"Self-sufficiency does not mean 'going back' to the acceptance of a lower standard of living. On the contrary, it is the striving for a higher standard of living, for food that is organically grown and good, for the good life in pleasant surroundings... and for the satisfaction that comes from doing difficult and intricate jobs well and successfully." John Seymour ~ Self Sufficiency 2003

Saturday, 10 May 2014

Alpacas at play?


RMan is in heaven.  He has finally found someone or something that is permanently in play mode.

 First, last year he was concerned that the alpacas may be bored.  The alpacas???
They don't look bored to me, but they did to
RMan
Kris spotted the foreign object in a flash
So, connecting a rope to a football, he placed that in the alpaca paddock.
Should I get closer...?
Sitting outside the paddock, he slowly began to pull the ball towards him.
RMan has the patience of a saint
Kris, naturally, had to see what this was that was slowly moving in the paddock.  It was white, but it didn't look like a duck.
A leap here, and a leap there - what is this
thing that keeps moving...?
He couldn't resist - he had to follow.

 The same happened with Minky.  RMan figured that he needed some companionship.
RMan getting a good sniffing over by Minky
Minky is not as timid as the two adults.  He always comes to greet you when you enter the paddock.  And that greeting entails a good, but oh, so very gentle, sniff of the face and neck.
Mike gets the sniff over now
Mike was entranced the first time Minky gave him the once over.

 But, make no mistake, Minky is very strong willed.  If you get up too quickly, before he has completed his daily "inspection", he then tries to nip your posterior if you turn your back on him.  Very gently though :)
The joy of being alive...
He does seem to miss the companionship of other cria.  So he has a game...
... so aptly demonstated by this little cria.
... round and round the paddock on this own:)
...or with whoever is willing.
Ah, a human has come to play - Minky sprints
down the paddock after RMan
 And, RMan is always willing to come out to play LOL
Oh - there's another one...
Then, last weekend Mike stayed over with us.  And, naturally, he had to join in on the game.
... slow coaches.
Minky was in alpaca cria heaven.
Minky is not even breathing deeply after
all that exercise

Boys will be boys!

 What a treat this little cria is - what pleasure and joy he brings to our lives.
And don't think I didn't see you hiding behind
the camera Dani
It's the simple things in life that give one pleasure.

 I would hate to have so many animals that they are just livestock, and I / we don't get to know them as we have Minky.  What a loss that would be - to our lives, and theirs.
Posted by Dani at 18:03:00
Labels: , ,

10 comments:

  1. Vicki10 May 2014 at 18:55

    Oh, what fun! It is so good to see your family giving the alpacas the attention they so enjoy. Whoever has said that animals don't have personalities just wasn't paying attention. Thank you for sharing the photos. It warms my heart.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dani10 May 2014 at 20:08

      Vicki - You're welcome Vicki :)

      Oh, yes - animals certainly have their own characters and personalities. I have a feeling that Minky has plenty in store for us in the future... :)

      Delete
  2. Sol11 May 2014 at 11:07

    they are so cute aren't they. They facially look a little like kangaroos?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dani11 May 2014 at 14:53

      Sol - There's a thought - I wonder if kangaroo's are an offshoot of the camelid family? Alpacas, Llamas, Camels, Giraffe and Kangaroos all have a similar facial structure, don't they :)

      Delete
  3. Harry Flashman11 May 2014 at 16:06

    Animals get to be part of the family quickly. That little Alpaca is really something. I hope there aren't any predators around that are a threat to him.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dani11 May 2014 at 19:23

      Harry - Minky certainly is a very important member of this homestead :) Predators - rooikat - yes, but we're keeping careful watch.

      Delete
    2. Harry Flashman13 May 2014 at 04:08

      What's a rooikat?

      Delete
    3. Dani13 May 2014 at 09:32

      Harry - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caracal :)

      Delete
  4. Leigh12 May 2014 at 03:44

    What a happy post. It's so true that animals bring a lot of joy. There is something delightful about watching them play. Better than any kind of "reality" television.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dani12 May 2014 at 10:52

      Leigh - You hit it spot on - alpacas are such happy animals.

      THIS is reality :)

      Delete

Thank you for taking the time to comment - it makes my day and removes the "loneliness' of sitting at my screen blogging supposedly to myself ;) I try and reply as quickly as possible so please forgive me if sometimes my response is delayed.

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)