Bill and I are rather ordinary people, who crossed paths in a doorway one night, and my boys introduced me to
him, and ever since we rarely leave each others side. We were both raised in Ohio and joined forces there. We argue
about life at times one of the biggest still unsolved mysteries is: 3 days before our wedding, Bill cut his wedding ring
finger off.? Intentional? I don’t know???? Reason I have doubts: we taped our ceremony and upon reviewing it
each year a few times, I noticed that Bill also added a film by John Wayne “The Longest Day” right after the wedding.
But we followed thru with the “ring casually appearing in his nose a few times”.
Trying to lead him “into the paths of rightousness”….hehehe.
Bill had two girls, I had three boys and our genetics produced Ashley who is now 20! We lived on Lake Erie
where I quit my job for a court house and watched 13 to 16 kids per day. Bill worked in a rubber company, when he
came home from that, he hugged and held the kids while having coffee.
We lived there together and remodeled a couple of houses too! Bill brought a large boat in the backyard,
built a dock around it, and bought life jackets, fishing poles, for all the kids to play in. (A piece of Heaven). In
October of 94, one tragic night we lost one of our sons, John, in an awful car accident. John had a “favorite time, day,
and numbers of 1111”. Although painful at first to see his numbers, as we loaded up everything we owned and pulled
out the drive to move to Florida it was 11:11 am on July 4th, 1995. However, weird this may sound 11:11 am, Nov. llth,
$1,111.00 for groceries, 11 11 has connected us with friends!!! We feel when we see his numbers, we have touched an
angel. We even have had surgeries begin at 11:11! We feel John and God with us especially at those times and have
more hope!
We lived on the water within 30 feet most of our life here. I called Bill “Barnacle Bill and Shipwrecked
Sherry”. As one door closes in life, we watched and a very different door opened for us. We became foster parents
for special needs mothers and babies, and one day we took an emergency guy. His name was Joe for a promise of 3
days to 2 weeks only! He was tough, but laws require we can not share
our struggles then. And which of us, has not been to ugh to live with at times.? A surprise to us, we switched to
men to keep him as it appeared he only had us. We prayed for God to find him a good home!!! and relied on God to get
us thru and find him help. Thanks to God, we realized we were the help and family he needed. I remember us ALL
laughing, as the realization hit that “we were the good home”. He has been a member of our family since 96. We
learned “slow signing”! We also have had for years now, our John. He has moved to different houses a few times
with us too! Joe would sleep in a cardboard box if we did, and we would do the same for him! God was good!
One day our other son, Dan was coming home from the service and we were looking for a different place so we
could all be closer. Ashley and Joe found a place on the computer in Brooksville where to our surprise had many
shade trees and rolling hills. When we walked into the house the stove was blinking 11:11! We sold our water homes
and a rental house to move into our home in the country. Of course, Joe and John, as family viewed the home, voted,
and moved with us, and our son Dan joined us there. We also took in a new family member Brian, and later an
emergency man “Joey” who has since moved but is still important to us! Our children, talked our other children, into
voting for the name of “Griffonwood”. As they felt a “mystical animal the Griffon” with all the trees. We watch as
the hawks sit on the fence posts here with the pacas. The cat lay next to the dogs. A couple of alpacas sit in our laps!
Bill felt a little shanghied, but once drydocked in the country, searched for tax benefits for the land,
and something interesting to do. He was voted out for cattle, pigs, etc. - we wanted nothing we would
eat! We , searching for “no kill livestock” by the grace of God found the ALPACA. We found a local
farm and a woman named Jean Riley! We took the guys to see them, and all gave a “thumbs up” to purchasing 3
babies! The Journey began! We LOVE ALPACAS!
Brian and John periodically are with the alpacas, mostly if other people are here. Joe has found his
niche and loves them! He has grown in his wisdom, never left a gate open! Loves visitors, loves babies and dries
them off, hugs, and kisses them. He repeats the signs when one is breeding of “making babies”. He signs “two babies
coming soon” which is now sometimes “5 babies coming soon”! As a reporter came for an alpaca story once, I saw
Joe steal the show as he tried to “show the reporter how the baby gets out feet first with his nose coming first.”! Joe
feels a part of our vet’s visit, feels he must help hold a sick animal for him to help. Joe has held and patted the heads of
a couple of babies while birthing and whispered in their ears in his speech for God to help them come out. He claps
when they make it out!! The mothers seem to accept Joe as part of the experience. Joe points out the “bonding after”
and smiles. He has helped a few times give a supplemental bottle which he remembered for a baby! He loves moving
grain or hay, although sometimes it would be easier without him! We bought him his own tool belt, with a hammer,
measuring tape, and he loves holding a fence post for his dad, Bill.
The alpacas, suris and then purchasing huacayas, have brought great joy to our lives. Having 10-25 was
easy and we found that we had a wonderful blend of nature and people. We love the bonding with
nature and the wonderful feeling of seeing the farm grow in all kinds of aspects. We value the life
if each person here, or each animal here (which most of the time they are included as people). We
laugh as people say “how do you tell them apart”. Joe, who can still be honery, and can pick out our
“most honery” alpaca out of 70 with no problem. He can also find the sweetest girls that let him
catch them. A couple kick, a couple spit, some groan, just like people! But mostly, they are wonderful.
Each birth is a celebration! Each head that turns when you talk to them - a friend! Their glossy
eyes seem to dwell on what you say, listen to your heart, and we love to share our passion for them
with the wonderful visitors that we have had. Multiplication was important in school and is important
now! We cherish our moments with every baby being better quality than the year before. Most
ALL of our visitors meet Joe and before they leave he hugs them goodbye sadly.
We try our best to be honest and ethical in what we do! Not all things in life are easy and when life
hits us hard or one of our customers, we try to make things right as best we can! We must have some of the best
customers in America. They are of great heart! We love our people, our alpacas, no drive to work, and it is hard not
to talk about what you love. Most of the Alpaca people have a “special uniqueness about them” and we are proud to
be a farmer in America. We are opening
a small store so we can show the entire cycle for the alpaca and its value! When one touches the
shawl that was made from our own animals fiber, it makes us proud!
We, also, value our American soliders, and thank each man or woman who has served. We are starting
a program to aid our vets in purchasing alpacas. We provide hands on training for all purchasers,
but also a sweat equity program to aid a veteran in a down payment!
We have had health issues for Joseph and myself this year. We are grateful to God & for all those
that prayed for us and helped us return home! We saw 3 miracles this year, and met a wonderful couple
that helped us “see and feel God healing us” , Chuck Domm and Lorraine . (alpaca owners, and found
11 11 important to them)! Support please, American soldiers, American farmers, and SHARE the
JOY OF ALPACA OWNERSHIP! And PROSPER in hope, health, wealth, and happiness in 2008.
When life gets hectic, take a break and a blanket - go lay in your pasture and enjoy! Grasp the moments!!!!
Sherry and Bill Leslie
him, and ever since we rarely leave each others side. We were both raised in Ohio and joined forces there. We argue
about life at times one of the biggest still unsolved mysteries is: 3 days before our wedding, Bill cut his wedding ring
finger off.? Intentional? I don’t know???? Reason I have doubts: we taped our ceremony and upon reviewing it
each year a few times, I noticed that Bill also added a film by John Wayne “The Longest Day” right after the wedding.
But we followed thru with the “ring casually appearing in his nose a few times”.
Trying to lead him “into the paths of rightousness”….hehehe.
Bill had two girls, I had three boys and our genetics produced Ashley who is now 20! We lived on Lake Erie
where I quit my job for a court house and watched 13 to 16 kids per day. Bill worked in a rubber company, when he
came home from that, he hugged and held the kids while having coffee.
We lived there together and remodeled a couple of houses too! Bill brought a large boat in the backyard,
built a dock around it, and bought life jackets, fishing poles, for all the kids to play in. (A piece of Heaven). In
October of 94, one tragic night we lost one of our sons, John, in an awful car accident. John had a “favorite time, day,
and numbers of 1111”. Although painful at first to see his numbers, as we loaded up everything we owned and pulled
out the drive to move to Florida it was 11:11 am on July 4th, 1995. However, weird this may sound 11:11 am, Nov. llth,
$1,111.00 for groceries, 11 11 has connected us with friends!!! We feel when we see his numbers, we have touched an
angel. We even have had surgeries begin at 11:11! We feel John and God with us especially at those times and have
more hope!
We lived on the water within 30 feet most of our life here. I called Bill “Barnacle Bill and Shipwrecked
Sherry”. As one door closes in life, we watched and a very different door opened for us. We became foster parents
for special needs mothers and babies, and one day we took an emergency guy. His name was Joe for a promise of 3
days to 2 weeks only! He was tough, but laws require we can not share
our struggles then. And which of us, has not been to ugh to live with at times.? A surprise to us, we switched to
men to keep him as it appeared he only had us. We prayed for God to find him a good home!!! and relied on God to get
us thru and find him help. Thanks to God, we realized we were the help and family he needed. I remember us ALL
laughing, as the realization hit that “we were the good home”. He has been a member of our family since 96. We
learned “slow signing”! We also have had for years now, our John. He has moved to different houses a few times
with us too! Joe would sleep in a cardboard box if we did, and we would do the same for him! God was good!
One day our other son, Dan was coming home from the service and we were looking for a different place so we
could all be closer. Ashley and Joe found a place on the computer in Brooksville where to our surprise had many
shade trees and rolling hills. When we walked into the house the stove was blinking 11:11! We sold our water homes
and a rental house to move into our home in the country. Of course, Joe and John, as family viewed the home, voted,
and moved with us, and our son Dan joined us there. We also took in a new family member Brian, and later an
emergency man “Joey” who has since moved but is still important to us! Our children, talked our other children, into
voting for the name of “Griffonwood”. As they felt a “mystical animal the Griffon” with all the trees. We watch as
the hawks sit on the fence posts here with the pacas. The cat lay next to the dogs. A couple of alpacas sit in our laps!
Bill felt a little shanghied, but once drydocked in the country, searched for tax benefits for the land,
and something interesting to do. He was voted out for cattle, pigs, etc. - we wanted nothing we would
eat! We , searching for “no kill livestock” by the grace of God found the ALPACA. We found a local
farm and a woman named Jean Riley! We took the guys to see them, and all gave a “thumbs up” to purchasing 3
babies! The Journey began! We LOVE ALPACAS!
Brian and John periodically are with the alpacas, mostly if other people are here. Joe has found his
niche and loves them! He has grown in his wisdom, never left a gate open! Loves visitors, loves babies and dries
them off, hugs, and kisses them. He repeats the signs when one is breeding of “making babies”. He signs “two babies
coming soon” which is now sometimes “5 babies coming soon”! As a reporter came for an alpaca story once, I saw
Joe steal the show as he tried to “show the reporter how the baby gets out feet first with his nose coming first.”! Joe
feels a part of our vet’s visit, feels he must help hold a sick animal for him to help. Joe has held and patted the heads of
a couple of babies while birthing and whispered in their ears in his speech for God to help them come out. He claps
when they make it out!! The mothers seem to accept Joe as part of the experience. Joe points out the “bonding after”
and smiles. He has helped a few times give a supplemental bottle which he remembered for a baby! He loves moving
grain or hay, although sometimes it would be easier without him! We bought him his own tool belt, with a hammer,
measuring tape, and he loves holding a fence post for his dad, Bill.
The alpacas, suris and then purchasing huacayas, have brought great joy to our lives. Having 10-25 was
easy and we found that we had a wonderful blend of nature and people. We love the bonding with
nature and the wonderful feeling of seeing the farm grow in all kinds of aspects. We value the life
if each person here, or each animal here (which most of the time they are included as people). We
laugh as people say “how do you tell them apart”. Joe, who can still be honery, and can pick out our
“most honery” alpaca out of 70 with no problem. He can also find the sweetest girls that let him
catch them. A couple kick, a couple spit, some groan, just like people! But mostly, they are wonderful.
Each birth is a celebration! Each head that turns when you talk to them - a friend! Their glossy
eyes seem to dwell on what you say, listen to your heart, and we love to share our passion for them
with the wonderful visitors that we have had. Multiplication was important in school and is important
now! We cherish our moments with every baby being better quality than the year before. Most
ALL of our visitors meet Joe and before they leave he hugs them goodbye sadly.
We try our best to be honest and ethical in what we do! Not all things in life are easy and when life
hits us hard or one of our customers, we try to make things right as best we can! We must have some of the best
customers in America. They are of great heart! We love our people, our alpacas, no drive to work, and it is hard not
to talk about what you love. Most of the Alpaca people have a “special uniqueness about them” and we are proud to
be a farmer in America. We are opening
a small store so we can show the entire cycle for the alpaca and its value! When one touches the
shawl that was made from our own animals fiber, it makes us proud!
We, also, value our American soliders, and thank each man or woman who has served. We are starting
a program to aid our vets in purchasing alpacas. We provide hands on training for all purchasers,
but also a sweat equity program to aid a veteran in a down payment!
We have had health issues for Joseph and myself this year. We are grateful to God & for all those
that prayed for us and helped us return home! We saw 3 miracles this year, and met a wonderful couple
that helped us “see and feel God healing us” , Chuck Domm and Lorraine . (alpaca owners, and found
11 11 important to them)! Support please, American soldiers, American farmers, and SHARE the
JOY OF ALPACA OWNERSHIP! And PROSPER in hope, health, wealth, and happiness in 2008.
When life gets hectic, take a break and a blanket - go lay in your pasture and enjoy! Grasp the moments!!!!
Sherry and Bill Leslie
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| 4063 Baseball Pond Rd. - Brooksville, Florida 34602 - 352 -544-0337 waleslie@bellsouth.net |
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