It ain't 'alf 'ot, Mum!

Probably the best thing to do in this hot weather is to flop amongst the buttercups - just like Fidget.  He enjoys his own company sometimes and likes to watch the rest of the herd from a distance.  It's been a busy week of water carrying and hosing down of animals because it's not often in this part of the world that we have day after day of sunshine with no rain!

We had a visit from near neighbour Marion along with Anne this week.  Anne and husband Archie have two alpaca boys, Bo and Paddy as well as other animals but this was the first time they had come to see our boys.  Another hot day with troughs, trays and sand pits all in action as the boys tried to keep cool.  Here, Marion tries to get Gully to turn around for the camera - no chance!

Favourite spot in the heat, especially after getting a soaking in water is one of the dusty rolling patches, recently enlarged by someone who wanted 'divots' for the garden at the new house!

Another day, more heat and another chance for Fyta to get a splashing.

Flies and other beasties are a problem for the boys at present.  We penned the boys at one point and sprayed them with Barrier healthcare fly repellent and that does seem to keep the flies at bay for a while.  On another day we tried (unsuccessfully) to spray them again in a paddock and all that happened was that they ran off and formed a sort of protective circle.

Down in the chicken compound, the birds are also feeling the heat and spend long periods either in the shade or spreadeagled out in the sun.  The black-currants have now ripened and Hunkey Dunkey and his hens enjoy having a handful thrown for them to find.

And finally...........following on from Jayne at Zanzibah Alpaca's recent blog photo of her roses, thought I'd post this shot of one of our multicoloured blooms.  Is anyone else finding that this year, probably due to the weather, their flowers and bushes are more colourful and lasting longer?