Party Animal and Farewell the Rat Mansion

I was invited to a party on Saturday night. Rachel, Korbus and the kids picked me up on their way past and we first went to Gaye's where she cooked the most beautiful vegetarian meal of potato wedges, carrot and asparagus covered with cheese sauce and cold pasta mixed with mayonnaise, oregano and parsley. There was also much hilarity when Gareth turned up wearing genuine leiderhosen complete with hat! Very brave as it was freezing cold and he had bare legs but he is so excited that his wife Gina is back from Germany that he decided to wear the costume in her honour.

By the time we arrived at Esther's it was too dark to see her alpacas. Gina was already there as she was guest of honour. Gaye and I sat together on a sofa for the evening and enjoyed being waited on hand and foot. Esther gave me a plate of different cakes to sample including a Swiss one that I cannot pronounce but it has hazlenuts in it. She gave me a huge piece to bring home when we left at 11pm.
I thought of Esther again on Tuesday when I finally got the photos I took at her place last month. This shot is of "Winter" who is the shy alpaca and also a bit of a kicker. Lovely long eyelashes though.


This is "Pollonius" who I notice has a bit of a grin on his face. Not sure what for but he looks very happy with his lot. I love the colour of his fleece as I have spun some of this shade before and it's really nice to work with.

This is "Trucie" or Trucie Baby as he is generally known. He is the Suri alpaca who kissed me so of course he's my favourite. Many of the shots I took would make great paintings although in nearly all of them the alpacas have their ears back.

I was so tired Sunday I ended up having three naps during the day. It was freezing so I lit the fire which helped make me dozier. At 10am Richard, his friend Tony and Tony's son arrived with a car trailer to finally remove the old bomb. It was no longer road worthy so they had to winch it onto the trailer which took a long time. Tony's son was only wearing a long sleeved t shirt and was shivering so I brought them inside for a cup of coffee. They left at lunchtime and I spent the rest of the day looking out my bedroom window at the empty space. I can even see the garden from the front gate now. Gaye actually rang to say she'd just seen them towing the car past her place and to congratulate me on my empty drive! That's the sign of a friend if ever there was one.