Spring is here

Well maybe not spring exactly but the weather has been lovely for the last couple of days.

I lost my wireless connection on the laptop which is why it is so long since the last entry. Still waiting to get it fixed - I probably switched it off accidentally but since it is a second hand laptop I do not have the instructions and I cannot identify the right button!! David is coming down on Friday to help do alpaca toe nails and medication so I am hoping he will fix it.

My mother's funeral went off alright as they say and I have finally started the task of sorting through her possessions. I am just doing a little at a time so that I don't make any rash decisions that I might regret later.

I have finally got back to the halter training and have separated out the young females who are next on the list. All the young boys are fairly well behaved and I will just have to brush up on their halter walking if and when they are sold.

The grass is starting to grow and we are noticing a big decline in the amount of hay being eaten daily. We have closed off some of the paddocks now so that the grass has a chance to get going. In the winter we let the main herd free range most of the free paddocks and the bigger bottom field but in the summer we move them from paddock to paddock so that some are rested and to enable us to separate the Mums who are ready to give birth so that we can keep an eye on them.

Two of the dogs were a bit ripe and Mike told me they needed a bath (I have no sense of smell and so do not notice eau de fox). As it was lovely and sunny I groomed, trimmed toe nails, cleaned teeth, bathed and wormed all six of them. The birds should have a hay day collecting the flying fur for their nests.

Our friends, Paul and Sue West, formerly of Little Gem Alpacas, popped in on Sunday. They brought me a bottle of wine to celebrate my fifth year breast cancer check up which has given me the all clear at last. They were interested to see the cria that their stud male, Wellground Alex, had sired and Paul took a picture of Alice, the female, but Devante, the young male had paddled in the galvanised trough and was wet and muddy, so he was not very photogenic. They were pleased with the quality of both of them. Paul also took some good photos of Pedro and Chale to go on our stud page. They have both impregnated females and we are hoping for some good cria from them this year as well as some stud work for them.

Apparently on Country File on BBC TV there was a feature on alpacas and our neighbours have asked for some alpaca poo to try on their woodburner. Apparently it was recommended on the programme. I did not see it, unfortunately. Perhaps it will be repeated or I might be able to view it on line.

They have agreed to do some farm sitting for us during the summer so that we can get away to dog shows together at weekends.