Ladders and 'boys from the green stuff!'

This has been a week of mixed weather, some days very wet, some very windy and wet but on Thursday it was glorious.  Now that the wasps pose less of a problem, we've been trying to get our very long hedge cut before the winter.  The routine is always the same, the rain stops, out comes the orchard ladder and up come the boys to check it out.  All except Faro (front) that is who prefers his guarding duty of checking out the photographer.

Although they've seen the ladder many times, it still needs to be thoroughly checked each time it is erected!  From the left, Fyta, Gully, Fidget, Wee Eck and Gaucho.

'Ol blue eyes' Gully with Fidget behind.

Gaucho with Faro, Fyta and Rufus behind.

As soon as the next heavy shower of rain comes on the boys bolt to the field shelter - no point in being  wet when with  little effort you can be perfectly dry!

Fergus (front) and Rufus sheltering from the rain.  Rufus looks like 'butter wouldn't melt'  but he got a severe telling off on Wed at feed time.  Just occasionally, when the feed arrives, he will spit at all the boys around him as if to shoo them away from the food.  It certainly works because his spit smells horrible, all the others can't eat, then they start sneezing.  Rufus started sneezing too, his mouth full of green stuff but that didn't stop him eating!  All the others stand around, unable to eat and looking at him as if to say, "What's he like?!"  One particularly smelly mouthful hit Robbie on the back of the head (tee he!) ensuring that Rufus got the pointed finger, stern look and "Bad boy, Rufus" routine !

Best pals ( despite the halitosis), Rufus (left) and Wee Eck lie down whilst the rain pours down outside!  We also had a flying visit yesterday between the showers from Lorna and Sandy of Ardo Alpacas, where all the boys came from.  They seem to know Lorna each time she visits and gather around her, something they don't do with any other visitor.  Perhaps the fact that she was feeding them a grape or two from the greenhouse had something to do with her popularity this time!