Ready for a Sweetness Overload?

Brace yourself for the sweetest faces you've ever seen! 

Ready? Here they come!

Alpacas! All fifty of them on a beautiful ranch in Colorado. 

I'd met the lady rancher/weaver at a vintage market earlier this year 

where she was selling Alpaca socks, scarves and other items. 

As we talked about these adorable animals, she told me they open their ranch 

once a year to the public. I made a note to follow up and find out when it was. 

When the day finally came, I couldn't wait to see these unique animals close up. 

What made this so fun was being allowed to walk among the alpacas, 

quite a different experience than viewing animals at a zoo.

Sometimes we saw them at a distance, other times they were curious about us 

and checked us out up close and personal.

There were several yearlings that were just too cute for words.

How do you catch an alpaca?

You sneak up on them from the rear and straddle them from behind,
then hold onto their long necks.

And no, this picture is not out of focus.

That's just how soft and airy their hair is.

Alpacas are not pack animals. They're raised for their wonderful hair!

This ranch was located in an area I'd always considered the plains

but it was surrounded by giant pine trees and green green meadows.
Heaven.

Alpacas, originally from Peru, come in several different colors -- 

white, dark brown, light brown. black and light gray.

And when they sleep, they really rack out. 

Their breathing is so shallow, they appear to be dead.

This group had been sheered three weeks ago but they do get quite a thick coat.

I must have taken a hundred pictures but I think my favorite was these "babies."

Don't you just love their "leg warmers and top knots?"

And lest we forget . . .

this adorable farm dog eyeing a few treats while all the attention was on the alpacas!

What a perfectly beautiful day.
I think I left a piece of my heart on this ranch. 

***

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Thank you and enjoy your summer!