Flag-owner found.

As you can see from one of the 'comments', the owner of the flag has been in touch, and I've been able to let her have a copy of her flag with Bruce Springsteen in full throat, in the same shot - purely coincidence that we had that shot already in the 'can', and then spotted the alpaca flag at another show the next day.

Minnie has a little scabby patch on her face - I've been applying Stop-it-All, and it seems to be keeping it at bay - the same cheek is quite black looking, but I assume that she has been scratching it with her foot, so it may only be dirt on the fleece.

This may be the last photos of this years fleece, as we hope to have them shorn on wednesday - the weather forecast looks reasonable so keeping fingers crossed - not sure about the bits of grass and stuff -I've had to cut the docks before they go to seed, but I limit it to a small area at any one time, and do rake up the cuttings - similarly with nettles. Anyway, it's all a learning experience.

Baby Ambrosia has been grazing her first grass - she's nibbled bits of string on the gates, bark on the posts of the shelter and strands of hay previously.

Hello to anyone who was at Gold Hill Fair in Shaftesbury today - I was singing with my vocal harmony group, Jazz m'Tazz. Gold Hill is famous for being used in the Hovis bread advert, with the man pushing a bicycle up a cobbled hill - you don't realize from the ad' that opposite the quaint cottages is an enormous rampart wall of the castle with butresses - and, no there was no flag-waving at our performance... but we got a good reception.

Alpacas at Glastonbury Festival?

Well they look more like llamas - while we were watching 'Bat For Lashes', I spotted this flag at the festival, and thinking they might be owners or breeders, I followed the pole down to the man on the end of it - apparently his wife has a fascination for alpacas, hence they used this flag to find each other in the crowd - hello again if you are reading this. Then looking back through our photo's, we noticed that it had been at the Bruce Springsteen show!

I didn't see anything else alpaca-related - I'll have to work on that for next year.

While I was away enjoying myself, Mrs. Smallholder heard a commotion from the ducks and chickens at tea-time on friday, and discovered a pile of feathers in the field - a hen taken by a fox - it seems the alpacas had gathered around the cria rather then save the chicken - spookily, I was watching Fleet Foxes on the Pyramid Stage at the time...

Looking forward to shearing soon - no doubt the girls are too.

4 days to Glastonbury Festival!

Through shortage of time, I haven't taken any photo's this week, so this weeks photo's are attributed to a professional, www.kerrybartlett.co.uk who (rightly), makes my efforts look amateurish, and I wish I had time and space to show more (well it is Fathers Day) ...
Ambrosia is doing well darting around, pronking, annoying her aunties, and as she came on time, mother Minnie is allowing me to go to Glastonbury Festival this weekend - I've checked the tent today, though I'm disappointed to report that the gazebo which I had erected for shade for the alpacas wasn't needed this week, though the hot weather is coming next week, but worse than that, strong winds on friday flipped it over the fence folding it up neatly, but irrepairably!

How cool is that?

Continuing our quest to find safe bathing (at a reasonable price) on a hot day, we are currently trying the B & Q Garden storage box It's got plenty of depth, alpaca length, but I think it's just a bit too deep to get the back legs into. As you can see, Moira tries to get her chest wet with a quick kneel down. I think if one of them did get completely into it and then sit down, she would displace all the water, and then probably roll the whole thing over, sort of capsizing on dry land!

I've put up a gazebo for a bit of extra shade - watch this space to see if they appreciate it...

Ambrosia has been charging about like a gazelle - she creeps up on me when I'm poo-picking, and also chases the chickens.

Ambrosia steals the show

Forgot to mention last night - we had Open Gardens in the village on saturday, and we had been invited to open ours - so far so good - Mrs. Smallholder worked like a trojan for the last six weeks or so, getting the vegetable plot dug over and planted and flourishing despite the dry spring, and creating two large beds of new shrubs in the main garden - I even finally got around to fixing the green man to the wall along with the 'pot frames' (we've only been here 16 months) for the geraniums etc. Anyway we had over 50 visitors during the day, and most of them, on arrival said, "we've heard you've got alpacas, lets see them"! Mrs. Smallholder was not amused - I talked myself hoarse about alpacas, but a few people were interested in gardening, and the girls thought we had become a zoo or safari park with all the visitors staring at them! You've got to laugh. Oh, and there was a scarecrow competition, hence the picture in this blog: scare(d)crow.

Ambrosias first week

Ambrosia is 1 week old today. She seems to be doing very well, along with mum, Minnie. There has been an air of calm amongst the three adults, and they all look out for the new one if somebody approaches, and in the fierce heat earlier in the week, they all stood around Ambrosia to give shade.

I've put a small childs 'clamshell' sandpit as paddling pool, but it's not large enough for them to get into - they like to splash water with their front legs. I've looked at childrens paddling pools, and also a sheep footbath - I'd love to know what other breeders find successful for them to bathe in and keep cool - I don't want to have a broken leg or a pool that they don't use

Hello, my name is Ambrosia

Our herd name is Apple Vale Alpacas because we live in a small area of apple orchards, and we are all going to be named after varieties of apples. Its been boiling hot here, and I can't wait to be allowed in the paddling pool like Moira and Pela' - mum took me under a tree for shade today. My owners planted a glade of trees for shade which was fenced off, but when Moira and Pela were allowed in this week, they started eating the leaves and shoots, so we are not allowed in now - I'm glad it's getting cooler! I am my owners first cria, and he's very proud and always got his camera out - I feel like a top model! Here are my photo's tonight: