Mountain Jewel Farm

It's time for the last show of the year.  We've attended Alpacamania nearly every year for the past 4 years.  This year we are taking 4 yearlings and 1 juvenile.  MJA Cameo, MJA Takara, Outlaw's Gunsmoke, Cedar Springs August and MJA Malabar's Kailash are entered in the full fleece halter classes, as well as having 5 entries into the fleece classes.  The competition will be stiff, but we hope to bring home some nice ribbons.  

Shows allow great opportunity for networking with other breeders, many of whom have become great friends through the years.  

 

It's time for the last show of the year.  We've attended Alpacamania nearly every year for the past 4 years.  This year we are taking 4 yearlings and 1 juvenile.  MJA Cameo, MJA Takara, Outlaw's Gunsmoke, Cedar Springs August and MJA Malabar's Kailash are entered in the full fleece halter classes, as well as having 5 entries into the fleece classes.  The competition will be stiff, but we hope to bring home some nice ribbons.  

Shows allow great opportunity for networking with other breeders, many of whom have become great friends through the years.  

 

He's up and running!  Big 22 pound boy with white curly locks.  What a great looking boy!

The countdown begins for Cappy.  She is due with baby #3 in 4 days.  Cappy is a perky white sweetheart of a girl that we've had the pleasure of owning for about 3 years.

Alpacas are pregnant for nearly a full year.  The cria come without assistance 95% of the time, so we worry a bit when we leave the farm, but not for long.  It's best to be nearby if any problems ensue.

So far we've been lucky with 2 beautiful girls, Sapphira and Marritta.  Cappy's personality shines through in her offspring.

 

Aaahhh, the incredible softness of alpaca fiber!  Some is softer than others, but it's the baby alpaca that is so, so appealing to the senses. Touching, smelling and wearing the little black fiber fluffs attached to your clothing for days.

 I made a great discovery after several attempts to wash fiber in the front loader.  It works best (no twisted matted unusable fiber) on the hand wash setting!  Warm water and the rinse and spin cycle!  Wella! Simply place an armful of skirted, picked fiber into mesh laundry bags, throw them in and after 18 minutes, clean fresh smelling non-matted fiber!  It was definitely an improvement over my early attempts to throw the whole blanket in the bathtub.  I won't ever go there again!

What would our lives be without alpacas? It's very hard to imagine, after spending the last 5 years tending to them, caring for them, getting to know each personality, worring about them, and watching them from birth to adults and then become parents themselves. What an incredible ride it's been! Living in suburbia just 10 years ago, never to look back. Suburbia offers little chance of creativity.