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!

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!

Horse riding, Japanese Macaques,Thomas and a Tiger Snake.!

Cast - Me (Mum), 18y.o Daughter, 23mth old son

Japanese Macaques in City Park

Just to take a break from the non-stop gardening (Spring has sprung and I can't believe how fast everything grows here!!), Daughter and I took 23mths into town to see the Japanese Macaques!

Visit to Devonport for a train ride!

Cast - Me (Mum), Husband, Daughter, 23mths; Friends with 5y.o, 3y.o and 18mth old

It's THOMAS

23mths is train mad!  Everything is Thomas and all he says all day (which is enough to drive me mad) is 'toot toot'.  23mths refuses to say train, or any words associated with trains, just 'toot toot'.  Just to perpetuate this obsession, on Sunday we took him and 18y.o Daughter for a drive to Devonport with some friends and their kids, to have a ride on an old train and look at the steam trains there.

Goats for a while (21mths is butted!)

Cast- Me (Mum), Husband and 21mths

Starring - Jack and Jill, two Boer goats

Last Saturday we were delivered two goats from a friend from Husband's work.  She said they are miniature, but I think they are quite big!  Meet Jack and Jill...

Halter training - success! YAY!

Cast  - Me (Mum), Daughter

Starring - Hamish & Sherman

Yesterday we had the pleasure of lunch at a friends house, they live on and operate a vineyard :)  She also trains horses, so after I explained the difficulty that we were having with the Alpacas, she demonstrated some training techniques with her pony and then with her shire-horse.  It was brilliant advice as she discussed degrees of severity in which she talked, signaled and then physically pushed the horse.  The horses both very quickly  respected her!

Hamish spits during play-date!

Cast - Me (Mum), 21mth old son, 18y.o Daughter, Friend (another Mum), her 3y.o son.

Starring - Hamish (7mth old Alpaca)

Well, we are trying very hard to make friends in Tasmania, but Hamish spoilt the play-date today!  I had invited around a lovely Mum (from Playgroup)and her two children, after previously being to their house for a play-date a few times.  All was going well, the two boys getting along and sharing (21mth old was so excited to have a 'big' friend, he followed 3y.o around everywhere).  3y.o requested that we visit the Alpaca's as we had done previously.  Everyone got their boots and hats on, 3y.o and I had a discussion about how he wanted to touch an Alpaca, and we decided that once I was holding Hamish, he could come in and have a pat.