Let me just tell you that Alpaca Dave has some guts ... As everyone one knows I got the alpaces sheared yesterday.  In order to do that I had to return to where they came from.  The Walnut Creek Alpaca Farm.  We left before daylight and got there around 10am.  I have never seen alpacas sheared before so this was really cool.  Did you know that if you knick them their skin is so tight on their bodies that it will actually rip open bigger depending on where you knick?  Well, it can and if  you knick a Tendon all you can do is put the animal down because there is little to no chance it will survive.  Even with all that said he was the man that took the shears and removed the Fleece of 9 Alpacas plus my 2.  
    He was armed with 20 sets of blades, a set of clippers and 2 shearing tables.  The first thing we did was get them on the table.  They walk up to it and you strap them in and then you hit a lever and it lays the table out with the Alpaca on it.  Once you get it in place someone holds the head to keep it calm.  Then the shearing begins.  Here is a sample I put together for everyone to see but I didn't have cameramom with me and Dad isn't as good with the Flip.  Then the wind came up and it made it hard to hear.  Add in the hum of the clippers and it doesn't make a great Video but you can see everything that went on.  Anyway, I hope you like it. 

Okay so today is mail day but it is like no other mail day I have ever had.  After Mom got off work, took the kittens to the Vet Tech, got feed and made it home we worked on getting the shares tagged, twisted and in the boxes.  To bad the post office discontinued the Box we needed.  So we wasted, I mean Spent alot of time figuring out new packaging for the shares.  With any luck we will have them all in the mail Monday.  As for farm happenings nothing to exciting... Just shearing the Alpacas tomorrow....

    So today I took my product to have it looked at by another fiber Artist ... I call her my personal "Pro".  Most of you know her as Tempted of Tempted Yarns.  Or you might even remember her from another post of mine... And you can sometimes find her hanging out with the Knitgirllls.  Anyway, Her name is Ms. Stacy and she knows all about fiber.  She spins and knits and dyes yarn.  And she is the one that spun and knitted up our sample for This years harvest.  We plan on having one done each year to see the improvements we make each year.  She did it in about 10 minutes and had it ready for today's post ... It isn't soaked to set the twist or anything just spun and knitted.  And we didn't even block the sample.  Check this out...

    I know some will hate what I have come up with but here is why I like it and say that it works for me.  I am YoungShepard owner of RJ's QTs ... Where Fiber meets the West.  I am about being down home grown, outdoors, rustic, cowboy, western, down to earth as some say.  Well, I think this spins up to say the same thing.  
    Some will not like the little bumps in the roving and they may say it makes it hard to ply I say the strength of the Mohair and the bumpyness of the Southdowns give it a rustic, durable Western look.  Couldn't you see this made into a barn sweater?? Mom can.... Me? I see it as those fingerless gloves.  (then again that is just us .. You might see it as something else)  I also think I am not going to dye any either.  I like it natural.  It is all organic, down to earth and it just screams YoungShepard.  The one thing I am aiming to change is the VM that is in the roving and yarn.  After Lambing and Kidding Season we are going to start jacketing our flock.  We will have two or three size jackets for them to grow their fleece under so we should get little to no VM in next falls Crop.  
    With all that said Ms. Stacy did say one thing that made me feel pretty good ... Okay three really  ... First she said my roving spun up really nice.  Then she also said she liked my Mohair, and last she said I had the color thing down pat.  These three things made me feel pretty good about our first crop.  The spinning up good makes me happy because I have heard some fibers are hard to spin and I didn't want my Roving to be hard or people won't want it.  Then she said she liked my Mohair.  This is from a lady who says she doesn't like Mohair because it is itchy.  Well, we found a blend that allows the shine of the mohair to come through while having the softness I wanted.  (I had to be happy with the face test for it to be soft enough)  To be honest I had to blend wool into it to get the softness but being a kid I really couldn't afford to blend in Merino, which is the softest wool ever.  So I settled for something else and came up with a 70/30 blend that I think I can be proud of.  Okay, Mom helped me sort that part out but I had the final say. 

As for the color thing I like to get a wide range of color from the Chocolate to the whites and every shade in between. I think I have found our mix on that.

    I have added the chocolate shetlands and that will be my next venture... Figuring out what will work for their fleece and the alpacas. 
    Over the next few days I will be packaging and getting all the shares mailed out ... Did I mention Mom is wanting to get our own Merino sheep???  Turns out she is serious and is trying to locate some for sale. 

Today wasn't anything special.  There was school work but you guys already knew that.  Then there was riding and chores but there is nothing new to that either.  The only thing that is going on is that I am looking for the perfect beads to make my trademark Stitchmarkers.  If anyone has any good sites for beads let me know ... I need all the help I can get....
    As for Mom and Dad's anniversary ... Not one person in the family called them to say Happy Anniversary.  Not even my Sister.  Mom said it was okay because her and Dad said it to each other and that was what really mattered.  I said it too but then again I live here ... LOL (and Ms Adelaide sent her wishes on the Blog)  I guess as you get older things like birthdays and anniversaries don't really mean that much. 
   Anyway ... Get those Bead suggestions in please ... On a side note Mom has decided that she is going to start her own fiber flock but she thinks go big or go home.  So she wants Merinos.  She started looking and as of yet hasn't found any for sale.  She said that she could raise the merinos and I can raise the Alpaca and we would have a really soft, wonderful product.  Well, at least it is something to work twords.

Today I worked most of the day.  Not just on my school work but also on my Fiber stuff.  I have decided that I will be making some kind of RJ's QTs stitchmarkers.  Not different designs but like a trademark.  I got these in the mail today and I am looking for a bigger blue bead that I can get all the time and the same.  I know the picture isn't very good but you get the idea.

I also worked with Roger and he is getting back to being his old self each day.  This morning we got our normal back to the old Roger visit and this time I gave him a bottle just to be funny but it helped him get back to being himself.  Check this out...

As for the work around the farm, we sprayed the turn out where the man hut is so that in a few days the men can all go out there to start staying until the new pasture turn out is done.  We also cleaned on the old burn pile.  That just leaves making the new fence for the Alpacas, sheep and Goats new pasture land.  We think we have enough fencing to get it done but we will have to count t-posts to see if we need more of those or not.  I know it really doesn't sound like I did alot today but Mom is a bit slower today as she kind of had an issue yesterday and she is now sore.  (She didn't want me to tell you so she just said I could call it an issue)  It isn't anything really bad and nothing that she had to go to the hospital for or anything.  No worries there.  She is just sore and will heal up in a few days she says.  Mom and I did manage to bake a cake for Dad and Mom's anniversary.   Since they both have to work tomorrow we had cake today.  Yellow cake with Strawberry frosting ... My favorite....

The only other update is on the Shareholders page ... I know boring day ... it can't all be exciting you know...

Yup I finally got Camera Mom to help me and then sit still long enough to get a Video Cast together.  There were a couple of things that I forgot to get in there too so here it goes.  The pair of Geese that were sitting on a nest on the island at the pond have hatched out 5 Babies.  I tried to get some pictures but some didn't come out very well.  Remember these are wild Greater Canadian Geese that come each spring to nest on the small island in our pond.  They don't really trust us but each year they hatch between 5 and 9 chicks.  This year there was 5 again. 

The babies are just a few days old and they already can swim and there parents will start taking them to a bigger pond in the next day or so.  I like to investigate the nest when they are done with it.  Sometimes there are eggs that don't hatch and sometimes there aren't. 

No matter what they are doing you can always tell the male from the female by their bodies.  The female keeps her head down even when swimming and the Male is the look out.  He has his head up and looks everywhere.  I hope you can see her in this photo look to the right of him ... See her white band.  She is facing him and the chicks are the blurrrs at his feet. 

I also fogot to put some pictures of Pete in the Video Cast.  Pete is a turtle that I let winter in the house one year.  He was really cool and he even got so used to us that he never even put his head in.  He was a baby then and I was about 8 years old when that happened.  Anyway, in the spring Mom made me turn him back loose.  And every Spring since then He has returned to our house.  Okay maybe not the same turtle but he sure looks the same to me so I call them all Pete.  I only hope that it really is. 

With those things that I left out I hope there is still enough news from the farm to make the Video Cast exciting.  I am so hoping for our first lamb to be born on Wednesday.  That is Mom and Dad's 20th Wedding anniversary and I can't think of a better gift then to have the first thing ever born on this farm to happen then.  Say a prayer, keep your fingers crossed, send good mojo or do what ever it is that you do for me so that it will all work out. 

    I know I should have blogged more this weekend but we were so busy and I was so tired.  On Friday I went to work with Mom and then did some running.  After that Mom made Dad and I help her put in the garden.  We aren't doing as big a garden this year because Mom says lets get it down to an art and actualy get it producing something first then we will grow from there.  Last year we grew more weeds then anything.  We have learned to grow cucumbers on Tomatoe cages that way the cucumbers are easy to spot and they take up less room.  We planted Tomatoes, cucumbers, watermellon, cantalope, cabbage (red and green) bell peppers, yellow sweet peppers and califlower.

    Saturday I had a poultry show.  It was a poultry club function so the club went together.  We were up at 3:30am to get birds packed and in the truck and get chores done before we left.  At the show all my birds placed but I was most proud of my waterfowl and my Australorps.  My Rouin hen (who is an older bird and older birds normally don't do well) and one of my East Indi call ducks took top honors and I brought home a paycheck.  My Australorp breeding has started to pay off and the judge even made the kid showing against me feel my birds body type to show him what a good bird should be.  (those are his words not mine)  It made me feel good about what I have been working for.  Maybe I need to get more serious about my breeding.... So what did I do??  Ordered fresh Blood lines in the form of 25 new chicks and they will be here the first part of May.  When we got home Mom was off work and she started Mowing the yard.  She also worked in her strolling garden.  I think it is really looking nice even if it is a whole lot smaller.  Dad and I went and barrowed Eddie's sprayer so that Sunday we could get the spraying done. 

    Today is Sunday and we had to get alot done around the place.  First we were going to spray but the wind blew all day so we couldn't.  We got the spray all mixed up and as soon as the wind lays we are going to get after it.  Instead we moved the fence line to recapture some on the pasture that used to be Mom's garden.  It is all going to get sprayed and be weed free.  Then there is just one more fence to get in before I can use the new pasture.  Mom finished up the mowing after she got off work while Dad and I went to rope with a bunch of guys we know.  Mom even got the orchard mowed.  There is one thing going on at our house tonight and that is that Mom is making everyone be in bed by 9pm.  She says she is shutting down the house because we are all grippy from the lack of sleep.  I have 20 minutes to finish this up and shower and get to bed so I better wrap it up for now. 
    Tomorrow I am going to try and get a video together of what all has been going on around here.  Maybe I can do it like a tour.  Oh, wait, I almost forgot.  I have also been working on doing a geocache travelbug that will be set free from Berlin to makes it's way here.  I will have to keep everyone posted as to when it is set free and how to track it.  Then I am going to set one free to go back if everything works right.  Anyway, off to bed.  Good night world. 

    Okay, So I got Roger back.  I am not real happy with his condition.  When I took him over there he was fat and sassy and in good health.  He was happy and loved to play with people.  Now you can feel his hip bones under his fur that is coming out by the hand fulls and his ear tips are missing.  Yes, he is shedding a bit but the missing eartips and being under fed I can't forgive.  Roger is here to stay.  I will never let him go to anyone else again.  I trusted those people.  Buddy was suppose to be a friend.  Why would his parents allow that to happen to an animal?  And it isn't just his body condition.  He is scared and doesn't even want to leave the angoras....  He used to go everywhere on our place with me and now he doesn't want to go anywhere.  I feel really bad.  I am the one that thought that would be a good home for him.  I know I can't blame myself but I can't help but feel bad for Roger.  What he must have been through.  There are very few ways for a goat to loose ear tips and none of them are good.  This winter wasn't very cold but if he didn't have shelter and no feed that could have caused it.  It means that he didn't even have enough food to shiver himself warm.  That would explain why he is so thin.... Look at him...

    Dad said when he picked Roger up he was staked out with no shelter or food so it would make sense that they kept him that way all winter.  I went to check on him twice while they had him and each time he had hay and shelter but I guess things changed.  His personality is different too.  I tried to take him to the old dog pen where he used to "Mow" for Mom but he tried to jump out and never even made a sound.  He hasn't baaaaed the whole time he has been home.  Even in the picture he doesn't look happy.... what happened to my happy little trouble maker???   

When I got him out and let him take the lead he ran as fast as he could back to the Angora pen. I don't understand why he is so scared.  Here he is safe here and he has lived here before doesn't he remember when I had him before? 

When I looked at Mom I swear I saw tears in her eyes.  She said that tomorrow she is going to go set with him after she gets off work. She says it might take a few days and alot of love but we will get our old, happy Roger back in time.  And he can stay here the rest of his life.....

    There is a saying I once hear that said something about the key to not going to war was sweating during peace time (something like that anyway I can't remember it word for word)  Today I think I figured out what that really means and that it does pretain to everyone's life ... Even mine ... Kinda.  Please let me explain. 
    Today the only thing that happened that is worth reporting is Roger came home.  To be honest I don't really know why because Buddy is really upset about me having to come get him.  Mom said that it was Buddy's Dad's way of hurting his Mom.  She said that Buddy's Dad just wanted Buddy upset to get Buddy's Mom upset too.  I know that Divorce makes people do crazy thing but dang! To hurt Buddy to get his Mom upset?  That makes no sense to me.  So I told Mom that "I pray you and Dad never get Divorced" Mom told me not to worry that there is a plan for that (Mom has a plan for everything if you haven't learned that by now) ... I laughed and said let me guess the plan is to not get Divorced???  She said that would be plan A but if it failed there was always plan B!
    I thought Mom was joking but she wasn't.  Turns out a few years back a couple that had been married 21 yrs got divorced.  This couple was in Mom and Dad's wedding and Mom and Dad loved them both very much.  When this couple got Divorced they did a bunch of Crazy things but Mom and Dad stood their ground and never took sides.  One of them even was going to try and make Mom and Dad testify against the other about something that was said and they put their foot down and said they would not do it. 
To this day we are friends with both of them.  We are just careful not to invite them both to the house at the same time.  To top that off they both know that we are still friends with the other and that both are still loved and welcome in our home.  
    Anyway,  When that all happened Mom and Dad did some talking.  Mom said that part of it was that they learned that anyone could get Divorced, even those you don' t think will.  In all their talking Mom and Dad decided that if they planned their Divorce when they were happily married it would be a friendly Divorce and alot easier on me.  And that is just what they did.  They have all these rules for their Divorce.  
    First, I will be welcome in both their homes anytime.  I won't have to worry about who gets custody of me it will be 50/50 and I stay where I want as long as both parents know where I am.  Then they had this one rule about they have to both be at all the milestones in my life and be nice to the other .... I thought that sounded funny but Mom said it meant like Graduation or a Wedding or something.  I can't remember all the rules but they even have it planned if they are mad at each other they each must go to 50% of all sport events but they can do so without seeing the other person.  Mom said the one she thought was most important was the one that said if either one of them say mean things about the other person in front of me that person looses custody of me....  They have like two pages of rules that have to be followed if they get a Divorce.  It even talks about how Mom will live on the farm until I don't need help with the animals or I move them all off to another place.  Then the family farm goes to Dad since it is his family's farm.  
    I have to tell you at first I thought it was funny that Mom and Dad planned their Divorce but after talking to Mom about it and learning some of the mean thing people will do during a Divorce ... I don't care if it makes my parents weird... I like having a plan B for their Divorce.   I have to admit I never really worried until some one I know is having to deal with it ... Then I did get a little worried but not any more ....   

Today changed so fast.... First it was horrible.  I am sure everyone knew that Rabbit had scours.  We had been doctoring him for weeks and last night he gave up trying.  That sometimes happens when baby animals don't get the collostrum they need from their mothers and that is what we think happened here.  So yes, my day started out bad but keep reading and you will see.  I was suppose to do my schoolwork and then Mom and I were suppose to get the garden planted when she got home from work.  Well, first it was suppose to be her day off but the Spay and Neuter van was in town and she had to take Cinder the shelter cat and Cappie (sponsored by QTs) to get fixed.  She also needed to get another adoption up to Doc's office first thing this morning.  
    Mom's plan was to be home by 9am but since the guy that was suppose to help Mom get all the animals where they were suppose to be didn't show she had to get everything done in  a pinch.  She got the adoption to Doc just in time and then headed to the spay/neuter van with Cinder and Cappie  When she got there they were already checking animals in but she didn't get to leave because the other guy did show up there and Mom had to fix everything.  She finally got gone about 10am but when she got home she got a call from the van that they had a bunch of no shows and if she wanted any animals done for the shelter she could still get them in.  Well, on her way back to the shelter she also grabbed Drover.  Poor guy never saw that coming.  (Neither did I)  I didn't even get a chance to talk to Drover about what was going to go on.  
    Before I knew it the Dog was in the truck and on his way to loose his Manhood.  I was left at home so that I could at least get the tilling done in the garden and get everything ready to plant our grapes. 

I got the braces up ...

And the grapes got planted .... We didn't get the rest of the garden done yet but Mom says we will tomorrow...

Drover is now in Doggie Jail in the kitchen for the next 24 hours to keep him calm.... Like that is going to work.  

The day started to get better though when Mom took a walk in the old part of the garden.  She does that from time to time to see if she can find any new plants coming up that she needs to move so that I can have a pasture for my animals.  Anyway, she found my Tiger Lilies .... I love those things.... I now have them in a pot and back in the garden where they belong .... My day was starting to look up when we got a call ...

    Meet Jimmy and Peter.  If no one has guessed this years lamb babies have all be named after Characters in the Judy Blume Books Tales of a fouth grade nothing.  Fudgie was Peter's little brother and Turtle was his pet.  Jimmy is Peter's best friend... See they all go together.   What is funny is how we have noticed that each year we seem to do more of one thing then the other.  This year is the year of the lambs.  I remember one year we had 16 bottle calves all at one time.  Anyway, These two are now in the pen where Fudgie and Turtle used to be and we tried to move Fudge and Turtle in with the Goats because they are about the same size. 

Well, it didn't work out and the goats went to beating them up when it came time to go in the shed for the night.  So we have them in the sheep shed in Ranger's day pen at night and in the goat pen in the day.  This is one of the many problems when you raise babies who don't have mothers.  They are all different sizes and have no mother to take care of them.  We work hard to get them all to be a family and in the end they end up doing okay but it is alot of moving around for us on a daily basis.  After figuring all that out I got one more suprize...

I found a hen setting on a nest in the boat... Mom laughed and said we now have a house boat ... and then we decided to let her stay and see if she could hatch some chicks.  Speaking of chicks... Fancy is also having issues ... she wants to roost in some pretty odd places....

Dumb Bird!!! She belongs to Mom but she is a pain in my backside Because this is what I have to do every night now just to close up the chicken coop...