.

Our very cold and snowy December forbode a long and dreaded winter. But by Christmas, the snow had melted and the weather was unseasonably warm. We had a brief snowfall on Christmas day, just enough to be dubbed a white Christmas, without inflicting too much hardship on travelers. Within a couple a days that snow was gone, and we had a vet farm visit with welcome temperatures in the 50’s. By New Years we had record temperatures in the 60’s and thunderstorms!

January so far has been similar: warm and wet. Three inches of snow fell yesterday, but today’s 50 degree temperatures should melt that. The only complaint is the mud; more like March than the typical frozen ground of winter. Still we have been able to keep up with more winter chores than usual, without having to fight the brutal temperatures that we often see this time of year. We all hope the jet stream does not move and give us a long, wet, cold spring!

I have been spending my time filling an order for handspun yarn, although the almost-springlike afternoons keep pulling me outside rather than keeping me inside where the spinning wheel beckons. Yarn sales have been steady, with many new people discovering the beauty of luxurious llama yarn. I still have most of last year’s stash of fleece to process, and it won’t be long before shearing season is here again! We have posted several of our best fiber animals on our sales page, which I have very mixed emotions about. Besides parting with friends and wonderful personalities that we have raised here on the farm, I also will hate to loose their exquisite fiber. Only the antipation of new babies keeps me looking to what the future will bring.

I think I have the garden planned out, and ready to order seeds. This usually occupies a snowy January weekend, but a cold rainy night will have to suffice. Our schedules have been very busy lately and this month is flying by. We have enjoyed keeping in email contact with our friends, and we are looking forward to having many of you visit our farm in the near future. We are looking forward as well to seeing other friends and llama owners at the upcoming spring shows. They will be here before we know it!

In my recent reading, I came across the following noteworthy quote, by Simon Cameron. He said, “An honest politian is one who, once he is bought, stays bought.”

Champagne joins the Christmas Parade!


YW Champagne Cruz and his new owner, Tori Howk, attended their local Christmas parade this past weekend. This was Champagne’s first big outing in his new career as a PR llama, and according to Tori, he has proven he has the ‘right stuff’ for the job!

We are so happy that Tori and Mike are enjoying Champagne, and that he seems to have found his calling. He plays the part of the perfect Christmas Llama with his white fleece and red halter perfectly matching Tori’s outfit, don’t you think?

Thank you Tori for the photo!