Holiday Respite

Holidays are very difficult for people with autism. Over stimulation and disruption of routines makes for much stress. John uses the barn and the alpacas as a form of respite. When he needs to relax, he heads to the animals.

We do the chores in the cold weather as quickly as we can. But, with proper clothing: long underwear and flannel lined jeans, he often asks to do more and stay longer. If the wind is blowing, the animals seek shelter. Their ears are especially vulnerable to frost bite. They wait by the gate for John to hand over some fresh hay and chaff. We often feed ahead for cold temperatures. January has been brutal here this year. Normally we would only offer grain in the evening, but this month we have supplemented with additional grain in the morning.

But, the high light of the day for our herd is the very warm water that comes both at the break of day and early afternoon. Our seven females drink down two five gallon pails in no time. We are amazed that often the pails in the barn do not freeze. We keep two heated pails for the very lowest of temperatures, but seldom use them.

With our tractor to scoop and clear the snow and our trusty old snowblower, we're as snug as a bug in a rug. The alpaca barn is welcoming and relaxing after a hectic holiday season.