the beauty of the blossom on the fruit trees planted nearly 4 years ago… Spring 2016

I think some of the Alpaca are overdue for their shearing this year?

well we have been beavering away as usual and I have been chastised for my absence. There are reasons which will no doubt be divulged in the fullness of time… meantime, before the wet warm weather hit we were hard at it with the flail topper leaving our Wildlife strips so that the Bees can still enjoy their life too… anyone remember these?

ok – its not that new. it is true we reviewed it a few years ago but our land was so overgrown and clumpy and the weather so wet, we stuck with our faithful Kubota G23 high dump (2008 to date) and our Muck Truck paddock hoover, likewise.

it was with interest that I visited a Gloucestershire Alpaca farm and had a look at theirs a while ago but he needed a quick decision and that is not my way. I needed to assure myself that I did not need the bigger version or that I was doubling up on machinery to do the same job… so I let his super second hand one go.

Weeks later after much deliberation because it is for dry ground and shorter grass use only (just does not do as good a job otherwise) we bit the bullet and here it is… waiting for short grass and dry ground!

unused as yet but cannot wait to try – the Tow and Collect.

First Rhubarb crop of the year!

and the first new machine of the year… what can it be?

It is May 2016 already – wow – and the cria will start coming very shortly. Always an exciting time of year but also the highest risk to newborn and mothers. That’s farming for you.

Last week end we met a lovely couple here who looked at our 2015 cria for sale and I have to say that not having looked at their fleeces for a while, I too was impressed!

We have been out twice in the last three weeks, both exceptionally enjoyable and needing to recommend great Pubs to our Clients here are two:

The Greyhound at Siddington

and the Harrow at Wanborough

When your Alpaca run in all directions heavily pregnant as a Chinook flies over at less than 100ft – its pretty scary.

when it continues to do this for two hours circling lower and lower over your barns and homestead…

see what YOU think as to how low it flew…

but apparently that’s perfectly okay – thank goodness no horses were on the road at the time!

well we have been crazy busy with harrowing, fertilising, pregnancy final checks and some really low helicopters flying over – more on that next time.

in the meantime, I managed to read a few books and as I barely read anything other than Alpaca books or Curly Coated Retriever books, I thought I would recommend them as they are not my usually literary style…

I did not get on with “girl on a train” but Try not to breathe is a good read if you are not faint hearted.

Coffin Road is an excellent read for anyone and extremely thought provoking about where we are in the world today versus some natural lifestyle choices. With murder and mayhem – I really could not put it down. Well, it did take three months to read as I do not have much reading time but when I got the chance, I could not put it down.

in case you missed it… here he is again!