Etsy Love

Oh Etsy, how I do love thee... I have been a member of Etsy for 7 years now.  It was a fantastic discovery when I stumbled upon it in its beginning days and I believe, even with the many changes it has undergone, it is still a fantastic web site.  I do know many of the stores I have marked as favorites over the years are no longer in business, but many still are and there have been many many more new stores created to fill in the voids.  Please take time to shop around on Etsy.  It is so huge, it can be a little overwhelming, but it is worth the time to get a feel for the site and I can promise you will discover many handmade goodies, made by individual hands, and people whose names you can see and who truly put their heart and soul into there creations.  One place to browse is the Treasury.  I just created a new treasury this week called Spring Romance.  Here is a glimpse:

Black Betty Grabs the Blue!!

This past weekend we attended the Virginia Classic Alpaca Show in Lexington Virginia.  We (Southern Legacy, Clearview, Pactamere and Bay Shore Farms) took 10 animals to the show.  My farm, Southern Legacy Alpaca Farm, brought our first baby, SLAF Mojos Whoa Black Betty, to the show.  Betty is just a tad over 8 months old and has an awesome personality.  She is built like a mack truck, so sturdy and broad and she has such a fuzzy face!  This was our second show, we also attended CABO and took a 5th.  At the Virginia Classic we were in a class of five, and I was a tad nervous seeing as she is my very first animal to show under my farm.  I was overjoyed when the judge waved us up into first place!!!  I know Betty is very deserving of the placement, but you just never know.  Betty's dad is FPA's Mr Mojo Risin out of Black Mesquite and her Mom is an old school girl, Queen Wellington III who is out of a New Zealand Import and a Peruvian Import.  Betty has amazing staple length and a very organized, bold crimped fleece that is very bright.  I am tickled pink with her and absolutely love her.

Update on Little Feet

My little guy with the foot issue I mentioned a few blogs back seems to be doing much better. One idea we had was that his feet had gotten frost bite during an icy snow we had during February.  That would explain the thick peeling skin.  We had a bit of a nasty snow today so I took some time to clean his feet with a betadine wash.  Then I used the hairdryer to dry them off nicely and make sure all areas of his feet were clean.  We bought some little dog boots and they fit his little feet perfectly.  They did a good job protecting his feet for part of the day even though I took them off when I left the farm but if you can stay on top of them, changing and drying them in between, they were a fabulous solution.  I am very proud of how far this little guy has come.The peeling skin is almost completely gone and I think once Spring is in full swing, he will be running around at full speed with the rest of the cria posse.

My Adopted Kitty Greta

My kitty is Greta. She is by no means the most lovable kitty in the world, or even on the block. The world is here for her use, along with us humans. I am basically worth existing, in her mind, because I provide food and have a warm lap. She will tolerate me petting her occasionally in return for these provisions. And I lover her very much. It has been nearly 8 years since the entire family paraded into Wendy Erskine's house on a mission to find a kitty. Oh, I had visions of uniquely marked kitties with magnetic personalities and charm. My one rule was no tabbies. So we spent a lot of time playing with kitties and petting kitties and loving kitties. I did know I wanted an adult. I felt like adults had less chance of finding homes so it was my chance to help one of them out. As I wandered the property, a little tabby followed close. She was not pushy but she had a look, like she was pretty done with all these annoying cats. She was not special in any way, just a plain, average ol' cat but her eyes spoke volumes to me. She wanted out. So now, almost 8 years later I am resting in bed with this very aloof, pretentious, fabulous kitty layed out across me and I am looking forward to another 8 more years. Please find it in your heart to adopt a homeless kitty. Check out Wendy's Feline Friends if you are in the Virginia area.