Pandemic Week 12: Alpacas Hit the Streets



Alpacas on a walk
As we complete week 12, there have admittedly been many times that we thought we were losing our minds.  Saturday night, we were taking Storm for his usual walk around the block.  From a distance, we saw what looked to be two giant dogs.  As we go closer, we saw our neighbors walking two alpacas down the street on a leash.  They seemed as if this was a normal nightly walk for them as well.  Many thoughts occurred to us as they approached.




  1. Are we all having the same dream and there are really no alpacas?
  2. Did they have alpacas in their backyard all along and we just didn't notice?
  3. Did they get tired of waiting for a new puppy (there are waitlists everywhere) and decided to go with alpacas instead?
  4. How do alpacas do in southern climates?

 As it turns out, you can rent alpacas by the hour.  Since it was their daughter's birthday and there was no party, why not rent an alpaca?  We are keeping this in mind for Anna's birthday.

In other events of the week:

    Anna & Dad forging a stream at Wolf Trap
  • The local high school graduation was on Tuesday (or this year, the drive-by to pick up diplomas was on Tuesday).  The neighbors organized a car parade for the neighborhood graduates.
  • Anna & Theresa attended the local Vienna rally for racial justice on Wednesday (this was a much quieter event compared to the DC protests and rallies but still had a good turnout).
  • Anna dropped off her school books on Thursday and the teachers had a "clap out," lining the car pool route and cheering the 8th graders.  We realized we were ill prepared as we failed to decorate the car, but Anna seemed sufficiently embarrassed without adding decorations to the mix.
  • Anna completed re-painting her room- a project she did on her own.
  • Anna got to hang out with her friend Sofia for the day on Friday.  She proclaimed this "the best day in months." 
  • We found a beautiful hiking trail at Wolf Trap national park.  We usually only go there for concerts, which are canceled for now.  Who knew there were some gorgeous hiking trails there?  This was another great find thanks to our "All Trails" app.
  • Theresa made flan for her dessert of the week.  
  • Anna got her first swim at the neighborhood pool.  There is lap swimming only (6 max) and you must reserve a timeslot (they are always full).  There are tons of rules, but she at last made it into the pool.
Lovely hike along the stream
The coming week kicks off with 8th grade graduation on Monday.  It will be held at a drive-in-movie theater (with lots of social distancing protocols in place)!  Following the ceremony, graduates are invited to stay and watch Ghostbusters.  It will be memorable to say the least.  Stay tuned for all the details.




Flan for dessert

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