Social butterflies in Farming life, Kensmyth, Clay Meadow

I bumped into an old friend who I had not seen for some 15 years the other day and invited her back for a coffee to “my place”

We sat in discussion as old friends do (they do not hold back either) and she commented on my appearance as follows:

 Helen, you used to have such lovely long hair when you rode and bred ponies – why do you have it so short now?

Alpaca have peripheral vision, they see sideways, I replied, so long swinging ponytails of hair with coloured bands often can frighten them when handling if they swing or flick round.

 Helen, you used to have such lovely long fingernails when you rode and bred ponies – I was always amazed at how you never broke them – why are they so short now?

 So that I do not lacerate a uterus when assisting birthing I replied.

 But why do you not wear gloves, she asked?

 Because it is difficult to feel for a knee or a nose, when a leg is back with gloves on, I replied.

 Helen, you used to wear perfume and smell so lovely, now you, um smell different – why do you not wear perfume anymore?

 Alpaca get used to your smell, your natural smell. A different smell often makes them suspicious, for example a mother with a new born cria might spit at you if you wore perfume and smelt differently on that day and she would be being protective of anything new.  A male Alpaca might find the perfume smell exciting … Alpaca are very sensitive to smell.

 I am sure that many Hobby farmers find time for manicures, pedicures, hairdressers and Spas, I replied, but we are a full on working livestock farm with no time for such things – but I still scrub up well! She laughed.

 Helen, what did you do on Christmas Day, it was raining heavily most of that time, she asked.

 I did everything as usual, I replied, I got soaked about 3 – 4 times per day checking my livestock, putting out hay and feeding, I replied.

 Helen, I have just got back from my holiday, yours is 24/7 – my life is so different she said, struggling to find words.

 Let me show you my life in pictures and you can meet the Alpaca to help you out, I said…

 Here is your office                                                             Here is mine

Here is an example of your holiday – travel, packing, chaos, lost luggage, aircraft delays, language barriers, expensive … at the end of it you need to recover from the stress of it all.

 Here is mine

 My water sports…                                                            my ski-ing

You making new friends…

Me making new friends…

sometimes words are not enough…