After the brief flurry of the blackthorn last month the hawthorns have come out in a glorious blossom that seems to be going on and on – I don’t remember it lasting so long in other years.
Looking over the valley with the big hawthorn in blossom by the wood dryer. Dylan and Walter are in the foreground.
So it’s looking a bit splendid here at the moment. The alpacas too are in fine form, well-fleeced and soon to be sheared.
Heulwen 2 years old, pregnant and very gorgeous
Heulwen, pictured here, is up for sale at the moment, and is a splendid 2 year old pregnant female. Her parents, Diamond and Orion are both from Bozedown stock, so this is a good chance to get top quality Bozedown genetics at the somewhat lower Welsh prices!
It has been a crazy few weeks. At the start of February my mum had a stroke. She seemed to be recovering a little bit, but suddenly took a downturn, and within two weeks she had died.
I felt so helpless with her – nothing to do but sit with and hold her hand, wipe her face, talk to her. She could talk a little which was good, but mostly in that last week she was not comfortable and said she just wanted to die. That was very hard to hear, but we (me and my family) all knew that was for the best for her now and so we said our goodbyes.
She was an amazing woman – quiet and assuming, but so perceptive. I feel so lucky to have known her, let alone to have been her son.
Well, the snow arrived yesterday, and we are all adjusting to a slightly different daily life. For the alpacas it means there is no grass, but hey, there’s always hay! And alfalfa … and peas … and speedybeet … and the hedge. Nevertheless, they still miss the grass.
Dylan and Walter, at home in their field shelter, and receiving guests
For me it means providing the above foodstuffs in the right order and at the right time, (not that the alpacas are fussy about that, but I am), and marching about with a hammer looking purposeful. That’s not unusual of course, but instead of looking for a nail to hit, I’m out bashing the ice so there is something to drink (they drink more when they’re eating more hay). Poo patrol happens more frequently – once frozen it is very hard to get up.
For Gwen, the snow is nothing but good news. More traipsing about following me, lots of charging around trying to find buried sticks and throwing up as much snow as possible, and it’s easier keeping tabs on the alpacas as they don’t go so far afield. Caerthan looks after the fire, and Herbert sits in front of it!
One very big difference to earlier in the year is that we (alpacas, humans and dog and cat) can now get to and from the field without risking life and limb on the Icy Slope – there are steps from the Secret Garden! We do still have to traverse the Icy Slope to get to the Secret Garden, of course, but that’s not quite as perilous.
The Secret Garden is a sheltered area behind the barn. Prior to the alpaca-friendly steps the way down from the field was an icy muddy slide. There was no way up without crampons.
It took a lot of time and effort back in the summer, and money that we could scarce afford, but right now we are seeing just how worthwhile that was. The alpacas are enjoying easy access to the warmth, comfort and endless hay in the barn, and that means we’re all sleeping well at night.
Alpacas in the barn (well … most of them – Dylan and Walter have to make do with the field shelter)
So at Pistyll Gwyn we’re reasonably prepared, but I’m a bit saddened that we didn’t make it to Brecon today for my dad’s 80th. Cars are sliding about on Talog Hill …
It has been a very eventful week at Pistyll Gwyn. Great excitement all round, as Dylan, our two year old male has come back to stay after hanging out with the lads at Alpacas of Wales.I hadn’t seen him in the year since he left, and whilst he’s still obviously Dylan, I was quite taken aback by how strikingly good looking he has become as he approaches adulthood.
Dylan is the light fawn offspring of Jolimont Lavender and Bozedown Patriot – the Huacaya Supreme Champion at the British Alpaca Society show 2007, so he has an impressive bloodline, and we’re hoping he will produce some equally impressive cria in the future.
We’ll be putting him over our girls this year, and once we have seen his cria, we’ll be deciding whether to offer him for stud services at market rates in 2012. In the meantime, if you have any girls you would like to try him on while he is untested, we can offer you a special bargain rate! Get in touch …
But back at Pistyll Gwyn … having an entire male here has meant a lot of changes and a lot of work. We now have four paddocks – which means we can keep the girls and boys separate. This has caused some grief – we have effectively split the herd. Dylan has integrated very well with the boys, and has made particular friends with Walter, but in general it looks like the boys – particularly Sillky – are missing the girls company. The girls don’t look too fussed!
After consultation with our business advisers (that’ll be Pam and Mary, our mothers), we have decided to call our strapping little cria Iolo, and NOT Rabbit, as previously announced.
Iolo and Lavender
Concern was expressed that such a frivolous name might not be befitting the rather grand super-stud and herd-sire that Rabbit – sorry Iolo – may one day become. (I think it’s something like rock stars naming their kids Peaches, Zowie, or Dweezil … )
And so, from this moment on the alpaca formerly know as Rabbit is known as Iolo, following on in our tradition of welsh alpacas with welsh names.
He’s doing splendidly by the way, if a little adventurous …
