Monday, September 15, 2014

The New Kid in the Pasture, Mocha!

Early Saturday morning there was a low band of fog hanging over the corn and soy bean fields that surround our home and pastures. The light fog gave an ethereal quality to the scenery and I couldn't resist trying to take some pictures with my little Nikon. 
The view from the front porch.

And the view from the back porch.
The animals were still sleeping in the pasture and the morning moisture was clinging to the tips of their fleeces. All except for our new little guy, Mocha; we had put a coat on him the night before because the temperatures were predicted to dip to near 40 degrees overnight. His fleece was still damp in spots from his entry into the world and we didn't want him shivering through the night. Alpaca moms don't cuddle their offspring like some animals. They just lay nearby as you can see from the little purple coated Mocha in the center of the picture.

Our granddaughter, Zaidee, who lives out in Portland, Oregon had the naming rights to the next little baby born on the farm. She relayed a wide selection of names through her mother but the one that seemed to fit was a compromise. One of her suggestions was Latte, which I countered with Mocha Latte. That one pleased both of us and seemed to fit. Mocha has black ears, face, tail and lower legs. The rest of him is a very dark, coffee bean brown. He curiously explores the pasture during his waking hours when he is not nursing. He has made friends with Brutus and Asterius, both of whom run alongside their fence line when Mocha is circling his side of the pasture. 


His mama, Mango, keeps a close eye on him at all times and when she clucks her "come here" sound he returns to her side obediently. 

This kind of morning  has always meant autumn to me and so it was that Rich and I planned to do our fall outside decorating. A couple of weeks ago we ran down to the Amish farm on Rt. 13 and bought a variety of chrysanthemum plants in red, white and yellow. On Friday evening after dinner we ran over to the farm where we bought our pumpkins last year and loaded up the truck. We were all set to decorate. I'll post pictures of our fall display tomorrow when I have finished the final touches.

On Sunday I received a call from a former 7th grade student who is now a senior. Irene wanted to stop out for a visit and to see the animals. I hadn't seen her for a few years and was so pleased to have this chance to catch up with her. She and her boyfriend, Devin, stayed for about an hour and half and we had a nice chat. She told me about her plans for college and the future. As a teacher, it is always good to see that former students are headed toward success. Irene had been in my knitting group after school. It was one of the nicest group of kids ever. 


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