Alpacas!

Look at those eyelashes!!

On Saturday, Amy, Jeff and I took a ride to visit an alpaca herd at Jersey Shore Alpacas. This is a very friendly farm in Green Creek, (near Rio Grande) New Jersey with twelve much-loved alpacas roaming in a paddock. Once they suspect that their visitors might have carrots, though, they approach the fence and try to look their cutest. Tish and Jim, their human “parents” supply visitors with the coveted carrots, and the alpaca ladies in the front yard good-naturedly compete for the tasty treats. We couldn’t help smiling at these friendly creatures with their giant eyes, long eyelashes and comical hairdos (called top knots).

Jersey Shore Alpacas is a great place to visit for something different to do at the shore. We were thinking of going to the Cape May County Zoo for the afternoon, but I had been by there a few days before and the traffic waiting to get in reminded me of that at the Holland Tunnel! The secret of our great (free) Cape May County Zoo seems to have gotten out, so it might get relegated to my list of things to do during the off-season months.

The alpaca farm (also free) satisfied our need for animal interaction, especially since Tish and Jim both came out to visit with us and tell us about the alpacas. This spring, three babies, or crias, were born, so we heard all about them while we watched them romp around the yard.
Zelda, General Patton (born on Memorial Day), Miss Sera are the three cute new family members born this spring:

One of the moms, Andina:

It’s kind of hard to look at woolen items on a hot summer day, but we did in their Absolutely Alpaca! store. I’ll be back when it’s cooler to get some winter gifts, I’m sure. There’s even sumptuous yarn made from the award-winning fleece of some the resident alpacas which would be a cool gift knitted or crocheted into a luxurious scarf or hat. Tish does some of the knitting for the shop herself, and I may take advantage of her skill when I go back to shop. also had a laptop set up in the store with pictures and videos of the recent shearing and the birth of General Patton.

Jersey Shore Alpacas is open on Saturdays year 'round from 10-4 and in July they are also open on Thursdays and Fridays. There's no admission charge, but if you go, tell them Margaret sent ya! http://jerseyshorealpacas.com