The shearer came yesterday.
Inti Before.
Inti After.
Sandy is not speaking to me, and Pacha (this was her first shear) still seems a bit stunned. Grand Matriarch Nina’s been around this block so many times she doesn’t really seem to care – except the part where she doesn’t like to be caught (and she’s by far the strongest one).
Although without their fleeces, it’s harder to tell them apart.
Fooled myself. I think that’s Pacha actually.
It’s the big doe eyes that give her away (that, and the brass ear clip).
I didn’t know giraffes came in that colour!
They really do have amazing necks. They can turn them every which way. Which can be problematic when you are trying to hold one and it decides to spit at you.
Both Nina and Sandy loaded-up on me (you can hear them bring up the food), but thankfully neither actually fired.
He of the knock-knees and fuzzy ears. He was shivering yesterday evening, so we put an old sweatshirt on him. It’s not a good look.
OMG! That is so pitiful. The poor thing looks like you just got done torturing her.
The fluff left on the ears is just the icing on the cake!
Sandy’s a boy, actually, and I’m sure he’d agree about the torture bit.
He’s always had the fluffiest head. We have to trim his head every other month or so when his fleece is long – just so that he can still see.
He’s adorable. I’m so jealous.
I once sheered a sheep, carded its wool, spun it into yarn and knitted a scarf. What a horrendous amount of work! But, at least there were lots of opportunities for naps in the meantime. I’d probably do it again given the opportunity.
I like the strategically placed grass clumps behind them. Let’s see – who’s got the afro and who the mohawk?
I’d be forced to paint a sign on their snouts.
Those are actually rushes – they’re in the lowest spot in the pasture, which tends to get a bit boggy.
That’s Inti in the front, with Pacha behind him and Nina on the right.
I just took this. The tell-tale sound of crunching pine-cones gave them away.
Orchid number TEN!
We can’t be sure until it opens fully, but this looks to be a Spotted Sun orchid, Thelymitra ixiodes.
I thought this was a particularly fine, and particularly pink, Pink Fingers orchid.
The orchids are very fine but the alpacas are irresistible.
Since you said you were enjoying the pictures of fall color, I’ve a got a couple suitable for dog blogging.
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Lovely, as usual.
The bottom one is pretty scraggly but it’s also the nicest combo of color I saw this season so it was awfully nice of Sniff to go wander into it as I hadn’t noticed it up till then.
Dogs are a good source of serendipity.
BIG NERD ALERT:
One of the things I like about fall colors is knowing that those striking colors were there all along, just hiding under all that chlorophyll. It’s like watching evolution in reverse, as chloroplasts, the most successful photosythesizers, give way to their earlier purple- and red-pigmented cousins.
It’s also why I have a special liking for Coleus – since they mostly make use of pre-chloroplast chemistry they’re sort of living fossils.
Nerdy and nifty. 🙂
I’m fascinated by the process. I liked this shot because not only does it show the leaves in the midst of changing but it also show the underlying structure of the leaves.
Such big words and explanations. When I see that I just think pretty colors. 😉
“Colors pretty” is a perfectly acceptable approach to life.
But, if you ever want to know the difference between additive and subtractive colors, or how different combinations of pigment plus light variations in wave amplitude and frequency add up to color vision, I’m your gal. (Part of this I learned in Art School, some I learned in Anatomy, and the rest I learned from being a big physics nerd.)
Afternoon keres.
I agree with Kamakhya that Sandy is the adorable one. I still can’t figure out how you could have gotten that sweat shirt on him though.
It took two of us to get it on him. Actually, Sandy is fairly good about not trying to get away once you’ve got an arm around him (unlike Nina).
Also, I used to do the same thing to my Angora goats after I sheared them (I used to do my own shearing, before my back went) – so I’m well practiced.
so …
Yes it is, and I just woke up and got sung “Happy Birthday”.
It looks like it’s going to be a beautiful day for treating the alpacas for parasites and starting a drip irrigation system for the garden – which are my plans thus far. Oh, and trimming Albert’s teeth.
who sang to you ’cause that would be really special. 🙂
Oh yeah, I want to hear Albert sing.
me singing isn’t special. :p
-sniff-
Albert fluffed the pillows. Literally.
Of course your singing is special. But I bet it would have been a lot more special if you had rabbit ears on. 🙂
I’m really, really sure that keres thought your singing was just wonderful. Really. Truly. Really.
Here’s one of his early music videos.
I know Albert and that bunny is no Albert.
his earlier bollywood phase?
That Albert is just so multi-talented.
Breakfast has been enjoyed (German pancakes with a grapefruit and hibiscus syrup compote).
Pacas are poked and powdered (Rotenone and sulfur power dusted on Sandy and Nina, and Ivomec shots for Pacha and Inti).
And Imogen has gone off with a hoe to dig up thistles, so it must be time for me to start on the drip irrigation system (so that our veggie garden doesn’t die in our absence).
It’s a beautiful sunny day, so thank you to whomever put in the special request.
Imogen forgot to log-out again. That’s me, keres above.
Happy Happy Birthday keres!
A bottle of a little something from George.
And a B’day cake just for you.
Ooooooo cake. Please let it be chocolate with raspberry filling between the layers.
How did you know? That’s exactly what it is.
You buying any of that. 🙂
When it comes to chocolate, I’m always buying.
Love George!
Happy Birthday Keres!! Have fun with the critters and I hope you have a great day.
Thanks, I plan on having a good one.
Hey Kamakhya.
You and I can thank keres for the George picture. She made that up for me awhile back.
Gracias Manny.
I was painting a wall mural at the University of Tasmania yesterday and a student who stopped to pet Luna remarked that her name was Spanish. So I asked him “hablo espanol”? And it turned out that he was from Chihuahua. So we hablo-ed a bit, which is the first time I’ve spoken Spanish in Australia.
Funny how you can miss things like speaking a language poorly, but still using it from time to time.
hehe on “hablo-ed a bit” – we say “hablar’d” around here, knowing full well that generations of ancestors are spinning in their graves for the grammar infraction 🙂
¡Que tengas un buen día y fin de semana!
I like “hablar’d”. It’s a fine bit of Spanglish.
Speaking of Spanglish, the song “Hey Baby, Que Paso?” has been running through my head for days.
The ghost of Freddy Fender lives on down under!
I am going to my 10th Ozomatli concert next month so I’ve been prepping myself with my Ozohead Mix. Although, there are now simultaneous recordings of the Texas Tornadoes invading my psyche =:-o
😉
polyglot urban sound clashing – cool, sounds right up my ally. I’ll check out their videos when I get a chance.
Best. Live Show. Ever.
Why thank you.
Fuligo septica, otherwise known as “Dog Vomit Slime Mold”. This one is about 9 to 10 inches across.