Summer Coats for Shearing Day

Hamilton is ready to meet the shearer.

Our little herd of alpacas was visited by our shearer this morning. Before she arrived with her able assistant, the alpacas were gathered into a small pen close to the shearing site that was carpeted with plenty of fresh green fodder. Last year they had to wait until quite late in the season to be shorn, but once the temperatures became unseemly warm this past April I believe we've all been counting down the days to Gerdi's visit.

Van's coat rolls off smoothly as Gerdi works.

When our female alpaca, Van, came to the table, her full, soft fiber rolled off smoothly in a lush blanket.

Alpacas line up for an after-shearing scratch.

After the shearer left, the alpacas lined up to scratch their sides along the branches of a young cedar tree. Perhaps it was just my imagination, but it seemed to me that they were relieved to have been unburdened from their winter coats.