I’ve just added a subscription function (you will get an email when I do a new post on the blog) to the blog, and I’ve added my family to this. (if you are not on this and would like to be, email me at bil@silkcreekalpacas.com)
Just trying to keep everybody updated. 
Bil
We’ve taken our dogs (Talbot & Bandit) down to the property a couple of times now while we have had open houses here in Eugene. All I can say is that the dogs are going to be MORE than happy to move. When we let them out in the back yard, they can’t stop running. They LOVE IT!!
Talbot just runs back in forth in pure extacy, and just doesn’t want to stop. Bandit explores every new smell and sight. There are a couple of places he really likes. One is over by the chicken coop (he looks part fox, maybe he is looking for the chickens). I may need to keep him out of sight of the chickens when we get some.
I think the dogs are the most happy with the move. They are getting a HUGE fenced back yard that they will be able to take over. They will be the kings of the back yard!!
Now we only need to worry about how they are towards the alpacas. We can only hope that they don’t just sit at the back windows barking at the huge creatures near their kingdom!! 
Bil
We have already done a couple of small loads down to the farm, but starting this weekend, the big move is on. Here’s the plan!!
Tonight: Go down to Cottage Grove and pick up the trailer.
Saturday Morning: Fill up trailer with stuff from small shed (yard implements) and take down small shed and put in trailer.
Saturday Afternoon: Open House!! So we’ll take the trailer down, set up the shed and then fill it up again.
Saturday Evening: Maybe enjoy the evening at Gowdyville, or go back for another load.
Sunday: Go to church in Cottage Grove – Rest the remainder of the day (and dread the next few weeks!!!)
Monday: We are going up to Northwest Alpacas for their Farm Day. We are taking the girls so they can see what goes on at an alpaca ranch.
Tuesday: GET READY FOR MOVERS!! Pack up kitchen, closets, garage, rooms, etc.
Wednesday: MOVERS COME!! We are having a moving company come in and do the large stuff for us, and hopefully they will be able to take down some of our boxes as well. This will be a long, full day, and nobody will be feeling good come Wednesday night. First night in our new home!!!
Thursday, July 3 – Sunday, July 13: Clean house, work on house, clean yard, work on yard, clean barn, work on barn, fix fences, build fences, take down chicken coops, try not to die!!!
So, if anybody has some free time (and the desire to work!!) let me know!
Bil
This is a question I have been asked many times when I tell people that we are moving to Cottage Grove. The first thing they bring up is, “Why are you moving from Eugene?” or “Why do you want to live in the country?” Last night was one of the reasons!
Last night the girls and I took a load of our stuff down to the property to unload. We got down there around 7:00 and spent about 30 minutes unloading the trailer. We then spent the next hour or so just doing what we wanted to do. Lilian and Georgia spent some time in their rooms slowly unpacking what boxes they have there. Aislyn enjoyed reading, playing around the house, organizing her shoes in her room, and just having fun.
What did I do? I sat on the back porch for about 20 minutes and just enjoyed being out in the country! Watching the birds play in the yard. Listening to the rooster that must live up the road. Watching the 2 horses in our back pasture run around and torment the horses in the next pasture. Watching the sun slowly set over the mountains out west of our property. It was beautiful. I could hear the girls laughing with each other in the house. The cows talking to each other 2 properties down. Birds singing and even a cricket or 2. You know what I didn’t hear? Cars, trains, horns, yelling, etc. It was just peaceful. The only thing missing was Julia (she was at a first aid class, and is now certified in First Aid & CPR) and our alpacas (they’ll be there soon enough).
I then took a walk out to the back pasture to enjoy the horses more. Our neighbor Howard had come over with his tractor while we were gone this week and mowed our middle pasture for us (just found out that he came by today and mowed our back yard). It was peaceful standing at the fence watching the horses play and frolic.
As we were getting ready to leave and return to Eugene, we drove down our street. We got waves from Barbara (lives across the street), Barbara’s daughter (she lives 2 properties down from Barbara), Naomi (lives across the street from Barbara’s daughter). They were all outside enjoying the COUNTRY.
I can’t wait until I can enjoy the COUNTRY full-time!
Bil
NO!!!
Yesterday was day 1 of moving, so we left early in the morning to head down to Cottage Grove to unload the trailer of all the kettle corn equipment so we could do a few loads yesterday. We get down to CG back the trailer in, and go to open the garage door (the only way we have in the house since the keys were left in the house and we haven’t gotten them yet) and it won’t open. We had some trouble the other day so we keep trying it. NO GO!! We walk around the house to try and find a window we can get in and still no luck. We are running late to take Georgia to the Dr’s to get a physical so we unhook the trailer and head back up to Eugene. We are thinking that maybe the previous owner changed the code or it just isn’t working. Our realtor calls the owner and she says that it is the same, but it sometimes doesn’t work and her and her husband will run down and meet us and help us see what is wrong.
Well, after the Dr., we go back down and try it again and it isn’t working still. I start to think of what could be the problem, and then think that maybe the electric is off. I go out to the shed to see if the power is working out there and in the barn, and nope, NO POWER!!! I call EPUD to see what they know. The lady says it’s on, but then talks to a technician and they ask what color the tag is, and well, it’s the dreaded LIGHT BLUE!! That means the power is off. What happened is that I called on Tuesday to put the power in our name. The previous owner called on Thursday to take her name off. EPUD has a new computer system and when somebody calls to take their name off, it automaticaly orders a disconnect. So, Friday morning they came out and turned off the power. They had a guy out there within about 20 minutes to turn it back on for us!! WOO HOO!!!
We go and try the garage door again, and it still isn’t working. I just out of frustration click a random number, and bingo it works. I’m guessing that the power on and off changed the code. We got in and got everything unloaded. Now we’ll do a few loads today.
Oh, the joys of moving!!
Today was day 3 of shearing at Northwest Alpacas. I took the day off of work to go up and help out wherever I could (being new, I didn’t know if I could really help at all). I left early, 6:00 am, from Eugene and headed to Northwest Alpacas in Hillsboro, OR. I arrived a few minutes after 8:00. I talked with the farm manager Steve for a few minutes and then went out where they were getting ready for the shearing. It was great to see all the alpacas getting ready to be sheared. They had 2 catch pens full of alpacas, and they were just about ready to get started.
For the first few shearings, I just hung back and watched so I wouldn’t get in the way. It was quick. They would bring in the alpaca, tip it on it’s side and then tie all four feet and then stretch them out so they couldn’t move (and be injured). Most of the alpaca did not have a problem with this. They would just lay back and wait for it to be over. There were a few throughout the day that did not like any part of this and would spit, pee, scream, holler and try just about anything to get out. I only about got hit with spit once, but luckily I got out of the way.
My main help throughout the day was to be the gate keeper. I would help get the alpacas back in the pens and then close the gates behind the guys getting the alpacas out and keep the rest of the alpacas in the pens. I think this was a good place for me. I got to be close to all the alpacas but really didn’t get in the way much. We did 60+ alpacas today. During lunch I went down and looked at the Studmaster Alpacas. They are nice looking animals.
The afternoon was reserved for the darker animals, so this meant that our alpaca, Feline, would be sheared so I hung around to watch. It was great being able to help and watch Feline get sheared.
All in all it was a good day. I was able to watch closely about 60+ animals being sheared, toenails clipped, and taken care of. I was able to see Feline, Alsea & Sunshine and get the fiber from Feline & Sunshine. We couldn’t find the fiber for Alsea, we’ll get that in a couple of weeks.
At this point, I think all our alpacas are now sheared. Now to get them all to Cottage Grove!!
Bil
Here is a video of Feline being sheared. (notice how calm she is)
After posting our first blog about shearing day, we realized that we didn’t introduce ourselves. We are Silk Creek Alpacas. We are a new alpaca ranch in Cottage Grove, Oregon (located on the banks of Silk Creek). We currently own 7 alpacas and with 2 more babies (crias) due in July.
I am Bil, and I will be doing most of the blogging. I am also the main fence post hole digger, and any other job that Julia doesn’t want to do doer. I know I like alpacas a lot, I know a lot about the care of alpacas, but I don’t understand completely how to choose a good alpaca, good fiber, or what makes the fiber good.
Julia (my wife) is the alpaca chooser. She knows what she is looking for in alpacas. She can look at an alpaca and say that is Primitive, Improved, Ideal . . . I just nod like I understand what she is saying and then move on. She has been in love with alpacas for years. She has seen alpacas & llamas since she was a child and her best friend’s father was a Camelid veterinarian (Dr. Paul Jones in Woodburn, OR). She was intrigued by them, but really didn’t know what the weird animals were at her friend’s dad’s office. As she got older (not old by any means!!! ) she would see them at different shows, see sweaters or clothing made of alpaca, and fell in love with their fiber. She then started doing research on them and realized that they were a great animal to have and raise.
Julia took me to my first alpaca show about 2 years ago, and I thought they were neat, but I still didn’t get what we would do with them. Since we were married, we have always wanted to own some property. I didn’t know what we would do on it, but we wanted it. Now we have the opportunity to live on 5 acres, and as I started doing research in to alpacas, I have fallen in love with them as well. They are a great livestock to have. They don’t eat that much. They don’t have hooves like cows or horses, they have toes and soft feet, so they don’t tear up the pasture, they are smaller (about 36″ at the whithers) and weigh about 100 to 150 pounds. They are affectionate, and safe around all sizes of children. Also, they are very fun to watch run around the pasture. Once we get our farm set up (keep watching here, and you see the progress) we are going to have a farm day and invite everyone out to meet us and our alpacas.
Bil & Julia