Weekly news update
Hello farm fans!! He looks terrifing doesn’t he? Nah, that’s just Rod smiling for the camera.
Things have been busy for us around the farm. I wanted to update everyone on some changes I have made to the web site and give some information.
I have added some pages to our “Products” area that showcase items we have available for sale. If you click on the photo, it will take you to the web page to purchase the item or read more about it. There is a discount code that you can use at checkout. If you are local to me, contact me for a special code to use for free shipping as well. I will even deliver your product to you if you are close to me. I have also added a tab for used equipement / tack. We have a couple of saddles that need to be sold and a trailer that is looking for some new grass to kill. If you have an overgrown spot that you would like to get rid of, let me know! Oh, it does haul horses or livestock quit nicely as well.
Good news! Someone had a patch of grass that they needed some work done to it. They have decided our trailer – now THEIR trailer – is the PERFECT item to kill said grass. So, it is no longer available. Maybe you could grab one of the saddles I have available and throw them on a horse and sit on your horse for grass / weed control. They do a great job at mowing grass down.
We have a barn friend that will be leaving at the end of this month. His owners are being relocated so he will be heading on to new pastures. So, if you are looking for a low key, quit place for your equine friend, get in touch with me for more information on boarding cost.
Exciting News
It’s that time of the year!! The time when the alpacas go from looking “normal” to looking a bit strange.
Every year, we have to have our alpacas shaved due to the amount of fleece they have and the heat. They get very hot in the summer with their “wool” coats on, so they have to be removed. It’s always a crazy day when the alpacas are shaved. They have to be haltered, which they really don’t like. The whole shaving process is not a fun one for them either. They tend to scream and spit a lot during that process. The end result is a much cooler alpaca, that looks a bit like an alien.
Below is what they looked like last year. This year, we decided to shave their heads too because the fleece was starting to get a little long.
Once this process is complete, we have a lot of fleece fiber that needs to be processed. While I have processed some of this myself at home, it becomes a bit of a large job to do if you don’t have all the equipement to do it efficiently. I decided to send off the fiber that we had to R&K Alpaca Fiber Mill in Iowa. I could not be more pleased with the final products that we got back. You can see the photos of our final products on this post. They did an awesome job with the fiber and our final products are amazing.
Once the products were back with us, I got everything labeled and ready for sale. But now, what to do with all this yarn and fiber? I have an Etsy store front, but really, it’s just hard to keep everything updated and promoted as I need to.
I decided to check around with some local yarn stores to see if they had a market need / interest in alpaca yarn and fiber. I am so excited to announce that you can now find our yarn stocked at Unwound located in downtown Blowing Rock. So, if you go out and about shopping in Blowing Rock, swing by Unwound – 1132 Main St Ste 105 Blowing Rock, NC 28605 – and check out our yarn display. Spread the word and let any of your fiber friends know as well. If you have never stopped in Unwound, be sure and stop in. She has a lot of beautiful hand crafted items for sale. You don’t have to be a knitter/crocheter to stop in and check everything out.
If you are interested in learning how to knit / crochet / spin or felt, let me know. If I can’t help you out, I am sure I can get you in touch with someone that can.
Horse Boarding spot available!!!!
Looking for a home for your beloved horse? Come visit our tranquil family farm nestled in Lenoir, NC. We currently have a full-board spot available. Our farm offers top-notch care, providing high-quality grain twice daily, ample pasture turnout, and hay. Additionally, we have a spacious, oversized round pen for training, riding trails, and a jumps course. If you don’t own a horse but are interested in riding, we also have two mares available for on-site lease. We invite you to come by and explore our farm. We would be delighted to discuss our offerings with you further.
Weekly update 5/17/24
Thanks for popping by for the weekly update. I’m a little late this week, but things happen right? Anyway, if you didn’t catch the Northern Lights last Friday, we had an amazing view here at the farm. For sure a “bucket list” kind of night.
We still have a board opening available. We have a pretty quiet herd right now, with one bossy mare with angry ears and a big butt that she will swing around at feeding time. But she is pretty quiet out in the field and only likes to “play big” before going into her stall to eat. Once she gets her food, she leaves everyone else alone. The other mare just screams. She’s a bit on the drama side. Every barn needs one of those though right? All of our geldings are pretty chill and stay to themselves. We do have a couple of visitors that are staying with us, but they are just temporary. Their owner is back from college and currently looking for a house. They will be moving on with her once she finds the perfect spot. So, if you are in need of a quiet, laid back farm for your best friend, get in touch for more info. Would be happy to give you a tour and show you around.
In other news, our alpacas got their yearly haircut this week. If you have ever wondered if alpacas like this yearly chore or not…………..well, I’ll just let the video speak for itself.
There’s a LOT of spit and drama involved in getting these guys cleaned up for the summer. They hate the process, but love when they get all that fleece off.
That’s it for this week. We are getting Rod ready for show season, so check back for more updates on him and how his jumping career is going.
Weekly update 5/6/24
Are you looking for a low key, quiet, family owned barn for your horse? We have an opening for board. We currently have 2 mares and 3 geldings in the field. While our mares do run the field, as mares like to do, they tend to mind their business if left alone. One is a squeeler if you look at her wrong and the other has some really mean ears and likes to show her teeth. She’s the worst at feeding time, but since she gets her food first, that usually calms her bite. The boys are all aware of the angry ears and let her have her way.
We feed grain 2 times daily. Barn choice feed is Pro Elite Senior topped with a balancer. Horses have access to hay / pasture 24/7 with stall / shelter available. There is a round pen available for use and 36 acres that you can ride on. If jumps are your thing, we also have a jumps course set up. We will schedule vet / farrier appointments as needed. Need training options? I can help you set that up as well. Contact me for pricing info and availablity.
Maybe I Like to Draw, just a little………….
It’s no secret, I have always enjoyed drawing. Sometimes with just a pencil and a nice piece of paper. Yes, I did say nice paper. I am very picky about the type of paper that I use to draw on. It has to be a certain quality, all cotton paper. If it has torn edge, even better.
I have also found a love in digital drawing. I can create and erase quickly and add in color to create pieces that I can’t do with my pencil. I have tried using color pencils, but I have to face the fact…………..I am just not good at it. I can piant if it’s simple projects that are not too complicated.
Typically, my drawings are done and they sit in my sketch book, or on my ipad and live there forever. I have decided to start offering them for sale. They will be prints made from the original drawings, because as I mentioned before, I’m a bit odd about my drawings. I like to keep the original. There’s something about tearing a drawing out of my sketch book that makes me a little nuts. I know, weird, but hey, it is what it is.
So, what you will get instead of the original is a printed copy that is printed on high quality cotton paper. The bonus to this is, it won’t smudge. I can’t say I have ever finished a pencil drawing and not been covered in black.
Pricing will be based on the size ordered. Sizing is typical sizing 5×7, 8×10, 11×12, 16×20. More specialized sizing can be ordered, just get in touch so we can talk more about what you are wanting. Prints can be mounted as well, for an additional charge.
I also do custom work if you have an image that you would like turned into artwork. Get in touch with me and we can talk more about what you are wanting.
A Girl and her Horse
When we bought Storm and Cedar, we had no idea what we were in store for. They both came from an auction. And, as we have learned, a good horse ends up at an auction for a reason. Maybe that reason is because the family can no longer care for the horse, so they decide to sell them at the auction. Maybe it’s because the horse has issues and the person that has them doesn’t want to invest any more time in training for the horse. No matter what the reason is, you really just don’t know why a horse is there and what you are coming home with. Cedar turned out to be our statue horse. She wanted to stand still and not really do her job of walking on a trail. Storm on the other hand, was a whole different story. We tried working with a trainer, but with our schedules, the time that Isabelle needed to spend with her just wasn’t there. So, she worked with her when she could. Storm started to display some aggression when being ridden. To the point of bucking and not behaving under saddle at all. We consulted with several people, trainers included, and it was recommended that Storm be sent off to a trainer for 30 or even 60 days to give her some intense work and training. Isabelle wasn’t going to hear anything of that. See, she had a bond with this horse. She refused to let her horse be sent off anywhere. She didn’t want to lose the bond that she had. So, she started putting in some intense work with her. We had a wonderful young lady decide that she wanted to board her horse here with us during this time. I think God saw our need and Isabelle’s great desire to keep her girl at home and sent Val to us. You see, Val is a certified trainer. How could we get so lucky to have this person here? After talking with her and having her take a look at Storm, she came up with a plan for her. Not even a month later, Isabelle is now riding Storm around the field. We still have the occasional “Storm moment” as we like to refer to them as, but the transformation is amazing.
Not only does Storm now have a better understanding of what is being asked of her, Isabelle now has the confidence to know how to handle her and how to ask her to do things. To think that this horse could have landed with someone else that didn’t have the patience or time to invest in her like Isabelle has is scary. Her fate could well have lead her to be a broodmare used for breeding or on a truck headed to a kill pen.
I can’t thank Val enough for all her help. I also have to give Isabelle 100% credit for believing in her horse, standing up for her and refusing for her to be sent off to a trainer. For putting in all the hard work and working with her daily. Isabelle wants to be a horse trainer when she grows up. I have to say, she is off to a great start.
Into the Field
After a lot of planning, holes being dug and fence being installed, our alpaca girls are now in the field behind the house. We love walking out the back door and seeing them all in the field. I think they are loving it too. Not only are they eating up lots of grass and getting fat and happy, they have also learned that when the door opens, they may be getting treats. They have figured out that we keep a bag of treats just for them in the house and we come out to the fence line to share those treats with them. They hear the door open and they will all perk up and come running to the fence line in hopes of getting a treat. If you have never seen an alpaca run, you need to come and watch. It is pretty funny to watch them.
They have a big space to really stretch out in now.
Interested in hosting a yoga session in our field with the alpacas? Get in touch with me and I can give you more details on the best times to come and stretch out with the girls.
We Can’t Leave out These Guys
Gotta love a donkey. They are sweet but stubborn. Sometimes a little wild and unruly, but we love them and we love to spend time in the field with them. They are almost always together, but I did manage to get some pics of the apart. Images are available for purchase.
Time for a Photoshoot
Took the camera down to the lot today to get some new photos instead of just getting cell pics. We will be selling images if you see anything you would like to have framed for your home. The girls were happy to pose for images since they got some feed in the process. Love the expressions I got from them. They weren’t 100% sure what the big black thing was that was looking at them.
