Enjoying the sun!!

This is Marquez our new herdsire. Although he won't be ready to breed until next year (I hope). He took a third place at GWAS in May, it was a tough class so we were happy he got what he did. He arrived at our farm the end of March. He had been on the transport trailer for 5 days and was quite happy to get off, until he saw Gonzo and Remus. But he likes them now. He is a noisy guy, but very sweet. Once you get him cornered he stands still, but makes squealy noises. He also likes to put his head through the fence to get the grass on the other side, he has been stuck a few times. I will be glad when he grows enough that his head won't fit through the fence.

It finally feels like summer could happen! I have been putting the alpacas in the pasture for about 2 hours everyday and they are loving it. Just Jack is growing and is in need of a playmate. I need to figure out how to post videos on this blog so I can share his antics when I let them out each day. He runs as fast as he can across the pasture and back again, and he seems to like antagonizing the girls. Of course their heads are down eating and he runs by as close as he can, sometimes he jumps over their heads then turns around and chest butts them. None of them like it, they are all grouchy and can't stand each other, let alone a little guy who wants to play.

Nadine is on day 345 so any day now is good. I have a feeling that I will have to separate Nadine and her cria from Daisy and Jack, until the new one is strong enough to stand up to Jack, he really is a handful.

This picture was sent to me by the farm we were shearing at on the 24th. I am the one in the dark blue shirt. This is a better picture than in the previous post because you can see more of the process.

You can see the ropes that are on the front feet and the back feet are on ropes too. The guy standing up is the head guy (not the one in charge) , usually he has a hold of the alpaca by the ears, but in this picture he is moving the fleece away from the body of the animal and its head is between his legs. Then there is the shearer and then the fleece people (that's me) we are putting this fleece on a sheet so the owner can show it in competitions. This was the day we did 72 alpacas!

I have finished my white and red yarn, I have washed it and it is drying. I will have a picture of it very soon. And it will be for sell on ESTY - which by the way I sold my first skein yesterday YAHOO!!