Session I is off to a Good Start

Campers meet Lady Morning star.

Campers checking out the spinning wheel.

Hard at work spinning.

A loom being warped.

Weaver working out among the pines,

Our campers are working on projects that they have designed.  Carol and I help them find away to bring their designs to reality.

We still have some openings in a few of our up coming sessions.  Contact Catherine at busycs4@aol.com

Still Openings in 2014 Summer Sessions!

Looking for a Memorable Summer . . .

Alpaca & Nature Day-Camp is like no other camp you will find.  Our camper learn all about alpacas in the barn and work with their fiber  in our Fiber Cottage.  Our campers learn to spin alpaca fiber on a spinning wheel.  They learn to weave on a variety of looms.  We do not do cookie crafts, our campers design their own weaving with the guidance of Catherine Stickann and Carol Arnold.  Take a look at some of the projects our campers have made:

Our campers learn about the  plants and the creek that runs through the property.  Many of our campers return year after year.  If you are interested and would like more information, contact Catherine Stickann @ (573)-815-9500 or email her @ busycs4@aol.com  Please put Camp in the subject line.

Alpaca & Nature Day-Camp 2014 Registration time!

Summer 2014 
Session I - June 9 - 13
Session II - June 23 - 27
Session III - July 7 - 11
Session IV - July 14 - 18 (All campers must be at least 12 and have attended camp at least once. There is no upper age limit. Only 5 campers in this session.)
Session V - July 21 - 25

2014 Alpaca & Nature Day Camp is for campers ages 9 - 15. We spend time with the alpacas, nature on the farm, spinning on a spinning wheel, weaving and just having fun. For more information, contact Catherine @ busycs4@aol.com or call Catherine (573) - 815- 9500.

Beginning to spin.

Spinning

Campers do wonderful weaving projects that they design. . . .

Session II

We are just about ready to finish Session II.  the weather has been hot but  we have had a good time with our breaks being water relays.  Dr. Dusty has come by twice to talk about alpacas and the camps have  taken in much new knowledge.  There has been some great things going on with the alpaca leading, most notably with Pippi  who is now moving on a lead.   Today we will finish all those projects, baskets, purses, treasure bags and more. . . 

Session II begins tomorrow!

I hope all of my campers are ready for Alpaca & Nature Day-Camp, Session II.  I am and I am sure Carol is.  The alpacas have missed the campers and  of course all the cats and dogs are ready to see the extra faces on the farm.  The more hands to throw Phebe's ball the better!

One opening summer 2012

One Opening in Session 4

We have one opening in session#4.  This is a very exciting summer on the farm.

Still Openings for Summer 2012

We still have a few openings in session 4 (July 23-27) and one opening in session 3 (July 9-13).  Email Catherine, busycs4@aol.com if you have a child that would like to attend camp.

Camp is Filling up!

I am happy to report, Alpaca & Nature Day-Camp has three of the four sessions full!  Sessions I - III are now full and there are only a few openings in Session IV.  We have such an exciting summer ahead of us!

Alpaca and Nature Day Camp 2012 Dates

We are already thinking about camp for 2012 and the dates have been set:

Session I - June 11-15
Session II - June 25-29
Session III - July 9-13
Session IV - July 23-27
10 campers +1 CIT per session. 

Come join us for a unique learning experience.
Call:             573-815-9500      .
Registration will begin in January. Check back in January for more 
information.




Here are some pictures from Alpaca and Nature Day Camp 2011, enjoy!

We sure had a lot of fun at camp this past summer!

Alpaca & Nature Day Camp 2011 is nearly full

!I am happy to report there are just 2 opens left for the upcoming summer.  Both openings are in Session I, June 13 - 17.          


This is a very exciting summer as we 5 years of camps!      

Camps are Filling UP

Meet Buster, he is our new little boy.  He is excited about meeting the campers.  All of our younger alpacas will be working with the campers.

Below is Frederica and Delilah.  Some of you might remember Delilah.  she is usually very easy to handle.  Frederica was born in the fall, she is fiesty and extremely playful. 

Pippi and Freja will be there with the campers, too!

Pippi

Freja and Pippi.

Time to to Work on Those Day Camps!

In the summer, I am so busy with Alpaca and Nature Day-Camps that we conduct here on the farm.  They have been very popular and have many repeat campers.  The campers learn all about alpacas and how to train them, how to spin their fiber on a spinningwheel, weaving, sometimes knitting, and fiber education.  Each camper has a note book full of information to take home with them at the end of camp.
Because so many campers come to numerous sessions, I have to have every session fresh with new material for them to learn.  That is what I am working on right now for this summer.  I am getting ready to make up some sample projects.  I absolutelly love the day camps and they bring a nice summer income to the farm.

Campers working with the alpacas.Freja gives alpaca kisses!

A finished triangle loom project!An alpaca negotiates the obstacle course.There is a great deal of satisfaction in spinning.

Getting Ready for Alpaca and Nature Day-Camp

It is exciting to be thinking of summer and the next sessions of Alpaca & Nature Day Camp!  I have sent out a letter to the previous campers.  Now I am going to work on our new knitting unit.   I am making sample of patterns.  Last year the kids made their own knitting needles and I am thinking of doing that this year.  I will be making up a terms sheet for each area we are working with the campers.  The campers will be doing barn chores, halter training, alpaca anatomy, planting a garden, harvesting a garden, working with alpaca fiber, spinning on a spinning wheel, weaving on a loom, skipping rocks in the stream, other nature on the farm.

I am Back once Again

Winter has been really hard here at Sycamore Creek Farm. The snow is beautiful and welcomed as a blanket for our plants. However, the alpacas would like some area where the snow is not covering the ground so they can kush. The problem has not been the snow, rather the subzero temps. The alpacas, for the most part have enjoyed the cooler weather, but I have not. Despite three pairs of gloves, my fingertips freeze within a few minutes. It is hard to refill the heated water buckets and to clean up the more than frozen poop. As I find myself bitching about winter on the farm I know that my heart is in this farm and there is not another place I would rather reside.
I love my walks along the frozen creek. On those walks I get to know the other critters that reside on the farm. Their tracks show their playful side. I come across places where they have stopped to play in the snow. I see the tracks from the deer walking down the center of the frozen creek. Our critters are very active in this bitter winter weather.
We are having a mid-January thaw, so the temps will improve, but the mud will and wetness will be the new factors to deal with. Of course, that means there will be new adventures too.

Purely Alpaca Blog News, Updates, Specials, Sales, History and Humor

Purely Alpaca Blog News, Updates, Specials, Sales, History and Humor

Back after the crash

I had a computer crash, but now I am back online again. I had no idea how much I depend on my computer. I am still catching up and I just wanted to let you know.

By the way, there were the most beautiful orb spider webs dripping with dew this morning. Camp fires...they are a perfect ending to a busy day.
Alpaca Lady

Friendship, my thoughts

Very recently, a friend got upset with me. It really was for no reason and yet I still feel the upset inside. Part of my problem is that I often feel someone is a friend that really has not thought of me as one. Part of the problem is that when I consider someone a friend, I feel a closeness and devotion to the relationship that few people today ever experience. Maybe being a friend is old fashion, maybe it take too much effort in this high tech busy world. What ever, I am grateful to this forum that lets me vent when I need to.

Camp Na-Wa-Kwa

I am just taking it easy this weekend. After having a very busy week of water buckets, wading pools and just general dealing with the heat, I pulled a muscle in my upper back. I took a quick trip to the emergency room to confirm it was not a collapsed lung, as it was making it hard for me to take a deep breath. I am really much better, but my husband is doing the chores for a couple days so I can give the back a rest.
The weather has cooled some and although we turned the air on this afternoon, the windows are able to be open at least part of the day.
We are planning a day camp at the farm next year, so I have been working on the plans for that. It is really very exciting, as I am an old Girl Scout camper and I long to share with kids that knowledge and fun I had. I attended Camp Na-WA-Kwa in Poland Indiana for over 5 years. I think that part of me is still in the Pioneer Unit.

Every summer it was a total emergence into the natural world. It was wonderful and I do think those years had a great deal to do with the person I am today. I am an environmentalist, activist, a constant student of nature and sustainable living. Today, many young kids never get to experience the outdoors and all of its wonders.

Fresh Air

It is a beautiful, overcast morning. There is a cool breeze flowing through the screens, along with the locust humming and the peacefulness of the country. I have a relaxation within and my body is soaking up the energy it lost in the triple digit heat. I think how the weather affects me...Not just me, but the life cycle of all living beings.

In the last week I have found that two friends have and are going through breast cancer therapy. I set up my mamagram appointment. I feel so sorry and overwhelmed with this new knowledge. That is all I can say.

I need to get moving...Onward and with a new attitude. Is George Bush still president? Damn, somethings never change!