Aussie (Alpaca) Gardening.

Hi! It's not that nothing is happening, it's just that working, having a 3y.old, a hubby that does shift work and a small farm....well, enough said!

Nature does the job

3y.old enjoying the colder weather

We are well into Autumn, and have already had a couple of cold, frosty mornings.  A storm last week coupled with high winds caused some damage in the paddocks, but fortunately dropped branches and entire trees into the paddocks rather than on the house, fences or on the animals!

Fleecy choices - Happy Easter!

Not the Easter bunny, but good to cuddle anyway!

I was up early this morning, well we all were, as little man decided that 6am was a great time to hunt for Easter eggs! Luckily the Easter bunny had gotten up even earlier and had hidden eggs!! Happy Easter :)

Work...(back to it) and other uses for 'paca fleece!

Ok...I know it's obvious...but he looked like a girl when he was a baby (the Speckles debate - Hubby concedes)

The Speckles saga continues... well now that Speckles has come 'out of the closet' and there is no denying that he is a fine young ROOSTER, he wants to demonstrate his manhood in a peculiar way.  He has obviously spent a lot of time practising his 'cock-a-doodle-doo', under his breath and discreetly under his wing...but that is all in the past. 

2 years in Tassie...toenails, tounge lashings and tears!

Sunrise over MT Arthur - Happy Birthday to us!

On the 16th March, we celebrated our second year in Tassie :)  We had finally caught up on THOSE jobs that always seem to be waiting...for us it was the gate to the chook garden.  Finally we sunk a proper post, completed the fence and remounted the gate...much better!  We re-did the mini-pens inside our main pen (yes, the one Athena put me through), using four boards instead of three and two extra posts per side!

UK Grandparents visit Tassie #2

A visit to 'steamfest' in Sheffield (Tasmania) was the only day it decided to rain!

With his parents over from the UK, Hubby and I did lots of traveling around the most scenic spots in Tassie.  Of course, 3y old grandson thoroughly enjoyed the days out!

UK Grandparents visit Tassie #1

 

In Hobart

Sorry that I have been MIA over the last few weeks, we were enjoying a visit from Hubby's parents from Leicestershire UK.  We did as much (day) travels as we could manage over three weeks with a 3y old in tow.  Little man certainly enjoyed all the attention and the spoils (hot chips and chocolates).

A feverish birthday, the last cria is born and the fleece stats

Cria (L-R) Ceymour, Cairo, Cocoa and Chance

The cria are all doing well, and we were waiting on one more...Vodka then decided to have little Chester...while I was at Playgroup with 3y.old.  Luckily daughter was home and broke the bag covering his head (it didn't break when he dropped to the ground), so that he could breathe. Chester then was up and feeding within the hour - what a star! He is our last cria of the season, so we ended up with five males and only one female!! Hmmmm...lots of fleece tests next year to determine who is wethered and who remains a 'man'!

Boys of all species

Not very 'summery' weather here, and only a few hot and humid days so far! We had a few days of gorgeous sunshine (and sweltering temperatures) so we headed for the beach to take a break from the farm.

Acua and Ceymour

Acuaria  the arrival of the 'herd guard's' cria.

With the greatest anticipation we had awaited the arrival of Acuaria's cria...but she held on to the bitter end (and a bitterly cold day, for Australia, it was too!).  The day that Acua decided to give birth coincided with the day Hubby just HAD to slash the birthing paddock.

And again...seeing out 2013 in style!!

Chance and Cocoa

Just as we were recovering from MCQ Cocoa, and marvelling at how big Chance looked in comparison...Malibu (Boo) started panting and wanted OUT of the pen (where I had been feeding everyone today)...I quickly ran back to the house, looking back to see Boo standing at the poo pile - clearly labouring.  I grabbed my phone, shouted at Hubby, and headed back out (Daughter was at the shops - wouldn't you know it?)...

And then...Macquarie Springs Cocoa!!

Probably due to the lateness of shearing this year, and the stress...Daughter's shouts of 'Mum....there's another cria!!!' (29th Dec), didn't surprise me. It was Ambrosia's cria (Eclipse - sire) - a beautiful medium brown little girl with curls!!

Shearing in style

KJ - Happy New Year!

Two days after Christmas and the Alpacas were shorn! We had had to cancel the shearer previously as little man was so sick and Hubby and I had three hours sleep between us.  Mike Snow comes across from Victoria (Oasis Alpacas) to travel (and shear) up the East coast of Australia and covers Tassie too.  He is well sought after and a registered shearer with AAA, so we knew the 'pacas would be in good hands (even though I was anxious abut some of the girls being due in the next three weeks). 

And a week later...

Macquarie Springs 'Good Chance' certainly lives up to his name! I have a very strong little cria jumping around the paddock and causing havoc amongst all of the pregnant girls - and I am so happy about it (even if the girls are NOT!). 

The lows and highs - premature cria

KJ's premature cria

Hi! It's been a couple of weeks, I know...but slashing paddocks, organising shearing (21st Dec!!! with a shearer from the mainland), making fleece sorting tables, gardening/clearing with a 3year old, intermittent rain/storms and Christmas stuff....you know how it is!!

OUR FIRST SHOW (EVER)!!!!

Training for the Huon Show (in the rain)

HELLO!!!! Well, had a bit of a break from blogging as we worked really hard to bring two reluctant 'show team' candidates into line, and taught them (eventually) to walk beautifully on a halter! So I will start at the beginning - grab a drink and relax if you are in for this long haul...

Deep breath and into the ring I go... Royal Hobart Show

No photos sadly - but I did it!!!!

Well, I did it!! I ended up in the ring at Royal Hobart Show, showing some beautiful Suri's for Lori of Spring Rise Alpacas.

Royal Launceston Show 2013

Hello, sorry that my blogging is a little sporadic lately - with shows, birthdays and mini-breaks to Melbourne I haven't had too much time.  Firstly I have to say that the weather has been diabolical! Apparently following the driest summer every recorded for Tasmania, has been the wettest winter! Until today we still had the wood fire burning all day, and it has not...stopped...raining!!

Lots to do...and doing lots...

The worst paddock

Well..I know..but I've been busy! We had soil samples taken of the paddock and received the results back a couple of days later.

WooHoo! Spring in Tassie :)

Magnolia in the rain

Flowering apple tree

Yay...although we still have the fire on mornings and night (will I ever get used to being cold?)...it is WARM during the day! I'm not the only one who just wanted to enjoy the sun either...