Parties, paddocks and pedicures.

Don't let the clouds fool you, we didn't get any rain. Eclipse in the top paddock.

Another busy weekend, still without rain :(  Our paddocks are still very dry, but we do have dew in the morning (and it is getting cooler at night) so at least it is something!  To compensate, we moved the girls down to the bottom paddocks, and opened up another paddock to the boys.  There is little grass to be had, but all of the Alpacas enjoy the (slight) change of scenery!
The girls were the best, and I apologise for the lack of photos (so use your imagination...).  Picture a three year old milk chocolate brown alpaca (Maddie) PRONKING up the hill with the five mth old crias (Poppy, Tegan and Melony).  Talk about happy!!

Hamish (rear) and Eclipse with the chooks

Chinook wondering why he has to share the paddock with these girls and not the other (Alpaca) girls!

The boys in the top paddock

The boys were a little scared to cross the bridge (of the almost non-existent creek), but once they got used to it, they rushed over to the other side to see the girls way, way, way over the other side (but hey, they could see them!).  Sherman spent most of his day gazing over at the girls, whereas Eclipse had the air 'been there, done that'!  The girls (chooks) escaped, and decided to join the boys in their paddock.

Chinook

Chinook needed his nail trimmed and I was wary about it as he is our newest Alpaca and not too happy on a halter.  I didn't use a halter, I held him in the bracelet hold, whilst 15y.o son firmly grasped his back and tail.  Poor Chinook only groaned a little as each leg was raised, but there was no spitting, screeching or 'pork-chopping' about!  I told him he was such a good boy, and he had a little extra in his bucket.  I expected afterwards that he might be a little wary of us, but he came right back after he was released and stuck his head straight into the bucket!

Curious the nosy chook

The chooks have been climbing the tree next to the fence and jumping over (I would love to catch them doing it, but think I might die laughing)!  There is no other explanation, and checking their wing, they are still clipped back and not grown back in!  The silly girls can't then get back to their mansion to lay their eggs, so then lay wherever!  Luckily I had the chicken whisperer home on Saturday (19y.o Daughter), and she went into stealth mode to lure the naughty girls from under the jasmine.  The lure?  The yoghurt container that they get their scraps in!  One young lady was checking out Daughter's bedroom...presumably deciding who had the best room LOL.

How come she gets a bed, table, rug, lamp....???

Then there was a Pirate and Princess party to attend on Sunday in Pipers River.  Husband REFUSED to let me dress 2y.o as a princess (such a shame - he would have looked lovely), so we had to find a pirate outfit.  Without enough time to make a hat, 2y.o was impressed with his clean tea-towel bandana hehe!

Then it was three hours (yes, three!!) of 20 screaming kids ranging from 2-7, amped with sugar and the sound of gas-guns intermittently going off all over (the party was in a vineyard) to scare the birds.  Needless to say that when I got home, an hour spent on 'Mummy's tractor' (ride-on mower) with 2y.o cutting the reeds that are starting to grow, whilst Husband cut the other paddock with the slasher, was a welcome respite (LOL, very sad I know!!).