'Pacas & Pelicans!

In late September, early October, the American White Pelican migrates & stays awhile in Oklahoma. One of our beautiful lake areas hosts an annual Pelican Festival.  It's the usual small town festival - food, music, craft tents.

When I first read about this event, I wanted to go - not for the festival, but in hopes of seeing a big flock of these birds in one place, like the advertisements show! We went there a couple years ago and only saw a flock flying overhead. We could not find them in the advertised usual spots.

Last Monday, it was our day off and the weather was beautiful. We decided to take a convertible ride to Grand Lake for our Great Pelican Hunt.

We stopped at the places where they supposedly hang out and finally found a few at Bernice State Park, just outside of Grove.

These shots were the best I could get. They were too far away to get a nice closeup and the sun was not in my favor. But I was thrilled anyway to finally find some pelicans!

This guy below looks like he's wondering "what's the big deal?"

Later, I was excitedly telling a friend about our excursion. She said, "oh yeah, we saw them over at Ft. Gibson Lake." Like, no big deal, they're everywhere.  Whaaat?

After enjoying the pelican sighting, I remembered reading about an alpaca ranch nearby. I looked it up and found they are still in operation and receiving visitors. (How did we ever live without cell phones & Google? And Google on our cell phones?)

We hurried over and spent a delightful hour at Zena Suri Alpaca Ranch. (Link to their website here)

I loooove alpacas! Their sweet faces! Their gentle presence! Their soft fur!

My fantasy is to have an alpaca ranch - with ranch hands to do the dirty work, lol.

This is actually a llama. I've never seen one with a lion's ruff. The owner said he was left there by a former employee. She sheered the ruff once and Mr. Llama acted as if she'd taken his crown, so now she leaves it. I think it makes him look royal.

We visited an alpaca ranch in New Mexico a couple years ago. That owner told us they weren't sociable, they were shy, and didn't want to be touched. On the other hand, at the ranch we visited in South Dakota last year, the owner said just the opposite. His animals acted like house pets! I asked the Oklahoma ranchers about this and they said it's all in how they're raised. I'm suspecting the NM rancher was the skittesh one, not his animals. 

But back to the llama... the SD ranch had a guard llama. He was very serious about his job of guarding the gentle 'pacas. The owner said that many ranches have llamas instead of dogs to guard the herd.

Here at the OK ranch, the llama was very approachable and curious. Again, it probably depends on how they're raised and the temperament of the animal.

Oh that face!

They were all so curious about their visitors. And probably looking for treats, too.

This is the same guy as pictured above. Don't know why he pinned his ears back but he looks like an ostrich that way. Maybe he was annoyed at me.

And here he is again, on the left. Hasn't moved, same expression!

I love these nuzzling shots. They could be Valentine cards.

This baby! Such sweetness!

Coming home, good ol' Maps routed us on all the county roads. They wound around the lakes, up & down hills, on winding roads. But after nearly 3 months of temps in the upper 90s & over 100, when you don't even want to go shopping, it was wonderful to get outside & out of town for the day.  

October - the best month of the year!