God Makes Work for Idle Hands!

I think that I must have been very bad – or idle! – in a past life.  Because I’m sure not remotely idle now!

Last week was a classic.  Apart from all the everyday stuff going on here, we ran an Alpaca Care Course last Thursday.  This had actually been re-scheduled from a couple of weeks ago when the weather was really arctic and since some people were coming from Scotland, it seemed sensible to postpone the day.  We always love talking about alpacas – yes, I admit I can talk for Britain, but as they say up here “Shy bairns get nowt!”  It was a great day – still a bit chilly, but sunny most of the time.  It’s always interesting to learn about what has got people interested in alpacas.  For some, it’s the idea of having a new hobby in retirement, whilst for others it’s the possibility of adding to their existing reindeer herd.

Our course attendees had just left when our Australian Bed and Breakfast guests arrived.  Then, having given them tea and homemade cake (standards must be maintained!), I got a phone call from Sykes Holiday Cottages to say that they had just received a new booking for Eastfield for the next day.

So much for having a quiet night in with our feet up!  It was just as well that we were aware that our Swiss guests were leaving on Thursday morning, so we dashed straight down to Corbridge to start the clear up for our new guests.

No chance of a lie-in on Friday as the B and B guests had a plane to catch, Eastfield had to be made ready for the new guests, preparations had to be made for going to the NWAG Alpaca show in Carlisle and last but not least, the pig ark had to be built. 

 

Ok so you can buy ready-made pig arks – but we are getting rare breed pigs and so nothing but the best will do for them.  Our pigs are getting an architect designed pig ark! It might not qualify for a Civic Trust Award as this particular architect (Mike) has won in the past for other projects, but it certainly won’t blow down with a huff and a puff!  Paul and Rachel Vaclik are sharing this piggy project and Paul is nobly getting stuck in with the building and fencing.

 

I seemed to get very little sleep on Friday night – probably because I was terrified of sleeping through my alarm clock.  We had to be up at 4.45 am to feed animals and then get to Carlisle in time for me to start pen inspections.  This was a new show organised by Beckbrow Alpacas, Cockerham Alpacas and Greenside Alpacas.  Ten out of ten to them all for their hard work.  It was a very successful event which hopefully will become an annual event from now on.  It was great to meet up with so many friends in the alpaca world – some we see more regularly as they don’t live a million miles away from us but it was also great to see others such as John and Linda Heap, Jackie Barlow and Tina Metcalfe to name just a few.  Hopefully you will all be coming to the Northumberland County Show on May 27^th with your alpacas.

 

Our alpacas all won rosettes against stiff competition – only beaten by those alpacas that had won championships at the Futurity – that was the level of the competition on Saturday.  We won three 2^nd place rosettes and one 3^rd rosette.  Quite funny really, we had meant to enter little Octavian into the Futurity and got a bit confused – it’s our age you know! – and so took his brother Isidor to the Futurity instead.  Little Octavian was a complete star on Saturday getting a 2^nd –only beaten by the fabulous Houghton Magician.

No prizes for guessing what I did on Sunday morning – had a lie in!!!!!