Water hole fun.

We don't have a water tap in the paddocks but instead we run out a hose which fills up some watering cans.  Problem is that during hot weather the boys hear the hose filling up the cans and decide it's fun time. There is plenty of pushing and shoving and the cans are often knocked over!

They all love getting their feet and 'undercarriages' sprayed.  Fidget is having a spray with Fyta and Faro in the background looking on.

All done - Fidget (left) and Fergus have had a good soaking.  It's been a sunny week but with a biting northerly wind.  The good thing is that it has been dry all week.

After a spray, Faro and Fyta wander off so that Fyta can have a bit of a foot-spa in the water tray.

Faro and Fyta have moved to another paddock in the distance, Fergus has taken up the deck chair position by the pool whilst Fidget has a drink.

We penned the boys this week as both Fergus and Fidget needed a nail trim.  The white boys' nails grow really quickly and need frequent clipping. The boys are waiting for 'Mum' to arrive here before going into the pen.  This week has also been a Verm-X granule week for the boys - a measured spoonful per daily feed for a week.

A distance shot which might need magnification, of the boys.  Fidget is lying in the sand pit.  Above him in the middle of the photo and in the distance is Beaufort Castle

And finally..............the House Martins and Swallows have returned for the summer and the Martins have set about immediately building nests under the eaves, around the house.  This is a new nest, the old one blew down during the winter.

Ne'er cast a cloot.........

Three of the boys on the slope of one of the rough paddocks, from the left Fidget, Fergus and Fyta.  They like running up the slope - all except Fidget that is who experiences gravitational pull backwards on slopes due to his weight!

Fergus on his way downhill.  These pics were taken earlier in the week when the weather was really dismal, wet and with a very cold wind.

The cold wind required the humans to be well wrapped up but the boys have adequate fleece at present to keep them nice and warm.

Faro doing his own thing, keeping an eye on the human with the camera.

Fyta, well fleeced up against the cold wind which was blowing into his face - thus the 'cool' top knot!

Today we made the three hour drive south to Dunblane to attend the AGM of the Scottish Alpaca Group.  These are a few of the lovely alpaca owners and breeders we met there.  Lovely to have met you all - thanks for an interesting meeting.  Come and see us if you are in the Inverness area folks.

And finally................this strange looking plant in the garden is in fact a Gunnera.  The Grumpy Gardener has recently uncovered the crowns from a protective cover after the winter and some of the leaves are beginning to push upwards already.  This plant grows huge so we'll post a photo when that happens.

Snow 'n Scroggie

I was a bit optimistic with last week's blog featuring the water trays and lovely sunshine.  Back to reality with a bump on Monday as Fergus and the boys discovered when the snow showers started - again!

Fidget won't let a shower of snow put him off his grub. Here he is getting to grips with his afternoon bowl of supplement.

Tuesday morning was a much duller day with more snow threatening.  This was taken first thing in the morning and the boys realise that the green stuff will be scarce whilst the white stuff is around.  From the left, Fidget, Fyta, Faro and Fergus.

By mid morning heavier snow showers started, so where were the boys?

No point in getting soaked and covered in snow when there are shelters available and plenty of hay to chew!  By the end of the day all the snow had disappeared and the boys were back grazing. The rest of the week has been showery with a cold wind.  Two House Martins appeared about a week ago, looked under the house eaves where last year's nest still is, then disappeared. Maybe they knew that snow was on it's way.

Yesterday we went to nearby Dingwall to see John MacKenzie who owns Scroggie Farm overlooking the town.  As you see from his sign he is a keen alpaca fan with three boys of his own together with assorted sheep breeds and Belted Galloway cattle.

And finally............two of John's boys, the third is just out of sight.  In case you can't read the sign on the barn wall it is Glen Wyvis (www.glenwyvis.com) the name which has been given to John's on-going project to re-establish a distillery in this area.  Apart from his work as a helicopter pilot and farmer, John generates all his electricity from his own hydro, also from wind and solar power - and even runs an electric car. He's a knowledgeable and experienced advocate of green energy for the farming and local community.  If you are interested, have a look at www.flyingfarmer.co  for more information.  Have a good week.

It's water tray time again!

Quite apart from the frosty nights and cold northerly winds this week we've also had some hot sunshine.  The boys started to 'dunk' their feet in their water troughs so it was time to get a seasonal water tray out of storage.  The boys were in a different paddock when the tray was deployed but soon catch on to it's location.   Faro is first in line, soaking his face and the top of his head which he likes to do.

Fergus (nearest camera) and Fyta are hard on Faro's heels to get into the tray.  Fyta always tries to muscle his way into the tray before the others.  Fidget is making his way slowly towards the other boys, out of shot.

As usual Fyta gets himself into the tray, displacing Faro and keeping Fergus waiting - which does not please Fergus as he stamps in the tray!   Fidget is on the other side of the fence watching the argument.

By now Fyta and Fergus have started a spitting match over ownership of the tray.  Faro looks as if he is saying, "What is it with these two, Boss?"

Fergus takes the long view and decides to wait until Fyta gets fed up - or his 'bits' get frozen!

At last Fyta gets out of the tray and Fergus immediately takes his place and gives his neck a good soak.

And finally..........Fidget decides he will wait his turn for the tray which must surely come - it did, about 10 minutes after this when my camera wasn't handy!

Ughh - the taste of medicine!

Earlier in the week we decided to pen the boys and give them a drench.  As the catch pen gets organised the boys know that they will be herded in that direction shortly.  They know exactly where to go so penning them is not a problem.

Ughh - what a taste!  Fergus shows his dislike of the drench, his bottom lip droops and he starts to cough.

Fidget dislikes the taste just as much but knows exactly what to do - grab a mouthful of hay to neutralise it.

See?  Easy peasey when you know how.

Soon all the boys go for the hay routine and it does help them - they know this from spitting episodes.   Five minutes later they are nibbling grass again as if nothing had happened.

Later in the week we had a lovely visit from Alison and Brendan of Seafield Alpacas at Portmahomack in Ross- shire.  Here, Alison tries to keep Fergus supplied with carrots whilst the other boys have had their fill and wander off. This was a bitterly cold day with frequent sleet and hail showers.

And finally...............the week has been rounded off with a bit of very pleasant sunshine (and a cold wind) so Fyta immediately gets into sunbathing mode.  Fergus and Fidget are in the background whilst Faro does what he is good at and stands guard over his pals.

Wet weather = muddy knees.

I had begun to think that we wouldn't have a reasonable day to get some pics for the blog but managed to get a few today, despite the continuing rain.  The boys know that there are non-alpacas on the other side of the hedge, so are a bit wary. Fyta (left), Fergus (front), Faro (behind) and Fidge at the rear - as always!

We've had a rainy week so the boys have been wet, dry, wet, dry all the time but they don't seem too bothered.  They are all displaying their muddy knees.  Fyta (left) and Fergus check the movement behind the hedge.

Fidget reckons that there are three other alpacas to check out the hedge - so he will just carry on enjoying his carrots! More muddy knees.

The object of all the attention by the boys, our neighbours' dogs 'Lexie' a Labradoodle and in the background 'Tess', a Labrador.  They are lovely dogs, always up for a bit of fun.

And finally.............the Bergenias are just beginning to display their flowers now.  The leaves are bright green in Spring turning to red in the Autumn.

Creatures of habit.

Frosty nights earlier in the week again and this first series of shots were taken first thing in the morning when the frost had not yet melted.  Fidget is nearest the camera here and you can see the melted patch underneath him on the ground where he has lain during the night. We tend to keep the boys in two large paddocks overnight so that they are closer to the field shelters but open a gate in the morning which allows them to go into the rough paddocks.  They know the procedure and stand and wait for the human to arrive which is what they are doing here. They return to the overnight paddocks by themselves before evening.

The gate is now open with Fyta nearest the camera, Faro and Fergus going through and Fyta deciding to give the photographer a cheesy grin on the way past!

The procedure is still the same here as human, followed by Faro, Fergus, Fyta and Fidget (at the back!) walk towards gate number 2 in an extended line.

For an alpaca who doesn't like cameras, Faro is doing very well here as he waits for the gate to be opened.

We normally give the boys their daily supplement feed around 3.00pm and from around 2.00pm onwards they congregate in the top paddock where we feed them.  No need for these guys to have anyone tell them the time, they seem to know it instinctively. 

Fidget doing his camel impression, not at the human but at Fergus who had wandered too close to Fidget's bowl!  The Grumpy Gardener's new veg plots can be seen in the background together with a couple of new flower/plant beds which he's been slaving to complete before the growing season gets under way.

And finally............... the Bog Myrtle (Myrica Gale) bush now covered with brownish coloured catkins.