May 14, 2009 at 11:11 am
There are a few near us as well. Haven't thought about it myself, but I see them doing open houses a couple times a year for kids to come by.
I can tell you there isn't a lot of money in horses unless you race them and get lucky.
May 14, 2009 at 3:05 pm
randall.martin (5/14/2009)
I hear alpaca spit, is that true? Probably pretty hard to handle when their frisky too. :w00t:
Indeed they do spit. They use it as a pecking order mechanism. Rarely do they spit at people unless they are scared.
We find them easy to handle. You need to treat them with respect and be calm and they will reward you with same. Analyzing and organizing systems to manage them gives great results and calmer animals.
May 14, 2009 at 3:09 pm
Steve Jones - Editor (5/14/2009)
There are a few near us as well. Haven't thought about it myself, but I see them doing open houses a couple times a year for kids to come by.I can tell you there isn't a lot of money in horses unless you race them and get lucky.
Funny how so much money goes into horses with such little opportunity for a return. No doubt it happens with many livestock "enterprises".
May 14, 2009 at 3:18 pm
DPhillips (5/14/2009)
srowley (5/14/2009)
Hi Steve,I've recently taken up full time alpaca farming. I've noticed a significant improvement in my general well being and have lost a lot of weight. Not sitting in front of a computer all day has made a big difference. I now feel better than I have for a long time.
Regards
Steve
How's business with alpacas? We have considered this. Well, my wife has... I am still unsure about the viability.
An alpaca business is exactly that. If you want in for a bit of fun, then do it as a hobby. If you want to do it as a business, you need to operate it as a business. ie. Business Plan, Marketing, Sales, Farm Management. A lot of people enter the industry without the business skills to make it work. If you don't have or learn the skills you are not going to make sales and therefore any money. I believe there are many opportunities in the alpaca industry available to those with the right skills & commitment.
May 15, 2009 at 9:41 am
srowley (5/14/2009)
... We find them easy to handle. You need to treat them with respect and be calm and they will reward you with same. Analyzing and organizing systems to manage them gives great results and calmer animals.
Hmmm, not unlike managing people...
May 15, 2009 at 11:40 am
Surprisingly I see things with the horses as well that remind me of managing people all the time.
May 15, 2009 at 11:53 am
Me, too, especially when viewed from the rear.
May 15, 2009 at 12:57 pm
The best way to manage people is to do it in such a way that they don't know they are being managed. 😉
ATBCharles Kincaid
May 15, 2009 at 1:08 pm
Yeah, but most employees notice the cattle prods and 2x4s.
May 15, 2009 at 4:23 pm
I feel sorry for you Steve and all other workers having chronic pain. It is a fact that almost everyone of us in this modern times experienced chronic pains especially as we get older. Chronic pain is totally unknown to me when I was younger. Now, I had chronic pain on my left shoulder which started years ago which I just ignored because the doctor said it’s some nerves being pinched a little which usually goes away after a few days of taking pain relievers and avoiding positions that makes the pain more severe. Truly the doctor’s advice work a bit but the pain keeps coming back and every time it comes back, it will stay longer before it goes away and I believe it’s becoming worse. The worst thing happened in summer of last year after we had an intense Wave Runner ride (a Yamaha personal watercraft). I had spasm on both thighs causing severe pains when climbing up the stairs. the worst thing is that the pain on my knees stayed after the spasm is gone. Pain killers are not much of a help. Due to my desire to know more what could possibly be causing the pain on my joints when don’t have any fractured bones, no arthritis or any bacterial infection, I searched the web on some related materials. I came across a blog of some guy who had similar experience and how he treated himself and that he’s recovering significantly from pain. He recommended a book that teaches you how to look for the causes of joints and muscles pain and how to massage then by yourself or by someone you can get help from, example your wife. I tried it myself and right now, I felt a lot better than before, no more pain relievers. There is still a little pain left but I can barely notice it at normal postures. It even totally disappears when I’m having fun :w00t:, playing badminton with my kids for example.:hehe: To cut to the chase, I bought two related books from Amazon. My $30 investment is working for me and my wife. I recommend you try too.
1. Trigger Point Therapy for Myofascial Pain: The Practice of Informed Touch
by Donna Finando L.Ac. L.M.T. (Author), Steven Finando Ph.D. L.Ac. (Author)
2. The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook: Your Self-Treatment Guide for Pain Relief, Second Edition by Clair Davies (Author), Amber Davies (Author)
Good Luck.
May 15, 2009 at 4:37 pm
Andras,
Thanks, I might try that.
I'm much better today, actually got to karate last night and did fine. I stayed away from back lifts, but the movement was OK. Looking forward to baseball on Sun!
May 18, 2009 at 1:53 am
Hi Steve,
I sympathise with your weekend in bed. I've had a few of those in my time. Actually, it happens to half the UK working population every single year.
What began with back pain for me in the early 90s turned into a repetitive strain injury that took me out of the computing business for 10 years. I'm now just back into IT, on a much lower grade, and having to learn a heck of a lot to get up to speed again.
I'm proud of what I've achieved. These days I have more vitality, because I use my back well, than most parents of an active 3-year-old. Not to be restricted in how I play with and carry Sam matters to me a great deal, and I take great pleasure in being able to throw him over my head or spin him round. I haven't seen many other 40-year-old parents do that recently.
But I would have been prouder if I'd never needed to badly injure my lower back before I started paying attention. I think it's really worth learning to use your back well, preferably *before* you injure it, in a job that is as physically demanding as ours.
Everyone who has recovered from back pain and repetitive strain injury has their own ideas, and I'm no exception. I went and studied the Alexander Technique, and had an extraordinary and very confidence-building experience of back pain and hand pain slowly unwinding over many months. I now work slower, smarter, and much less hard. I actually get more done, not less, as a result. And, of course, I go on making mistakes. I'm very far from perfect.
I wish I'd acted sooner. It took me years to get to the point of seeking help. When the pain is bearable, if you're anything like me, you carry on working harder than ever, and making all the same mistakes.
My worktime postural "set" set me up for injury inside and outside work. I hurt my back lifting someone on a pleasant hike in the country. Other people cough one day and suddenly they're in trouble with their backs. The injury isn't necessarily *caused* by the thing you were doing at the time. There's such a thing as a chronic injury, and the straw that broke the camel's back. (This happens *very* frequently to sufferers from back pain.)
My key lesson was that I'd set myself up for that first flat-on-my-back-in-agony moment for months and years previously. It was beginning to understand this much longer process that has helped me recover both my back strength and my hands. And to do that, I found, I needed help.
Best wishes,
Nick
May 18, 2009 at 9:48 am
nick (5/18/2009)
...Everyone who has recovered from back pain and repetitive strain injury has their own ideas, and I'm no exception. I went and studied the Alexander Technique, and had an extraordinary and very confidence-building experience of back pain and hand pain slowly unwinding over many months.
...
Nick
Interesting information. Had not heard of this before. Thanks for posting the tip!
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