Bending over, escaping and preparing to shear!

I am a bit behind with blogging I am afraid.  It has been a busy few days with sheep and ducks refusing to stay where I want them to stay, toenails and helping a friend move house.  Tomorrow looks like we will be starting shearing so things are not going to calm down for a while!

I seem to spend a lot of my time bent over with my backside in Carl's face holding a pair of clippers.  Next time we do a toe nail visit I think I will hold the alpaca whilst Carl trims the nails!  Tomorrow's focus is shearing which will be nowhere near as organised as a friend who has actually had the foresight to print off labels for her fleece bags - I have sticky labels and a marker pen and have still to check if the pen works!  We are doing the older boys first and then the others who are white but probably leaving the coloured and youngsters a bit.  Tyke and Wonky have plenty of fleece on them but they are only young still and not keen on using their shelter - I know, I am being silly and they would be fine!

 

I tried to get a photo of them jumping around but kept just missing the perfect shot!

The ducks are being VERY naughty and have a penchant for getting out of their pen and walking off down the road.  I then have to find them and walk back with them waddling along in a line.  I have caught the boy flying over the gate and then quaking to the girls until they squeeze under the chicken netting.  I think I have stopped him with the use of an enormous alpaca hurdle but I am not convinced it will work.

All is growing well (including weeds) with the potatoes looking particularly good - although I seem to have got the spacing a bit wrong - unless something has eaten some of them.

I like the look of my onions but the broccoli in the background (or it might be cauliflower - the label  blew away) has been chewed.

 

Star of the show, however, are the strawberries.  These are just tonight's picking.