Day 9 alpacas: No Spit, Kubota Queen

HaHAAA!!  I got to drive the Kubota today TO the compost pile! AND I learned how to use the dump truck feature. I will integrate this into my plan for global domination. Somehow....

Today we moved a lot of fences, to allow the animals to graze on pasture that had been allowed to recover, and grassy areas that had grown. Then there was raking more old 'winter' hay up off the enclosure area. PB (Sister Paul Bernadette) said I'm getting stronger already, able to lift that wet hay into the truck bed. :)

I feel like Heidi's friend Clara, gaining strength with the fresh air and herd animals.... very picturesque, eh?

They were checking fleece depth/quality on the alpacas today, to prepare for shearing time.
May 4, 5, 6.  12 hours days at least. I'm excited, aren't you?? I predict that is when the 'no spit' trend will be broken.

Day 8 with alpacas: not spit on!

Have made it through 5 days in a row of alpaca 'chores'. Raking poop, filling water, raking old hay, etc. Friday it was rainy and grey. I actually like that better than scorching sun and humidity! Forgot, though, that rain makes MUD and mud/wet poo is MUCH heavier than dry earth/poo.

My goal of using my non-dominant left arm to carry a full shovel was thwarted. Perhaps at the end of three months, and with less weight from moisture.

Odd things I've learned this week:

1. There are crayfish in the fields!

I have not seen one yet, but they burrow in the mud. There are many mounds of mud where they live. I had no idea!!! Will try to catch one with the camera.

Here's a land crayfish from wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Burrowing_Crayfish_in_his_burrow.jpg

2. Worms move poop.

Now, I should know this, but I forget things at 8:00 a.m. while raking alpaca poo. Alpacas tend to make a dung pile, and all go in the same areas. In gender integrated herds this allows the male to tell which of his ladies is open to breeding.

I wondered why certain piles were spread out all over. "The worms do that" was the answer. So all night, these worms work and work to get the alpaca poo closer to their holes. Every morning we come by and rake it all up. Sometimes the worm reaches up to try and keep its prize and get whacked with a rake. Oops. But all alpacas do is eat and poop, so there will be more for the worms soon.

3. Alpaca 'spit' is nasty

Alpacas communicate their displeasure with their herdmates by squealing and spitting. If one alpaca is crowding another, the offended one bares its teeth, arches its neck back and scold it. Then it does a 'fake' spitting, which is really just blowing air and sounding pissy. If the offender still does not go away, there is spitting. Basically the alpaca pulls up a little grass and digestive juices and spits it on the other. N-A-S-T-Y!!! You can tell who has been fighting because they have globs of partially digested grass on them, and smell like vomit. I really hope to NOT get caught in the crossfire, but I hear it's only a matter of time.

4. Your face will freeze like that!!

When alpacas get angry with each other and/or spit, their facial muscles freeze up for 5-10 minutes. This is the other way you can tell who has been fighting: their jaw is locked, lips pulled back, sometimes drooling, can't open their jaw to eat. Just how it is. Our mothers warned us about this!! Their faces really do freeze like that.

I think that's enough for now.

My room in Guerin Hall

This should take you to an album of photos. There is a map, too. Hope it works!

Guerin Hall, Saint Mary's Women's College

Why am I doing this? How I decided to learn about alpacas

Everyone wants to know the how and why of my decision to become an 'alpaca intern'. I did not just wake up one morning and decide to run down this road. Those who know me, know I do not just blindly run down a path. I always have a pros and cons list, and think through outcomes. If anything, I take TOO long to decide on a course of action.

So how did I get here? Well, in August 2008 I completed my Master's of Library Science at Indiana University. I had decided it was time to head back to Colorado to help out my Mom and sister, and just generally be closer geographically. I had also been gone from Colorado for 10 years, and missed it quite a lot. My friend Doug was gracious enough to open his home to me, and gave me a room in the basement and run of the kitchen. OH, and space in the office so I could job hunt all day. My plan was to put most of my belongings in storage, find a job, pay off bills with the paycheck from that job, and then get my own place and a car.

Little did I know that in September of 2008 the economy would implode, making this whole 'job hunt' thing very very difficult. I always register with temp agencies when I am between jobs, and always have success with that strategy. This time, however, was different. There were no temp jobs. The whole game had shifted, it all seemed to just grind to a halt. Luckily, I had pulled money out of my IRA before the crash, and had planned on being unemployed for 6 months. Since I couldn't get temp work, though, I went through the IRA money quicker than planned.

Around May 2009 I got a part time job in an independently owned candle store. While it was good to get out of the house, it only paid a little above minimum wage. I was so happy to be learning new things, like how to shrink wrap a candle without melting it, and happy to interact with customers, but it wasn't a good long term solution.

Also around that time, a friend in Bloomington suggested I move back to town and stay with her. I had been thinking along the same lines, because I was getting very very depressed in Denver, and thought I could shake it up and regroup. Also, it's a lot easier to get around without a car in Bloomington, since it's so small. I waited until I got word I was not selected for a job I had REALLY wanted, as a paraprofessional 'Mobile Training Unit driver' at a major library system before I decided to leave. My whole theory had (and still is) that I will take the first job offered. So far, none have been offered.

Back in Bloomington, that housing situation lasted 25 days before my friend decided it would not work. LUCKILY for me, my friend/hairstylist Garland was there to scoop me up and move me in to his apartment. He gave me his room, and moved to the living room. He gave me a closet and a shelf in the bathroom. I think he's an angel in disguise. :)

OH, part of the reason I moved in with Garland is that I had just gotten a temp job in his apartment complex! (for $8.50/hour) I ended up working there for 3 months, and audited all of their lease files more than once. I calculated close to 1500 files total. Ouch. My brain hurt.

They finally ran out of things for me to do. That's the life of a temp. :)

After that, I was unemployed for a month. I had one temp job, cleaning bathrooms in a sorority house for three days. Wow. THEN I got a job as a part time Abstractor at a Title company. Even though it was only part time, and only $10/hour, it was a wonderful wonderful job. I got to look things up in the Recorder's Office and the Courthouse....moving from building to building, walking around downtown Bloomington. Lovely. Got to be detail oriented, and social, and outside a bit.

But then, in January 2010, the owner announced the business was closing. So in January 2010 I was left with no job again. I had, in the meantime filed for bankruptcy and had to stick around Indiana through March for the hearing.

It really hit me hard to get laid of from the abstractor job. I had truly enjoyed it, and the people I worked with. Of course, I immediately called all the temp agencies I had registered with to let them know I was available again. But something had shifted in me. I realized I could not keep crashing with friends indefinitely. I know I have family and friends who are willing to let me stay with them, but I feel so guilty for having to do that. I also have no money to move myself across the country. I have no car. The problems will be the same everywhere: finding temp jobs, finding a full time career job, and transportation.

And I am still stuck on the idea that I want a job I like, doing something related to this MLS I spent time and money to get. I've worked the entry level jobs I hated to 'make it through' for years. I just can't bring myself to apply for a job I know I won't like. Since I am 'rootless' right now, there is no point in staying somewhere just for the sake of a job if it's not in my chosen field. I can't lie in an interview, it's just not how I'm programmed. I also am tired of moving alone, and tired of working merely to survive. I want to be a part of a community, and something positive.

I started thinking about the Great Depression, and other work/housing options. My biggest problems are housing and transportation. I know I am a hard worker, and put my all into any task at hand. This approach of temping and job hunting was exhausting me.

I made a list of things I like: books/information, kids, animals, nature. I thought maybe if I could find a place that would give me housing in exchange for work I can figure out the rest. That's when I thought about farms. I did a search on 'alpacas and Indiana' and found the White Violet Center. I picked alpacas, because I've knit with their fiber, and I'd seen a PBS segment about them and found them fascinating.

This place seemed like a dream come true!! They offered an internship with room and some board in exchange for labor. While I am out of shape, I REALLY miss being active and doing outside work. I emailed them, applied officially, had to ask people to write references (again), Garland drove me up for an interview and tour, and here I am.

I don't know where this will take me. I honestly don't know what I will do with what I am learning about alpacas and composting. But I have a safe place to sleep and eat, my work is valued and necessary, and I feel like I am making a positive contribution to something sustainable. I have no income for the foreseeable future, which is a choice I have never made before. I am trying to figure something out, and not freak out. I view the daily farm chores as mentally and spiritually cleansing. I need work to do, they need a worker. This situation will work for a while.

OH, and the Center has a small library/resource center with a CARD CATALOG. I am working to file a three year backlog of all their cards. Next I will get them converted to an open source system which can easily be maintained after I leave. I cannot escape my inner librarian. :)

Long story, but there you go.

Day 6 with alpacas: not spit on!

April 21, 2010

Highlights of today:

1. Led smallest/youngest cria (baby alpaca) on a walk to visit the older 'boys'. There are 4 young male alpacas which will be transitioning out of the pen with the mothers, and into the pen with the other male alpacas. The one I led, Pere, was very worried about this walk, and 'hummed' the whole way. It sounds like a sort of worried moaning, this 'humming'. He was quite happy to be back in the pen with his mother.

2. Learned how to drive the Kubota! Look out, farm, here I come!

3. Put my first harness/muzzle on an alpaca! Wahoo!

I have also had the reassurances of many here that being physically exhausted at 3:00 is common, regardless of age. Shifting from a sedentary life to physical labor is rough, but it is exactly what I needed!

Day 2 with alpacas: not spit on!

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Walked the 5 minutes across campus to report to work at 8:00. Morning consisted of raking poop, putting out new food and clean water. All poop and old hay goes to compost!

There is an awesome little utility vehicle called a "Kubota" which is wonderful! The bosses drives it and zip all over the place. It backs right up to the compost pile and has a dump feature that raises the bed up and dumps out all compost items (image from Kubota.com). I must have one of these. Not sure where I will keep it, since I have no land, but it is my new favorite thing. Needs more drink holders, though. Current drink holder is used for medicine and syringes.

There are 60 alpacas total. They are kept apart by gender, so no random breeding happens. Kinda like schools should be. 2 pens of females and 3 pens of males. That's a lot of hay and a lot of poop. Good for veggies in garden, though.

Afternoon was spent raking winter hay out of animal sheds. I am so out of shape!! (and round is NOT the shape I want to be)

Temperatures in the 80's did not help, and I was exhausted at the end of the first day.

Got to help with giving medicine to two alpacas (hold the head while PB--Sister Paul Bernadette--shoots liquid down their throats, and learned how to harness, lead on leash, and unharness when moving to different pasture.

Most important thing learned: alpacas are like cats. They are curious, but skittish. If you try to approach them they freak. You must wait for them to approach you. I understand cats, so this works out well.

First day as an 'alpaca intern'

Today I learned that the White Violet Center was named thusly because the founder of Saint-Mary-of-the-Woods liked the white violet for its resilience (among other things). The flower symbolism pages say it represents 'taking chances, and happiness'. I had no idea. Odd for me, I think, since I have heard more people call me resilient these past two years than ever before. I am also taking a huge chance in walking away from the job hunt for a bit, and hanging up my frustrations with temping.

So after two years of living in other people's space (and THANK GOODNESS they let me!!), I have an actual room of my own. I never thought I would be so happy to have a dresser, and a closet. It is odd, because it's a dorm situation, but it's not traumatic like Freshman year. It's more of a relief. The guilt of asking people to let me live with them was quite heavy. I mean, this is AMERICA, right? Aren't we all supposed to make our way on our own? Find a job, get a place, settle down? We need to rethink that. We are moving into a new era, and I don't think people can make it on their own anymore. I am so grateful to the friends who have helped me out the past two years. I would be lost without my friends.

The day today consisted of 7:30 awakening time, packing Garland's car, running a bunch of pre-move errands, 1 hour 20 minute drive here, unpacking the car, hugging Garland farewell, tour of facilities, picture taking (for a badge), drug test, more orientation, meeting people, unpacking stuff in the room and now....::whew::....after this attempt at a blog: doing my taxes.

I am tired, but happy. Tomorrow I will add pictures of the room and the grounds. Oh, and get a TB test, required by the Center. Wonder what will happen if I have it?

I report for wonderful outdoor farm work at 8:00. Sunscreen, Wellingtons and organic bug deterrent are ready to go!