Four Candles?

I did say we would have  a photo today, and we have but it is not very good I am afraid as, despite having found the camera, I can't find the memory card.  This was taken on Sam's phone.  Tilbo and Striker, together as usual!

And, on the subject of losing things, I have lost all but three forks.  Life is incredibly tedious with only three forks.  It is surprising how many forks you can us in a day! (Talk of forks always makes me remember the sketch with, I think, The Two Ronnies in the shop - makes me smile!).

We have been doing toenails and vitamin D injections today, along with moving a few of the animals around.  Toe nails were no fun at all in the mud, I really want a proper concrete yard!    Flem's abscess is still weeping and I gave it several good squeezes today which got a lot of the remaining mess out.  I will give it another good go tomorrow.

And thank you for the tip, Judi - Roast chicken and potatoes tonight which was all done at the same time, although I did start it at 1pm just before going back to complete toenails!

A New Car

The day started with a trip to Poole where I collected my new car.  We decided that the work needed on the other one would be too much so it has retired to the field for a rest!  The new one is silver and it has air conditioning - which works!  Carl is so amazed by this that we have been driving everywhere with air con on, shivering!  It is very clean and shiny and the radio/CD also works.  I was too scared to drive it back through Poole, which is a very busy place with many right hand bends, but the owner kindly drove it to the outskirts for me.

No sooner had we returned than the Bunny Murderer arrived to collect the Leyland - why on earth he wanted that I cannot make out - last time he drove it there was a diesel leak and, I believe, a breakdown.  I can only think he became attached to it after spending all day driving it around in circles.

The cria spent ages running around this afternoon and I tried to capture their excitement but I seem to get them blurred.  I think I may have to become adventurous with the camera settings.  This is The Slink, Tilbo and Yossarian.  Yossarian continues to be a bit of a pest.  He knows Trouble is getting milk from the bottle and has started trying to get in on the act!  Axle, Lina's baby, is very good with his top up - I just hold the bottle out and sometimes he has some, sometimes he does not (Lina takes no notice of it at all, thank goodness!).

We have just returned from a trip to The Shepherd's - interestingly the runner beans he grows come from the seeds my Grandad first bought.  Happily he was wearing a pair of boots - the other day he had taken them off only to have one stolen and buried by the dogs!

It never rains, but it pours!

I hope I am not pushing my luck with that blog title - we have just cut 3rd field so no rain required!

Too late - I am looking out the window and it is raining!  I don't believe it!!!

Today has been a pig of a day and I haven't even opened my presents yet - I shall do that after my blogging.  I just cannot confess to the disaster I found in the field this morning - suffice to say that it is all my fault and it has taken me all day to sort it out.   In fact I am not going to dwell on today which has been a bit of a disaster.  We'll just have a few calming photos (which I will no doubt append the wrong names to, today being today!).  The first should be of Yossarian with String practising her Swan Lake routine.  Trouble is digging in the rolling pit while Belinda's baby, now named Be Cool - Bea for short, is standing at the side pretending to be a sphinx.

The next photo is Bea who I think is quite nice - she has certainly  got a very fleecy face and a nice beard!  All the cria look pretty grubby due to their fondness for digging and rolling!

Finally, we have Bea and Tilbo with Slink in the background - not sure what they are saying to each other!

A laugh a Minute

It has been a rather difficult time here, to say the least, what with barns, banging, radios, bats, dogs, fights, pigeons, guns - one day I will recount what is gradually becoming a sort of sort  of musical hall comedy turn!!  Any way, we have escaped from the caravan and returned to our house to regroup - and update the blog. 

So, the alpacas!  It has been a tiring time with Bert's baby and she has not been at all easy but I think we are getting there.  Here we are, me and Bert and our baby!  I have to say, Bert is looking far better than I am!

I hasten to add that I am not fussing her and keep away as much as possible but this was her day 1 picture!  We have called her Pretty Troublesome, Trouble for short, and I fear she will have Bert's personality!  At the moment she is feeding okay but only if I hold her head in a headlock which she likes - we are working on proper feeding!  She also will go up to anyone which is not what I want, particularly when people are looking over the gate as it is so tempting to go over and stroke her.  She was 9.5kg at birth but has now lost some of that weight.  Her legs and ears are beginning to sort themselves out though.

Tilbo's leg has slowed him down but he still manages to get around, feeds fine and is putting on weight.

It doesn't normally look as wonky as it does in the photo - I think I just caught it at the  wrong moment!

Slinky is now a mammoth 16kg, very feisty and the leader of the pack.  Yossarian, the other suri, you may notice has cream in his eyes.  The flies had attacked them so badly they were raw and looked quite nasty - I think the cream has done the trick though.  He is doing well but has to jump on anything that lies down and orgle frantically - he looks like some sort of stick on spider clinging on!

Then there is String, Flem and Dude's baby.  She is putting weight on nicely and doing well.

Yesterday we did a few more matings which was quite strange.  We are trying the two day thing this year and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.  Islay (no, she is not pregnant much to my disappointment)  sat both times and Dude hopped on both times.  Crispie sat both times but Dude only wanted to know the first time.  The second time he had a good sniff but would not get on - when I opened the gate to try to get Crispie out Flem sneaked in, sat and he jumped on her!  She has now been mated too early but why did he not want Crispie - strange!

So, alpaca wise, things are going fine and just the three babies to come - Carolyn's Belinda's and Lina's.  It is now pouring with rain so we don't want any today.  Carl is out getting parts for the Mule so hopefully that will be fixed later.  I have sorted the Alf problem (the suri boy) so we can now try him out for a mating with Sherbet - Libby at Grassroots is a wonderful, very helpful woman.  Sam was going to help the Shepherd with his baling today but sadly that looks no good.

A few pictures

All  babies seem to be doing well now - despite horrendous rain last night.  Sam was so worried about Yossarian's coat staying on he was over the fields at 4am checking things out.  So, to update - first is Slinky who is exceedingly lively.

Next meet Westhill Pretty Cool or Sting for short (Can you work that one out?!) - named by the Wise One.

Then we have Tilbo who is always immaculate whatever the weather - he is also a terror, always trying to stir up everyone else!

And finally Yossarian, the suri, who is doing just fine!

Going well

We have a name - Squadron Leader Tilbo (not sure what the i stands for but we had to have a vowel, Judi!).


Today much time has been wasted in watching the two of them.  Slinky is adventurous and charges around sniffing at everyone - she now weighs 11kg so is doing fabulously!  Tilbo is still a bit sleepy but has lots of mad bursts of energy in between.  Zara follows him around constantly and chases Slinky away if she comes near - Zara isn't his Mum, Cassie is and she is very laid back about it all!  Greeves was scared stiff of them yesterday but today has been having tentative sniffs at Tilbo - Slinky is far too lively for him!

Sam and I have also prepared the barn for the hay which we are hoping to start cutting soon.