Two important Dates!!

We we have two important dates coming up (thats apart from births of course)

The first - shearing, we are shearing tomorrow afternoon, so am hoping and praying the wind drops, not too worried about rain as we have the barn for cover, but it is quite open and the wind can whistle through at times!! Dont fancy chasing fleece all over the place.

Cant believe its a year since last time, where does the time go!!

Will be quite a marathon, 26 to be done, but will be great to get my hands on those lovely fleeces.

We have a few spectators coming aswell, a lovely couple who are buying some pet boys from us and some lovely people from the Walsal spinning group.

The second date is 10th July 2011 - our very first public open day, quite nervous about this one!! but have been promising lots of people it will be happening so cant let them down. And maybe, you never know we may even get someone interested it joining the growing group of alpaca owners/breeder.

Well more about the open day later, now the date is set there's lots to do and organise, not done anything like this before!! so here goes!!

Bye for now

Ginnie

Scaley Toes Up-date

Thank you everyone for your comments, they have been very helpful. I am going to treat at home for a couple of weeks and monitor closely.

I will spray all the herds toes and inject with ivomec, then I will treat those who are showing the signs between their toes with cream to encourage skin repair and hair re-growth.

Fingers crossed we eradicate it from the herd, if not I will then have to resort to calling the vet.

Thanks again

PS: had to do a new blog as for some reason I cant comment back on my original blog!!

Ginnie

Scaley toes

We have just been doing our girls toe nails in readyiness for shearing at the weekend, and a couple of the girls have some scaley sking between their toes and just above their toes!! None of them are sore or bleeding but just have white flaky skin there.

Advice needed - do I call the vet or can I treat myself, any adivce - recommendations welcome.

Thanks

Ginnie

Gone but not forgotten

Cant believe its 4 years today that Dad lost his brave battle with cancer. I still think to myself I must ask Dad, then suddenly realise he's not here to ask.

It had to be hardest time of my life. We nursed him at home, me, my sister and brother.

There are times I never wish to remember, but there are times I will never forget. It was an honour to help nurse him at home, and to let him leave this world surrounded by his loving family.

It was a time of great sadness and tears, but also a time memories, laughter and remanising.

It was a time to talk with him about all things we never thought to talk about before. He knew he was going to leave us and he had been preparing, he organised a CD of memories for us.

Hard as it was we talked about his funeral and he was able to tell us exactly what he wanted, right down to the music to take him into and say farewell to. Again it was an honour to fulfill his final wishes.

So here is a special picture that means so much to me and a date I will never forget.



A special date I share with my Dad. 31st May.

31st May 1980, the day my Dad gave me away at my wedding and the 31st May 2007 the day of his funeral and our final farewell.

So a date that has the happiest and saddest memories.

My Dad, miss you, love you and will never forget you.

Your loving daughter Ginnie

A Diversion from the Knitting & Spining

Well the plans were to do some spinning & knitting this morning, but there has been some furry creatures diverting my attention and for once it wasnt the alpacas!!

These furry creatures, have cute little faces, sharp claws and scamper around everywhere!

Have you guessed what they are?

Well it is ................................






Yes its kittens, we have four adorable kittens now 6 weeks old and causing mayhem around the home!!


You cant help but stop and watch them :-)

Well they do eventually wear themselves out and go off to find the milk bar.





So its back to work and more excuses!!

Fleece sample testing

Hi All

I need to get some fleece samples tested this year, have never done it before, can anyone tell where I can send it for testing.

Many thanks

Ginnie

Nice warm living cushion

Thought I would just share with you a montage picture of our dogs, Angel our eldest German Shepherd serves as a nice warm compfy resting place for Midge & Millie our jack russells, they take it in turn (and sometimes fall out over who's turn it is!!)

But angel dont seem to mind lol




All quite on the alpaca front, all happily eating and sleeping, we have about 4 weeks until we are expecting any new arrivals, but I keep looking at them, they are suppose to be pregnant, they are all still spitting off and taking no notice of the stud boys in the paddock next to them, but with all their fleece on I'm not totally convinced. Would love to have a scanner, but am afraid thats on the wish list at the moment there's more important things on the list for expenditure!!

I have seen a couple of times what I think is a baby moving around inside mum, what sometimes looks like a sharp kick. But its over so quickly I wonder if I am seeing things??

Well once they have had their fleece taken of maybe I will be able to see more baby bumps, but some of them seem to be able to hide it really well. Oh well I suppose will have to wait and see.

Ginnie

My latest project

I'm on a roll, after mastering spinning and knitting, I have discovered needle felting.

There's no stopping me!! Stabbed my finger a few times, but soon got the hang of it.

And here's my latest project.



Can you work out what it is?

On the alpaca front all is well, the girls moved into a new field today, I love it when we move them, they know whats going on and get all excited, doing that funny little running with their heads nearly on the floor lol. Only have to call come on girls and they come running, have a little bronk around the new field and then its heads down to eat the new grass. No point in calling them down for the tea, got no chance lol.

Only a couple of weeks until shearing, so a bit of prepartion is needed in getting the barn ready, getting the bags etc ready. Fingers crossed its a dry day!!

Well thats it for tonight, looking out the window everyone is happily grazing, so its a bit of soap watching then off to bed, got a lovely weekend to look forward to, my grand-daughter is getting christened on Sunday and her other grandparents are coming down for a visit (they live in Liverpool so are quite a distance away and dont get to come down too often) so looking forward to a good get together.

Ginnie

What a view

I love looking out of the mobile window and seeing the alpacas sunbathing, they love to roll in the spot just under the window as it is got very little grass!! and is nice and dusty. It feels like they want to be close to us and chill out.

They stretch out and chill :-)



They seem to take it in turn sharing the best spot



Cosmo is well on the mend, but has had his purple foot exchanged for a very fetching blue vet wrap bandage, as we have had quite a bit of rain we were worried he may get mud in the wound and re-infect it all over again.



Weve had quite a few thunder storms and with heavy rain, which is good for the grass, we desperately need it to grow!!

Having been made redundant last October from the County Council it still feels very strange getting to see the different changes in the weather, as I have always worked in an office, so it was only when I came home did I see what the weather was like.

Feels even stranger (but I love it) sat carding, spinning, knitting and felting while watching the alpacas out of the window and day time TV. Feel a bit guilty at times as I feel I should be working and cant quite get my head around the fact we are living our dream, and the spinning etc is now part of my new job!! Never been much of a knitter or anything like that, but am learning as I go lol.

Just need to sell some items and sell some girls (but thats the bit I dread).

We count ourselves very lucky getting the chance to live our dream and have alpacas as part of our lives.

Ginnie

Visit to the National Alpaca Show

As the Warwick show ground is only about 50 minutes away from us, I thought I would pop up to the BAS National Alpaca Show and see what was happening (and what I was missing out on!!)

I have got to say after some experience from pony showing classes when my daughter was yonger and all the bitching, back stabbing and favouritism, I have never fancied venturing into any showing classes ever again!!

I was quite surprised, it all looked very relaxed and everyone seem to be quite friendly. Even the alpacas didnt seem to be too stress or unhappy. With the worry of TB and desease spreading, it was nice to see the distenfectunat mats going into the show area, and the spacing between the pens, although there is still seemed quite a lot of close contact between some alpacas in the show ring, but not sure if this a problem as have no experience of this.

Only got to see a few classes,as I had loads to do today, but I was a bit diasppointed in the number of suri entries (think some of my girls could have given them a run for their money LOL)

So came away feeling, well actually I maybe doing something right with my girls, Its good to see what you are aiming for, although I know this was a drop in the ocean for the range of quality alpacas within the UK. Didnt get chance, but it would have been nice to have a bit of a rummage and feel of those lovely fleeces.

While there I met up with a lovely couple who had visited us a few week ago and who are hoping to have some pet boys very soon, they are in the process of buying a new home for themselves and hopefully their new pet boys, I wish them all the best and hope their move goes smoothly and happens very quickly for them.

Well thats it for tonight, its been yet another very busy day, I'm very tired, its raining heavy outside so will be good for the grass, and my bed is calling.

So Good night everyone.

Ginnie

Cosmos fetching purple foot

Cosmo foot is getting better everyday, only a tiny bit of yuk today, and it is obviously feeling a lot better as he didnt even run away today.

A very bright purple!! But at least I can see where I have sprayed him.