Long necked sheep dogs!

A really quite remarkable evening yesterday.  Dobby and Caedmon went off on their sheep guarding duties last night, as the Shepherd's lambs are almost due.  Dobby and Caedmon don't live with the other alpacas in first field - they live with the sheep up in second.  They were our first two alpacas, they are the ones on the banner at the top of the page.  They like sheep and will put up with anything from their little flock, including Two Tone jumping up against them and Stumpy having a rub on their backs.  In fact I have only ever seen Caedmon spit at the sheep once and that was when he thought it was Dobby pushing against him and not Pugsly!  We took the two of them up to the sheep last night and I wish I had taken the camera.  Sam had his phone so these pictures are not that good.  They got straight in the stock trailer and lay down before we had even shut the tail gate.  As soon as we let them out they ran around and got the sheep in a big group - like sheep dogs, I'm not kidding!  Then the two of them stood facing this big flock of sheep and all the sheep looked at them, silently, it was as if Cadders was saying, "Now, listen up, you girls - stick with us and you'll be okay!"  Then Cadders turned round and walked away with Dobby following - - - and all the sheep followed in a long line!  I have loaded up the photos from Sam's phone, they don't really do the moment justice - it was hysterically funny and worthy of You Tube!

Rounding up sheep!




Follow on now!

This morning Caedmon looked shattered, I think he is already worrying about his sheep!  Dobby was watching one way and Caedmon the other - hope they do a good job!!



It's raining!!

Well - it rained!  In fact it poured!  I tried to will the rain over Toad Hall way but it was having none of it.  We were all wuffled ready, bailer set, about to row up and the heavens opened!  Never mind, there is plenty in the barn already.

Greeves has actually been running away from me today which makes feeding even harder but it is much better to see him acting like a normal cria.  Dobby, the wether, keeps peering over at him from second field - he's not quite sure what to make of him - one moment he is blue, with his coat on, the next moment he is white, coat off!

After rain stopped play with the hay, Sam and I popped down to check on Mum in her chapel.

You can see the rain glistening, malevolently, on the drive.  On the way back up Sam photographed Dad's grave with it's amazing onions (the wreath I put on his grave contained an onion as he was a great gardener and very good at growing onions - it took root!).

Sorry there has not been much on alpaca news but the rain (which we have been wanting for ages, but not today) has stopped most things happening.  Carl has also been trying to rest his arm which is still hurting a bit.  When Mum moved she gave us a TENS machine she had and Carl has discovered it.  I don't know if it is doing him any good but he finds it hysterical because it makes his arm leap about and he has taken to sticking the pads on different parts of his body as an experiment.  I am going to study the instruction book tonight because I am sure you are not supposed to do that!