As I wrote the title of this blog, I couldn’t help but giggle. The list of things alpacas DON’T like is quite long: snow, rain, rodents, shots (well, no one likes getting shots), people, being looked at, tax assessors, noisy power tools, and so on. Well, you can add wind to that list.

The ranch sits, as you might guess from our name, on the edge of a rather steep precipice. It’s very out there and exposed to the weather. Lightning and wind are the two biggies. The house has about a dozen lightning rods on the roof, and we’ve taken direct hits to the well head.

The wind usually comes out of the south-east, across the plains, but when it comes from the north it is a cold, miserable experience for everyone. The ‘pacas tend to stand in their stalls humming in disapproval, and refuse to go out to turn out unless Mom takes alfalfa out there to eat.