Saturday 14 April 2012

Marvellous Mum

We brought the female alpacas up to check their condition, prepare one we have just sold by trimming her topknot and toe nails and also took the opportunity to check the new cria.  She looks quite slim but when I laid hands on her I found her to be extremely firm and obviously very strong.  Cordelia, her Mum, was quite concerned but as it was just a quick check she soon felt reassured and gathered her precious offspring back to her protection.

Charlie, one of our young collies, was not let off so lightly.   When the alpacas went back into their paddock Charlie got a little over excited and ran up to the herd at full speed.   Most of them just looked at him in astonishment.  They are used to the dogs being around and so rarely run away.  Cordelia, however, left her cria in the middle of the herd and ran out to chase Charlie away.   She really meant it and Charlie knew he should not argue.   That will teach him!!  All we need now is for one of the older goats to butt him when he gets worked up around the kids. 

Romie already learnt the lesson when she thought she could join the does  at their feeding troughs.  A loud yelp and a swift retreat showed that she had been given a very definite message by the oldest doe.
Don't get between a goat and her food!!

The new barn is now full of the contents of the barn we are converting.   Mike needs to get some shelving up so he can put his workshop to good use.  We have cleared out the top attic in the old barn and it now only contains the stock from the shop,which is closed for the duration of the building works, and normal domestic items like Christmas decorations, suitcases, sleeping bags, and boxes and boxes of old photos, slides, Video tapes and DVDs.  There is still plenty of room for my "Studio" which is the window end of the attic and will contain my sewing machine, knitting machine, weaving loom and my projects- a dolls house which was originally made for my mother by her grandfather and after being passed down to me as a child did a tour of the family and finally returned to me.   There is also a 1950s rocking horse which belonged to my cousin.

I am sure I will still be able to find some excuses not to have piles of beautifully crafted goods and renovated toys, but at least I cannot blame the lack of a place to work.




We have had the first visit from the Building Control department and works have commenced on the base for the new house.  All the cladding has been removed which means that we are now very exposed to view from the road which can be a bit unnerving at times.    Everything is now in the hands of the various tradesmen and the company who are manufacturing the steel structure and all the insulation panels.

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