Kensmyth

Well actually I made that up but he probably does! I had to put in a bizarre blog tonight because I watched (several years late) two good films recently and wanted to share them with you.

the first is:

What we did on our Holiday, starring Billy Connolly which is fab fun for all and had us in stitches….

the other is well… you will have to wait and see

wow – its been manic. the weather has been fantastic but we need rain. Due this week. so all fields harrowed now and then used the amazing Kubota G23 High dump on the smallest paddocks to pick up the excess. Clean paddocks where smaller ones, larger one left obviously. Let fertilising commence…

onwards and upwards and photos to follow soon if I get a chance to download!

congratulations to Kath, one of my Alpaca friends who has had her first Suri Alpaca cria born.

Regular readers have been asking about “Sliver Moon” the first cria born here this year. First Cria registered with the British Alpaca Society too!

Anyway, he is doing fantastically well. out in the day and coated and barned at night now, changed from coated all the time. he has grown from his 12 inch cria coat into his third size which is 16 inches. That gives you some idea of how tiny he was.

well it has been good weather this week and a bit stressful to say the least. My oven packed in. yup no oven all week as no time to sort.

However, this week end we managed one meal outside together between Alpaca husbandry and farm work. ADE jabs this week too.

With Newlands to the right a whole acre paddock away behind a shared tree belt – you can just see the white house peeping behind the trees in the distance. Photo taken this week end in April …so of course Newlands is totally obscured from us in the summer when the trees are in full foliage. A Doctor and his wife live there.

… and Lock House some 200 metres away to the left … it was nice to sit down.

Lock House is the old Canal Keepers cottage, extended with a flat roof. You can see from the photo it is immediately adjacent to the Canal Towpath Public Right of Way and is situated on the Cirencester Road.  Pretty old house; you can see it on a drive by.

nice to see some really blue sky.

We have been busy bunnies here and working hard with our stunning Alpaca fleece, hand producing our products. Many people who have small herds are not able to do this and also not everyone can knit, spin and crochet. We love it here!

Hannah and Harry and Yannis our models used in the video  have worked extremely hard too.

We are delighted to introduce our new Boutique collection of 100% Alpaca handmade garments.

Just choose an Alpaca Natural colour and have one made to measure!

well I did say I was miles behind on blogs. Easter meant working the fields when you can and a little bit of help from hubby on poovering too.

Must be great to live next to an Alpaca farm – our neighbours certainly seem to enjoy watching the Alpaca through the massive joint hedge. they certainly seem to be bringing their friends round to watch the new cria! Fab he is too and growing well.

my new harrow in the sunshine.

its been crazy here this week. Thank you all so much for your thoughts and comfort for our sad loss, the funeral is next week. It is a great pity that I missed the Futurity owing to a sad loss and the National due to a late cria but that is life in farming!

meantime Sliver Moon is doing well and the first Registered cria with the British Alpaca Society in the UK!

I have so much news to tell I am literally bursting, especially as it was my birthday a few days ago. photos of my gift to follow next post.

the weather has meant the ground was difficult to scarify/harrow so with a not really mended fractured finger, the tractor was out. for my birthday – ever practical not romantic but just needed, I had a tow along harrow. Yup – new gun with silencer at Christmas and harrow for my birthday, not your usual wine and perfume and chocolates for me!!

combined with my fertiliser machine I have been busy…

More cria due shortly and hay being munched as the grass is only just beginning to show.

I have just managed to finish my last 40kg – YES I really do mean 40kg… of skirting fleeces. boy it is is time consuming but we are ready to pack for the Activity packs and the rest is off to the Mill to join the batch already underway!

I always just manage to get it done before the next shear. so critical to get it to the mills to be turned into yarn for the Autumn collections.

Spring collection will be launched this week… with a twist.

Big thank you to all our models who have been working hard in the last few weeks on this one.

Back soon and Happy Easter.

wow and wow how time flies. Apologies to those who expected to see me at the Alpaca Futurity as Sponsor but an Uncle went into a coma on Friday night and died in the early hours of Saturday morning – so all week end plans changed as one would expect. The weather has been a challenge too in these stressful times but the cria is doing fine. Sliver Moon nickname “slivva”.

Well – Alpacas continue to grow in popularity and all over the world… did you see them on Countryfile?

well although this is posted on Aprils fool, it is a serious advert and to be shown today advertising McVities:

Well we did say we had been busy here and that we had  something exciting to tell you… born on the day of the Eclipse.

Born at 8.6 kg on the day of the Eclipse –  he had to have a name related to the Eclipse so he is called Sliver Moon.

He was two weeks late actually so always cautious before making announcements about new arrivals in these temperatures!!

He is now just a week old and very bold, having gained a kilo in that time and up one size Cria Coat.

simply stunning!