Old and Slow

I have a computer problem - I always seem to have a problem these days and I think it is down to the age of the computer.  It takes enough time to make a coffee to load anyone's blogs and then it will not load all the pictures and then I can't comment . . so, if you read this Barbara at Beck Brow or Dave at Apple Vale - that is why I am not saying lovely grey boy or responding to anything you write Dave - can't open yours at all! 

All I will blog is - a very Happy Christmas to you all, I am very stressed over Carl's present, here is a lovely picture from GHN (and I really hope it loads okay because I am not going to be able to check!

HAPPY CHRISTMAS!!

Fetes and things

From the photo you would be forgiven for thinking we were now doing so well we had hired a glamorous assistant!  The real reason the knitting is sharing a stall at Ibberton Fete with the very talented artist; is that we were unable to go.  We had to be in Devon, so left a few pieces of knitting to share a stall.  I hear the Fete was very well attended and a great success with trees, wreaths, puddings and jams and everything else flying off the stalls - well done!!

We are nearly out of knitting now but my new yarn is ready for collecting so after Christmas it is going to be a knitting marathon!  And we may have recruited a floral ornament knitter to embellish hats - more on that next year!

Everything is a bit grey, muddy and murky here but we have managed to get some decorations up in the house.  My tree looks terrible.  I had the idea of putting it in he window on the windowsill but the problem with that was that I couldn't get behind it so I has bald patches and just looks a mess.  Once it was done Carl said I should have decorated it and then placed it in the window - too late now!

We also managed to find time to deliver a little sold boy - Cedric (although he may have a name change soon).  He has gone as a companion to a boy who lost his friend.  They seem to have settled really well together and were tucked up together in a shelter when we went to check up on them.

D - Day

Before I tell you about today (D stands for disaster) I must apologise to regular readers for the sporadic nature of my blogging.  It is all due to a camera problem - the camera takes really rubbish pictures now, I think caused by dirt and general neglect.  I am hoping my brother can assist me with it but for now I am on mobile phone pictures and they are not very good.  People don't like blogs without pictures so blogging is a little lacking.  Anyway - here we go with a mobile phone picture blog and today has not been pleasant.

First thing I fell down the stairs.  It was dark and I tripped over the cat my behind is now bruised (don't worry no photo of that) and my side and arm hurts - the cat is fine.

I arrived at the fields to find all alpacas wet and muddy but looking fine

Greeves waiting for his hay

. . . and then went in to second field only to find a field shelter in the Southdown field had blown over (and it was one tied down with ratchet straps) - on it's way over it had taken out the fence.  Luckily, the Southdowns are very well behaved and they were all standing by the gap waiting for me - thankfully none of them had been sheltering inside or behind it - or, if they were, they had escaped it.

 

This year's remaining lambs - not sure why I took this, or why I am including it!  Grace's little white Southdown cross looks like a toy!

 

This afternoon I managed to fall in the stream whilst clearing debris and then couldn't get back up the bank - obviously, I have now managed to get out, by crawling on my hands and knees, but that didn't help my previous falling down stairs injuries.

A bit of a blog

I do not seem to have written a blog for ages - the intention has been there but time hasn't.  It has turned much colder here and I am now breaking water and scraping the car but I don't mind as I think it has been too warm for the time of year and I think we need a good bit of proper winter to scare away the bugs.  We seem to be finally clearing up Rascal's bald bits - actually, it is probably the cold weather that is doing it I think.  The supplements did not appear to work for her.  Having said that she was terrible at taking her tablets and could hide them and spit them out at least half an hour later.  Cydectin and Frontline on a regular basis did seem to work but not an ideal way to go I don't think.  She is the fawn one just behind the cutest little Black boy (possibly called Axle?!).

 

We have been having a bit of a worry with an alpaca we sold many years ago - Barry Norton.  He suddenly started lying on his side, rolling around as if he was in real pain.  We had the vet to see him and gave him pain killers and muscle relaxants.  He didn't appear to be constipated as I watched him go to the toilet (although it wasn't a huge amount).  This went on for a few days and this morning I was back to look at him as he still wasn't right.  In desperation I tried the warm water up the back end and reports just now suggest he is looking a bit perkier.  I am just off to check, followed by a trip to Mole Valley to stock up on feed for us and also for another herd we look after and are off to visit tomorrow.

 

Other than that all is well.  I am busy getting what is left of the knitting ready for Ibberton Fete at the weekend, the saga of the bathroom has reached a conclusion and, although it was a very poor job and the idiots failed to replace the lagging on the water pipes, we now have a shower.  I had a very l9ong hair appointment this week.  I went in and said I was feeling old and could she make me look better - she said she would try and booked a two hour slot - obviously I looked pretty bad!  I can't say I look a whole lot different as she said it shouldn't be coloured and cutting it short would be a mistake - ah well!

 

Finally,   three random alpaca photos for no reason whatsoever!

I am the 74th Emergency Service

I am afraid the photos are not vey good and my computer has reached critical mass so it takes ages to do anything - we struggle on, wading through treacle, peering through marshmallows, in a glass darkly, up the Khyber and all the rest of it. . .

Yesterday saw a lorry stuck in the field - as I was helping unload, he might as well have parked outside the gate.  I was under the mistaken impression that he would unload with a little pocket forklift - or at least have a tiny man in his cab who he could release to assist - turns out I was the helper.  Anyway, once unloaded he prepared to leave which did not go well.  When driving over/through mud I go for the Rock and Roll approach - slow and steady with the merest hint of brake or accelerator - Lorry Lad went for maximum power.  Monster Truck raced to the barn and collected two cow mats on the bonnet which me and Lorry Lad placed under the wheels - still no go.  I then raced back down (Rock and Roll does not apply to Monster Truck as it is, in the words of Sam, a Weapon!) and collected everything which might assist - sacking, mat from my car. other stuff - - all to no avail.  Lorry Lad was still remarkably cheerful which may have had something to do with the fact that by now I was caked in mud and soaked to the skin whilst he remained pristine.  I suggested the ultimate plan - I push the front of his lorry with my Monster Truck whilst he just sat there in reverse with brake off.  He was quite impressed with this plan so I lined up to ram him - - at this moment Carl arrived which Carl think is a good thing as the front of the lorry was plastic and new.  Carl insisted on going to get the tractor and towing him out.  I think my plan would have been far more fun.

What was wrong with the alpacas this afternoon I do not know.  They were soaked and all pronking round the paddock - even the old girls - and Bianca pronking is a sight to behold - her tummy wobbles!

 

I have to sort the camera out - sorry!

And the bathroom saga continues (not sure if I have mentioned this drama before)  the bath is now the right way round - how anyone would imagine I want to sit in a brand new bath with a shower over my head I do not know and how the man can have the cheek to tell me he fits lots with showers over peoples' heads!  BUT despite the tiling being done the first fix wiring for the shower has not been done and the firm said they forgot!  How can you forget to do the wiring for an electric shower.  To add insult to injury the arrogant man at TES is not even having the courtesy to phone me back and tell me when he plans to sort it out!  Grrrr!!

I shall now be knitting - quietly knitting - - with chocolate!

Murky weather

Bit of a grey day today.  The animals did not seem to mind but were too busy grazing to do anything photogenic.

After sorting out the animals, moving the sheep and doing the shopping I spent an hour happily affixing my new stickers to my Truck - all went well until I stood back to take a look.

And in case you can't see - one sticker is hidden by the windscreen wiper (particularly humorous one that) and the other has turned out back to front!

Happiness is a SportTrack

New tyres soon

Kirsty MacColl on the CD

Pouring with rain and the windscreen leaks if you park up hill - brilliant!!

Feet, feet and more feet at the weekend.  Not ours - alpaca husbandry visits.  Saw Striker again - one of Carolyn's - who is now called Spike and still has a cracking fleece.

The new bath and shower is being fitted as I type and is not going well.

Off to Tiverton at the weekend to collect another purchase - and maybe Penrith soon but I haven't worked out if it is Penrith in Cornwall or Penrith in Cumbra

Rain means no alpaca looks good enough for a photo.  So here is an old one of Yosser from the same date - grass was much shorter but sun looks brighter!

Bert is still, in my thoughts and always will be but they are happy thoughts, last night I dreamt about how soft her chin was.