On the Farm with Gracie

Good morning all… all I seem to do is apologize for being late with updating my blog.  Sheesh, it is hard for a little girl to find time in a day to type on the Mac.  After all the days are shorter and personally I think Mama Bear likes it as she manages to get all of us in bed earlier.  Not sure what she does after we go to bed but I like to think she has a stash of really good hay or alpaca ration to munch on while she watches over us.

Was your Christmas good?  Ours was excellent.  The HuMan always makes sure we have our alpaca food along with really good hay and lots of water to drink and of course Mr Ed gets his big warm bottle of milk and yogurt twice a day.  Do you know that boy is now taller than me?  He has lived with us since the day he was born so sometimes I forget that he is one of those big CRITTERS and should be bigger than me but to me he is just my little brother.  

   

Helping with the lights?

When Mama Bear was reading us the story about the night before Christmas I thought it rather interesting that Santa uses Reindeer.  Why would he choose reindeer when he could have ME?  I am really fast and love to run.  And why does the lead have to be a male?  I could don a red nose and look pretty darn impressive if I do say so myself. My buddy Tonka Toy was being silly the other day so I have to show you a photo of him.  He looks like he should be the red nosed Cane Corso or like one of those pigs with the apple ready for the oven.  Ughhh…did I actually say that?

Tonka the "DIva"

Tonka..is that a ball or an apple?

Voila!

Maybe we should have a contest or something to see who gets to pull the sleigh?  I could be “Gracie the DIVA”.  A pink boa might be just what is needed to kick this up a notch or I have this cute rings of bells?  I tried on some antlers with bells; thought I might imitate Rudolph but dang I didn’t like them so the HuWoman only managed to get one photo before they went flying so right here and now I am telling you that I will not be wearing any antlers… Boas I am okay with.  Hang on and I will find a couple of photos for you.  Even ones of Tonka trying to be a DIVA…that is so funny, Tonka is a boy.

Gracie..the Pink Boa'd Alpaca...ready to replace Rudolph

Me & My Pink Boa

Speaking of DIVA’s do you know that my HuWoman Sister is a DIVA?  She is the owner of the Grandboy and Grandgirl but besides that she has a company that is called Designing Diva and she makes all kinds of jewelry and stuff that is so gorgeous.  I asked her about making me a Gracie ring but she just laughed and said she would make me a Gracie necklace but thought the ring might irritate my toe…she is probably right so I hope when she makes my necklace it has some really big PINK jewel in it because I love pink… You should check out her website at www.designing-diva.com That HuWoman is crazy for chocolate, chocolate, and more chocolate.

Oh my, this morning I am just bouncing around all over the place.  I have an update on my barn.  It is finally finished.  Now the HuMan and HuWoman just have to spend a day outside digging in the snow to make sure there are no nails or sharp objects that might hurt Gracie or any of my friends.  It looks rather nice but I am still waiting to see if they put a sign up that says “Gracie’s House”.  I am so spoiled and such a DIVA.  Watching them build the barn was rather fun but I did feel sorry for the two HuMan types that were building it.  It was so cold here that it pained me to stick my nose out and it just kept snowing.  I overheard my HuMan say that they had to use a Tiger torch to that the ground so they could drill the pilings for the posts.  When I heard that I went running to see this Tiger torch; okay I am really confused there was no Tiger anywhere to be seen.  Think the HuMan was just kidding with me.  Wait, I have pictures of my new digs.

The Beginning of My House

Happy Dance... my House is done

I am going to have to go soon as Mama Bear is calling for me.  What are you all doing for New Years?  I think we might just snuggle in and let Mama Bear read us a good story.  Love the holidays; we are forever getting treats.  When the HuWoman cooks she saves all the peelings from fruits and vegetables for us.  Wow, we had some really good things, yams, potatoes, carrots etc and  all kinds of fruits.  A culinary delight if I do say so myself.  It is always extra good when they had lots of company.  The HuMan Son came home for Christmas dinner.  He was very tired after his long drive so didn’t visit Gracie and friends this time but he usually does.  It would have been nice to see him especially seeing as I heard he got a new hat that has a rabbit fur on it… they put rabbits on hats?  how ever do they eat?  The HuWoman and her sister were saying how much he looks like the Grampa Greenwall in that hat. Lots of other relatives stopped by for dinner too.  The HuMan Girl and family live too far away so we only got to talk to them on the phone.   The GrandGirl tells me she is on a mission to raise money to save dolphins.  She is dolphin nuts.  I am very proud of her and happy that she is going to help the dolphins.  

Rumor has it that the HuWoman is going on a road trip with her sister to some place south..think she said Phoenix.  Then my HuMan is going to fly down and stay for a few days so that means another HuWoman by the name of Donna will be looking after us.  Donna is really nice so that is okay.  It always takes Mr. Ed a couple of days to get used to her and Mama Bear tries to take her hat and mitts but it all ends up being okay.

Mama Bear, Mr. Ed, Bandit Boy, Tonka and of course me, Gracie the tech savvy alpaca want to wish you and your family Happy New Year and may 2010 be a year of dreams come true!  If my dream comes true it will look like this   “Gracie’s House”…  Bye for now

Happy New Year!

P.S.  So if you think I should try out for Rudolph’s job next year let me know. maybe we could start a petition!  Gotta go…Mama is getting louder with the Gracccccieeeee!

Wow, I think I have been so busy just trying to stay warm that I forgot how to use my Mac.  The last time we were talking the HuMan was just finishing up with the black seeds. Combining complete he managed to clean up around the yard some more from the big storm we had in July.  Did I tell you about the storm; surprising that I didn’t end up in the next county.  It was the 18th of July when a “plough wind” blew through.  On a tower that was located 2 miles from home the wind was clocked at 142 kms an hour.   I say “was” because it was crumpled like a lego building that wasn’t bolted together very well.

Is there a greenhouse under there?

In the farm yard we had to use all our toes and borrow a bunch more to count the number of trees that were blown down.  The HuWoman used to have a greenhouse but it ended up under one of the big spruce trees.  A couple of the big farm buildings (My HuMan calls them shops) had fairly major damage with sheets of metal twisted up or ripped off.  So, when I say we were really lucky to survive I am not joking.  One of the BIG CRITTERS didn’t survive.  April was behind a windbreak when the wall blew over. It is very sad even when it is one of the BIG ones…April was a friendly giant with the softest brown eyes.

More sad news from the farm.  On November 23rd my four legged dog friend Casey passed away.  She was a severe epileptic.  She told me that when she was only two years old a cow had got out and she went to put her back in.  It had been raining so the gras was wet and slippery.  When she went racing towards the cow she couldn’t stop and instead slid under the cow. Using her head that crazy cow just tossed her like salad.  The HuWoman witnessed this and came to the rescue or who knows what the outcome would have been.  Miss Casey Queen (she liked that title) had no broken bones, just lots of bruising that she said was very painful and of course in her words “a scrambled brain”   For the next eight years Casey took a lot of drugs and they had many side effects.  Finally the seizures just got to be too much.  It still seems very strange to not have her come for a daily visit.  Did I tell you Casey liked to eat our food…silly girl did she think she was an Alpaca?

My Friend Casey

I digress.. life on the farm was pretty normal up until the first week of December.  Holy… it really got cold and we got about 36 inches of snow in one fell swoop and my Gracie barn wasn’t done.  The man said he was short staffed and having issues everytime the HuWoman called.  She was getting pretty loud when he finally told her that they were coming the 5th of December.  Of course the deep freeze hit so the workers didn’t come.  Last Thursday I think it was…the 9th I think we had the distinction of being the coldest place in the WORLD!  Colder than Siberia… Something like -46 with no wind chill.  Sheesh.. no wonder we are so tough!

This morning the men who are building the Gracie barn arrived.  They had to move a whole bunch of snow before they could dig the holes for the big poles.  They didn’t get much more than that done but believe me when I say that I will keep my eagle eye on them. Oh, Oh, have to run.  Mama Bear is telling me to get off the computer or I am going to go blind.  Talk to you soon.