Fine fencing rather than fine art at Beck Brow...

Although we didn't exert ourselves with too much manual work over the bank holiday weekend; we did put some thought into what jobs are next on the agenda. Mental work is just as tiring as physical they tell me. However, in this case it was possible to complete the task sitting in the garden with a glass of crisp white in hand!

How much land do our alpacas need next year...this is the question. At present we seasonal grass let 35 acres between April and December. This works very well for us. The same farming family has rented the land for years, they fertilize the land for us, they are extremely friendly and helpful, the grass gets kept under control, and we get some additional income. However we will need to take a few acres back as our herd  keeps growing.

One of the deciding factors as to how much land is enough is: how much alpaca fencing do we want to undertake? A lot of our land is divided by beautiful cumbrian dry stone walling. At present there is a breast of barbed wire in front of the walling to prevent the cows from knocking it down....obviously no good for alpacas. Nor is the wall high enough to be alpaca proof as it is... after much consideration... unfortunately it looks like the expensive option is going to be the best one. Posts and rails in addition to the sandstone wall.

Kenzie, Noah, Nutmeg and Roma (back to front) with some dry stone walling in the background.

That will be a job for the winter months. Next on the agenda is cementing the barn floor once the girls move on to what was the hay field. Craig, a civil engineer is coming for a BBQ tonight with tape measure in hand.

Not alpaca related, other than it came addressed to Beck Brow Alpacas of Cumbria which made me look more closely; In the post this morning we received a brochure for a fine arts sale in Wiltshire. Now I am not reknown for my collection of fine art, so I did nearly throw it straight in to the recycling but something made me take a look. Inside was a note: I thought that you may be interested in lot 229.

Intriguing...did they have 18th century oil paintings of alpacas? No. But the potrait of Isabella Hodgson and her dog is interesting. It is inscribed with some background details including the fact that the her grandmother was born at Beck Brow, Ainstable. Adding to the interest; her mother's maiden name was Hetherington!
http:www.woolleyandwallis.co.uk .

How bizare that it should turn up in Wiltshire! It isn't really to my taste and it has guide price of £200-300...what to do? Yep, that pays for a good few yards of post and rails!