A school of blackbirds

One of my favorite  sights is the crazy blackbird flight school offered each Spring as hundreds or thousands of birds launch into flight together, wheeling and turning in unison.  We have a very healthy stand of bamboo grown from a few starts given to us 20 odd years ago by our friend Joe.  That little … Read more

It’s cold.

It’s -13 outside.  I was trying to make snow;  I poured boiling water in a mister and was spraying it around outside.  I think the droplets were too small;  what came out looked like white steam and rose quickly out of sight.  Bigger droplets were definitely frozen.. Anyway it was inconclusive.  I checked the WoodMaster, … Read more

Brand new cria

We have a new addition! Baby Stardust was born last Sunday.  She was born healthy around noon, and immediately started exploring the pasture.  Unfortunately, she and her mother Izzie didn’t connect in the nursing department.  We gave the baby a colostrum supplement, but true alpaca colostrum products are not available.  Izzie’s teats were soft, and … Read more

A nice triple conjunction

After the crazy weather we’ve been having , it was a treat to see Venus, Jupiter and Mercury crammed together into a neat triangle after sunset.   Mercury can be hard to find in the twilight, and it sure makes it easier to have Venus or Jupiter as a marker.  Tonight we have both!  Mercury is … Read more