Visitors to Barnacre

I had visitors here this morning who are thinking of using our herdsires so there was lots of going through fleeces and checking over boys. Everyone (with the exception of Hughie, who we weren't checking over) behaved very well. Golden Guinea is such a poser he loves it!

After that, I had a couple arrived who had seen us on Countryfile at the weekend and wanted to meet the alpacas. Hughie, who this time behaved, was a firm favourite as usual.

Duchess gave me the fright of my life this afternoon. She was sunbathing, which Duchess always does at every opportunity, but this was different. It doesn't usually interrupt feed time. I went in with the sugarbeet (she's usually got to the gate before me) and I walked all the way to the trough and she didn't move, despite me shouting her. I ended up walking over to her, crouching down and touching her neck before she woke up; I thought she was dead, really dead! Needless to say once she realised I had the beet bucket she was on her feet and over to the troughs in seconds.

I even managed to fit in paddock cleaning and helping my neighbour with a duck who has a poorly leg - all this and still have Paul's dinner on the table when he got home from work!!