Olivier Hits The Road

Calzada's Manchu's Olivier now available for Stud Services at Alpacas At Hum Sweet Hum

 I took Olivier for his date last week.  We were on hold getting him off the farm to his dates while we waited for the arrival of our last cria (who happened to be the first Olivier baby to be born!).  Once Kipling was born, we were set to hit the road.  He had a date about an hour from our farm.  Olivier is my handsome guy that was I purchased from Hayley Jessup from Alpacas at West Ranch.  He is such a gem.  I just love this boy.  Not only is he an incredibly beautiful, statuesque alpaca, he has exquisite fine fiber that is keeping consistent and fine even after multiple shearings, plus he is the easiest alpaca to handle.  He is such a joy to be around.  He is curious and fun. 

I have been clicker training Olivier and he just cracks me up.  I taught him to bow.  I thought it would be a real hoot to take him to an alpaca show and have him win his ribbons and take a bow as the judge handed us his ribbon.  I didn't quite get it perfected in time for last show season which is a shame.  It would have been an even more memorable moment as he took his 1st place ribbon at Nationals to take a bow!  Maybe we will have it down for next year's shows.  I have also been teaching him to touch his carrot toy that I have hanging in their pasture.  He really likes that game.  Mowgli is better at getting the carrots out of it but having that toy hang there, gave me the idea of using it for the touch clicker game.  Olivier picked up that game quickly.  I lured him to the toy with a hand touch.  Within a few clicks, he was getting the idea of touching his nose to the toy instead of my hand.  Now when I go out to play the clicker game with Olivier, he isn't always quite sure if I want him to take his bow or touch the toy.  So when he isn't sure, he does both!  He first takes a bow and then touches the toy.  You can just see the light in his eyes as he plays this game.  He looks at me after he is done touching the toy as if to say, "Did you see me?  I did it!" 

Last Friday, I loaded Olivier in the car.  He is so easy and loaded immediately into my Honda Element.  It fits an alpaca perfectly.  We headed down the road.  He has done this before so he wasn't too concerned yet he hadn't gone that distance before.  His other dates have been more local.  This one was just over an hour away.  He was humming a bit so I often put the radio on when the alpacas sound anxious to see if the music helps calm them.  I had it on a classic rock station.  His humming got louder so I didn't think he liked that.  I tried a different station that had lighter rock.  Nope, still humming.  I tried Country Western.  Nope.  Well of course my classy guy would want classical music!  I turned to the classical music station and the humming quieted.  He liked the Tchiakovsky symphony I found.  We settled in on our drive having found a suitable channel to listen to and we tootled along Highway 5 until we reached our exit.  The farm was only about 10 miles off the freeway.  As soon as I got off the freeway, the humming started up again.  He knew we must be close since the car's smooth pattern had shifted and he sensed it.  I began keeping an eye on what roads I needed to turn on so turned the radio off and listened to Olivier's music instead.

I talked to him as we got closer telling him how much he was going to enjoy the destination.  I found the last road I had to turn on and Olivier stood up in the car.  I told him we were almost there.  He had been facing towards the rear of the car and looking out the back window on the entire drive until I made that last turn.  When he stood up, he turned around and had his head looking out the front window.  I was concentrating on looking for the address and driveway I had to turn onto when I heard a familiar sound in the rear of the car.  "Oh Olivier!  You couldn't hold it two more minutes?  Really buddy?"  I exclaimed.  Ah well.  That is why I love my Honda Element.  It cleans so easily.  I have rubber mats down too so even easier clean up.  He finished his job just as I drove up the farm's driveway and arrived.  He was at least cleaned out and ready for his date. 

I hooked his lead rope onto his halter and he jumped right out of the car.  He looked around and we led him to the pen where they had his date all ready for him.  It didn't take him long to figure out what his job was.  His girl was very happy to see him too and they both got busy quickly.  I enjoyed getting a tour of the farm while Olivier had his fun.  About 45 minutes later, we were loaded up and heading back home.  Olivier wasn't picky about music stations this time.  He was quite pleased with the car ride now.  We settled back to our drive home.  He looked out the back window again watching cars and seemed very relaxed the entire drive.  I was about 2 minutes from home when he stood up again and faced towards the front.  Uh oh, I thought.  I hollered at him we were almost home and to hold it but to no avail.  I heard the tinkling again.  I opened my window and drove up my driveway as he finished.  I now know how long Olivier's bladder holds out!  I had to laugh and shook my head as I walked him back to his pasture.  The boys were eager to hear what happened.  No fussing between them as I unhooked Olivier's halter.  They seemed curious about Olivier's going and coming back.  I made sure all was calm and set about finding my cleaning supplies to tackle cleaning out my car.  Oh Olivier.  You gotta love that guy! 

Saying Goodbye is Such Sweet Sorrow

I said goodbye to a herd of 10 alpacas yesterday.  They were boarded on my farm while their new farm was being outfitted with a barn and fencing.  This was such a wonderful job tending to this herd.  Such sweet alpacas that were quite the characters.  Nothing was more enjoyable than hosing this group down.  They loved the hose and their kiddie swimming pool.  It was a guarantee belly laugh every time the hose came out.  This herd had been coming to my farm for temporary boarding for about two years.  Their owners had owned a small place about an hour from me and when they went on vacation, they'd drop off their kid alpacas a day or two before they left.  I was affectionately known as Camp Hum Sweet Hum.

I remember the first time this herd came for their temporary stay.  They are such a close-knit cohesive herd.  They stem from two dams and it is their children and grandchildren that are all together still.  They were quite skittish that first trip here.  If one moved, they all moved.  They looked like a school of fish how they moved around in their pasture.  It took several days before they felt braver but none ever came too close to me.  The second trip to the farm, they were a little more comfortable with things and they were getting to know Moose and the rest of the gang here.  By their third trip to the the farm, they would race about the pasture pronking as their owners left.  It was fun times here.  They enjoyed the fruit during summer as I handed out apples.  Their owners said they never knew about apples and they got their addiction while here.  

Although this group enjoyed the farm here and were comfortable, they never quite showed the affection they do with their owners.  I was ok with that and never pushed them to do more.  But, yesterday as I was haltering them up and talking to them about how much I enjoyed having them here and telling them they were heading to their new home and seeing their mom and dad again, several reached over and gave me kisses on my cheek.  It was like they knew they weren't coming back.  They are moving too far away for me to continue doing their temporary boarding when their owners are on vacation.  Tears welled up in my eyes as they gave me their kisses and allowed me to rub their necks.  I'm happy their owners will have their kids home because they adore their alpacas, yet it was bittersweet saying goodbye to them.  I so enjoyed having them here.  What a wonderful job that was to tend to such beautiful, sweet and easy alpacas and I got paid for it!  When one door closes another one opens and I hope the next door that opens will be as sweet as this one.

The alpacas attending Camp Hum Sweet Hum

Conversations from Readers of Alpacas Don't Do That

I'm so enjoying talking to people reading my newly published book, Alpacas Don't Do That.  It is fascinating for me to hear what is catching the reader's attention.  I was talking to someone the other day about my book and they were telling me that early in my book where I described having the talent of intuition is like being a good singer.  Not all of us can sing well where others are born with an operatic voice.  Those of us that should keep our singing in our showers know that no matter how many voice lessons we take, we will never make stage performers, and some with lessons can join choirs and really enjoy that but never still make it to having a top 40 hit.  The same is true where intuitive abilities are concerned.  Some of us are born more gifted and talented in that area.  I believe we all have some abilities but they may be more like those who should only sing in showers (like me!).  My description and using singing as a metaphor resonated with this person.  They said how they are looking at their own intuition differently and when others describe their experiences of "coincidences" they are seeing the possibility of it being not merely a coincidence but intuition occurring.

It was really exciting for me listening to this individual get excited about the possibilities of their own intuition and being less afraid of it.  Coming from a society that is dominated by a sensate mindset is difficult when talking about intuitive experiences.  Most people only believe things if they feel, touch, taste, hear, or see it for themselves.  Listening and communicating with animals would not fit within that category!  I know how frightening it was for me to admit that I could do those non-sensate, very intuitive things.  Would I be marginalized? Be treated differently?  Teased?  Bullied?  Dis-respected? I had a lot of concerns in the earlier days of opening up to my intuitive abilities.  It helped me to read others' experiences and I found through the sharing of their stories, moments I could relate to that had happened to me.  I saw trends of how their own abilities developed that were similar to my own.  It wasn't something totally new happening if others had similar things happen to them.  It gave me more confidence.  Yet, those folks were still categorized out in the world.  You go to the bookstore and they are in the metaphysical, New Age, Woo-woo areas.  I was an engineer and not around a lot of those types of folks.  It was a stretch for me.  I had to live in two different worlds for some time and it felt like I lived a dual personality.  For many years of being an engineer working for the government no less, that intuitive side of me was kept well hidden from my colleagues.  But as I learned more about it, I found it helped me greatly in my work environment.  I could read people's body language better and their energy.  I could read when someone was not telling me the truth.  Boy did that come in handy in negotiations.  Instead of being afraid of my intuition, it became an ally.

I have to say turning 40 was wonderful!  There is something about entering into your 40's that you just stop caring what others think about you.  You are what you are.  If you like me, great and if you don't, that is fine too.  I just don't need everyone to like me.  It became a lot easier to be myself and allow others to see that side of me and how the intuitive side was playing a more important role in my life.  Turning 50 only made that feeling stronger of really not caring what others think!  I wouldn't want to go back to 20's or 30's because it is so freeing having this attitude.

Having the ability to communicate with animals and doing energy work on them has been the best gift anyone could ever give me.  So why shouldn't I just shout that out with pride and excitement that this is super cool!  And, if by reading my book others get inspired or find confidence to open up and realize they too have this ability, that is even more super cool!  Thank you all for sharing your experiences from reading my book.  I so love hearing them.  Send me more of what has resonated in you from reading my book.  Send them to cindy@humsweethum.com.  You sharing your stories helps others open up to their abilities too!

My recently published book Alpacas Don't Do That

Day of Gratitude At Hum Sweet Hum

I wrote my Master's Thesis on the grieving process and I used Dante's Inferno as the metaphor for going through grief.  I could have used that epic poem for lots of other aspects of life too.  Our personal growing process reminds me of the Inferno.  The graphic of the spiral as Dante traverses the various layers of hell is so much how we grow or grieve.  It isn't like we go through things once and learn and then bam, we are done.  The metaphor of peeling an onion is more like the reality of growing.  We learn one layer, take a break and then get another lesson and peel another layer away, etc.  And quite often, it is something difficult that we are dealing with, a personal hellish experience, that provides the best opportunity for our psyches growth.

Dante's Layers of Hell

  
Learning about alpacas has followed that same pattern.  We seem to get cycles of events both good and bad happening on the farm.  Each time, hopefully we learn from the previous experience and we can address things better, have more information, medicines, and tools available to deal with that particular issue.  There is the left brain of learning how to do things that get evolved and the right brain's, intuitive and emotional aspect of our psyche is also worked.  They don't always work together either.  I may learn something fast with my left brain on how to do something, but my emotional brain tends to take much longer to get what I'm to learn from that experience.  It is amusing to me that I sort out the emotional side of what I'm to learn quite often while I'm raking alpaca poop!  I'm trying to figure out my own crap while dealing with real crap!  It is real "Crappy Therapy!"  Even though I joke about it, I am most sincere in how it has helped me tremendously in my personal growth.  Being in the fresh air and moving about gets the blood circulating, both sides of the brain are engaged, yet it doesn't take brain power to rake.  I have at least an hour or two of raking needing to be done each day too so I have dedicated time to just let my mind ponder over issues.  I often come up with blog ideas as I rake, or I mull over marketing ideas and I also try and figure out why something is pushing my buttons.  

Lately, I've been given many signs to stay focused on being positive and grateful.  It would be easy to look at what isn't going right, getting caught up in the malestrom created by American politicians and how it could affect me personally.  But so many of those things are terribly negative and much beyond my control which only causes more anxiety.  And if I allow myself to stay focused and concerned on those issues that I really can't help, I will only draw more of that negative energy towards me.  It is a self-defeating method of thinking.  But I have found myself being dragged into that thinking.  I have been given wonderful reminders of staying focused on being positive.  I saw on TV the other day as I randomly flipped through channels and stopped when a woman talked about being grateful when she is feeling the same way I have been lately.  She said sometimes she has to force herself to go through the litany of things she is grateful for even when she isn't quite feeling so grateful.  Her words hit me like one of those zings of an aha moment.  So every morning and every time, I start getting upset with things that are beyond my control, I consciously and willfully stop myself by looking around and think of all the things I'm grateful for.  It is so easy when I take a look at my beautiful alpacas and sweet dogs.  The list grows and grows and I feel my heart filling up.  I can feel less weight on my shoulders as I continue my list of things I'm grateful for and even turn those things that are creating anxiety into a gratitude if I can.  I usually can find something to be grateful about.  If nothing else, I know that feeling anxious won't last forever and I'm grateful for that! 

Since starting my gratitude lessons when feeling bombarded by negative thoughts from myself or others, I have suddenly started seeing more positive things come my way.  More of my Alpacas Don't Do That books are being sold and more doors opening up.  Help that I needed to revamping my Website is in place, help getting my taxes and bookkeeping improved have come into being.  Things that I wasn't doing a very good job on my own and knowing it, but not having the skill, energy or desire to remedy on my own.  So gratitude thinking is wonderful.  It changes our own perception and it draws those things we need to us that are positive.  We draw the positive instead of the negative.  And although being grateful won't stop bad things from happening, it helps when dealing with those cruddier parts of life when we have to traverse yet another ring of hell. 

I'm Grateful For A Healthy Cria Who Is Such A Cute Baby Boy!

Mowgli and Calvin's Big Outing

Ann from Aragon Alpacas talking about alpacas with guests and Mowgli and Calvin making a new friend

I had Mowgli and Calvin at an event this weekend.  I was so proud of my boys.  They did well on their excursion out in public.  I caught them early before my friend Ann came over to help load the boys.  I haltered up Mowgli and he stood at the barn door waiting for me to open it.  I was getting the two boys dressed in their halters and finish getting my supplies ready but Mowgli was all set to go.  I had to laugh since I hadn't seen him do that before.  He was eager and ready to go on an outing.  The last time he was haltered, we went to a summer art camp for kids and he had so much fun that he was ready to go again!  I don't always know how much fun they really have or are they just being tolerant with the activities.  But seeing Mowgli eager to go out, I think he actually enjoys himself. 

The two boys were definitely the hit of the event.  Everyone came over to see them and they got their bellies filled with carrots.  A new person that came over would get their hands checked to see if there was a carrot in them.  I'd make sure the hands would get a carrot or two and the boys were happy to engage.  It is such a great socialization activity.  The alpacas get to experience different ages, sizes, shapes, men, women, children, hats, smells and any number of other sensory stimuli on these outings.  They seemed to enjoy it most when I would take them out of the pen to take them for walkabouts.  They greeted people allowing pets and pats even on their heads.  I'd try and get to people first and ask to make sure only necks or backs were patted but some would not hear or forget and go straight to the top of the head.  The boys tolerated it with good humor.  They got extra carrots and goodies for their patience. 

I took the boys home after a long time and I had to laugh on the drive home.  It was like having two tired children in the back.  If Calvin touched Mowgli by accident, I'd hear a spit being launched.  Calvin didn't have much room and it was by accident.  He wasn't trying to torment Mowgli but if he barely touched Mowgli, there would go another spit.  "He's touching me!"  I'd tell Mowgli to relax and it was an accident and no spitting in the car.  Then they'd settle down and look out the back window.  I was the stereotypical mom keeping arguing children calm in the car. 

We got home and the boys were quite happy to be home with their herd mates.  They were greeted at the gate but no male pecking order fuss happened.  All were happy to see each other and catch up on the news of their outing.  It was a fun day had by all.  And like all outings that are fun to go out on, it is even more enjoyable being home. 

Naomi's Watched Pot Boiled! It's A Boy!

Leave it to Naomi to make it an exciting day at Hum Sweet Hum.  At feeding time last night, she looked ready to birth any time.  She was very lax and poofy on her backside.  Her milk was in and I could see the baby's head pushing up against her rear end.  She was quite open even and I was concerned that perhaps she was already in labor.  So I checked on her a couple of times through the night.  It was cold so I didn't want to leave a newborn that was damp in that cold for long.  Alpacas don't usually have their babies in the middle of the night but it has happened so I wasn't leaving it to chance.  But, come daylight, there was still no baby.  I watched Naomi go to the poop pile a couple of times and I thought perhaps we truly were going to have this baby finally today.  As I mentioned in the last blog, Naomi is one that does not want an audience.  I went into my house to keep an eye on her from inside so she couldn't see that anyone was watching.  After going to the poop pile as she walked out to the big field, she began grazing.  I worked at my computer which is by a window where I can watch my pastures.  I kept an eye on her for a couple of hours and she just grazed.  No extra trips to the poop pile.  No up and down, lying down and then rising like the expectant moms do when in labor.  I didn't see any signs other than that one peek of her poofy behind earlier.  I got to thinking that it was just another false alarm.  After several hours of no signs of labor, I decided to run to the feed store.  I was almost out of their pellets and a few other items.  It isn't far from my farm so I jumped into my car and ran my errand.  As I drove down my driveway, I had another good look at Naomi.  She was grazing away but lifted her head and looked at me and then went back to eating.  I sighed and left for the store.  It is no more than 10 minutes from my house and all I do is get my pellets and load them in the car which takes maybe 5 minutes if there is no one in line ahead of me.  I was home in less than a half hour.  As I drove back up my driveway, I see something new laying in my field and several alpacas surrounding it.  It's a baby!  That stinker Naomi took advantage of me leaving and quickly delivered her baby.  She is the stealth deliverer! 

I jumped into my boots and hurried to the field.  I found a little fawn boy in the sternal position already.  He was shivering so ran to the barn to get some towels to dry him off a bit and warm him up.  What a cute little guy and I was so thrilled.   A healthy baby with no fuss and need of assistance being born!  I waited until Naomi passed her placenta which only took her about 15 minutes after I arrived home, then picked up her little boy and she followed me back to the barn where I could work on drying him up.  It was a cold fall day here in Oregon and the hardest part of the little guy's birth was warming him up.  But three jackets later and a hot water bottle next to him under a towel as he napped, he finally stopped shivering.  He figured out nursing quickly and has nice straight legs and very bright eyed as he looks about.  What a sweet boy.  Naomi and Olivier did a great job.  Now the hard part is to figure out a good name for our newest addition. 

I will be up a couple of times during the night I'm sure.  I always do even with no issues.  The over-protective worrier in me needs to put my eyeballs on these new babies every couple of hours or more if there seems to be an issue.  I won't fully stop worrying for a day or two until I see all the normal things going on and know that mom and baby are fully bonded and can find each other easily.  But there still feels like a big weight has been lifted to know that the pot finally boiled and I'm done with cria watch until next year. 

It's A Boy!  Naomi and Olivier's baby is born.

Naomi's Watched Pot: The Endless Cria Watch at Hum Sweet Hum

The gestation period of an alpaca is about 11 months and a week on avg.  However, depending on whether we are on one side of the summer solstice or the other, they have a tendency for going longer or shorter in the gestation.  The alpacas intuitively or physiologically "cook" their babies to have the most sunshine.  So before June 20th, they tend to go longer before giving birth and on the other side  as we approach fall and winter, they tend to go shorter.  Of course, Naomi forgot to read that memo!  Her 11 and 1 week due date came and went last week.  Her last baby was due in the spring and so I wasn't overly concerned that she went 2 weeks past her due date and I didn't do the breeding so I'm never 100% certain of the breeding date accuracies.  I was the one that arranged and got Naomi with her hot stud, Olivier so I know the actual conception date and have a more accurate due date.  I'm anxious to see this baby since it is Olivier's first baby which of course makes the clock tick slower.  I have often said the first 10 and a half months fly by and then time goes into a snails pace as I wait for the signs of labor. 

Naomi is a real beauty.  I was so lucky when I got her almost two years ago.  Her genetics are amazing and she is still so soft and lush even after a number of babies.  I just love this girl.  She is still one of my most shy alpacas on the farm.  This summer she became more friendly during full fruit season.  She was much less hesitant about coming and taking her fruit from me.  She so enjoyed the fresh pairs especially.  I was happy that she was being more social.  As her baby nears birth time, she is more reticent and aloof.  She keeps a wary, watchful eye on me even from the length of the pasture.  That is mostly instinct.  Their main priority is to keep that baby safe from predators so keeping her away from two-legger is quite understandable and I'm respectful of it.  I try and take a peek under her tummy to see her teats as I walk by at feeding time to see if they are filling up with milk or if she goes potty nearby.  I try and see if I can see any signs of a birthday soon.  Sometimes they hum a day or two before birth, but she has been quiet so far.  Milk seems like it is coming in but I saw that two weeks ago!  I have seen the baby moving and kicking so either she has a squirmy baby or an alien inside!

The last baby Naomi had she did not want two-leggers watching.  I had a number of visitors on the farm that day.  I could tell she was looking off and even got down on my hands and knees to see if I could see any dilation (she was lying down).  After all the visitors left, I went inside.  Once she saw it was quiet and no one was around, I watched her from my window and she started to push.  Within 10 minutes, she had her baby out on the ground.  She had stopped her labor until all was quiet and no humans were around.  I am mindful of that for this baby and try and watch from far away and this year, I'm not allowing guests to come for the birth.  I will only call on them if help is needed but knowing how protective and sensitive she is about having others around, I know to be more respectful of her this year.

So, I sit here writing about Naomi and watching for any signs of labor and seeing none.  I suppose that adage is correct; "the watched pot never boils."  Well, it boils.  It just seems to take forever!  In the mean time while I wait, I can start thinking up some potential names for this kid.  Suggestions anyone?

Waiting on Naomi: Baby Name Suggestions Anyone?