Look who's Sleeping in my Bed !

 

 

Someone is sleeping in my bed !  Diesel has decided he wants a sleep in Doza's bed ... looks like he has won the spot.

 

I still have plenty of haylage to go around, this is the stash, one less as from yesterday.  I have been putting a new bale in for the girls.

 

The haylage bale now unwrapped and just about to go in the barn for the girls.  The weather tonight is atrocious, all the alpacas are in for the night. 

 

 

Zyisha little spotty dotty is nearly all grown up. 

 

Four generations here .... Dusty (left grey)is the mother of Zimushka (right grey)  then there's little black Zambo and Zyisha is a cousin of them all ... how complicated was that !!

 

 

My Dad has been busy making some more hand carved walking sticks, this is one of his latest creations.... a Hereford Bull.

 

This is another hand carved walking stick, all made from rams horn.  Its hard to believe that you can create something so detailed when you see the raw materials.  He is partial to a nice Rainbow Trout walking stick being a bit of a fisherman himself. 

 

Stick making is a bit of a dying art, which is a shame.  He has sold sticks all over the world.  One lady took a stick all the way to Canada !!

 

 

Wet & Weary...

 

 

Like most we are under a big wet blanket.  We are much better off than some who have been flooded for weeks.  The land is soaked and we hardly have any grass on some of the smaller paddocks.  Most days it rains and the alpacas are spending quite a lot of time inside, not wanting to venture out.

 

Little Zonko .... he was late getting up this morning, the girls are tucking into their haylage before they go out for a couple of hours.

 

Guess who....   Zirrius is always first to greet you, the younger boys are waiting to go out to play.

 

Out into the field for a few hours grazing then its back inside for bedtime.  Its raining once again here tonight. 

 

Big bums .... line up.  The horses are having some haylage. 

The girls are on the move for a few hours out in the field.  Spot little Zambo !!  He hasn't grown much and although he is the oldest ... he is the smallest by far.  Lovely Zoretah & Zimushka stop for a quick photo.

 

Zullulah & Zymerah are always last to leave the barn.

 

Pharaoh & Phoenix out today it is really hard to get a photo of them as they're always on the move.

 

Out today for a walk around the pond.. it is taking some time to fill up even with all this rain.  Can you spot the fourth doggy in the picture !

 

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year !!

 

 

 

Its Christmas Time once again and may I take this opportunity to wish all those who happen to visit us, a very Merry Christmas & Happy New Year.  Lets hope that the New Year is a good one !  I must say I shall be pleased to see the back of 2013.

 

Pharaoh & Phoenix  braving the winter morning .... but look who's been sleeping in the chicken shed, and caused a bit of a stir when he left ...... Pocus !! 

 

 

 

The Peacocks weren't happy and did not want to go inside ... then Pocus appeared and all returned to calm ....

 

Just take a look at this photo, I managed to take the other day when I was sitting in the conservatory.  I couldn't believe it and was amazed at what was in the sky .... might this be the Christmas Spirit ..... I wonder ..... how magical, the sky just captivated me .... I wonder if anyone else noticed this that day !!

 

Now ... yesterday when \I was out shopping ... just look what I found .... aren't they gorgeous, this got me thinking... as you do !  I thought a few of these would look great roaming around Zanzibah Land .....????

 

The Reindeer were attracting a crowd and we stood ages admiring them.

 

This is the only Reindeer I could find....a one on the Christmas Tree.....

 

May you all have a Very Merry Christmas & Happy New Year !

 

Lets hope 2014 is an Extra Good One ... & that Santa has managed to bring all your heart's desire ...

 

 

Winter is here !

 

 

Pharaoh and Phoenix having a drink today

 

This week we have been battered by gales freezing temperatures, power cuts and snow.  The Peacocks are growing fast, they have started to change colour and their tail feathers are growing long and have started to trail on the ground. 

 

The fire is now fitted in the conservatory.  I have made a stone plinth and rendered the blocks.  I just have to paint them and finish off the flooring.  Its lovely to have a roaring fire to keep you warm and it does throw out lots of heat.

 

Phoenix is standing in the water trough which is frozen but there was a drip from the roof and they both stayed there ages having a nice cold drink.

 

That's my boy ... Haggis is watching me as I take the dogs for a walk up the track ... he is my pal and is extra special.  The cows have been tucking into their bale of haylage over the past couple of days as the temperatures tumble.

 

This was a test run before the rendering and the protective heat resistant sheeting around the walls.... I decided to fit before the fire melted the conservatory.  I have now managed to sort out the telly in here so we can have a choice over the festive season .... when my parents visit.  We now have all the mod cons .... I'm spending more time in there than the house !!

 

 

Little Zymerah and Zucco ... out today its been freezing here but there is still plenty of grass to nibble.  The girls have a routine spending a couple of hours in the field before they retreat to the little paddock and their haylage, then its in for bedtime .... and a quick story !! before lights out.

 

The snow has nearly gone but we have been covered with hailstones, the ground is frozen today the gales have settled.  We were battered by 80mph gales a couple of days ago, thankfully we survived, but we did have a power cut from 5pm Thursday evening right through till 11am Friday morning.  It was freezing in the house with no heating but both fires were lit ... I had an early night with my thermals .... needless to say.

 

Doza is now much bigger ... he has put on quite a bit of condition and I think he has grown quite a bit in height since I got him.  This is him out this afternoon having a little walk up the track.

 

 

First Snowfall of the Year !

 

 

This morning we woke up to the first snowfall of the year here in Scotland.  With the colder weather

brings extra jobs.  This is Haggis enjoying his new bale of haylage, this means he can enjoy his food without having to hunt for the grass.... well he is special and deserves the treat, after all he is 16yrs old.

 

The girls going out this morning, they had hardly left the barn and they were rolling in the nice fresh snowfall.

 

This is the very first snow that the babies have seen.  Zambo had a great time jumping up and down.  The babies were fascinated with the arrival of the first snow.

 

Dougal is making his way down to the new bale of haylage.  I have my stash of haylage in the field for the cows, this means that I don't have to always take the tractor up to feed the cows if the weather gets too bad.

 

The babies enjoying the snow, Zambo spent ages rolling around.

 

Then it was time for Zymerah to have a go ... the girls are too busy around the hay-ring.  Looks like the haylage has the seal of approval.

 

 

Retail Therapy .... the best kind !!

 

 

I thought I would introduce you to my new arrivals..... meet Pharaoh & Phoenix, most people who know me already know that I have always wanted some Peacocks....these are Indian Blue Peacocks.  I have had them for just over a week now and they decided to venture out into the midday sun.  Apparently they take approx 4 years to reach maturity before they have a magnificent display of tail feathers.  These two are just babies at only 5 months old. 

 

We have started to get a bit of wet weather and the pond has started to fill with water, it looks so different with some water in ...I think it actually looks bigger !

 

Another few jobs have been crossed of the 'to do list' .  Ive been wanting a path leading to my chickens, as over the years I have had to take a muddy slippery route to their door, it was just a matter of time before I ended up on my backside.... however I now have a nice level gravel path.  Which is quite a treat when I nip out in the mornings to let the chickens out in my all terrain slippers !!

 

'Puffing Billy'  .... another little spontaneous purchase.

 

My parents are here at the moment ... not much call for designer clothes up here ...I'm afraid.  Overalls are the dress of the day.  I have also been out shopping for this new fire, I intend to refurbish it and it will be looking like new.  My Dad has managed to release the doors and do a bit of sorting it out.  This is them feeling the heat, as we decided to light it to see how it works.... it works great.  I managed to pick it up on my travels .... I do like a bargain and I already have decided where its going.

 

More winter preparation, for years this area has always been muddy in the winter,  now that the extra wooden barns have been built this area is where the horses come and stand.  It is also where the alpacas get sheared, under cover between the barns.  I now have lights in all the barns which is great for the darker nights and over the canopy.... which is great as I'm usually pottering about till dark.

 

This is a close up of the fire on the trailer before and after photos....I'm really very chuffed at how it now looks.

 

This is the finished newly painted and renovated wood burner, I just fell in love with it when I saw it and just had to buy it..... I was confident that I would be able to find a place for it.  The aim is to put it in the conservatory as I like to sit in there and watch the alpaca girls and babies, but it gets far too cold on the wintry days .... I'm guessing that won't be a problem any more.

 

Cheeky Boys !

 

 

True to form .... Zonko has his own style of doing things, Couldn't help wondering if he was .... sleep feeding.

 

Doza is enjoying a chew ... just as well I'm not too house proud !

 

Doza playing in the garden after the treat, he is growing into a rather big boy.  But very much still a puppy !  He has put on quite allot of condition.  He has a very loud snore which I can hear through out the house.

 

As we have had such a long dry summer the pond has been virtually empty until now.  After the other day of torrential rain it has started to fill up with water.

 

It will be lovely to eventually see it full .... all in good time.

 

And finally .. one of the girls out grazing last week.