Retiredice Alpacas - a bit of Peru right in El Dorado County

Inside the barn, hidden in the shade, four or five female alpacas were acting like hungry women at an all-you-can-eat buffet. "They're not supposed to be in here," Paige Romine says, walking rapidly toward the hay pile. The babies, born that fall looked up at her with marble-like black eyes, fearlessly standing their ground. The older ones flinched as Paige scolded them, but continued eating knowing that the worse that would happen would be their owner herding them out of the barn. Staying mad at a critter that's so darned cute is tough. Paige hugs one around the neck, she says, "As you can see, they make great pets. They're especially good with kids and the elderly, Paige said, obviously proud of her "family."

Eight years ago Dennis and Paige Romine left their home in Sacramento and began to build a life in Fairplay. Paige continued to commute to Sacramento to operate a housekeeping business that she owned, but two years ago her commute became a lot shorter. Now she begins her day with a Diet Pepsi, walks out her front door and down to the barn. Dennis, a carpet layer, was forced to retire early due to an injury. His disability limits his involvement with the alpacas, but being able to watch his wife do what she truly enjoys, makes him happy.

"Each time we went to Tahoe we'd see those alpaca rugs hanging in front of a store," Paige says, remembering how her interest in alpacas came to be. While she appreciated the beauty of the rugs, it was the animals that intrigued her more. She began to research alpacas and soon she was the owner of two males. What she is interested in is educating people who come to purchase an alpaca from Retiredice Alpacas. "Alpacas are herd animals and if you're considering raising them, you'll need to buy at least two."

"They are the most earth friendly animals," she says. Their hooves are soft so little damage is done to a pasture. When they graze, they eat only the short grasses, leaving the roots intact. Alpacas are members of the camelid (or camel) family. There are two types: the Huacaya and the Suri. The huacaya has a fluffy "teddy bear" look and the Suri has the long "pencil locks" that hang down from the body. The male alpacas sell for about $1000 and up, depending on the quality of their fleece. The females, on the other hand, start at about $10,000.

On one side of the ranch, sits a small store. "It's illegal to kill alpacas for pelts in the United States ," Paige says. "But in other countries they are often used for their pelts." Inside the shop are hundreds of gifts created from alpaca fiber. "The blankets are extra warm," she says, explaining that each alpaca fiber is hollow, which holds in the heat. Items like hats, socks, scarves and sweaters fill the shop. Alpacas come in 22 natural colors so the variety of yarns that are available at Retiredice Alpacas is varied. "You can dye the fiber, but most people prefer it in its natural shade." You can purchase raw fiber by the ounce too. It runs anywhere from $3-$6 per ounce. "Something made from alpaca makes a wonderful Christmas gift," Paige says. "The fiber is so tough that often items made from alpaca are handed down from generation to generation."

Each May the Romines have their herd sheered. "People are welcome to stop by and watch," Paige says, walking toward the store where local spinners have taken the fibers from last year's sheer and have spun it into valuable yarn. "There's nothing warmer," says Paige, who at this point crochets and knits, but has yet to learn to spin. You'll see Paige and members of the Hang town Fiber Guild at Christmas in Coloma, an old fashioned event that takes place every December in the Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park in Coloma.

Today, you'll find Paige and Dennis, each with a trained bird on their shoulder, wandering the pasture while six English Mastiff dogs bark from behind a fence, 21 chickens peck at the bugs on the ground and 30 or so loveable alpacas follow them closely, just because.