Alpaca Ranch
Double G Alpacas . . . a whole 8 minutes down the road! Leroy and Paula have only been Harvest Hosts since January . . . but they are a long time award-winning Alpaca ranch with a wall full of ribbons and plaques to prove it. Well-appointed pens . . . Mums and youngsters one side . . . males the other. Miniature horses, goats and a pot bellied pig (neighbours who moved away asked, “can you look after her till we find her a new home?” . . . that was 7 months ago, so looks like she’s found her home). They also board two horses apart from their own. And chickens . . . but NO rooster. Leroy (whose daytime job is a computer programmer) works from home 4am – 2pm, then works the ranch. And then there’s the craft studio. He and Paula offer spinning, weaving, felting classes and the place is filled with hand-crafted items – theirs and other artisans. He spent well over an hour showing us the animals and demonstrating how the wool was cleaned, carded and spun . . . old-fashioned 9,000 year old spindles to current. Fabulous and REALLY interesting . . . of course he made it look easy, but you know it wasn’t!
We have the run of the place . . . can go and visit the animals whenever we wish . . play a funny little mini golf . . . go for walks along the trails. Walking back to the trailer we spied a shiny black beetle doing what looked like a handstand, with its head almost touching the ground. Didn’t move while we crouched down to take a picture. It had turned cloudy, and I wondered if it was expecting some moisture to appear. Rather like beetles in desert areas of Peru (?) whose only source of moisture is from dew which collects and funnels down to their mouths. Hmm, something to check on. Well, I was completely wrong . . . these are Pinacaste beetles, and this is their method of protection https://blog.growingwithscience.com/2010/11/bug-of-the-week-desert-headstanding-beetles/ We were lucky to avoid getting sprayed!!
After a buffeting wind all afternoon . . . the whole sky was aflame tonight.
Plans for leaving in the morning were put on hold . . . the wind began picking up around 7:30 am and by 8:30 gusts were shaking and buffeting the trailer alarmingly. Predictions were for over 32 knots – approaching 40 mph — definitely not safe pulling a caravan in that. Stabilizing legs were re-positioned using heavy-duty plastic pads . . . the sandy soil was just not firm enough. Better, but winds continued to increase. Sand whipped into eyes and mouths . . . the family of quail scratching for food around the truck looked like wind-blown feather dusters, until something spooked them and they vanished over the logs, whooping and burbling indignantly. Visited the alpacas again. The guard dogs Sherman and Bradley . . . yes they truly were the size of tanks . . . especially when they trod on your foot, or leaned in for a tummy rub . . . were complete softies during the day. At night was a different matter as they patrolled for coyotes, bobcats and other unwanted visitors.
Each of the alpacas is so different. Some are curious and would peer anxiously into your face, sniffing tentatively, others kept a respectful distance staring at you with enormous eyes, jaws moving constantly. Young males play fought while older males looked on . . . indulgently or indignantly. My favourite animal though, was Sophia the pig. Her pen was closest to the gate, and as soon as she heard voices she’d rush out of her piggy house to greet you. Rotund and bristly, she’d love to be scratched behind the ears or along her back . . . grunting blissfully, until you stopped. Then a moist, muddy nose would be thrust through the fence demanding more.
Met another Canadian – Michel from Montreal. He and his wife had spent 6 months traveling from Quebec to BC, intending to explore Tofino and west coast of the island. They arrived just in time for the disastrous floods in November, so changed direction and went south instead. Although his wife had to return home to deal with family matters, Michel carried on and encountered the Alpaca ranch. Being a handy sort, he stopped to help Leroy with electrical wiring, construction, helping with the animals.
In the afternoon we had a quick look around town, replenished supplies, and hurried back – relieved to see our trailer still upright. We lashed everything possible and sat tight – hanging on when extra strong gusts hit. By sundown things had eased . . . so we helped Leroy and Michel water and feed the animals for the night. Felt good to muck in rather than just observe. Clothes needed a good bashing to remove accumulated dust before entering the trailer.
Completely clear and calm overnight . . . and COLD. There was frost on the truck in the morning! Brrr. Time to leave the high desert.
