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!

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). 

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!!