jmgoyder

Our two alpacas, Okami and Uluru, are the gentlest creatures I have ever come across. Son gave them their names when we first got them and, because we’d been told that their presence here would deter the foxes that lurk somewhere out there, their names reflect this. ‘Okami’ is a Japanese word that roughly translates to ‘wolf with spiritual powers’ (my paraphrase), and ‘Uluru’ is, of course, the Aboriginal word for that big brown ‘pebble’ in the centre of Australia, previously known as Ayers Rock. Somehow their heavily symbolic names don’t seem to match their placid personalities. I don’t think they could kill a fly, let alone a fox!

Here are some recent photos of them:

They do everything very slowly; they wander around slowly, chew grass and the wheat I give them slowly, stare and blink slowly. When my heartbeat is galloping I only have to watch Okami and Uluru for a minute or so and their tranquility calms me down.

This morning I tried to beat Okami in an unblinking competition but he easily won. Perhaps this is how they deter the foxes?

To transmogrify (def. verb): to change in a radical sort of way. Think the Transformers series!

Okami and Uluru (our two Alpacas) were shorn today for the first time in their lives. We bought them at a few months of age so, by now, they are both around a year old; Okami is little bit older than Uluru and they are half-brothers.

This is what they looked like this morning:

This is what they look like now. Yes, it has been a bit of a shock to say the least! An amazing transmogrification – amazing! Son and I have been in hysterics whilst trying to adapt to this enormous change. I mean Uluru and Okami were relatively cute before but now – wow! – they are utterly cute – ha!