The Apple Tree Herd

My parents were in Vermont this weekend at Cas-Cad-Nac Farm picking up their new herdsire Smoke Ring.  So this morning the kids and I went to the farm to clean the pens for my parents.  My boys are such a great help with the chores.  They pick up a bucket, grab a rake, and are off to work without any direction.  They will sweep and fill water buckets without being told how to do it. They just know it needs to get done and they do it.  I didn't have my camera on me to get shots of them carrying the buckets of water together or running through the sprinklers with the alpacas, but trust me they were adorable.  I am very grateful for having them with me (when they are in good moods) at the farm to help out.  When they are in bad moods it is another story.

 

So here is the herd in the field I wrote about the other day.

Awan doing an impression of a giraffe.

Blue was enjoying some clover.

Clover isn't bad for the alpacas, but it makes them have foamy mouths.

 

Blue showed off that his mouth doesn't get foamy from clovers.

 

Silly alpacas. It is hard not laughing at them right after they are sheered.

I just had to take this picture... sorry guys.

Harper isn't to sure about the alpacas taking over his playground.  He loves playing in the field where they are now.  Hopefully he will get along with them and they can all play in the field together one day.

 

So this is........ THE NEW GUY! So exciting!

 



It was pouring rain when he got to the farm and I left my camera in the house, but it stopped just long enough that I ran over to get a few pictures. He decided to roll in the dirt just as I got close enough for some pictures.

 

He is going to be a herdsire and hopefully this time next year he will have some little ones running around the farm.  He is quite a handsome fella and is going to work great with my parents gray breeding program.

 

We aren't sure what we are going to call him. By we I mean my mom and sisters. Remember the middle child thing I have going on.  So his official name is Smoke Ring.  The farm he came from calls him Smoker.  I liked calling him Smokey, but my mom is not a big fan of any of those names.  His father's name is Royal Ring of Fire and is known at his farm as "Ringo".

So they are playing around with different names for him.  I want to call him Johnny Cash. I think of Johnny Cash when I hear Ring of Fire. But Johnny Cash was the man in black and that would probably be a better name for a black alpaca. And there are probably 100 alpacas named Johnny Cash.  But I like it.  Doesn't he look like a Johnny?

 



I have a feeling his name is going to end up closer to his dad's like Ringo or Ringer.  I'll let you know when they decide.

 

 

Here's Johnny and Kigo sizing up each other. They are the two head honcho herdsires on the farm.  They weren't really sizing each other up, but it looks like that so I had to say it.

 

Okay now it started to rain even harder so I got one more picture and ran for cover. 

 

In case you were wondering what the new guy looks like with his fleece here he is in all his glory.  Oh and a list of some of his awards. He has a few more I have to add.

 

 

ARROW ACRES FARM LLC Welcome to Smoke Ring's Page Offical Name: CCNF SMOKE RING ARI#31425544 DOB July 17, 2010 Huacaya Herdsire Color: Light Rose Gray Sire: CCNF Royal Ring of Fire Dam: Maid Marian D531 AOA Awards 1st Place - 2011 North American 4th Place - 2011 Futurity 1st Place - 2011 Northeast Alpaca Expo 1st Place - 2011 Green Mountain Show 1st Place - 2012 Spring Bling Fleece Show 1st Place - 2012 Minnesota Alpaca Expo Fleece Show 1st Place - 2012 New England Fleece Classic 1st Place - 2012 Great Midwest Alpaca Festival (fleece) 1st Place - 2013 North American Alpaca Show Reserve Champion Grey Huacaya - 2012 Great Midwest Alpaca Festival (fleece) Reserve Champion Grey Huacaya - 2013 North American Alpaca Show

So that is the excitement at the farm today.  If you are interesting in finding out more about Smoke Ring you can check him out here.