Sawdust Alpacas, Mon/Tues 10/17-10/18, 2022

 

Yesterday we sent a request to Sawdust Alpacas in Fallon, Nevada, asking if we could overnight with them.  Their answer was yes!  This is another great Harvest Hosts locale, and we were looking forward to stopping there.  Sawdust Alpacas even offered a 30amp hookup for $10.00, which we gladly paid.  It didn't take us long to get here from Pyramid Lake, and once set up, we met with our hosts, Glenn and Carolyn Waddell, for a tour of their farm and all the alpacas.  Plus, Abbey the Great Pyrenees guard dog.  

Glenn and Jimmy and one of the cute li'l ones.  They have four "babies," all of them around one-month old.  They don't much care for being picked up, but Glenn knew how to do it.  Isn't this guy adorable?  I mean the alpaca 😊.

Glenn and Carolyn have about 40 alpacas, girls in one pen, boys in another (so fights don't erupt).  They're fun to watch, will move away if you try to touch them, but don't bolt, yet don't mind you being in their pen with them.

All the alpacas are named, but gormed if I know how Glenn or Carolyn can remember each one's name.  I suppose it's like naming your kids ... but 40 of them?  The Waddells show their alpacas, and ribbons adorn their shop's walls.  They're sheared once a year and the fiber is sent off to be processed and made into wonderfully soft sweaters, socks, scarves, stuffed animals (uh-oh, we have a five-year-old granddaughter), and more.  I mean, who can resist?

I took so many pictures and it was really hard to pick which ones to show you ....

So darned cute!

They make a gentle sound, they're cute, gentle,

and have loveable personalities.

There's Tergel in the background!

Awwwwww

They also make me laugh with the funny faces they can make.

Even Glenn had to work to lift this little guy --

he did not want to be held.

Another couple -- on holiday from Great Britain and touring the US in a camper van -- drove in just at dark and parked on the other side of the shop.  We met Suzi and Russell briefly before everyone retired to their homes, and we got together the next morning (Tueday).

Glenn gave us a tour of the barn, with its bags of fiber, the following morning.

Nine-year-old Abbey is the alpaca guardian dog.  She stays in the pens with the moms and babies 24/7.  Now, mind you, she doesn't look like she's guarding anything in this pic, but she is always on alert, and is awake most of the night (or all night?) and can fend off any threat to the alpacas that we might not see.  She was relaxing while her people were in the pens.  She's also a sweet dog.  

Glenn took our pic in the morning.

One of my favorite pics.  I'd just missed, by seconds, the mom and little black "cria" (which is the term for baby alpacas), touching noses.  But I think her baby is the one lying on the ground.  Last evening at dusk, we watched as the little ones got frisky and started running around from one end of the pen to the other, chasing each other, and I'm sure they were having fun.  Sure of it.

As we stood at the fence, this guy (all the babies are boys) came up to Jimmy, sniffed his jeans (top), and commenced biting or chewing on them (bottom)!  Jimmy pulled away before the cria chewed a hole in the knee of his jeans.

Suzi and Russell left and we followed shortly thereafter.  Thanks to Glenn and Carolyn for an excellent visit, both playful and informative.  Jimmy and I fired up Tergel and started toward Silver Springs.  We kinda thought we'd spend a night at old Fort Churchill St Pk and do some exploring. 

But first, we discovered this on our way, Lahontan State Recreational area, aka Lahontan Reservoir.  The sign above says we can camp here, but no thanks.

Oh good grief, this is the boat ramp ... to nowhere.  The reservoir water level is so far down as to be almost disappeared.  Scary.  After taking these pics, we returned to Tergel and continued on.

Where is that water?

Well, I shoulda turned left, but I turned right and we ended up in Fernley.  We needed to stock up on some grub, so I turned left again, looking for a grocery store, but no luck, never saw a grocery.  We did, however, find the Pilot gas station and we filled Tergel up for a glorious $4.94/gal, so much better than the $6.15/gal in California.  At that point, we looked at each other and said, what the heck, let's just go home -- we're only about an hour-and-a-half away.  That was the beauty of this short 8-day trip -- we were always within 200 miles of home!

Except for the glitch in Goumaz c/g, we had a grand time, visiting all these new places.  We'd wanted to ride our bikes, and so we did -- here, there, and everywhere.  We were happy.

We pulled into the driveway after 4pm (Tuesday) and unloaded Tergel.  Soon, very soon, she needs a good cleaning.  The dirt, the dust, the crud we picked up in 8 days is unbelievable.  Bikes and bike rack, too.  Give it all a good squirt of the hose and she'll sparkle.  Then the inside ....

A is for Alpaca, Friday, 05/07/21

Continuing our North by Northwest track and keeping to secondary roads, we made our way from Big Spring, Texas to Clovis, New Mexico.  With a hefty tailwind, it was more like Tergel had wings and flew -- it was fabulous.  The scenery, however, left a lot to be desired.  This section of Texas isn't pretty, I'm sorry to say.  The first part of our drive seemed devoid of life except for oil and gas "stuff," interspersed with acres of brown dirt, some furrowed, some barren.  No birds, no road kill, no trees and definitely no wildflowers, nuttin, honey.

On the second half, the area was more devoted to farming, but here, again, were the many abandoned homesteads.  Did the occupants just walk away?  Or die and the kids wanted no part of what was left?  Or maybe a corporation bought them out and left the home to rot?  Unknowns.  We've seen prettier country, though.

We kept our eyes on both clouds and radar, as we wanted no part of a thunderstorm if it could be avoided.  Happily we pulled into Windrush Alpacas in Clovis, a Harvest Host site, and parked.  Our host, Rosemary, greeted us with a small bag of alpaca treats and another small bag with a people treat!  (yummy cookies, many thanks!)  She said we were free to roam the grounds, visit with the animals, and simply feel at home.  

This big white horse was the first animal that got our attention as it was standing in front of Tergel's big windshield.  Jimmy patted its nose and then I guess it wanted a flank rub, too.

We walked all around the grounds (Rosemary had a vet app't with her indoor cat) and fed the alpacas their treats.  These animals are curious, friendly, and gentle.  And cute.  Certainly cute!  If I remember correctly, Windrush has 49 alpacas and two llamas.  The alpacas had recently been sheared for summer.

Chickens and guinea fowl are also Windrush residents.  Guinea fowl are kinda odd-looking and they're noisy!  Good to have on a farm as they eat ticks.  But they are loud!

Not these guys ... they're very quiet.  Sweet.

Love the "do."

This gal, especially, liked the treat and she didn't want to share.  FYI, girls and guys are kept in separate areas and aren't bred.

Who can resist this face?

After an hour or so, the wind really began blowing.  Dust was flying.  Our windows were open!  We raced back to Tergel to close windows and vents and waited out what was a fierce dust storm!  A giant yellowish cloud enveloped everything in sight.  I don't know how long it lasted, but eventually it died down and we went back to the alpacas.  

This is dry country, in spite of the clouds and threatening thunderstorms, which never did materialize.  The alpacas have lots of hay to eat.  You know that cows have four stomachs.  Well, alpacas only have one, same as us.  Their fur (fiber) is very soft.

Above are the two llamas.  These guys make sure the alpacas are kept safe -- they'll kick anything that threatens.  Uh-oh, look at the sky.

Another couple, Hannah and Cody, had come in and parked next to Tergel.  They're also spending the night via Harvest Hosts.  After eating our dinner, Jimmy and I joined them outside.  Just about the time we four were going to follow Rosemary's husband, Ric, around to learn all about keeping alpacas, the wind began whipping dust again!  The sky was full of blowing brown dust.  We four ran to our rigs to escape the duststorm.  Every surface, everything, every inch of Tergel is coated with a brown grit.  When I showered, brown grit went down the drain.  Ears, eyes, nose.  Bleah.

This cheerful, idyllic scene made up for the miserable dust.

They don't have top teeth, so they won't bite as they take the pellets from your hand.  Kinda tickles.  The alpaca above slobbered, tho.  That's what soap and water is for.

As the sun was setting, Hannah and I both emerged from our rigs to gaze.  In conversation, we asked each other where we're from.  Hannah said, "Louisiana."  I replied, "I used to live there!"  "Really," she said, "where?"  When I told her Watson (tiniest community ever), she said, oh sure, I know where that is.  No kidding?  I knew the road where she lived.  Watching this spectacular sunset, we marveled at how small the world is.

She and Cody came in Tergel to sit a spell and we shared stories and smiles.  Life is good.  Maybe we'll meet again.

And a shout out to Rosemary and Ric at Windrush Alpacas for sharing their farm and animals with us.  You can't control the wind (darn it), and we had a good time visiting in spite of it.  If you're considering a stay here, don't worry; this was unusual weather.  Recommend!

Fluffy Fun -- Saturday, 9/8/18

Fluffy, fuzzy fleecy fun!  My friend, Deb, has established a small farm stocked with alpacas and angora goats:  Mo'Paca Farm and Fibers.  With co-owners, Becky and Glenn, they had their first open house on Saturday, and I was happy to go.  Earlier that morning, Jimmy and I attended a memorial service (sad) for a dear man we knew, so being around sweet animals was just the ticket to raise my spirits.  Jimmy elected to go to a car show with his friend, Cliff, so we each did what was best for us.

The farm is located in Loma Rica CA -- with its golden grasses, it's marvelous country for raising animals.  Elevation there is around 400', compared to our 3200' in Nevada City.  My Prius liked its downhill ride -- wheee, Loma Rica is about 25 miles down the hill from our place.  The sun was strong and the day was pretty hot, but a nice breeze actually kept us fairly cool.

Some of the dudes!

I don't know if I'd ever seen angora goats before.  They certainly are shaggy, but they produce a lustrous fiber called mohair.   A table (below) with samples of raw fleece, washed fleece and mohair, plus picked and carded mohair and alpaca was offered for guests to touch.  OhMyGosh, it was all so soft.  Imagine sleeping on a bed of fluffy fleece!

Also on the table were some of the tools of the trade (below).  I know they've already sheared their animals once.  I'm guessing somebody will eventually be making exquisite sweaters and scarves or mittens with the fiber.

These guys have horns!  They were in a pen out of my reach, so I didn't pet them -- hopefully I will next time.  Every animal has a name, but I can't remember which was which.

Except baby Django.  Deb bought him in Oregon and transported him home in her Prius when he was even smaller than you see here.  He's still bottle fed every few hours.  He's a gentleman, not a sloppy eater, and he's a sweetheart.  

His midnight black doesn't show well for a camera.

I lightened this photo so you can see his eyes.  He's a beauty. 

The one bottle I gave him didn't fill him up; Deb gave him a second one.  In the background are a few of the angora goats snacking on hay (or alfalfa or a mixture). 

I think it was love at first sight for Deb and Django!

The turn out for their open house was good, which pleased everyone.  I really enjoyed my visit, seeing Deb and Becky and Glenn, and the animals, especially Django.  Maybe I can come back with Jimmy, and bring Everly Rose and her Mom 'n Pop, so they, too, can enjoy the critters and the serenity of Mo'Paca Farm and Fiber.

To the Sacred Valley -- Saturday, 4/14/18

Doesn't that header sound awesome?  A couple of Gringos like ourselves traveling to the Andes and the exalted Sacred Valley ... it impresses the heck out of us anyway.  Flying from Lima to Cusco was easy, although the flight was very early ... but that gave us the rest of the day to explore.  Here's a new one for you:  we were welcomed by cups of coca tea at the Cusco airport.  Why?  Coca tea is believed to help people acclimate with the high altitude.  There isn't much taste, but perhaps it helps.  Cusco is situated at a soaring 11,152' above sea level, or as our guide says:  above the sea. 

Of course, the City of Cusco has a much larger population that I expected.  When I have expectations of city size, they always seem to be on the low side.  Nevertheless, we won't spend much time in the city itself.  As usual with Road Scholar, we are whisked off the plane and onto a bus; our luggage delivered to the hotel separately.

The bus we're on wound through hills and valleys, with non-native Eucalyptus trees covering the hillsides.  That surprised me, too.  Imported from Australia, the trees have taken off!  The countryside is lush and beautiful, terraced for crops.

Our first stop on our way to Ollantaytambo, was to an alpaca farm:  Awankancha Alpaca Center is called a living museum, where we can see, touch, and watch demonstrations on weaving.  Do not ask me to pronounce any of these words, though I did get proficient with Ollantaytambo.  Since Jimmy and I have alpaca farms near us in Nevada City, we kind of glossed over these guys, although some of them wore lengthy coats! 

Also, I don't believe we'd ever seen a vicuña before (above), very pretty fellow.  And I saw my first Rufus Collared Sparrow, below, the first of many. 

Turning wood using a foot treadle, left, and weaving, right.

Love the lively colors.

After alpacas, the bus drove to Pisac (or Pisaq) to visit the local handicraft market.

We skipped eating the guinea pig (really!),

opting instead for the cheese empanadas.

While the rest of the group shopped for souvenirs (I'm just not a shopper), Jimmy and I ventured up a narrow "street" to the entrance of the park (below).  I continued on up and up, but no way could I have gotten to the top of the terraced area and had time to explore the archaeological area.  Jimmy stopped to "talk" with the lady selling lemonade (or something) who was hand spinning yarn.  I enjoyed my lone hike, short as it was, and then we both returned to town ... and back on the bus.

* * *

Lunch was a treat.  At Alhambra Restaurant and Hacienda, we had a delicious buffet meal, and afterward roamed the grounds, communing with birds, beasts and flowers.  Very enjoyable!

Elias toasting us.

Check out the desserts!

Believe me, it was good.

No, I didn't try it.  I think Wendell ordered it.

He said it was very sweet.

Wonderful setting.

Shaggy, whatever it is.

Bright colors abound on the grounds.

Even the birds wear colorful outfits.

So ... that was our morning and lunch.  Afternoon will be the next post, to a spot on this earth that was fascinating to all of us.  By this time, if you asked us if we were having fun, everyone would give a resounding YES!