My favorite hen of all times is Henny Penny. She follows me everywhere. Seriously, she follows me everywhere she can. If she had a diaper on, she'd follow me into the house.

After I let everyone out of the "Hen House" in the morning, she'll stretch and squack and make her rounds and see what I'm up to. I'll pick her up and give her a "love" and then she'll carry on while I tend to the alpacas and dogs.

While I get hay or grain for the alpacas, she'll be following me around. Sh read more...

For some reason I don't seem to learn the first time around. OK, I might be a slow learner or sometimes get distracted. I think I actually was a bit distracted.

Tuesday evening I did some of my afternoon chores and made sure everyone had fresh water and hay. It was our "activity day" for our young girls in my church's organization. We were helping with a service project of harvesting potatoes that were grown locally for people in our town. They aren't to be sold but are grown through read more...

Once in a while I am able to "getaway" from the ranch and play with grandchildren. This time, for me, it's a birthday party and a few grandparent days at the elementary school that must be celebrated in a state many miiles away that will take me away from CCRA.

M has (willingly) taken over chores for the alpacas, dogs, cats, as well as for the hens and roosters. 

While our "Employee of the Month" (Ricky Bobby) is promising to not help much, M will rely on the help of one read more...

    How do I begin to describe this?

    Back in the Spring of 2024 .... a film crew, a bunch of game show participants referred to as "Snitches"  and some darling female alpacas and crias, all residing at Circle Cliff Ranch Alpacas, and me, worked together to create something magical.

   This "magic" is what I am referring to as Episode Three  of "The Getaway." It was released July 24, 2024 on Nebula, an on-line by subscription service. read more...

    This Spring has kept us so busy. Now, we're just days away from Summer. The temperature has been in the high 80's which feels like summer, and everything is greening up in our little valley.

We have done a few breedings --

    *Trixie Allie is "married" to Django Fandango

    *Neapolitan Sundae (Polly) is "married" to Estates Joyous Olina (Ollie)

Crias take 11. read more...

April has been the month of birthdays, and Circle Cliff Ranch Alpacas has been "Birthday Party" central.

We have celebrated so many personalized birthday parties here this month. Each one has been joyous and unique in their own ways. Each have left me smiling and so happy that we (Odin, the alpacas and I) could be a part of memories that were made to last a lifetime.

One birthday was especially perfect.
Organized months ahead of time by friends, the birthday girl didn't k read more...

When we moved here in 2015, we had never had chickens before. I had only held a chick or two when I was a child. M said, "We don't need chickens" and that was that.

One week when he was in SLC, he returned home to find we HAD chickens. I had overcome my fear and had traded loaves of fresh wheat bread for chickens, a very good trade indeed.

From that day on I have enjoyed chicken ownership and the ups and downs of it. I have lost a few to old age, and that has been sad. I have read more...