The Easter Alpaca

You never know who's going to show up on Easter Sunday.  Most people think it's the Easter Bunny but sometimes (if you're really lucky), an Alpaca comes by for a visit.

Serena was hoping the Easter Bunny had left a treat for her.  She was happy to get some alpaca snacks, but she started searching for something really special.

She looked in the lobby.

She looked out the window.

She asked Cathy for some advice.

And Karen helped her search.

Then she found a familiar face who told her exactly what to look for.

I Would Love To Have a Llama

However, this was John's reaction when I asked if I could board one on his farm.

 Here was his reaction when I told him I was kidding.

PS:  (I wasn't really kidding.)

Socks!!!

I have been craving a pair of hand knit socks for a long time.  I'm not interested in learning to knit my own, but when I met Johanne, MK (Master Knitter), I asked if she could make me a pair.  Here she is trying to figure out what I've done wrong with the front side of an orange top I've been working on for a year. 

I didn't have to go far for the yarn.  Although it is not alpaca, John kindly provided me with a lovely heather coloured sock yarn.

It has flecks of green in it and Johanne went above and beyond in the creation of these socks - look at the pretty ruffle she added.  The green in the ruffle is from a sweater Johanne created during our knitting course.

Aren't they lovely?  I intend to wear them instead of slippers.

Is this Winter Ever Going to End?

Maggie and Stella Bella, the barn cat wait patiently for spring.

Knitting Lessons

Sharon at Alpacas from Eighth & Mud (AEM) has found a way for us to deal with the long tedium of winter while learning and socializing at the same time.

Johanne Barton is providing knitting lessons once a week to novice and experienced knitters.  Johanne is a Master Knitter - her sweaters are just incredible.  Here's a closeup of one she knit and was wearing in our last class:

And of course, it is made from alpaca - isn't it lovely?

I just learned to knit a year ago and (thanks to my mother and You Tube) have learned a lot.  But it's aggravating when you try something new and can't get the right instructions for it.  Johanne is a natural teacher and also inspires us with her knitting skills.  She's very good at breaking pattern instructions down into smaller, easy to understand sections.

And Johanne also helped me break through the fear I had in working with double-pointed needles.  Another knitting goal reached!!

Here's Sharon concentrating really hard.  She's making an incredibly beautiful jumper for a little someone special:



How Did Slash Get His Name?

It was easy to name this big boy.

Eye to Eye and Nose to Nose

I love getting up close with the alpacas.  They're curious and not afraid to get in my face.  It was snowing hard on Saturday and I couldn't really get a sense of what I was focusing on, but these pictures came out pretty well.

 

(If you look closely, you can see my reflection in his eye.)

It's funny how some alpacas love standing out in the blowing snow, and some need the security of a warm, cosy barn. 

The snow started up really fast and quickly covered everyone.  I had to stop taking pictures as the camera was getting too wet.  You can see from this photo of Tina Marie's tootsies that there was some snow (and delicious hay) on the ground but not in the air:

But within minutes Lucy Maud was covered:

And so was Serena.

And here is some snow on Serena's back - isn't it beautiful?



Somebody Wanted Her Picture Taken With Santa Claus - Merry Christmas!

The Other Side of Our Visits

Why I do This

Usually Serena and I make nursing home visits on our own and I don't get many photos of her with the residents.  However last weekend my sister Karen joined us on a very special visit to a Long Term Care facility in Burlington and she took all of the pictures you see below.

It is rare for us to go room-to-room at the nursing homes, but for the folks at Brantwood Lifecare Centre we made an exception.  It takes longer and sometimes Serena and I need a break, but we enjoy getting close to everyone.

When you see the look on these faces, you'll understand why I do this.

Thanks to Karen - photographer extraordinaire!
And thanks to the staff and residents at Brantwood.