Work Camping and Taking the Road Less Traveled

“Two roads diverged in a wood,
and I – I took the one less traveled by,
and that has made all the difference.”
~Robert Frost~

PLEASE NOTE: Click on all pictures to enlarge

The Work Camper Lifestyle

Most RVers want to work camp in a State Park or RV Park in exchange for parking their motor home for one to three months with full hook-up. This allows them to not only work approximately 10 – 20 hours per week with two days off, but also meet fellow work campers, and explore surrounding areas. After finishing one job and going to the next, we look forward to traveling to other states while we are in transition to our next destination.

Finding the "Road Less Traveled"

For our third work camping job, Chuck and I made the decision to work camp at a place less traveled and more stimulating. We both wanted to work with animals, but were not sure how or where we could find such a job. After tons of searching for the ideal job, I found an ad online for work camping at the Windy Valley Llama Farm in Blue Ridge, GA. Chuck and I were excited and fascinated about the idea of working with llamas. Chuck called the farm and spoke with owners Pam and Jerry Fink who explained to us all the requirements of working on the farm, with a commitment of 6 months. They stressed that the commitment allows the llamas time to interact and progress with more friendly social skills so that the new owners could not only enjoy them as pets but also handle them in a trained manner.

Handling the Llamas

Our first week at the farm was learning how to handle and take care of them. Since Chuck had past experience raising and handling pigs, in the beginning he felt more comfortable with the llamas than I did. Since I was raised a city girl and never had any experience handling animals, I was more standoffish in the beginning. Watching the male llamas with their aggressions towards each other, plus their largeness, intimidated me. However, the females are smaller and less aggressive towards each other so I felt more comfortable with them. I love it when they come up and smell you and allow you to pet them. I have learned to harness and walk them with little fear and love it when I stop, pet, and talk to them during the walks.

My Most Important Job at the Farm

The most important job I have is scooping their poop. I learned that this job is important to the llamas’ health as they could step in it and cause disease and sickness to themselves. I know this sounds weird but their poops look like little olives and don’t smell…….they’re not only precious sweet animals, but they have the cutest poops too.

Birth of a Llama

At this writing, we have been at the farm for 3 weeks. During our second week, we witnessed the birth of a baby llama. I video logged this event along with 19 other videos of different stages after the birth on my “You Tube Video Channel” .

Birth Video

Snapshots

Where is Windy Valley Llama Farm Located

The farm is clean and well kept and Pam and Jerry have been more than hospitable during our stay here. During our first week we were in the midst of the worst tornado that tracked five states to Georgia. The beautiful Blue Ridge mountains where we are stationed broke up the storm so we were unaffected by it. The weather here is mostly mild. We have seen some rain, but mostly sunny days. The summer days are sunny with temperatures reaching 85+ degrees. The area hosts a variety of craft fairs, farmer’s markets, festivals, and music……all of which we both enjoy. Blue Ridge, GA is located at the uppermost northern part of Georgia with the Tennessee and North Carolina borders just minutes away. Blue Ridge, Ga is a vacationer’s hot spot with area whitewater and waterfalls.

Wanna Work Camp at the Farm or Buy a Llama

If you are a work camper interested in work camping or purchasing a llama that has been well taken care of and trained, follow this link Windy Valley Llama Farm to contact Pam or Jerry Fink.

More Llama adventures to come.

Happy Trails!