A damper week

Another summer's morning and the boys queue up at the gate to be let into the top paddocks.  Faro presents his usual alert stance with his tail in the air checking that the approaching human is not a threat to his disinterested pals who carry on chewing grass!

Gully warns Fyta to keep out of his personal space, with Gaucho behind and Fidget lying down chewing the cud.  Through the fence on the left is the veg garden and the boys often line up there in the hope of something tasty being thrown over for them.

Only one thing for an alpaca to do first thing on another hot day and that is to have a cooling bath.  Wee Eck decides  it's for him!

The gentle Rufus who tends to keep a low profile in the herd - until Wee Eck winds him up then the pair will moan and groan at each other with their heads in the air.

The hose has been in action several times over the last week as the temperatures soared but the last couple of days have given us thunder and torrential downpours.  Thats a nice change for the boys as it's been weeks since we've had rain and they do like getting soaked now and again.

We found this juvenile swallow lying dead at the front of the house having apparently flown into an upstairs window.  We have literally dozens of swallows and house martens flying around the house and sitting on the tiles this year, but it is still unusual to have a flying casualty from this species.  He was given a dignified burial in the garden!

And finally........... in the veg garden, early tatties have been dug up in the foreground with second earlies ready now.  The next plot contains swedes for the boys this winter, behind that is the cauliflower and winter cabbage plot for the humans and in the background is half of the expected pea crop - the rest of the crop was demolished by bunnies/mice/birds. Two small rabbits have found their way into the veg garden (again) so 'himself' is going slowly demented trying to get rid of them! Have a good week.