Ruby Red .......Has arrived !!

Special delivery...all the way from Wetherby to Aberdeenshire......Siromer 304 arrives safely !

Scary moment.....just coming down the ramps....then the rear bucket....fell off the back ! just missing the new car !!!!

What a load....' Where there's a will....There's a way...... !

Just Great .........!

Just before......the Siromer...is unloaded ....!

It has bee a quite week here at Zanzibah Land !

I have been feeling unwell most of the week, however I have managed to still get a few little jobs done !

As I have been off colour, I have been having a bit of a think.....about making my life easier, last weekend I managed to muck out the new wooden barn with the big tractor, however there is only about an inch either side of the tractor and its very tight indeed....but I managed.

However this lead me to thinking...long and hard about making my life easier..now most of my heavier jobs entail mucking out the barns......and I decided that I needed a smaller tractor for this job.......I have decided to probably sell Daisy the digger as she really isn't used as much as I might like to use her....anyway being only a two wheel drive she is quite restricted in the snow for the winter....and I can't really use her to dig myself out ! I have done quite a few jobs with her and she has been a great asset, I will be sad to see her go !

But......to take her place I have bought a little Siromer Compact tractor....she is a 304 model...28hp with a front loader, bucket and muck forks......optional 2 or 4 wheel drive and semi-hydrostatic forward and reverse.....she's great !

Only problem....is that she was for sale.......down near Weatherby ....problem...is how do you get a tractor......best part of 360 miles up to Aberdeenshire.......Aye you guessed it.........the Hit Squad.....came to the rescue !!

No rest for the wicked in their retirement.....tractor viewed, trailer sourced and hired.......and back to collect the little Siromer....she is know as 'Red'.....the guys who owned her...Nick and James...mainly used her for chopping logs......and I must say I take my hat off to Nick who did a great job of squeezing her onto the trailer......infact....there was no room at all and the muck bucket was hanging over the front of the trailer, thankfully the front trailer board came off.......the rear bucket was jammed at the back...under the front wheels and the front loader arms...were actually outside of the trailer......then it was a case of a long haul....from Co Durham all the way up to Aberdeenshire......the journey took about 10 hours.......everything was going great up to Perth.........when the trailer had a blow out.....and my parents had to detour to a garage for a replacement tyre......thankfully they arrived safe and sound....and still attached to the trailer and tractor still firmly tied on......about 6pm last night....

Today we have spent...most of the time.....getting acquainted with ....'Ruby Red' ..she is lovely.......there was a scary moment...when I had to drive her off the trailer.......after some starting issues and having a quick chat with Nick.....we were off !! I drove down the ramp really slowly.....and then there was a massive clank !! I looked round to see that the muck bucket with forks...had fallen off the back of the trailer......and wedged thankfully between the trailer hitch.....phew how lucky was that.....as my mam and dad have just got a new car......that would have been a right old disaster.....after getting this far....safely.....I never thought about it falling off...as I hadn't put the bucket on......and none of use gave it a second thought......that was a close call....!!

I don't think the new car would have been quite the same with a massive muck bucket stuck in the back...somehow !

Ah..well, all's well that ends well !.....I managed to drive 'Ruby Red' off the trailer without any more mishaps.....and she is parked in the barn tonight....we have done a bit of a service......checking oil/water levels and generally having a good play.

I have also moved the alpacas back to their previous arrangements...the girls are back in the 3 acre field and come into the big barn at night...the boys are back in the 6 acre field and are coming into the new wooden barn.....the Nick Nacks are as usual at least until early part of next year when the weaning begins...then they will join the baby group.

So....after a quiet start to the week, it has turned out to be quite an exciting end.....the little Siromer is fantastic....she will help me a great deal...she is big enough to load the muck spreader, strong enough to do some of the work required round here......and nimble enough to muck the barns out with ease...especially with the semi-hydrostatic gears.......much easier than having to drive in and out of forward and reverse.....just change direction with the push of a handle......with ease....!

I'm feeling slightly better today after quite a miserable week......my parents are just great, helping me without any hint of a bother......and frankly I cannot thank them enough....just goes to show...what you can achieve with a willing heart....and a desire to help !

So all that remains to be said is a 'Great Big .....Thank-you' to my parents.......in times of need.....well your real friends or family are.....never too far away.....are they...!!