What a week.....Highs...and Lows.....

Socksy.....he's off colour...!!!

Zienna....is looking .......like...... just how I feel !!

I have had one of those weeks...a very mixed bag of highs and lows......just goes to show you never know whats round the corner..

Obviously, one of the highs..was Duke arriving safe and sound...and boy how time flies...he has been here exactly one week today.

Today, another...high...the Swallows are here...they weren't here this morning..but this afternoon I looked out of the kitchen window...and there they were 'Fantastic'..I love to see the swallows...marks the start of Summer for me ! I do hope its a good one....after the hard slog through this winter...I'm looking forward to a good one !!

Now....onto the lows.... at the moment is it like emergency ward 10 here !!!...I'm having a bit of a run....with poorly alpacas....I have 3 at the moment....!!

Zeuss's nasty abscess has returned...so I am in the process of treating that !...on your own I here you ask !!.....Yes !!.....not easy ! But I will persevere...I have to try and just get on with it....

Zanubis..has developed a bit of a cough..a tickly...one...he's ok one minute then has bouts of coughing.....so I am treating that also....!!

Now, what a palaver.......I had decided to feed up early on Thursday..night..as I was hoping for an early....finish...no chance !!

I fed the boys their evening tea..and was having a look a t Zeuss's leg. It then dawned on me that I was an alpaca missing..and I re-checked them, just to make sure. Yes, definitely one missing...I had a look around the field and at first I couldn't see him....It was 'Socks' my older brown and white boy..he is very shy..and never gets involved with the argy-bargy with the other boys.....I was looking...frantically..by now...and I spotted him....up the top of the field....My heart just sank ! He was lying down..on his side...this did not look good. I shouted of him..but no response...he then looked up and just rolled back down onto his side. !! By this time I was walking up the field...just wondering ....what I was going to find...and was dreading the worst ! Normally he will not let you close....but he made no attempt to move..this wasn't good... I approached him and he made no attempt to get up ! I checked him over and could see nothing unusual....so I sat down next to him for a better look...now you know when you could do with a hand...and there is nobody there....well that was me. I rang for help..no answer....I knew I could not move him on my own....so I had to get some assistance....in the end it was getting dark...I ended up going for my neighbour...and we managed to get him inside..the barn....I didn't know what was wrong....so just to cover most things..he got an anti-biotic...injection..for infection...maybe ulcers !..I was thinking...then also to cover....pain...he got some pain relief..in the form of Liquid Devils..Claw....I was trying to cover all eventualities......I would check him...regularly...and monitor his...situation.....I left him..next to the babies..and put some feed out for him...over night...

In the morning..I was pleased to see him standing..and he had eaten his feed....I can't decide if he has strained himself....if the boys have been wrestling...or if it might have been..something else...needless to say he is back out with the others....and they are coming in....for routine...healthcare...!! He is off colour to say the least..as he has been lying down alot..and resting......I have been keeping a close eye on all of them today....As I have been in the conservatory....spinning up some of Zerquo's fleece.... I shall keep you posted how we get on...

I hate it when these sort of things happen.....you just plummet back down to earth with a mighty thump !!....so Im trying to stay focused....on nicer things.....and hanging onto...my lovely weekend....last week.......just goes to show...how...things change.........and thats...just the Alpaca....side of things...!!

Just to round things off...I nearly choked myself last night...trying to get water through the water pipe for the cows.....!!

What a week .........:-(