The alpacas and I were slithering around on the yard this morning as the rain fell and promptly turned to ice. Every time the cria tried to jump around, they started to slide like Bambi. Even the tracks were icy and they were stamping their little feet trying to get some purchase. The rain was very, very cold and even in full wet weather gear I got shivery and damp and had to retire to the house for coffee and croissant and a cuddle with the AGA at lunchtime.
God knows how many lorries turned up this morning. Two were for us bringing fencing stakes and a scaffolding tower. The rest were for the new house being built across the valley. There was much confusion as the man with 16 tons of stone, another with a digger and another with a dumper truck said plaintively that their satnav had brought them here.
Chas and Andrew have been putting up more lights in the barn. I watched them put assemble the tower from a safe distance and shouted at them when they queried whether the bracing legs were really needed. Honestly men, YES, of course you need them.
I managed to get our new stud males up on the website today. I was getting a lot of grief from Nick Harrington Smith as he is organising the Silent Auction of stud services to raise money to fund the British Alpaca Futurity – phew.