Warm days

Here is Fyta imitating a camel again - trying to get the human to turn on the hose so that he can get a spray first thing on a warm morning! Thankfully however we have not suffered the very high temperatures that those in the south have had to contend with.  With the boys not yet sheared we are careful to ensure that they do not over-heat.

Here he is again, indicating to the human that it can't be hard to turn on the water from that yellow hose and give the under-carriage a spray!

That's ma boy!  Faro keeping an eye on everything going on in the paddocks, especially when there is a photographer around.

Faro once again with Fidget who had been dunking himself in a nearby water tray during a warm morning.

Fergus - after a wet night and looking a bit portly (it's an optical illusion!) and in need of a good shearing which thankfully is due to take place this coming week.

As the sun sets and casts long shadows, Fidget lies in the longer grass and settles down for the night.

The Gunnera plant continues to grow with the leaves now standing at over five feet tall.  Not a plant for the smaller garden obviously!

And finally............just for a change from alpacas we were asked to feed our neighbour's two pet lambs today.  These guys can really drink - the contents of the bottles disappeared in seconds!

Big beasts!

Here's the latest implement  to help the ageing Grumpy Gardener keep the sloping paddocks in trim.  It's a Grillo, with 'forward' and 'reverse' gears as well as some other features which keep the buttercups under control.

In a nearby paddock the boys are not bothered by the machine noise or by the sweating human at the controls!  Fergus and Fidget are in the sand pit whilst Faro and Fyta are lying nearby.

All finished, time to clean the machine and put it back in the garage for another day.  The boys have not moved from the adjoining paddock!

It doesn't take them long though to come to the freshly cut paddock just to try it out - and they look quite satisfied by the results.   These lovely Irises are all out in flower at present.

We always try to keep some uncut grass within the paddocks, not only because some of the wild flowers look lovely but Fidget loves to lie in longer grass!

And finally................another big beast of a machine which we use to keep the grass in check but with a smaller beastie (Cupcake) in the driving seat!

Getting into summer

Feed time again and the boys, three of them anyway, come to the gate.  Fidget is the straggler who is a little way behind the others.

Fyta's fringe - thick, long and crinkly.

Fidget's fringe - thick, long and even crinklier!  A few too many buttercups in this paddock I think.

Faro with Fidget behind.  The boys have been on Verm-X granules all this week with today being their last dose for this month.

Quite a bit of rain this week, so whilst the humans take shelter inside the field shelter, the boys stand at the door looking in!

These Iris flowers still maintain a bit of colour although they've been soaked and blown about by weather in the last week.

And finally..............Friday morning and Cupcake has been up all night with the humans watching the election results - and it shows!

Shearing is getting closer!

Fidget - all fleeced up and ready for shearing at the end of this month.  His nature is always to hang back and let the other boys go first - he hasn't changed in that regard since he was a cria.

Faro - eating much better these days, so we are pleased with him.  Still the 'leader of the gang', wants to be first to do everything.

Fyta - Faro's best mate, where one goes the other will always follow!  Always inquisitive, he's a lovely boy.

And here he is again, getting into the water tray which he loves as well as getting his chin tickled when eating from the hand.

Fergus (left) and Fidget - the two white boys.  Much sturdier than the other two boys and with a slower, more relaxed style about them.

Fidget again - being on his own with the other boys lying down in an adjoining paddock, which is typical of his behaviour.

And finally............... this Celmisia (New Zealand daisy) plant is showing off it's flowers which look like fried eggs!  It is surrounded by Sweet William and Liatris plants which are still to flower.