New, New, NEW!!

Just to make sure the level of crazy doesnt slip around here, today we've welcomed another new puppy into the household.  Today we collected Coco, Yoyo's sister!!  She will be with us for a few weeks before heading for her permanent home in Melbourne with Alan, Aleisha and Jakey Baby!!  She's a bit of a princess and bedtime tonight required 2 firm 2 finger taps and a gruff NO! to settle her.. much more effort than was required for Yoyo!!  Hopefully tomorrow will be easier!!  She and Yoyo have had an exhausting time this afternoon renewing their bonds and racing around the yard like lunatics!!  LOL!!  She is as cute as a button and will fit in here perfectly :)

We've also welcomed some new crias to the home paddock, a really tiny and darling little solid true black (STB) female, Elani for Nefertiti.  She is a real live wire and has no idea she's punching way above her weight!!  An STB female for Phoebe, Flora, who is the apple of her mother's eye, a dark brown boy, Fabian, for Chianti - a first cria for her and for father Mandrake.  A stunning little grey boy, Esiotrot, for Cushla (by Bracken) and they all are good running game friends for Daisy, who has been just dying for some friends to turn up!!

Azzura with Avocado baby, and a visiting Esiotrot.

Tiny little Elani who was only 5.13kg when born, but is a real live wire!!  Her mum Nefertiti is a smaller alpaca, but Elani is even smaller again, despite her dad, Ez, being one of our biggest stud males.  She is a delight :)

Dark brown boy, Fabian, a very pretty cria, bit of a challenge for first time mum Chianti, but she's figured it out now and thankfully he is a robust and foreward little cria.

Phoebe is nearly 4 and she's been desperate to be a mum, and finally its happened in the best possible way, little Flora is a stunning little STB sweetheart and Phoebe is as happy as can be!!

Cushla is battling a stomach ulcer, so we are very glad she's managed to carry this baby to term.  She has produced a gorgeous little medium grey boy, Esiotrot.  Cushla's treatment continues and she is doing well.

At last....

Finally, at day 365, Myriah gave birth yesterday afternoon (!!) to a lovely big black male cria.  Mated to white last time, Myriah produced a white (female) cria, to black this time, a black (male) cria - that level of colour predictability is only to be applauded!!  She was not very impressed with her first cria and even today has no time for her, but she seems to be besotted with this little guy, don't know if the difference is the colour, or the sex, or just time!!  Either way he's doing very well thus far :) We've named him Monty.

Only Phoebe left to go, she's been walking around with her tail held out from her body - a sure sign, they say, that she'll 'go' tomorrow - for about a fortnight now!!

Pete comes running in the evening when I call him for his bottle, he is due to be weaned at the weekend... don't think he'll be pleased about that, but at 4 months of age, its time.  He and Lambchop can commiserate together while Sherrie has some alone time... must get a couple more ewes!!

New Bugs, Sun Bathing and Fat Ladies

Aymara is settling in well, sensible enough to be in the shade today.  She's not certain she wants to be part of the main group and spends a lot of time with 2 old biddies up in the back corner... politically probably not the best advised move she could make.

Tikal is settling in well too, and seems to be making some much more politically astute decisions than his cousin Aymara.  He's learnt that staying about 1m from Azzura affords him the protection of her high rank, so nobody will approach him, without being close enough to incur her displeasure.  He is starting to fill out nicely and look a little less like a gangly teenager.

Morse thinks the weather is perfect for sun bathing.

And is not inclined to stir even if I am prowling about with a camera.... serious sleeping to be done!

Myriah, always hopeful that I have treats about my person.  She has one of the most over developed kick reflexes of all time and I need to be careful where I put myself in relation to her!!

Orchid is another girl who is constantly on the lookout for more treats, she's earned the nick name Orky Porky!  She wastes no opportunity to at least ask if I've got some!

Except when she and her enormous baby belly are doing beached whale impersonations in the dust bath.  She's due 20 Feb :)

Pearl is looking good, and we're very much looking forward to her cria in March.

 Her daughter Phoebe, recently mated to our black boy Alba, have to wait till next year for that cria :(

 This morning Yolanda tucked in heartily to her brekky, so I thought, must be tomorrow, better weather for it then anyway.... and went off to finish feeding the ducks and chickens.  While my back was turned she got on with the job and presented us with a white male cria we've named Yves.

Yves and Yolanda:

Legs are not just painted on, work fine :)

Getting cooler and Supervision

The days are getting cooler, and we've had to put the heater on sometimes.  And no, I'm not the soft touch who put the old quilt on the floor in front of the heater for the dog!

Even those jobs devoid entirely of glamour - such as cleaning up the poo pile - will draw a crowd it seems.  From the left Joeley, Phoebe, Maggie and Vevina take front row spots to see what I'm doing!!  As I left to take the first barrow load to the garden, I distinctly said 'no more additions required' which seems to have translated to 'not enough poo here, add more at will'.   The gardening book says 'well rotted' manure, not still warm!!