I didn't buy any of their expensive yarn
So I am lame about forgetting my camera when I go to photogenic places -- hence no pictures from the harrowing field trip to the American Shakespeare Center in Virginia. I also forgot my camera last weekend when my college friend who lives two hours away expressed an urge to visit the "Open Barn" event at a llama farm outside her town.
Yes, a llama farm. These people have a huge herd of llamas, from which they make yarn, I guess. Well.
The most disdainful llama ever.
My friend was delighted that one could take a leashed llama on a walk. I think we were the only llama walkers that didn't have a small child in tow. Who cares? There is no age limit on the joy of walking a llama. Ours was named Shabamm.
Llamas are apparently good guard animals -- put them in a herd of sheep to keep away coyotes. I'll keep that in mind.
In addition to guarding sheep, llamas are also good for picking up any loose straw you might have lying around, as that one in the back has demonstrated.
The farm also had a fair number of alpacas mixed into the herd. Alpacas are smaller and look like fleece blankets. Also, they have cute little fuzzy hairdos.
There were also enormous angora rabbits being carried around by the many blonde children of the farmers. We failed to take a picture of the one we met, whose name, awesomely, was Dust Bunny.
A baby llama and its mama.
A baby alpaca and its... mother's back-a?
This baby llama was only about 24 hours old.
A baby llama is called a 'cria,' apparently, and the birth process is called 'criation.' I think that last part might be fake; I'm just reading the llama farm's signs here.
Baby alpaca is cuter.
Yarn was like $28 per skein -- not something I need. Especially since I can't find time to finish the projects I'm already working on. Sigh. Well, I guess my half-hour break from paper-grading is over. I must face the dreaded Paper #2, which is always inexplicably worse than the first, even though logically everyone ought to have improved.
Yes, a llama farm. These people have a huge herd of llamas, from which they make yarn, I guess. Well.
The most disdainful llama ever.
My friend was delighted that one could take a leashed llama on a walk. I think we were the only llama walkers that didn't have a small child in tow. Who cares? There is no age limit on the joy of walking a llama. Ours was named Shabamm.
Llamas are apparently good guard animals -- put them in a herd of sheep to keep away coyotes. I'll keep that in mind.
In addition to guarding sheep, llamas are also good for picking up any loose straw you might have lying around, as that one in the back has demonstrated.
The farm also had a fair number of alpacas mixed into the herd. Alpacas are smaller and look like fleece blankets. Also, they have cute little fuzzy hairdos.
There were also enormous angora rabbits being carried around by the many blonde children of the farmers. We failed to take a picture of the one we met, whose name, awesomely, was Dust Bunny.
A baby llama and its mama.
A baby alpaca and its... mother's back-a?
This baby llama was only about 24 hours old.
A baby llama is called a 'cria,' apparently, and the birth process is called 'criation.' I think that last part might be fake; I'm just reading the llama farm's signs here.
Baby alpaca is cuter.
Yarn was like $28 per skein -- not something I need. Especially since I can't find time to finish the projects I'm already working on. Sigh. Well, I guess my half-hour break from paper-grading is over. I must face the dreaded Paper #2, which is always inexplicably worse than the first, even though logically everyone ought to have improved.