Tag Archives: alpacas

Housekeeping (blogkeeping?) and tax assessor

Posted on December 21, 2011 by cliffhousealpacas

I hate to disrupt your regularly scheduled alpaca antics, but I have a few housekeeping notes. I’m headed down to the ranch tomorrow and I’ll be there through January 2nd. During this time, posts may be somewhat erratic. It’s not … Continue reading →

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Bravado is not a good sharer

Posted on December 19, 2011 by cliffhousealpacas

Little Bravado, our smallest alpaca and our only suri (it’s a breed of alpaca), is a man after my own heart. He’s a bit of a worry wart, always on the watch for trouble, and he is not good at … Continue reading →

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Predator and prey dynamics

Posted on December 15, 2011 by cliffhousealpacas

The relationships between horses and their riders, as well as alpacas and their owners, are fraught with misunderstandings. Although the cowboy view of the horses tended to be a bit less introspective, the “schools of natural horsemanship” that have recently … Continue reading →

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Alpaca bio: Merlin

Posted on December 13, 2011 by cliffhousealpacas

Now, if you know our family even a little, you’re thinking “Of course they have an alpaca named Merlin. They’re practically witches/wizards themselves.” Funny thing is, Merlin (or Merly, as he is sometimes called) came to us with his name, … Continue reading →

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Marcello: defender of the ranch

Posted on December 5, 2011 by cliffhousealpacas

Saturday morning was…interesting at the ranch. Mom was cleaning (as always), when all of the alpacas started chirping in alarm. Normally one or two will chirp when they spot something amiss, like deer at the top of the driveway or a … Continue reading →

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Archie the suri alpaca

Posted on November 29, 2011 by cliffhousealpacas

A friend of ours has a little grey suri alpaca by the name of Archie. Now, this friend of ours, Mark, is one of our best alpaca buddies. We all sheared on the same day, and we each helped out … Continue reading →

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Brittany on bunny patrol

Posted on November 28, 2011 by cliffhousealpacas

My brother was warming up his car yesterday when he heard the alpaca alarm call. It’s a loud, high-pitched chirp that we’ve become as tuned to as the alpacas themselves. He investigated and found the girl alpacas lined up in … Continue reading →

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On feed, and shortages thereof

Posted on November 18, 2011 by cliffhousealpacas

A month ago, our hay supplier’s storage barn burned down. Around 100 tons of hay were lost in the fiery conflagration, including everything he had set aside for us for the winter. Now we’re scrambling for feed, and not just … Continue reading →

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Mom’s new barn cat

Posted on November 15, 2011 by cliffhousealpacas

Isn’t it precious? Mom looked up the driveway the other day to see an animal rolling around in the dust. It was clearly a cat, and just as clearly, not a house cat. Which left only one possibility: bobcat. Mom … Continue reading →

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Random alpaca word of the day: “spit”

Posted on November 14, 2011 by cliffhousealpacas

Not long after we got the alpacas, Dad had a uniquely alpaca ranch experience. It was early morning and he was on his way to the office, where he had a class to teach. Like a good (somewhat naive) alpaca … Continue reading →

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