Summertime and the livin' is not easy

(This is what happens when they see me turn on the water-they're ready and waiting!)

This week has been hot, hot, hot!  Everyone is seeking shade and in the case of the alpaca boys, it's time to get out the swimming pool.  The boys came running when they saw me carry the pool out to their field.  Of course, there is no actual swimming and the pool is so tiny, they couldn't even if they wanted.  As far as I can tell, the main goal seems to be seeing how much water can be splashed out of the pool.  The biggest boy, Prince, also has a little trick where he puts just his front half in the pool and lays down, crushing the side of the pool down and then all the water runs out.

(Think they need a bigger pool?)

Just in case anyone thinks that shepherding is all bucolic scenes of sitting out in the field with the sheep,  peacefully listening to their bells tinkling, picture having to catch, halter, drag from the pen, give medicine to and then shampoo the dirty bottoms of four or five lambs, twice a day!  That's been the routine for me most of this week.  A few of the greedier lambs managed to get more than their share of the grain and the consequences were unpleasant for all!  When the weather is this hot, the last thing they need is a dirty bottom because the risk of fly strike is so high.  (If  you don't know what fly strike is, consider yourself lucky.  Google it, if you dare.)  So, between trying to get pastures mowed and catching up on everything else, I've been washing the problem lambs morning and evening.  Because of said activities, I've had no less than 3 showers and as many changes of clothing, every day.  Finally, this morning, it seems that we have conquered that problem and everyone is back to normal.  Those of you watching the lamb-cam during evening feeding may have noticed that my lambs are definitely not halter-broken!  It's been a bit of a rodeo every time I've had to halter one of them.  Some of those little lambs can leap higher than my head and are much stronger than they look and I promise I'm not torturing them, regardless of what it looks like! 

(After his shower and before mine. If you think he looks bad, you should see me!)

It's hard for me to believe that this is the real beginning of summer.  It feels as though it's been summer for many months already.  As always, the weekend seems to be full of must-do chores -  drenching the ewes, moving them to fresh pasture, drenching the lambs, finishing planting the garden, (no, it's still not done) and always, always more mowing.  If we are really lucky, we might get to take the boat out on Sunday evening, for the first time this year.  Buying the boat came with our resolution to relax more, have a little leisure time once in a while.  How's that working for us?  Um, not too well.