Look Who I Met!

I've never met them before! I was amazed! Can you guess?

They are warm and fuzzy. They only have teeth on the bottom of their mouths. They don't spit often. They are very curious. On a cool morning, if you put your hands deep into their fiber, your hands will feel warm surrounded by their luxurious hair.







Their name? Alpaca.


















Now, I don't remember the others' names, but I do know his. His name is Buck. Buck is very shy. He didn't like if picture being taken. He avoided my camera every time he saw it in my hand. He's a gorgeous creature, and the feel of his hair is amazing! Buck is 2 years old. Of the 3 alpacas I met, he was the oldest.



















This little guy is a year old. He was not as shy as Buck. He was very curious. Now, when you look at that face, what do you see? I see a great bead! I'm going to have to try that out. His fur felt wonderful!



















This little female was as sweet as could be. She didn't like to be touched on the head, but I was able to dig my hands into her delicious hair. It was so warm and soft!

Other little bits about these wonderful alpacas are that they bleet very much like a lamb. When I returned their greeting, they simply looked at me. I thought I was communicating, but I guess that I wasn't. They didn't "speak" to me. The two younger alpacas are one year old. I'm not sure I'd like to own one, but I enjoyed meeting these critters.

All You Creatures Great and Small in Bittersweet

Today was a bitter sweet day. For those of you who know me, you know my sadness today. I won't go into it. It's just there, and always will be. The sweetest part of my day was the realization that teacher workshops began today in our school district, and I didn't have to go! Retirement is wonderful! At last, I am in my bed listening to something that will cease in a few short weeks. The sounds I am hearing are those of tree frogs as they call out in the night to their mates or prospective mates. The sound is endless, only interrupted by the sound of the distant train whistle and the whir of the cars going up and down the hill behind us. If today could be described in terms of summer, this was a perfect summer day, and this evening is a perfect summer night. Soon the little creatures I hear now will be silent, and the weather will get cold. The cycles continue. For now, these little tree frogs sing out their joy at their lives, limited as they are, and live intensely in the moment. I used to think that a dragonfly only lived 24 hours. I've now found out that they don't. Most live 3-6 months. I think that's much better. They are fascinating creatures. They, also, live intensely in the moment. Dragonflies fly and flutter moving from one place to another, hovering in another place, and then they are off where ever they go. Creatures live in the moment, doing what they are meant to do. They live their lives to the fullest. Most have rather short lives, a few have very long lives. The cicada is an example of a long lived creature. The ones who have come out of the ground this summer were hatched long ago. Their human counterparts have mostly died. These little creatures are finally in their old age! Enough now of these ramblings. I'm ready for bed, but I wanted to show you this creature I formed from soft glass. I think it's a boy, but I'm not sure. I only know it's a creature with no name. In spite of no name, I do like this creature, too.