Tues.2nd May ’17
Ha ha!……….got ya, I know you keep clicking on the ‘blog’ to find nothings changed,no new drivel to despair over and then I catch you out…….or were you expecting a longer break and I’m actualy early?….ah,now there’s the conundrum, who’s surprised who? ……..hmmmm
It’s shearing time again…..you can tell because the weather has reverted back to winter with wind,rain and tumbling temperatures! lots of unhappy,shivering ‘pacas unfortunately, happens most years but we’re all tied to when the shearers are available.
Here we go then, stretched on the unloved rack for their ten mins. of fame as we all ‘Ooh and Aah’ over this years fleece quality, or move swiftly onto the next one in some cases!
Little ‘Cori’ having his first experience of being undressed. He looks to have the best quality of everyones fleeces this year although we will confirm that when we send off the samples later this week to be tested. It could be termed as ‘sods law’ that as breeders of ‘coloured alpacas’ we produce a white with the bestest fleece of the lot!
How to unwrap an alpaca!
The lovely young rose grey girl ‘Jay’
And then it is only right that we stop for a proper lunch,french style to keep all happy………..
…….look at that blue sky,that was Saturday, Sunday it was grey,cloudy and then the heavens opened just after we finished and started on lunch…..bugger,”quick folks,pick up the tables and decamp into the barn and carry on” We’ve had a good shearing stint this year,all’s run pretty much to plan(surprisingly!) we’ve missed the rain and sheared in the dry and all the alpacas have behaved very well……and so have all the owners and helpers……well done and many thanks to our shearers again this year Richard and Lara, brill job guys.
A couple of weeks ago we teamed up with a friend Lynn who runs the Alpaca B&B not far away in north Dordogne………No, it’s not a B&B for alpacas silly, it’s a B&B that has alpacas in the gardens for the enlightenment and delictation of the discerning guests……..mind you,now that you mention it I quite like the idea of a B&B for alpacas to come to!
Anyway,where was I?………oh yeah, Sérelihac, where we teamed up to have a stand at the spring ‘Salon des animaux’, an animal fair aimed chiefly at small animals, dogs,cats rabits etc but we were invited to come and show off our strange creatures as well for a couple of days.
Set out your wares and talk the day away and there were lots of visitors with lots and lots of questions!……….and if I have to tell one more person that it’s NOT A F#~+ing LLAMA I’ll scream and scream and ……..
Balls of wool on the hoof.
A neat little row of very patient youngsters sat in their tent waiting to meet and greet with their adoring public, bless them.
……..look a ride-on rabbit, ok maybe there were some creatures a bit bigger than cats and dogs,infact Eve saw a skunk on a lead in the main tent………err,no comment !
Who luvs ya baby! I think we should have a few of these on the farm…… might have to raise the fencing a bit higher I suppose though.
Last years wool came back from the mill the other week……….cooo it’s lovely, look……….
The photie doesn’t do them justice I’m affraid,the colours are wonderful, our thanks to Bertrand and Veronique at Valée des Saules again for a cracking job.
And to finish for now……….gatelike looking constructions……….
The workshop has resounded to the sound of wood being sawn and screws hammered in (it’s quicker than trying to screw them in and the batteries are always flat on the electric tools!) It ain’t half bad actualy,if I say so myself……….
It even fits in the hole between the fence and barn!…….or did I make the fence finish there after putting the gate in position?….. hmm,sounds too much like forward planning to me…… possible but it is me we’re talking about………. maybe you’ll never know!