Out of the business

I am officially out of the alpaca business. A deal to sell the remaining animals was completed last Wednesday, Dec. 19th. It is good that we got some money for them, they went to a good home, and that is one more continuing expense I don't have to worry about. But still, it mostly makes me sad. I do really like those animals. I guess, in the end, they were just too smart for us. It is hard to treat them as commodities when they all clearly have personalities, emotions and intelligence. They'll never replace the family dog, mind you, but I think it's much the same as people who get attached to horses.

I know it is the right decision, though. To have those animals as a business venture was not a lifestyle that was good for us, or for me by myself. The business-work: marketing ,networking, bookkeeping and planning - was all rather unpleasant and extremely time-consuming. To afford a place to accomodate them required us to live a distance from our peers that made it hard to develop good friendships. It seems people really won't/can't travel 30 minutes to see friends on a regular basis. I made the effort, but getting home at 8 or later several times a week was taking its toll.

Anyway, those days are over now. I'm sad about it, but also relieved. And the alpaca money will allow me to pay the mortgage and extend my travels a little longer. I feel like a poetic quote or saying would be appropriate here, but my mind is coming up empty. Well, okay - that's it then. Here's some of the better pictures taken over the years...