The promise of chilly frosts and cooler nights as September lands in 2024.. so glad we have our hay in!

Feeding alpaca all year round at Kensmyth avoids the transition from grass to hay issues when needed because they are already used to it! Grazing sporadically across the plains from their origins, alpaca would not have had continual lush grass so thinking about their normal eating habits always helps.

I always love seeing the true colours come through after the alpaca have been shorn – that lovely conker colour known as mid brown in the alpaca world reminds me of the conkers to surely come this Autumn..

  just to be clear he is actually a Rose Grey because of the new colours and markings (how confusing is that) but his body colour is conker colour (mid brown if had no markings)  in my mind!

But if you miss the white feet and bib.. you are called a “Fancy” in the alpaca world .. fancy that!!

Happy birthday to the farm dog who can still run fast and round up livestock better than a sheepdog!

Do not be fooled that she likes cooling down with part of an ice lolly – at 40kg and a dog that “holds” strangers at bay a Curly Coated Retriever is not to be messed with.

Talking about birthdays – my Mothers American Banana pecan cake was fab – any chance of another Mum?

Finally we have electric gates at Kensmyth Alpaca entrance – takes a bit of getting used to and remembering the “flicker” pressing but looks nicer than before!

         the start of things to come.. Nearly there but no caps on pillars..

  the end result

I love August because the weather is still promises sunshine and the flowers are still blooming – Welcome”

I cannot believe how many fields are full of ragwort out and about this year. Luckily we eradicated any sign at Kensmyth way back in 2012 but if you see it, remove it but it has to be including the roots and before seeding..

and as for Himalayan Balsom along the riverbanks, so pretty and often mistaken but much easier to remove..

Nothing like a major IT outage all over the world to put things in perspective.. Mitchell our youngest had jut taken off for a holiday in the USA when this broke out.. feeling it as a Mum!

luckily all was well all round..

Sometimes you just have to take a day off after lugging heavy bales and take time out to enjoy what you have!

With our own tiny stretch of the River Churn, even the dog can paddle!

Weather has been challenging for all crops this year but the Hay is no exception. I would not like to place bets on a good second crop of hay this year based on the wet weather earlier preventing the first crop being baled. Taking advantage of a dry break, farmers baled madly. So pleased we got the first lot of hay into the barns before the weather broke again. it may not look a lot in this photo but the first 300 bales into a very big barn!

With South Cerney being the nearest village to the Alpaca farm, we often recommend restaurants that we have liked. Recently we visited the Elliott Arms which used to be more like a Beefeater type restaurant. Absolutely not now, very chic.. really enjoyed our meal there.

Kidneys, smoked mackerel, big burger, best sticky toffee pudding!

you always know you will get a great sticky toffee pudding when they serve the pudding seperately!