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Milady, "Hello, my name is Milady and I'm a Huacaya Alpaca. What are you? You don't look like an Alpaca."
Kelsey, "Hi, I'm a Briard, but my two-legs call me Kelsey. My job is to make sure my two-legs are safe. They said I should make sure you feel welcome and safe at all times. Do you feel safe?"
Milady, "I think so. How do you keep all of us safe, is it hard to do?"
Kelsey, "Oh no, it's not hard - but it is full time job. I usually BARK at all intruders and sometime I have to chase them away. You're an Alpaca? I've never see the likes of you before. What's an Alpaca?"
Milady, "The two-legs claim I am a camelid from South America --- Some place called Peru. But I don't think that's true. My Mom said she was from Peru and that my Dad was too, but she said she met my Dad in Yale, Michigan at a place called Gromek Farms."
Kelsey, "Cool, but what does an Alpaca do?"
Milady, "We eat grass, and grow a soft fleece that keeps us warm and dry. Two-legs cut off our woolly coat in the spring. We pretend it's not a fun thing, but it doesn't really hurt and then we feel nice and cool for the summer. I really don't like the summer heat. Spring is neat, cause it's cool and the grass is all fresh and juicy. hummmmmm Fall would be great if winter could be skipped. I don't like hay much, but Mom said it's better than what she was fed in Peru."
Kelsey, " What do they do with your wool?"
Milady, "They make things to cover themselves. When they wear something made from alpaca wool, they look almost as royal as we do and it keeps them warm even on a winter day. "
Kelsey, "Are all Huacaya Alpacas white like you?"
Milady, "No, we come in lots of colors from white to blacks to red browns."
Kelsey, "Wow, we Briards come in only two colors, black and tawny. Our two-legs say I'm a princess, I think that makes me a girl, are you a princess too?
Milady, "Well, I have been called that by the two-legs and my mom told me that someday I would have a cria to care for. So I guess that makes me a girl too."
Kelsey, "What a cria?"
Milady, "Mom called me her little cria --- so it must be a little alpaca. Mom said some day, when I'm about year and a half old, I will meet a herd sire and we will make a copy of us."
Kelsey, "Gee, we call that a puppy, how long does it take to make a cria ?"
Milady, " 11 1/2 months"
Kelsey, "That's a long time. How many will you have at one time ?"
Milady, "Why, one of course."
Kelsey, "Gee, Briard moms have 7 to 10 and it takes only a couple of months. Will you be a mom soon?"
Milady, "No, I haven't met a herd sire yet . That must keep a Briard mom busy. But Juliet will be a mom real soon and Elvira will be mom too. "
Juliet
Elvira
Kelsey, " Well the two-legs are calling me. I best go see what they need me for. Remember I am here to protect you and your cria. Call me any time and I will scare away anything that is bothering you."
Milady, "Thank you, that makes me feel good.
hummmmmmmmmm
You best hurry, they look serious.
Bye
hummmmmmmmmmmm"
Kelsey, "Bye
ruff"