Superglue used

Thursday 25th April

Chrissie delivered us to our next lift, Hilarys husband John, who drove us to the next shearing location in Umbertade. Equipment playing up, but rescue is at hand when we borrow some shears from a local sheep farmer, even had the correct plug on it. I am shearing the fifth alpaca when I'm told he is an Italian champion, then whoops his elbow goes between the comb and we have a white alpaca with a red stripe down his leg. Jon is on hand with the superglue to sort the problem.
Boys (10) completed and we're off into the hills for the girls, lunch on the way is pizza and I'm asked to drive because we need an extra car to tie the ropes to. It's like the final scene from the original "Italian Job" as we go along this winding road into the mountains with drops on both sides.Girls all sheared (17) and its back down the mountain, shower and tea with Hillary and John. We get a lift back to Casa San Gabriel from David and it's straight to bed.

Third day compleated

Wednesday 25th April

Toast for breakfast, and we off shearing again. The alpacas are fetched from their houses and brought to the underground garage, where we are waiting shears in hand. Just thinking to myself that the equipment is going well, when disaster strikes and  a nasty noise from the shears means I have stripped a cog and the shears aren't working. Oh well backup set in use and we have completed another eight. Lunch of lasagne and  our next lift takes us to Casa San Gabriel. Chrissie has been our driver and she and her husband, David, will be our hosts for the next couple of days. When we arrive it's straight to work,  4 more alpacas sheared and no superglue used. It must be a record, it can't go on! Supper and a few beers and  it's off to bed in our own little house.

Second day completed

Tuesday 23rd April

Early start, breakfast supplied by Veronica, one of her famous coffees and we are off.only the 12 to shear before lunch, the ground is a little muddy and Jon is nearly taken off his feet by some large females. With lunch inside us, we wave goodbye to the 2 large dogs who had followed our every move while in the house.  Georgio was our driver to the next location of San Merino.
To say the scenery was stunning in San Merino is an understatment!!
We were shown the alpacas by Penny, all of whom had there own Swiss chalet to live in.
Penny then showed us to our penthouse sweet via the indoor lift, no climbing stairs for the shearers here! Supper soon followed and then it was off to bed, 8 more to shear tomorrow.

First day completed!

Monday 22nd April

First day, will the english to italian extension lead I have just made work? A bit hard to sheer if it doesn'! Alpacas waiting, ropes set up and we have surccess, SHEAR WE GO!

We have sheared 9 and no super glue needed, and the combs and cutters are lasting. Time for lunch and then on to Veronica's.

Arriving about 5pm, we decide to shear her boys, a couple of hours later we're sat down to a lovely italian meal.

A good days work.

Flew into Italy during thunder storm

Interesting flight from Stanstead to Pescara, coming in to land we go through a thunder storm. The chap in the window seat said to his wife who looked a bit concerned, that he could see flames in the engine, that was why it looked like daylight even though it was 10pm. HELPFUL CHAP. Anyway Liz was waiting and we were soon in Penne, enjoying a glass of vino.

Cider at Stanstead

Thanks to Chris for an excellent drive to the airport. The bags are checked in and the hand luggage is of the correct size and weight.If we haven't got it we don't need it.

We may have  left Bristol, but we're still west country, "2 pints of cider please, and a pasty my luvver"

I'm leaving on a jet plane.

My bags are packed, I'm ready to go.....
The taxi's waiting, he's blowing his horn.


Didn't realise how heaving shearing kit is, should we take clothes or shears? Couldn't take both so may be a bit short on clothes by the end of the week. Jon not very impressed, but he wants to get a tan this week.

Stanstead here we come.

Can you shear them if they are wet?

When I opened my eyes this morning the sun was shining in South Gloucestershire, and all was well. Then the phone rang, "I've just checked the weather forecast" says Liz from Italy, "and it's due to rain all weekend".  The clouds are now starting to gather overhead, we're due to start shearing on Monday, lets hope the weather clears up and the alpaca's have been kept under shelter to stay dry. Still with temperatures in the 20's I guess they dry out quite quickly.

Checked in on-line, boarding passes printed, just need to pack the cases now.

Does anyone know the Italian word for superglue ?

Here we go then, less than a week to go and I'm off to Italy to shear some alpacas.
How did it all start? I ask myself the same question sometimes. I guess watching other people shear our alpacas made me think "I could do that", so a shearing course was booked and some equipment bought. Starting with our own and alpacas we had sold to clients, then taking bookings from outside, concentrating on smaller herds. Last year this led to a shearing job in South Wales and a new client, Liz, who was preparing to leave the country along with her alpacas. Having looked after and then exported her alpacas, she also asked if I would go and shear them. It seemed a long way to go to shear 10 alpacas, when I suggested it to my son Jon he decided a weekend away in Italy was not to be turned down. Having decided we would go, Liz found us some more to shear and then an e-mail from another breeder led to more. We now have a weeks worth of shearing and are visiting several places in Italy.

Someone suggested I should make a blog of the "adventure" , he also said he admired someone of my age doing something "out of the ordinary", not sure how to take that one.  Other titles that came to mind: 
                                                       An idiot abroad.
                                                       An idiot abroad with his son.
                                                       An idiot abroad with his dad.
                                                       Shear lunacy.

Anyway the blog is now up and running.