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Alpacas - The Good Life
Alpacas simply have it made at Falkland Farm. You couldn't
ask for a better life or a more peaceful setting. The
pastures are lush, there's a huge barn with open stalls where
you can camp out comfortably when it's snowing or the fields
are covered with ice. In the summers, Ernie and the barn
crews set up these huge water fed cooling fans that spray
cooled mist at both ends of the barn. You lie down and
cush among your friends to escape the summer heat. Life
is good.
Most days, you just walk to the barn door opening and see
if it's worth going out. As you can see, today looks
like a good one, and the guys are already out munching in
the field.
Alpacas play a lot of fun games in the field from day to
day. There's a single-file version of follow-the-leader
where they run at break-neck speed hugging the contour of
the pasture fences, run up and over the dirt or gravel mounds, and
even hug the contours of the stalls in the barn. Then,
there's king of the mound where you tussle with your buddies
to see who gets to stand on top of the mound.
On dry, warmer days of summers and early fall, the alpacas
absolutely love to roll in any bare spot that offers a little
dust. Over here on the right, you see the juvenile huacayas
throwing their version of a pool party.
In October, when the leaves are reaching full color, you
just want to hang out and watch the leaves fall down by the
pond. The fleeces are starting to reach substantial length
in preparation for winter, and the cool fall breezes feel
great.
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Checking it out from the barn.
Dust rollers - soon we'll all be the same color!
Waiting patiently to see where the
next leaf will fall.
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