Bert

Very sad.
Bert went today - well, technically she is still here in a wheelbarrow by the hedge, but to all intents and purposes I will not see her any more - well, I will, but not alive.  I have been out to check the wheelbarrow several times as I am afraid she might roll out as it is on a slope and she is stiff so her legs keep poking out the edges.  I suddenly thought she had been reborn as her head came out but it was only wishful thinking.  She was a real fighter - it took three lots of whatever it is but she is gone.
Johav was very good and he checked in the catch pen to see if the operation for her hip had worked and it had - joint was all in place but loose.  She had a heart problem in the end and probably was older than her registered age.  (I did remove everyone else from the catch pen before we looked).  Carolyn kept looking for her but by then Carl and I had removed her in the wheelbarrow - which was a bit of a job as her leg was loose and there were bits.
I don't think I am going to get over her being gone for some time but I did want to record her passing on the blog as she was such an important part of our life.  Things will not be the same without her and I hope I made the right decision.

 

I really wish she was still here.

Bert

 

There are good times with alpacas and there are bad times.  Some alpacas are extra special.  Bert is the best and she has had many troubles.  Last time the vet came he said there was no more he could do.  I think I have to make the phone call and get him back again.

Fame in Italy

Driving  past the triangle in the village this morning I encountered the Grave Digger in what I first took to be a bit of vandalism but it turned out he was mending the signpost!  He reminded me that I had not been writing my blog and was, therefore, wasting his time as he had to keep checking and there was nothing there.  Having done my morning jobs I am now putting that right!  I had a message from Greta in Italy this morning as Dude, the girls and her had made it into the Italian newspapers with a full page spread - Carl will be very excited to hear about that when he gets home.

We have had a lot of sheep tasks recently but they are now all up to date and it has culminated with the purchase of a Southdown Ram.  Yesterday we went to pick him up and he settled straight away - he is not in with the girls yet as I wanted to get him a new raddle.

 

His  temporary companions are Rammy Lamby and George - he is quite fond of Rammy Lamby which Rammy Lamby is not too pleased about!

I have been giving the zinc and rubbing in echinacea and Bert seems to show a tentative improvement.  She is easy to give the tablets to as I just bury them in apples.  Rascal is getting worse but things are not easy with the tablets.  She is fine with having cream rubbed on but will not eat out of my hand so I have to put the tablets down her throat.  I can do this but then she always manages to spit them out.  Some go in and out very many times and what I discovered yesterday is that even when I think they have gone down she can hold them there and spit them out up to 15 minutes later.  I am not sure whether she has actually had any tablets at all so a new plan will have to be made!