Just a Perfect Day Life at Wanderlight Alpaca Experience

My alarm chimes at 7:00am, the bus comes at 8:00 – you know the drill. Breakfast, lunches, permission forms, matching socks!? With the kids out the door there are 83 more mouths to feed. I mix milk for the bottle lambs, feed and water the alpacas, sheep, horse, chickens and chicks. I move the growing chicks to a larger pen. The grazing animals are on a pasture rotation. On Friday I will need to move the sheep fence to new grass but today they leap joyfully out of the gate.

There are three alpaca walks scheduled today.

10:00 am and the alpacas pause on their walk to eat every bright dandelion and fragrant clover. A family visits from a nearby cottage. Grandparents, parents, 3 energetic kids – each with an alpaca, connecting with their new friends. The youngest held back at first but now she is building trust with Oberon, reaching out a tentative hand to stroke him. Laughter – the dad has narrowly escaped being spit on!

The second visitors are celebrating their first wedding anniversary with a break from the city, exploring the beauty of the Kawarthas. They marvel at the softness of the alpaca fibre. They tell me about their family farm back in India, their lives as new Canadians, their dreams of the future.

Between walks I create some content for social media.

At 2:00pm a group of laughing, energetic women arrive. They work at the hospital and are here for team building and fun. “This is so therapeutic!” “I can’t stop smiling!” The alpacas are wondrous, almost surreal in their silly cuteness. The co-workers take pictures, making shared memories for more challenging times.

It is 3:00pm. My son will be home in 45 minutes. I rest. A short nap, guided meditation, music – rest, self-care and creative expression are essential for my success as a business owner, a mother and an engaged member of my community.

I drop off the kids to their Dad. At the gym we do an exercise called “Farmer’s Carry”! Back at home I unload the 80lb bags of feed. Tomorrow I am taking a few alpacas to an event so I hitch up the trailer. I open Instagram and make a new post.

8:30pm and I mix up more lamb milk. Outside the alpacas appear to glow in the evening light. I spend a few quiet moments in their serene presence. They regard me with their soft liquid eyes and Mona Lisa smiles.

Every day is not exactly like this. Some days I shovel poop or drive the tractor for hours. Some days I do accounting and answer emails and send gift cards for fundraisers. Some days the vet comes and hard decisions are made or lives are saved. Life, death, love, work, magic, gratitude, despair, joy, cycles, seasons – this is life at Wanderlight.

10pm and my day is not quite done – I still have an article to write for the cottage magazine…

Katie Maitland, Owner and Host – Wanderlight Alpaca Experience
Lakefield, Ontario   www.wanderlightalpaca.ca