This alpaca greeted me at the Latimer Quilt Center near Tillamook, Oregon. She had just been through a downpour.
I got us a bit lost yesterday and was grumpy. I zigged when I should have zagged. Peggy and I had been visiting the Tillamook Cheese and Ice Cream factory and I had made a left turn onto a country road instead of a right.
“I think you need to go right,” Peggy had suggested as I drove on, thinking I knew where I was going. Teach me. We had continued down the country road, far past where I realized that Peggy was correct, when we saw a sign to the Latimer Quilt Center.
“Oh, I want to go there!” Peggy said eagerly. “Not me,” I’d replied, still grouchy. Whoops. I was thinking it was getting late and we still had to drive into Tillamook and shop at Safeway before returning to Rockaway Beach. And I was thinking we’d be driving home after dark on a stormy night along the coast. I was thinking wrong.
I spotted the alpacas as we drove into the quilting museum. “I’ll see you inside,” my buddy had noted, realizing that I could not resist the charming four-legged sweater factories.
“Oh, you poor fellows,” I had declared when I got closer, barely able to speak I was laughing so hard. A downpour had just passed and they were drenched, the epitome of a bad-hair day. I think one of then mumbled, “We’re just glad we aren’t turkeys.”
Actually, they had a spacious shed they could have hidden out in if they had chosen. Maybe their Andean DNA insisted on them being out in the cold and wet. Anyway, here they are looking half drowned…
This gal was definitely having a bad hair day!
As I watched, she worked on lunch.
I think that this fellow took umbrage at my laughter…
Eyed me suspiciously…
And gave me a squinty look.
Meanwhile, the cutie shown at the top of the post happily rested on the soaking wet ground.
Provided a profile shot…
And looked pretty!
The alpacas, Peggy and I wish each of you a Happy Thanksgiving.
PS… I found the quilting museum quite interesting and took this photo of a quilt featuring a lighthouse as a lead in to my next post where Peggy and I will visit the rugged Cape Meares and the Cape Meares Lighthouse.
41 thoughts on “We’re Just Glad We Aren’t Turkeys…”
cindy knoke
Carrie Rubin
Ha, glad to see I’m not the only one who has a bad hair day from time to time!
Curt Mekemson
I suspect it never gets quite that bad, though, Carrie. 🙂 –Curt
Carrie Rubin
There’ll be no pics of it if it does. 😄
Curt Mekemson
Oh, come on Carrie… 🙂
Mel & Suan
Yeah you’re probably right. The Alpacas seem to like standing out in the open a lot!
Curt Mekemson
I am sure they would prefer to be standing up on a high mountain in the Andes. 🙂 They are well protected by their fur coats, Suan. –Curt
Mel & Suan
Oh yes. They were roaming Machu Picchu freely too!
Curt Mekemson
What fun…
Sue Slaght
Seems like a wrong turn served you very well. Loved the saturated alpaca tour. 🙂
Curt Mekemson
The ‘saturated’ alpacas ‘turned’ me around for sure, Sue. 🙂 –Curt
Alison and Don
Great shots of the alpacas Curt. I guess it wasn’t a wrong turn after all. Happy Thanksgiving to you both.
Alison
Curt Mekemson
Thanks, Alison. 🙂 As Andrew noted, they quickly got me over the grumps. I couldn’t wait to share them… –Curt
Zac
Alpacas have such attitude! 🐐 nice post 😀
Curt Mekemson
Thanks, Zac. They really do! –Curt
Animalcouriers
They’re gorgeous whether half-drowned or blown dry!
Curt Mekemson
They were right up there with some of the wonderful animals you feature, AC. True characters… Thanks. –Curt
Andrew Petcher
Seems that somewhere down the line you lost the grumps!
Curt Mekemson
Right, Andrew. The alpacas did it. I even went inside and enjoyed the quilting museum, which was quite interesting. –Curt
Andrew Petcher
A quilting museum sounds like such good fun Curt. Did the Alpaca cast a spell on you maybe?
Curt Mekemson
It’s possible. 🙂
Andrew Petcher
I need to find some Alpaca for when I get wound up and grumpy!
Dave Kingsbury
You certainly brought out the best in those alpacas, Curt …
Curt Mekemson
They made my day, Dave. I had a more serious post prepared for Thanksgiving, but as soon as I saw the alpacas, I knew they had to take over. We can all use a break… –Curt
Tasha
What fun!
Curt Mekemson
They made me laugh out loud, Tasha. I wish that you, Clay and the boys could have been there. –Curt
evelyneholingue
They are so adorable, Curt! Lovely messengers for Thanksgiving. We are certainly thankful to have you on the blogospere. Hope you and Peggy and family had a lovely Thanksgiving.
Curt Mekemson
I wanted to take one home with me, Evelyne. 🙂 Thanksgiving was great. We ate at a small restaurant called Grumpy’s and the owner, an older woman who was a true Oregon character, kept coming by to urge us to eat our veggies and clean our plate. I left much more stuffed than the turkey. Thanks so much. –Curt
Annika Perry
Curt, that was a bad hair day!! 😀 I’m laughing out loud at these drenched alpacas… they look so sorry for themselves and meanwhile cutie is quite serene and happy! Love the quilt, glorious colours and design!
Curt Mekemson
I’m saving all of my Alpaca photos, Annika. They will be my go to therapy if I am feeling down or grumpy! Wasn’t the quilt neat. The whole art has changed. There is a museum in Paducah, Kentucky that features some of the best in the world. Amazing.
Peggy is quite the quilter and we have some beautiful ones around our house, as well. –Curt
philosophermouseofthehedge
Alpacas are so funny. They look like they thought you were maybe the animal in the zoo – and one all covered up oddly – with not enough sense to enjoy the free shower.
Quilting has become high level art craftsmanship. Shows are quite amazing. (My mom did the old fashioned hand sown/ hand quilted-by-a-group kind. Have a closet of then hanging and stored – to use lightly sometimes. We have one quilt handed down from the republic of TX days. Such tiny stitches – and before electric lights. Log cabins and old fashion ways. Hardy folks…and if you’ve ever stayed in an ancient log cabin – in the cold rain seeping in, you wonder if modern people would fare as well as the older crowd did.)
Curt Mekemson
I like your zoo analogy, Phil. It may well have been what they were thinking!
I agree on quilting. It definitely isn’t our grandmother or great grandmother’s style, although those quilts also had their charm and skill. You mentioned the challenges of quilting in a cold drafty cabin. Now add half of dozen or more lids! Peggy has become a quilter and is enjoying it a lot. When I do my post on the quilt shop, I’ll add a photo of one of hers. Finally, as I mentioned to Lexi, Paducah, Kentucky has a wonderful quilt museum that features many modern masterpieces that show just how far quilting has become. -Curt
lexklein
I love those cute little alpacas – even soaking wet and mussed. I used to quilt and enjoy seeing others’ handiwork, so I would have enjoyed the impromptu stop.
Curt Mekemson
The quilting shop/museum was quite interesting, Lexi. I will post more photos on a future blog. If you ever get down to Paducah, Kentucky, be sure to stop by their quilting museum there. It is an incredible display of the beautiful art created in modern quilting. –Curt
Agness of a Tuk Tuk
This is such a great Thanksgiving message and moral, Curt. Excellent post and wonderful pictures. Alpacas are so cute. 😉
Curt Mekemson
Glad you enjoyed it, Agness. I’d written a more serious post but abandoned it in favor of the alpacas. 🙂 Thanks much. –Curt
Dave Ply
Serendipity! 🙂
Curt Mekemson
Absolutely, Dave!
Oh, the Places We See
Tell Peggy I’m glad she persuaded you to include the quilt photo in your post — made my day. I’ve never made a quilt, but I’m fascinated by the creativity, piecing, and workmanship to bring one to completion.
Curt Mekemson
There are more shots of the quilt shop plus one that Peggy has made on this coming Monday’s post, Rusha. –Curt
Oh, the Places We See
Can’t wait. My mom was a quilter, so I’ve appreciated the craft for years!