'Wean-uary'

I'm not such an ugly duckling!

With apologies for the title, using the current fad for conjoining the month with a 'movement', such as 'mo-vember' 'beard-ember'. Yes, it is time to start weaning, and with a more settled weather forecast for the next week, I decided to do it yesterday...except that after a dry day on friday, heavy rain showers began over-night, and continued all day.

We had a plan to corral the herd, disperse those not needed, halter the three 'chaperones', and lead them with the weaner, in a controlled manner up the 'avenue' along the 'track' and into the designated weaning paddock, close to the house. That was the plan...

It quickly became obvious that as the field is on a hillside, and the gateway where the corral was located, quickly became a skid-pan, we were very likely to repeat either our version of the elephant-keeper on Blue Peter, or a scene from the Keystone Cops, so we went for Plan 'B', and ushered them into the avenue un-haltered, and we walked in a steady group back to the weaning paddock.

Gala, our ony weanling this year, wandered bewildered around the paddock, humming for her mum - the other three got on with grazing the rested grass, and Gala quickly joined them, occasionally coming over to the barn, still humming for mum - the day alternated heavy rain with hail showers, and every step includes a wellie-sucking squelch.

I still have fingers crossed (as I am sure all breeders have),  that from monday onwards, as forecast, the weather will settle down to be more dry than wet, and colder, and we can begin to see the alpacas cleaning up ready for the National Show, just eight weeks away, and we can get some serious halter-training underway.

In other news, Joy at Appleknit Alpaca Craft, has been seriously weaving with some of our fibre, and produced this lovely pram blanket//knee wrap.

With colours inspired by heather, gorse and snow in the mountains.