My View of Life on the Dock
While ferrying plants from Cedar Rock Gardens to jobs this weekend I passed by Angie’s adorable Alpacas half a dozen times. Just had to stop and say a quick hello!
I think this one is named Magnolia, for the color of her softly hued hair. She was taking a languid roll in the grass. Doesn’t she look positively angelic?
Magnolia and Pippi Longstocking (please write Angie if the Alpaca’s names are incorrect).
Just like sheep, alpacas need to be shorn at least once a year. Their beautiful fleece is so thick by the time spring comes along, the animals would suffer tremendously in warmer weather if not shorn.
Family and friends lend a hand for alpaca shearing day.
Malcolm Cooper arrived Sunday morning with his assistant Krystian Hoszkiewicz.
Expert shearing, with a firm but kind touch.
Andrew Spinney from Paynter Saltwater Farm in Essex brought three of his alpacas for shearing, along with Maggie the sheep. Maggie likes getting shorn, so much so that she turned into an acquiescing blob of jello.
Angela administers a monthly shot to prevent parasites.
Here’s Nikki helping with the Paynter alpacas. Next is an after-shearing photo, with the Marshall’s daughter Jennifer. What a difference!
Alpaca lower teeth and upper dental pad.
Alpacas only have bottom teeth. On the top they have a hard dental pad. Alpacas eat by trapping grass between their teeth and the dental pad, and then nipping it off. Some alpacas are genetically pre-disposed to misaligned teeth and need to have their teeth trimmed. If the teeth were not trimmed, it could lead to eating disorders and starvation. A protective guard is placed in the mouth and the teeth are quickly ground with an electric grinder. It takes all of about 30 second for an alpaca’s dental treatment!
Pippi Longstocking’s first dental check up.
One-year-old alpacas Maisy, Rascal, and Pippi Longstocking had their first shearing. The yarn made from the first shearing is referred to as baby alpaca, and it is silky soft, luxurious, and super warm.
Maggie’s wool is more course and contains lanolin. After she was shorn, you could feel the sticky lanolin on her skin. Because alpaca fleece bears no lanolin, the yarn is hypoallergenic.
Pippi Longstocking’s first buzz cut.
Phew, I was exhausted just filming the Marshall Family corral twenty plus alpacas and one tubby little Maggie. The Marshall’s alpacas are beloved family members, each named, and each with a unique personality to go with their name–Pokey, Magnolia, and Rascal, to mention just a few. Animal farming is super hard, non-stop work, especially when the animals are as well taken care of as are the Marshalls.
The public is welcome to come stop by and visit the alpacas. Yarn from the Marshall’s alpacas is available to purchase. At the present time, Angie’s Alpacas is open by appointment. Call 978-729-7180 or email Angela at Angiez65@hotmail.com. Marshall’s Farm is located just next to Marshall’s Farm Stand at 148 Concord Street in West Gloucester.
Today was alpaca shearing day at the Marshall’s farm. We have lots of photos to share and I’ll have time to post them tomorrow. All the while alpaca shearing was taking place, Perry, the Marshall’s peacock, was struttin’ his stuff. There was no peahen in sight, but a certain chicken seemed to have caught Perry’s attention. The peacock mating call sounds more like a piercing scream, very startling the first time heard. Have a listen!
https://www.instagram.com/p/BU7mTlHFlbB/
Baby alpacas Pippi Longstocking, Maisy, and Rascal had their first shearing today.
I am simply crazy about this beautiful alpaca scarf given to me by Angela Marshall and have been wearing it nonstop for the three days (although with temperatures predicted in the seventies this week, I may have to take a brief break). I love stopping by to visit Angela and the gift was wholly unexpected, taking me quite off guard.
These super soft and warm scarves come in an assortment of lovely colors and are the perfect size–not too big that they are cumbersome, and not too small to be ineffective. Stop by to visit Angie’s Alpacas and see for yourself her wonderful selection of alpaca yarn (shorn from Cape Ann’s very own alpacas) along with a collection of alpaca hats, mittens, socks, and many more treasures.
Frankie posing for her glamour shot during magic hour
Presently, Angie’s Alpacas is open by appointment. Call 978-729-7180 or email Angela at Angiez65@hotmail.com. As the shop becomes established, so too will the hours. A website and Facebook page, created by Angela’s daughter Jenn, are underway. Angie’s Alpacas is located at Marshall’s Farm, 148 Concord Street, Gloucester.
New grazing area for the alpacas, and they love it!
See previous post about the Angela Marshall’s alpaca yarn here.
Sneak Peak and Super Exciting news for Cape Ann Knitters and Crafters
Angela Marshall is simply amazing. Since the last time I stopped by to say hello and visit her beautiful alpacas, which was only several weeks ago, she has set up a charming shop in a tiny little red shed that was recently added to the Marshall family compound of farm buildings. Freshly scrubbed, painted, and wares beautifully displayed, there is something for everyone in this petite shop.
The skeins of yarn are shorn and spun from her alpacas and come in a lovely array of soft, natural shades, from creamy white to rich chocolatey browns and blacks. Alpaca, which is as luxurious as cashmere, is not only one of the warmest fibers, it is not in the least itchy.
At Angie’s Alpacas you’ll find alpaca hats, mittens, hand warmers, scarves, socks, super comfortable felted alpaca insoles, and much more.
The alpaca named Magnolia came over to check out the above afghan-in-progress. Christy Marshall, now living in Georgia, is visiting the family farm and is crocheting the throw. The white in the afghan comes from Magnolia!
Presently, Angie’s Alpacas is open by appointment. Call 978-729-7180 or email Angela at Angiez65@hotmail.com. As the shop becomes established, so too will the hours. A website and Facebook page, created by Angela’s daughter Jenn, are underway. Angie’s Alpacas is located at Marshall’s Farm, 148 Concord Street, Gloucester.
You can see Angie’s Alpacas yarns and accessories tomorrow, Saturday, October 1st, at the Fall Festival at Mile Marker One. If the weather isn’t too inclement, the Marshall’s alpacas will be there as well. Admission to the festival is free.
See previous post about the Marshall’s alpaca yarn here.
Harumby is growing so quickly, both eating hay and nursing simultaneously.
That’s Angela in the background. She works from sunup till well past sundown. It’s a tremendous amount of work taking care of the alpacas, all the farm animals, and managing the office at Marshall’s Landscaping Supply.
Harumby’s Mom, Stormy, has the most intense gaze. She is always on high alert and doesn’t miss a thing that goes on at the farmyard.
Angela Marshall is going to be carrying ALPACA YARN FROM HER ALPACAS!!! As far as I know, this is the very first time ever that gorgeous Alpaca yarn from Alpacas raised right here on Cape Ann will be available for sale. Not only will she be carrying skeins of yarn, but also beautiful, warm (and very importantly, not itchy) Alpaca hats, mittens, scarves, socks, and hand warmers. I bought two pair of hand warmers on the spot! More information about when the yarn and goods will be ready to purchase, and a complete list of where to purchase, will be coming soon.
Each basket of yarn shows from which Alpaca the fiber was shorn. Dakota’s coat is a beautiful soft buff brown.
This buttery cream comes from Magnolia. The baby hat made by Angela was crocheted with yarns from both Dakota and Magnolia.
Last year I had the joy of visiting Island Alpaca on Martha’s Vineyard and think that the Marshall’s are running their growing Alpaca Farm with similar integrity. This could be a fantastic local industry and I think it will be great if we all support Angela and Pat in this exciting endeavor. They now have 23 Alpacas, including the four adorables born this summer. Harumby is the last of the summer babies and today she is one week old. Go see!
Happy Birthday Harumby
Good Morning Gloucester 