A New Lease of Life !!

My new..... Alpaca Chest.......after the make-over !
Mam and Dad.....having a break ! with the hand carved walking stick.

Close up of the Rams horn..walking stick...the sheep dog is carved out of the horn in one piece...hours of work to create this lovely unique stick.
Zonda....enjoying a moment..in the garden today ! Zelqui is in the background by the gate !

Today was the day, I decided to do a little art work. I have had an old chest for years, it has spent most of its time in the barn, with horse rugs in it. I have wanted to renovate it for ages, I just have never got round to it.

I had a new job for the chest, to hold all of my spinning items....my Electric Spinning Wheel, my Drum Carder and my fleece, knitting needles and all the bits and pieces that I use. So today was the day it got a new lease of life.

I have dusted it off......I have varnished it, and all that was left to do was to add a little bit of Alpaca Flare !!.... My artwork skills have come in useful...needless to say...I decided to paint a couple of Alpaca's onto the front. I am really pleased with the finished result.

So now the chest is sitting in my conservatory with all and sundry spinning items..inside. I am really very pleased with the new look....

I wish I had done it sooner.......I do like to recycle....and it just goes to show what can be done with a little bit of imagination....and a bit of stuff, out of the cupboard...!!

I have also taken a couple of photo's of my parents....having a well earned break from the farming chores.....its nice to have an extra pair of hands....for all those jobs, my Dad has brought some of his hand carved walking sticks up to show me....he has made a lovely one with a Rams Horn and a Sheep Dog. So this was an excuse to show it off !

Especially for You !!

Duke is ....glued to Zullulah !
Zeto.....Zienna ..... with their new look !
Double trouble....Zullulah can't move for Duke !!

Tremona....and the girls, enjoying their summer-time !!

Since the alpacas have been sheared...I have been requested by Debbie...for an updated photo shoot of Duke, with his new sleeker look !

Duke has taken to full time employment as Zullulah's shadow...when he was with Debbie and Paul, he spent his time with Star. Now he has taken to Zullulah..in fact he is permanently glued to her side.

I managed to take a couple of photos of the alpacas...yesterday out grazing in the fields, all of them appear to be much happier since they have been sheared....and the weather has been lovely for them, this week.

It will soon be time for a little romance, here at Zanzibah....I have my dating arrangements made, I have been pondering over them for some time. I think I have made my mind up, for the next generation of crias.......for next year.

Then..all I have to do is think of some more 'Z' names....mind you....I still have a few under my sleeve !

A Good Job Well Done......and On the Mend !!

James and John, doing a great job ! .... the sun was shining !

Zakhura, Dusty and Zeto, checking out their new look !!

Zaninni (left), Zerquo(middle left)...me in the middle with the glad rags on ! Zeuss(middle right) and Zanubis(right) !

Oh...another day..another dollar !....having a go on the quad, spraying the weeds !!

It has been a little while since I blogged......I have been a little under the weather to say the least !...however.....I managed to be well enough to welcome James and John, on Tuesday who were here to shear the alpacas !

Thankfully all went well and the job was underway. The first to meet the hairdresser was little Duke !! He was a good boy and he was soon...looking sleek and very dapper with his new look !

All the alpacas were given the 5 star treatment, with toenails trimmed, injections and teeth inspected. A full health check for the bunch. After a couple of hours the whole herd looked totally different and I'm sure grateful of their new look. The weather has been sunny over the past couple of days. So maybe this is the start of summer.

I have taken the opportunity to try my quad sprayer out...as the weeds needed.....dealing with. All in all....its great...and makes the job much easier...and a whole lot quicker !

So in a couple of days the weeds should be on their way.

In the meantime.....what do you think of our new summer look !!

Lazy, Hazy, Days......of Summer !!

Zeto..having an alpaca moment..... with me !

Enjoying the company...

Babies....back with the big girls....Duke has a new look ! ... a muddy goatee !

Duke, Zeto....by the pool....Dusty dips her toes in !.....Zienna...has a roll, Zullulah....has just got up !

Dare I mention...the weather ! Today we have experienced a taste of summer ......

Yes, I know we are in mid June ! .... how long do we have to wait for the summer-time blues !

All going to plan we should be getting sheared in just over a week...so I hope that the weather is kind after the big shearing day. Usually every year after the alpacas are sheared, the weather is really cold..... I hope not !

Today, I was pottering around outside.......I took my camera out to take a couple of photos of the alpacas.....just enjoying the warmer days ..... plenty of sleeping and snoozing, the odd spat over the pool.... then more sleeping....and the odd bit of grazing in between......all in all, a very lazy day.

Sadly, not for me ! Mind you I did have a sit down in the middle of the field with the alpacas....just a little moment of contemplation....before getting on with the rest of the day....!!

My spirits...lifted...back to the chores ....

It never rains...but it pours !

Im a sunday knitter !! The hat is a blend of grey/white....Dusty and Zeuss .....Usual photo shoot !....

The shrug...is a blend of three....Zaninni(Brown) Zeuss(White) and Dusty(Grey)

Two blogs in one day !....what do you do..when its raining ?

Knit a hat !....so much for the summer weather, its rained off and on all day today. I have been confined into the house...apart from this morning chores.....as on my earlier post !

Its just as well that I spin...otherwise I might turn to drink or some other addiction !!

They say the Devil makes work for idle hands...so I'd better keep occupied or else. Thankfully the rain has stopped tonight, just in time for my evening walk with the dogs. I shall have to try and get the night time jobs done...whilst its still dry !

Mustn't complain, we need the rain for the grass to grow..for the hay !

You can't win. Can you !

Alpaca Quartet !! .. .. .. we made it !

The babies...back in the big field, with the girls ! All weaned now !

A slightly wet Zeto !

Zeto and Zakhura....these two are half brother and sister !

Phew...we made it all the way round here....none the worse after the halter training..a nice snack.

I have been rather busy today. I decided that today was the day to have a little re-arrange with the alpacas.

As it is over 8 weeks since the babies were weaned and Duke arrived ! It was time to re-introduce them back to the main herd of girls ! This is only a temporary measure for the boys anyway ! as soon as they become a nuissance they shall be moving again to the little paddock. The reason for this is two fold. To hopefully when the weather improves ! did anyone mention...summertime !! I am looking forward to spraying the weaning paddock with my new quad sprayer, to get on top of the weeds, Docks and Buttercups !

Just briefly on that note, I was reading Ashdale Alpacas and I read that, you have to keep your alpacas off the treated fields for up to 60 days ! which was a surprise to me ! apparently they can re-absorb the chemicals through their feet pads and this has been known to cause fatalities ! There is much documentation regarding this on a link there !! I intend to use Grazon and it clearly states that it is safe after a 7 day rest. However, this is designed for Hoofed animals.......not Alpacas !

So that is something worth....knowing !!

Anyway...back to my Alpaca Quartet !! Some regular readers will know that I have been doing a little halter training with my weanlings....I like to try and acquaint them with the halter and this leading lark !! This was the big test ! We had to walk around past the barn, up the track and into the little alpaca shelter..where the girls were waiting ! Its only about 300yds !

All halters were attached and after a bit of gentle persuading...we were off !! It was a bit stop-start.....not a smooth leading, but all in all everyone behaved very well considering, I was on my own ! Zienna was the lead, now up to now, she had sulked a little when wearing the halter. Zeto was the second best at leading closely followed by Duke and Zullulah. Duke did have a little sit down..until he realised that he was being left behind by the others...he quickly decided to get up and follow !

So, after we made it on our epic journey of 300yds round to the next door building, it was time to say hello...from the girls.

I have also used this opportunity to worm all my babies and girls for the summer months ahead. This time I have tried out Combinex a combined treatment for worms and Fluke. I think that this will be a good idea to be on the safe side.

Next on the agenda will be the boys. Then we are just waiting for the shearer to arrive. I hope he brings the summer with him !!

Unfortunately, there was no photo shoot of the leading..as we failed to recruit a cameraman !! so you shall have to make do..with just some of today in their new field ! Slightly wet I'll have you know !

The war on weeds.....gets serious !!

The usual audience !!

We mean business......95 ltr...25 ft Boomless Quad Sprayer....has arrived..

The girls....enjoying their day grazing....

As usual, I have been flitting from my industrious......farming chores and my creative spinning instinct !!

Ok....well that was a bit....exaggerated !! Last week....I had a delivery, the war on weeds just got serious !....I am sick of the docks..like many of you !.....some regular readers will remember that we had some of the fields sprayed..a year ago..however, I was reliably informed by the sprayer people that the Docking seeds can live for 6 years in the soil...and just keep re-appearing.....

I have wanted a quad sprayer, now for 4 years...just never got round to it what with one thing and another....so I decided....that it just had to be done.......I did a little bit of research and decided to go for a one...with a 'boomless' sprayer...the new generation of quad sprayers, without the cumbersome boom....

The model that I decided on has a 25ft, Boomless Sprayer also with wand. It is the big one and the tank capacity is 95ltrs. So that should last a little bit longer than a Knapp-sack sprayer. Its a case of one extreme to another up here.....I'm afraid !

Today was the day, I decided to put all the bits that arrived in the box together ! It took a little bit of head scratching, over the 'T' piece and where to fit it to, but I sussed it out in the end.

Obviously, I had to have a test....spray, with just a little bit of rain water.....

Yippee...it works, fantastic, so now I just have to get out there..and get another one of the summer jobs done !

I'm determined to get on top of the Dockings...as there are pockets of them over most of the fields....hopefully with this quad sprayer we will fight and conquer the battle.... !!!

Mind you......why do you always...end up with a bag of extra....bits !!

:-0)

Twisting..by the Pool...or Dust Bath !

All the babies..want the same spot !!

Full Bloom....has summer eventually arrived !

The girls...today !

Musical....Dust Bath !

New Scarf....hopefully this will not be required until the winter ....if the weather stays fine !

The weather is holding out, we are having days which might even resemble summer-time ! at the moment....

We are still under a big fleecy blanket up here, so now that the weather has warmed up the alpacas are starting to squabble over the watering spots and dust baths ! The girls are often sitting by the pool, today the babies decided that they all wanted to be in one spot in the field....there is a little dust bath..and everyone wanted to be in it !! Needless to say...the arguments started !!

I have been doing a bit of spinning...and I have made a little scarf !...ok...its not scarf weather...and I hope it will be quite sometime...before it is required, however....I thought I'd just show you a photo...or two !

It looks like there might be a little delay in getting the alpacas sheared, as unfortunately my shearer has had to return back to...Australia on family business....! I hope that things are improving for him......and his wife....my thoughts are with them at this difficult time..

Meanwhile...we are starting to..........sizzle..up here in Bonny Scotland......!!!

Looks like summer has arrived !

;0)