Taking shelter.

Fyta (left), Fergus (middle) and Faro.  We've had some really hot days this week so the sand pit is a favourite spot.

Fyta (left) and Fergus in the pit with Fergus chewing on a piece of carrot when the photo was taken!

Faro - who has been suffering because of flies and other flying 'beasties' this week and one day we sprayed his legs to keep them away.

This week has also been misty as well as hot, perfect for midges and other flying creatures which none of the boys like so they have spent long periods in their shelter.

'Red Hot Pokers' (Kniphofia), Phormium and Gunnera plants with the boys lying in their shelter behind on the slope.

This was taken early this morning when it was pouring with rain and the boys decided to stay inside and chew on their hay.

And finally......... this Buddleia 'Globosa' is certainly attracting the bees this week - if you magnify the picture you will see that there is a bee on almost every flower.

Much cooler dudes!

Fyta boy - feeling much cooler now having been sheared a couple of weeks ago and now with his fringe cut off.

Fyta's best pal - Faro.   He's also benefiting from having less fleece, especially when we have very hot days.

Fergus being told that he's a 'good boy' - the other boys get told this but, unlike Fergus, they are not keen on being stroked.

The 'sit-on' was in action several times this week during dry weather but Faro (left) and Fergus are not concerned by it's noise.

Even less concerned is Fyta who stayed in the sandpit whilst the mower cut the grass in the adjoining paddock!

The weather has been good this week but there has been a lot of moisture in the air, especially in the mornings.  This has brought out the midge population and Fergus and Fyta in particular do now like them so they have spent lots of time lying in the darkened field shelter trying to avoid them.

And finally............ Kniphofia (Red Hot Pokers),  a favourite flower.  Over the past few years we have been planting them along the road side and they make a lovely sight when they are all in flower.

Toileting times!

It was good for the boys to have some sunny days following their shearing as the week prior to shearing had been so wet.  This is Fergus sporting his new clean-cut look!

This is Fyta (left) and Faro.  Alpaca owners will know how important toileting is for their animals - unlike cattle, sheep etc who will go to the toilet anywhere in their field, alpacas have designated areas where they go, putting all their waste in one area.  There are a number of reasons for them doing this and it is not unusual for us to see two, sometimes all three of the boys go to the toilet at the same time.  Here, Faro has just been to the toilet and Fyta comes along and smells the spot.

Fyta then adopts the 'A' Frame position and goes to the toilet.  It is a common occurrence that when one boy does the toilet, another will come and go on the same spot.

The three boys enjoying a bit of sunshine now that their heavy fleece has been sheared off - from the left, Fyta, Fergus and Faro.

A long range shot of the boys with Fergus lying in the field shelter, on the other side of the Keder greenhouse in the veg garden.

And finally...........we have a number of different Iris varieties and colours in the garden and all are flowering at present.

Hosing - and shearing.

Just look at the expression on Fyta's face as his legs and 'under carriage' are sprayed with cold water on a very hot afternoon - bliss!

Faro loves to be sprayed on his nose and mouth as well as his under carriage.  The first couple of days of this week were really hot and the boys were fleeced up before shearing.

Fergus (left), Fyta and Faro have had the water hose spraying them and now go for a roll on their rolling spot so that they can cover themselves in dust!

Fast forward from the hot temperatures earlier in the week to the wet and very cold weather we have had over the past couple of days.  Taken this afternoon, here are Fergus and Fyta waiting their turn to be sheared whilst Faro is undergoing his 'short back and sides!'

Shearer Jamie goes to work on Faro whilst Sophie keeps everything neat and tidy.  Faro accepted his trim with very little resistance!

Sophie trims Fyta's top knot so that he can see clearly once again!  Thank you Jamie and Sophie for doing such a great job shearing our boys.  Hope you continue to have a good journey through the rest of the Highlands and Islands, hope the weather is much better than it was today and look forward to a less Covid restrictive visit next year.  Take care.

And here is the result of Jamie and Sophie's hard work - a proud looking Faro, showing off his new, sleek look!

And finally.............. this beautiful Iris flowered in the sunshine earlier in the week - the colours are stunning.  Take care of yourselves and stay well wherever you are reading this blog.

Hot, hot, hot!

Looking forward to shearing next weekend is Fergus who has been feeling the heat over the past couple of days.  Really hot weather so he hasn't been moving around too much.

During the week the Grumpy Gardener had a few jobs to do and this attracted the attention of Faro (left) and Fyta, the 'Dynamic Duo!'

Fyta always likes to check out the equipment, especially wheelbarrows!  Whether it is the 'poop patrol' wheelbarrow, or this one pictured, or others if he is nearby he will always come along and sniff it!

We have all benefited from some excellent weather this week although boys have felt the heat and the sandpit has been much in use.  Faro is alert and checking out what the photographer is doing.

Faro soon settles down next to Fergus and Fyta will join them shortly.  A concrete block is also sitting in the sand pit - a deterrent against persistence by a rabbit to dig a hole there!

Water trays, water troughs and the watering hose have all been in regular use this week.  Yesterday and today have been the warmest days of the year so far - Spring ends today and meteorological summer starts tomorrow!

And finally - from a corner of the garden where this Viburnum rhytidophyllum plant is looking good having been grown from a root cutting.  It is next to the bird table which has peanuts in a basket inside - we can't hang nuts here as the badgers keep pulling the baskets down and making a mess!  If you magnify the photo you will see a baby sparrow on the right of the table.

The hose, the crows and the Grillo!

We had some sunny days at the start of the week but the last 3 days have seen continuous gales and rain.  During one of the interludes in the bad weather, Fergus takes a roll in his rolling spot.

Fyta (left) and Faro in the rough paddock looking at a horse and rider who are passing on the nearby road.

Looking uphill at Fergus (left) and Fyta who are lying in the sand-pit with a Monkey Puzzle tree behind.

I've mentioned before our resident family of crows who spend their time in the paddocks.  Here they are making a nuisance of themselves by boring holes in the ground, tearing out lumps of grass as they search for worms!

The boys love it when the water hose is in action on a sunny day.  We spray them underneath but Faro also loves having the water play on his head and nose.

Fergus (front) and Fyta get their legs and under-carriages soaked and Fyta waits his turn in the background.

After a hosing comes the rolling about on a rolling spot for Faro.  Behind him is one of that crow family again having a bath in the water trough!   Grrrrr!

And finally......... the Grumpy Gardener got the Grillo mower out earlier in the week to cut the sloping rough paddocks.  This mower is specifically for this type of terrain.  The boys stay in the paddock whilst it is being cut and are not concerned by the noise.

Wheelbarrow and apple blossom!

It looks like the start of a busy morning for the Grumpy Gardener and his trusty barrow and the boys want to see what he is doing.  Fyta (front) is not dancing by the way, he is just about to scratch!

Very inquisitive by nature, Fyta just has to have a look in the barrow to see what is there.   He doesn't seem too impressed with the topsoil contents.

Fergus, now beginning to look like he could do with a 'short back and sides' haircut!  Only 3 weeks more to wait, Fergus!

Fyta is also in need of a trim-up now.  Our weather has been very cold during the past week with a northerly wind still blowing so the boys probably needed their thick fleece to keep warm, especially at night.

Faro has been rolling in the field shelter and loves to be covered in dust and hay.  Fergus looks on, unimpressed!

A lovely picture from a little later in the day when Fergus is having a lie down, watched over by Faro.

And finally.............this shot of the boys and the apple blossom was taken this morning.  We've been concerned this week because all the apple trees are in blossom and we wondered if the overnight frosts would affect them as it has in some seasons and we get no apples later in the year.  Thankfully it looks as if the frost has not damaged the buds.  Hope you are all taking care reading this blog, wherever you are during these worrying times.