This is a longer update than usual because I’m combining two posts!
I drafted the first portion of this post on May 26, 2023.
“Dreamsearcher”
Let me start this post off by self-identifying as a researcher. When I have a dream, vision, or idea I research the heck out of it so that I can bring it to life. I research my dreams–I’m a “dreamsearcher”, if you will.
For example:
- When I plan a vacation I research airfare, accommodations, food, walking tours, museums, historical sites, hikes, and a million other things in an effort to get the best bang for my buck and build the perfect itinerary.
- When I want to build something, I compare at least a dozen different plans, then MacGyver my own custom version that combines the various features that meet my needs.
- When I cook a new dish…well, I don’t do that often because, by the time I sift through all the different recipes and Frankenstein my own version, I inevitably don’t have half the ingredients I need. Cereal for breakfast, anyone?
Anywho, since we’ve been talking about our homestead for over a year, I’ve spent about a bajillion hours dreamsearching. My Pinterest feed is full of barndominium floorplans, chicken-keeping tips, and how-to articles about greywater systems, gardening, milking goats, rain catchment, rabbit byproducts, cheesemaking, meat curing, etc. My phone is full of random notes about our future venture, and I’ve started borrowing library books about permaculture.
I blame Sasha!
After a phone call with one of our Texas friends, Sasha, I had a new research topic: llamas and alpacas! We somehow got on the topic of livestock guardian dogs. Sasha recommended a llama as a guardian animal–apparently they’re easy to care for and quite protective of their companions. So of course I had to do some research on llamas after our call ended. My llama rabbit hole soon led me to alpacas. Alpacas are somewhat similar to llamas and bring the added bonus of soft fleece. So this is an abbreviated version of my thought process from that point on:
“I’ve never dabbled in any sort of fiber work before, so that could be a cool new hobby! And think of all the fun gloves, hats, scarves, and blankets we could make and sell! And llamas and alpacas are docile and friendly and fluffy so kids will love them. We don’t have kids, but we can’t let the fluffy cuteness go to waste. We should have some “open farm days” where the community can come check us out and pet our llalpacas. Did you know that’s a thing?! Cross-breed a llama with an alpaca and you get a llalpaca with the temperament of a llama and the soft coat of an alpaca! And if kids love us, parents have to love us so those farm days would also get our name out there. That could help us build relationships and brand recognition so that folks buy from us at the farmers market, because of course we’ll have a booth there. Yep, we definitely need a llama/alpaca/llalpaca.”
As you can see, I can’t just have an idea and let it sit. I commit hard and fast and it drives AC crazy!
The rest of this post was written on August 14, 2023.
Another Surprise Stop
Today’s drive from Billings to Missoula included one surprise stop. One EPIC surprise stop at…a llama and alpaca farm!
I knew we were making a stop in Bozeman, but that was about it. As you can imagine, I lost my marbles when I caught a glimpse of the sign for Alpacas of Montana. Let me tell you, my partner knows how to plan the best dates!
Our Alpaca Experience
We met our guide, Annie, whose passion for her work was immediately palpable and infectious. She introduced us to the farm’s livestock guardian dogs and told us a bit about the Turkish Anatolian Shepherd breed. She then gave us some history on llamas and alpacas, and shared some instructions about how to feed and handle them. We headed for the paddocks where we got to feed them treats, pet the ones who weren’t skittish, and take some on a walk. After the 50-ish minute interaction, we got some freebies from the store and learned a bit about how the farm processes all the fiber from the alpacas. Unfortunately, I had to dash a few minutes early to join a work call, but this was an amazing hands-on experience that I will not soon forget! Get ready for an onslaught of alpaca pics:
Fun Facts
We learned a lot about all the animals including:
- Turkish Anatolian Shepherds are mostly nocturnal and can singlehandedly take down a mountain lion. They’re also quieter than their Great Pyrenees cousins so I think we might have found our breed!
- While llamas and Alpacas look similar, llamas are larger and have longer ears that are shaped kind of like bananas. Alpacas have a tuft of hair at the top of their heads that is called a top knot.
- Alpacas are a man-made animal. They’re a cross between two different breeds of llamas that results in a very frail, very soft specimen. They are very high-maintenance so they probably won’t make the cut for our homestead.
- Llamas are pack animals, and can carry up to 1/3 of their bodyweight. However, that weight must be evenly distributed across their backs. If you tried to ride one, their back would break from the concentrated weight.
- Annie confirmed that llamas are decent livestock guardian animals who can also take down a mountain lion singlehandedly. They are fairly docile and submissive so they are better suited to guard a flock of other docile animals, like sheep, rather than a rowdier bunch like goats.
- We learned that llalpacas are rare. If a male llama bred with a female alpaca, the birth might kill the mother due to the size of the baby. If a male alpaca tried to breed a female llama, the mechanics of that would be difficult because Alpacas are so much smaller than llamas.
It was such a fun experience and Annie has so much passion for the animals! If you’re ever in Bozeman, MT, stop by Alpacas of Montana!
Missoula
Our final stop for the night was Missoula. I’ll admit that, as a reliably red state, I did not Missoula to be so progressive! There were window signs showing support for the LGBTQ+ community, lots of gluten free options in the places we ate, and even a “take what you need” booth that included, among other things, shoes and a jacket. AC reminded me that Missoula is a college town and the recent generations of college kids are all “woke and allergic” so it all makes sense now 😉
Also in Missoula is their impressive public library. In 2022, the International Federation of Library Associations crowned this library “Best Public Library in the World.” Missoula’s library is the first US library to earn that title EVER and, after a walkthrough, I’d say it’s well-deserved! The facility was clean, bright, and had something for everyone including:
- a test kitchen
- a seed library
- large conference rooms
- small quiet-study rooms
- an imaginarium for kids
- lots of comfy seating
- a lovely terrace overlooking the hills and the city
They had tons of programming advertised including free lunch for school-age children during the summer, a back-to-school fest that provides free school supplies, and more. They also had a shelf stocked with brand new free copies of The Cold Millions by Jess Walter. The National Endowment for the Arts selected this book as the 2023 Big Read and Missoula Public Library wants you to “read it forward” (pass it to another reader after you’re finished).
AC and I decided that, if Montana winters weren’t so brutal, we might be looking for land near Missoula!
Until next time,
Charli