When I drove up the steep driveway to the Twisted Lock Ranch in Shadow Hills, I didn't expect to see a "deformed deadbolt" in a crest above the gate. That's because I'd read up on Ron Downs' alpaca ranch and learned that "twisted lock" refers to a type of "fiber." No, not Metamucil or Raisin Bran. Hmm, looks like we need some definitions here.

For starters, "fiber" is to alpacas what "wool" is to sheep - that wonderfully soft warm stuff that grows on their bodies and can be harvested and made into cozy sweaters and blankets.

Alpaca fiber can be either, puffy and "crimped" (think, plush teddy bear) as on the Huacaya alpacas, or silky and "twisted" (think, afghan dog with dreadlocks) as on the Suri alpacas. Ron has both at his ranch.

Unlike wool, alpaca fiber has no lanolin, so it is hypoallergenic. It also has no "give," so it is often mixed with wool in fine men's clothing for a little stretch. David Letterman wears suits made of 80 percent alpaca fiber and 20 percent Moreno wool.

Alpacas are sheared annually and the fleece (off-the-animal term) usually weighs six to eight pounds, but can be as heavy as 13 pounds. Ron allowed me to heft a bag of soft brown fleece, and I thought of the nursery rhyme, "Baa, baa black sheep, have you any wool? Yes sir, yes sir, three bags full."

I asked him about colors. Of the 50-plus animals at his ranch, I could see whites (the most common), tans, browns, maroons and two-colored Fancys as well as grays and blacks (the rarest).

He explained that in South America, where alpaca yarn is a major industry, white is preferred because it can be dyed. But here in the United States - where there's not enough fiber harvested to warrant building industrial mills - the variety of colors is fine.

It would take 1 million pounds of fleece annually to be profitable, and there's only about a 10th of that available now.

Ron donates half of his fleece to a national co-op and the rest to crafters.

So, you may ask, "How can alpaca ranching be profitable?" That's where "crias" and "agistees" come in. Back to Ron's Web site, www.twistedlock.com, for another definition ... a cria is a baby alpaca, like a puppy, kitten or foal. Yes, money can be made in breeding ... if you know what you are doing, and if you have some capital to begin with.

A good herd-sire can cost a half million dollars or more! (Yep, my mouth dropped open, too.) But his "cover charge" (if you'll excuse the pun) can go as high as $10,000 if he's a multi-champion, has great confirmation, extremely dense and fine fiber, and unsurpassed lock structure.

Oh yeah, then there's a perfect bite (although alpacas have no top teeth in the front), and that elusive "presence" of a proud, confident animal.

A cria born from such a sire and an equally prized female ($10,000 - $50,000) can be sold for mega-bucks. Note: pet quality (non-breeding) alpacas can go for as low as $100, but never buy fewer than two animals! Ask Ron why.

Ron also offers premium "agistment" services, which simply means he will "board" your alpacas and take wonderful care of them at his six-acre, double-fenced ranch, protected by a pair of Great Pyrenees herd dogs.

He will also "socialize," train, show, sell and transport your alpacas ... for a fee. About one-third of his current herd are agistees.

Ron goes on the road, showing his own and other's animals for weeks at a time. "I love it," he says, his face beaming. "I love the animals and I love the show circuit. The people who raise and show alpacas are great people."

The alpacas love Ron, too. Many come up to him for a hug and a neck rub, and even the majestic sires allow him to easily catch, stroke and examine them.

Ron admits that alpaca ranching is a lot of work. He has a live-in ranch hand to help with feeding and manure clean-up, but he monitors the herd daily when he's home, touching each animal and calling them by name.

Ron trims teeth and hooves, gives shots, treats minor wounds and shears some of the animals. He can take blood samples (for DNA testing) and swatches of fiber (for laser quality analysis).

"Twisted Lock Alpacas began as a joke," Ron writes in his Web site blog. First he and his wife, Cathy, "stumbled across a commercial from ilovealpacas.com" and then "just for fun" he Googled alpacas.

Later, he thought he'd like to see an alpaca "face-to-face." The next day they dropped in on an alpaca ranch and Ron was "hooked." They visited two more ranches and spent weeks researching "the husbandry and business aspects of alpaca ownership."

His conclusion: "Alpacas can make an excellent investment/venture ... provided one is willing to work (and work and work and work) diligently to achieve success. Alpaca ranching is not for the faint of heart, nor for the squeamish. But if you are a true animal lover, love to learn, have the financial resources and don't mind a little hard work ... you're unlikely to find a venture more exciting or fulfilling."

After two years, Ron's business is close to self-supporting.

Five weeks after that initial ranch visit, they bought their first four alpacas. A year later, Ron went full time. He still holds licenses in insurance and real estate and his wife operates their insurance and financial planning agency.

Ron and Cathy Downs purchased the old Theodore Kosloff estate in early 2006. In May, 2007, it was the last stop on the Sunland-Tujunga Historic Homes tour. Many of you visited there, glimpsed the alpacas and bought craft items made from their fleece.

As I was leaving, I glanced up at the old wood and stone house they are remodeling (I got an inside tour earlier.) and commented, "Boy, that would be a great place to film a spooky movie."

Ron considered his home for a moment. "Yes," he said with a smile. "It would."

Note: A film company has recently used Ron and Cathy's "castle" house and magnificent pool area as settings for a horror movie called "The Kiss."