This weekend was the CABA Classic alpaca show.  It is sponsored by our breeders group, the Columbia Alpaca Breeders Association..  Friday was consumed with checking in and setting up with the halter show starting Saturday morning.  It is always fun to see friends and fellow breeders and catch up.  Anticipation is high to see how your animals will do.  Our grandson's alpaca Lady Violet did very well, and our little Butterscotch Dream shows promise.  Then there was the other one.  The " what were we thinking when we signed her up " one.  This offspring of a champion was a humiliating disappointment in the ring.  And after being kicked, spat upon and stomped on I was wondering how long does it really take to barbecue a 125 lb alpaca?  Just kidding, just kidding!  We don't eat them. 

So much drama packed into two long days.
                                                                                                                                                                   
The alpaca show was held in the Expo Center.  There were hundreds of animals, bright lights, three rings of judging simultaneously and lots of cold air! When it was all over this afternoon I came home to my dark and quiet barn, and to my llamas.  Mr Bingley and Mr Darcy will never be in the show ring.  Their existence is not justified by anyone's opinion of their conformation or the fineness of their fleece.  They are guard animals, hiking companions and quiet confidants.  I hug their  huge soft necks and feed them grain and that is enough. They are perfection!

Jim and I recently spent an afternoon sorting alpaca and llama fiber to send to the mill for processing. Some will become lovely throw rugs and some will be spun into yarn for our shop. Our white llama Mr Darcy is a suri llama with buttery soft fiber which I am thinking about having woven into fabric for a jacket.

Just my color! Pink sunrise.

Yesterday we took three of our bred alpacas to the vet for ultrasounds, but the equipment wasn't working properly and we will have to go back Monday. I'm glad we're only 10 minutes away.

The afternoon was pleasant and sunny so I was finally able to get to the hydrangeas and Jim raked the circle drive. Yeah!! Things are looking pretty good for this time of year. Daffodils are peeking up. I always want to get the yard tidy at this time of year so if it snows everything will be postcard perfect! My little gardening fantasy!

Happy New Year. Today was wet and blustery. The sun tried to come out for a while this morning, and I could hear my pruning clippers calling to me; hydrangeas....hydrangeas.... hydrangeas.... Their voice was soon drowned out by the wind and rain however. Maybe tomorrow.Even in the dead of winter the garden is quietly growing, just waiting for the warm sunshine . The star magnolia bush and saucer magnolia trees are in bud, and irises are pushing their way up.
The weather was so nasty today none of the animals wanted to go outside. They were content to sit in the barn and look out the door. Well, contentment is probably not the right description.....!

I am trying to type with one hand because my kitten Windsor wants to help and this is easier than keeping him off my notebook!

Well it's almost the new year and I'm finally doing something I've thought about for a long time.
I am writing a blog about life on Rose arbor Farm. I want to keep a record of what happens here over the course of the year and share it with friends and family. There will be vegetables to plant and weeds to pull, alpacas to shear and new babies. It snowed today and transformed everything into a winter wonderland. The most wonderful part was that I had the day off, a cozy fire, a cup of tea and a cat on my lap!
Tina