Me looking dorky at the skirting table with Jody. We skirted fleeces as they were handed to us.
Don and Jody's females on the left and two alpacas on the right from another farm.
One of the 4H kids holds our boy Cinnamon before his turn at shearing.
You can't get enough Cinnamon, so here's more of him.
Hey! Stop sniffing that!
Cinnamon getting shorn. For those concerned about the restraints they don't hurt the alpacas. They're for their own safety - it's not wise to have a nervous alpaca moving around when electric cutting tools are near them.
Cinnamon post-shearing. So skinny!
Benz and Silverton waiting their turns. Benz looking sweet as usual.
Silverton, now with more camera flash!
Silverton's fleece is wonderfully soft this year.
The new baby llama on the farm. She loves to give kisses!
Silverton laying down for shearing. The helper holding his head still sung to all the alpacas to help soothe them during shearing.
I took this picture to show the difference between a llama (Tasha, on the left) and alpacas (all the other animals in the pic).
Here's a better comparison. Note how she's nearly twice their size.
Silverton, have you lost weight? You look so svelte!
Benz getting ready with Don Stanwyck.
Some of the ladies waiting their turn.
Amber the alpaca gets groomed and dried before shearing.
Jody gets more bags ready for the next alpaca fleeces.
Benz and the shearer/helpers.
I tried to take a picture of the llama cria as she came in for a kiss but she was too fast!
Lady C or Princess (I can't tell!) getting groomed by the 4H kids.
Benz is ready for shearing. The helpers talk to him quietly to calm him down so he doesn't move around so much.
A very skinny Benz with Matt.
Amber's turn!
Lady C or Princess...I don't know which!
Almost done.
Another skinny 'paca!
We did 16 or 17 alpacas today! Matt gets the labels ready for us at the skirting table for the different fleece sections.
She'll need to lay down to get properly sheared. Most alpacas just don't want to lay down when you need them to.
Matt immobilizes her hip so that she's doesn't move suddenly while the shearer is cutting.
Mercedes checking out the visitors who came by to see the shearing.
Tasha the llama is unimpressed.
Tasha waits her turn out under the tent while the male alpacas are moved into the barn behind us.
The boys are brought into the barn soaking wet. They'll need to dry before they can be sheared.
Get my good side!
A visitor's son feeds the boys. Jordan gives them a smile underneath Blaze.
The new cria gets sheared. So tiny and skinny! As soon as she was done she ran around the barn outside and stopped at the window for a kiss.
Bruce shears Tasha. Shearing a llama requires more careful planning and caution because they're so big and can move suddenly, hurting themselves or the shearer and helpers.
Bruce shears off her blanket while Don holds her. She was pretty tolerant, actually.
I...I get the feeling someone is staring at us...
Oh no, it's...IT'S...
GAH!!! CRAZY CHICKEN!!!
Our boys relaxing in one of Don and Jody's pastures after their ordeal.
So skinny! I just want to run up and hug them.
Smile, Cinnamon!
All the bags of fleeces I took home from our three boys - our harvest!
Benz's blanket. He's actually got the highest quality fleece among our three boys, which is surprising - I thought it was Silverton!
Silverton's blanket. I love his color!
It's a bit of a shorter staple length this year but perfectly spinnable.
Cinnamon's blanket. Our boys were surprisingly clean this year.
Another shorter staple length, but still great fleece.
