If I were a rancher...

Jocelyn and I first saw these creatures in the countryside of western Washington, where they are well-suited to the climate. This was in the early 90s.

Since that time, alpaca ranching has rapidly grown in popularity. When Jocelyn and I first expressed an interest, there weren't many alpacas around in North America. They had only been imported from South America in the 1980s.

Now, there are thousands of ranches around the country. Oddly, Ohio (my home state) has the most. Virginia, where we now live, has its share, and we were reminded of these exotic friendly animals during our recent state fair day trip.

According to ranchers, each of these animals has a distinct personality that really shines through. They come when called, and they're gentle and playful. Historically, they're valued for their fleece (wool,) which is supposedly far warmer than sheep wool and has the added bonus of being without lanolin (no greasy spotting!) It's also silkier and doesn't have that itchy feel.

The real financial benefit to owning alpacas are the prices they command and stud fees. It's like a livestock version of dogs, with breeds and shows and varieties and bloodlines and all that other stuff that serious pet breeders enjoy.

They're odd looking yet beautiful animals. Apparently, it doesn't take much to raise them as far as space and feed.

I get the strange feeling that if I pressed her, Jocelyn would consider buying a farmhouse and some land and becoming alpaca ranchers.

I don't know. Maybe, I will. What would you do?

UPDATE: We had lunch. We talked. She's actually interested. How can you look at this photo and not crack a smile?