Don't cast a clout 'til May is out or The North South Divide!

 I wonder how many people recognise what I believe to be a Northern expression “Don’t cast a clout ‘til May is out”?  If you haven’t heard it before, it basically means don’t be fooled by one or two days of fine weather and shed your warm clothes until the end of May.  And there you see Mike and I – both Northumbrian born and bred – still wearing our coats whilst halter training on this beautiful sunny day, and our Cockney friend Paul Vaclik of Munaycha Alpacas without an overcoat! 

 

Even our alpacas don’t get to shed their fleeces until after the Northumberland County Show which is on 27^th May.  As the alpacas need to be in full fleece for this show, we never shear until the first week in June.

This was the first day that we had walked the weanlings down the laneway and past the main female herd.  It is Maximus (aka “The Beast”) being walked by Paul and Isidor in the photo.  It’s really pretty unfair giving Maximus that nickname, as he is so laid back just like his sire, Houghton King, but he is so well grown with such good density of bone for his age.

 

Eve, the alpaca with the particularly dirty neck seems to have been enjoying the relatively warm day today.  She is one of the first alpacas we bought and – despite being Southern born and bred! – she has always enjoyed dipping her neck into a water trough on a fine day and then rolling on the ground.  Actually, I’m so relieved that the weather has picked up as we are off to the Futurity next week and our show team have been looking so scruffy.  At least they are starting to dry out and fluff up a bit now.  No grooming for alpacas before entering the show ring!  I am always amazed at the amount of grooming that other farm livestock breeds  get involved with compared with alpacas that have to be judged in “Field” condition.  Having said that, we do get a few funny looks from a few farmers when we unload our alpacas at an agricultural show and they look like mini haystacks (alpacas not farmers you understand!)

 

Since we were in photography mood, Mike took one or two more of the weanlings whilst they were waiting their turn for halter training – yes I agree, they do look gorgeous don’t they!