Sunday 3 March 2013

All black alpacas look the same...

Don't you just love March...bye bye winter...hello birthing season! and of course we always look forward to the British Alpaca Futurity, where after a long winter the alpaca chatter is in full flow. I am so looking forward to catching up with everyone and of course seeing all the top of the crop alpacas gathered together...Beck Brow Explorer always enjoys himself too!

Today has been rather exciting...I have had no invitations...and I have been nowhere. After 16 days on the trot socialising, I needed a rest, and a day of catching up with the chores...I know that's a contradiction in terms...and actually I haven't got as much done as I should have. Hardly surprisingly, I haven't even managed to get round to ironing our holiday clothes post Mauritius...so today I decided that I wouldn't bother...I wont be wearing them again so I have just packed them away creases and all. I know...we might just get some summer this year...but this is stuff that you would only wear where the chance of been seen by someone you know are ziltch!

Any spare time that I have had has been spent with the alpacas, so the house is looking like one of those places where you wipe your feet on the way out. I am walking with friends tomorrow, and then they are coming back for tea. That means I still have to hoover, dust, clean the loo, wash the floor and make a fish pie! Tuesday is to be my last day working as a nurse. It is four years this month since I gave up my job as a full-time nursing Sister working in Critical Care, in order to start up Beck Brow Alpacas of Cumbria. Last year when getting cold feet about losing my registration, I decided to take a contract working 12 hours per week on the Coronary Care Unit. Unfortunately, as much as I love my work and my colleagues, I have handed in my notice to go back to concentrating on my alpacas full time (nothing to do with my social life despite what Paul says).With a growing number of females birthing each year, I really don't want to risk missing a thing.

Right this is meant to be an alpaca blog...and we have been busy with the alpacas too! This morning we did a bit of trimming of top knots...Snooty Boots was not in a very obliging frame of mind, so I decided I would finish it off this evening...before she asks for a refund...see below.


Beck Brow Snooty Boots...notice the chunk out above the right eye...well you should have stood still!

Most of the afternoon has been taken up debating how we will be dividing the fields and where we will be putting shelters. It looks like we will be taking back an additional 20 acres or thereabouts (some of this will be for hay)...so lots of fencing...and I think we have decided on another barn with a cement floor.

On Friday I went over to Hexham to visit Kathryn from Nero Black Alpacas, who was kind enough to let me rummage through her show team...I am afraid I am not allowed to say anything...but I will be excited to watch them at The Futurity as always. In fact, it will be even more exciting this year as we now own Cambridge Scarborough, who will have two daughters and a grandson in the Nero Black team.

I did take a photo on my ipad whilst I was there but I am afraid I am not exactly sure who is who now...interesting I think that people often say that "all white alpacas look the same" I don't agree as I am always able to tell them apart... but this is often because a group of elite white alpacas do (and should) have similar traits. The same can be said of a group of elite blacks who are consistently of a high standard...so sorry Kathryn if you read this...I do know that the adult is Nero Black Rose (daughter of Scarborough)...but I am not sure who is in front...Nero Black Betty? Its because they all look so good!


Nero Black Rose (second in line) and daughter of Cambridge Scarborough

Right best get going...I will have to iron Paul a shirt for work...can't really complain when I am a lady who lunches! Then fish pie...then......

6 comments:

  1. Tempted to quip that as far as nursing is concerned , you've alpac'd it in! Your beasties will enjoy having their mum around more for sure. Shirley & Robbie

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  2. Full time wellies all the way ... then from now on. Sounds like you are going to be busy enough with the Alpaca day job .... ironing shirts....don't they do disposable ones nowadays ! ... Jayne

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  3. Hi Barbara - Kathryn's PA here:-) Thanks for the kind words about our wee herd - I was going to say it wouldn't have taken you long to "rummage" but looking at the state of Nero Black Flash (him not Betty in the foreground) it would have taken a while just to get thru the hay!!

    Hope you get all your chores done before next week - we too are looking forward to catching up with everyone.

    Enjoy you retirement - I won't mention the extra 20 acres to Kathryn - what we'd give for 2 :-0

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  4. I have a friend who takes forever to wash, iron and pack away his holiday clothes...he says that the reason is that it extends the holiday...every item reminds him of the great time he had! However, I'm with you re-packing them all away, otherwise you could have the embarassment of someone spotting them in the ironing basket! When we look back at holiday photos...we're always in the same clothes which have come out for holidays for far too many years now!

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  5. Ha Ha looks like Snooty Boots rather likes his new do ...a little Kyle Wagner look ;)
    I have been so enamored with alpacas lately!

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  6. I have all those chores to do as well Barbara, only in my case it's get the creased holiday clothes out of the loft ready for our little jaunt in a weeks time!

    All the best with your full time alpaca job - you'll love it!

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