Tuesday 22 June 2010

Video clip before fleece clip...


Press the 'play' button to see my Fathers Day gift from our son (go to www.philbearman.co.uk for video graphics design)- a brief introduction to our herd. Double-click on the screen shot otherwise you get a cropped view.

They've now been shorn, courtesy of Mike Banks on sunday - and the word in my head all day at work on monday, was 'elegant' (the 'pacas, not Mike!) - I couldn't wait to get home and see them again. Seeing your cria after their first shearing is amazing - you've watched them grow for nearly a year to full size, and can't imagine the body inside all that fleece - and I was surprised how they look so different facially.

The little rabbit hutch shown in the background to one scene, had been housing five six-week old chickens, but unfortunately a relative(s) of Basil Brush dragged the hutch away from the wire mesh pen, pushed in the doors, and ripped off the plywood end, breaking it! no sign of the birds at all in the morning - I think it must have been a whole family of foxes.

Tuesday 8 June 2010

"We're walking in the air"

Autumn Gold and Ambrosia look on in amazement, as Pelachuta perfects walking in the air!

Saturday 5 June 2010

Hot legs...

Yesterday morning we set off for the Royal Bath & West Show, only an hours journey for us. We had only entered Ambrosia in the Intermediate class as she was 1 yr old on monday, while Autumn is still Junior and that class was on thursday, and we'd have needed two days away with all the disruption to work etc.

A nice touch was that our set of instructions included a list of what to bring with you, and the last item on the list was, 'a sense of humour'!

So with that in mind, the Judges Briefing included a demonstration of how he wanted the animals paraded around the ring - one of the Assistant Stewards (sorry, not sure who it was) obliged, and she did such a good job, theatrical and animated, that I though I must have got the wrong show ring and was in the Showjumping ring! A light-hearted touch always helps, and didn't get in the way of a professionally run show.



"Can you ride them?"


No-one told Mark about the quicksand...


Judge Nick Harrington-Smith helps to pull her out... (only joking, it is a different alpaca, in a different class, and the judge is checking her 'nether regions' and she is deciding to 'kush')

So to our class, and Ambrosia was youngest, and as she was shorn at only 5 weeks old, the judge noted that some baby fleece was causing 'cross-over' of the fibres. I'll not mention the success of other bloggers, so as to let them tell their story.

Despite the 'bare-leg amnesty' that was declared, I felt that my legs combined with the white show coat wouldn't be a good look, and then regretted not wearing shorts in the sweltering heat.
Outside in the sunshine it was very hot, but in the marquee the sides were open, a breeze blew through, there was shade from the trees and it was very comfortable for us and the alpacas.

A nice touch was the lunch-time barbeque put on by Tim Hey, which gave a chance for breeders to get together.

Thursday 3 June 2010

Crowded House

Just back from seeing Crowded House in Bristol - as always, great personalities, great songs, and great entertainment, and a packed and enthusiastic hall. Alpacas? oh, yes, the band are from New Zealand and Australia, and they also have alpacas there. Please excuse me for going off subject.