The most miserable month

5 August 2011 – For the most part, I enjoy our mid-Atlantic climate with its four distinct seasons although it would be nicer if it were less humid.  However, August is my least favorite month.  I think that every August that we have lived here has been miserable.  No matter how much it seems to rain, there is still a drought – the grass turns brown in large patches and it is a struggle to keep alive anything that is supposed to be green.

The girl alpacas are on very limited turnout in an effort to preserve their pastures.  The other day, Calla came in with roots – grass roots – dangling from her mouth so I need to limit their turnout time even more. They don’t appear to mind this as they prefer to kush in front of the fans and chew cud all day.

The little boys – Petey and Cosmos, along with their llama Jack – have turned into real stall potatoes.  They have quite a bit of pasture available to them but prefer to spend most of their days inside with the fans.  When we had a recent relatively nice day – low humidity and breezy – I chased them outside.  Within an hour they were back inside.  I guess the half-dead summer grass wasn’t worth the effort.

The big boys – Acer and Alder – are doing well with their own digs separate from the barn.  They have a field shelter and lots of pasture to roam.  I had previously made provisional plans to bring them into the barn with fans during the warmest days of summer but this has not been necessary.  They have several shady locations available to them and enjoy at least a slight breeze most days.  Now that we have repaired the water line leading to their shelter, we can hose bellies on the hottest days.  They appear quite content with their setup.

 So, it’s just a matter of plowing through these last miserable days of summer.  I check their water frequently – it is amazing how warm it can get just standing in a bucket – even when the bucket is in the shade.  I give each group a pail of electrolyte water each day and make sure their mineral containers are full.  So no one appears stressed – and aside from an occasional spat between the various girls – everyone is relaxed ---but we are all ready for fall