OUR SMALL HERD

Our original four boys came from Ardo Alpacas in Aberdeenshire. We are not alpaca breeders and have our boys purely as pets. Our experience is that you don't need to be a breeder and that a 'batchelor herd' can give much pleasure to the owner. We have 5 acres including our big garden and grazing for the boys, 15 miles north of Inverness, Scotland. I spin, knit, felt and crochet with the fleece from the boys.

Clicking!!

Just a reminder that clicking on (most) of the photos will show them greatly enlarged.

Sunday, 19 August 2012

Lying low

Here's a sharp contrast in colours with Wee Eck in front and Fergus next to him and Rufus looking in the opposite direction.  This Eck/Fergus configuration is different for these two because normally Fergus will not let Eck anywhere near him.  However, the reason that the boys are lying down is because there was a very strong wind blowing with extra strong gusts, despite the lovely sunshine.  We know that the boys get startled by gales or gusty wind, it's as if they don't understand what this 'thing' is which is pushing them!
Fyta has also gone to ground with /Fidget in the background.
Gaucho
Fidget loves the sand pit!
One boy not lying down is Faro, he's on his feet and checking what is going on in the paddock.  He looks a bit confrontational, but he's not at all and is a lovely boy and excellent sentry.
We have a place in the garden where we keep 'spares' of some plants.  Here are Acanthus (Bear's Breeches) at the front,  the bright red flowers of the Crocosmia (Lucifer) behind,  Astilbe to the left with a white Buddleia in the background.
And finally...... in answer to the age old question, "If a bean's a bean - whats a pea?" Answer -  "A relief" !  (It's all in the spelling!)  At last the peas are swelling and mostly ready for picking.  Usually we end up with buckets of pods and the blanched peas then fill the freezers ready for winter (really good value veg!)  The dwarf beans and broad beans are now ready as are the carrots and onions - a lovely time of year!

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3 comments:

  1. Bev19 August 2012 at 14:38

    It must be lovely to eat your own grown veggies. We often talk about a veg patch, but I think it's going to have to wait till we retire and have more time.

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  2. Apple Vale Alpacas19 August 2012 at 20:37

    Bev, I'm told that there are still only 24 hours in a day when you retire - and all the other pensioners will have lovely veg' - better start now :-)

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  3. Debbie, Barnacre Alpacas19 August 2012 at 22:52

    We had terrible gusts in the week too.

    Sounds like your carrots are much further on than mine, not much to pick in the carrot department yet here, the spuds are growing nicely - I only know this because the chickens were digging them up the other day!!

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