Riding home with an alpaca on my son's lap

Recently I had the privilege of attending the 15th Annual Southern Select Alpaca Show.  I have attended this event three times. It is a lot of fun. One of my favorite fibers to knit happens to be alpaca. It is so soft and warm. Alpacas are amazing, curious creatures. They are a domesticated species of the camelid family from South America and are closely related to the llama. There are two types of alpaca, the Suri and the Huacaya. The Suri are beautiful animals with a long fringy coat.  I always remember this because in my mind I sing, ♫ "Surrey with the Fringe on Top."♫  

The Huacaya are a fluffy breed that look a little like a cross between a sheep and a llama. Both breeds are bred specifically for their fibers, they are not used as pack animals like their cousin llamas, because they are too small. They can be used as guard animals just like llamas, because they are aggressive towards foxes, dogs, and coyotes. They are pretty tough to be so cute.

I spoke with a man from Massachusetts about his alpacas.  He saw me taking pictures and said instead of photos I should just take one home. I told him that I had warned my son that he might have to ride home with an alpaca on his lap.  The man said he can fit three in the backseat of his Honda Element, and that at the bank drive thru they always offer to give his "dogs" a treat. I drive a large SUV, so I guess I could fit a dozen in there. A girl can dream.