Only 2 months to go ....

..... until we move out.

I can't believe it is happening really. From feeling we would never find a buyer to suddenly having to sort a mountain of stuff. We are not really into to full sorting and packing mode as weddings, family gatherings and holidays are getting in the way. We are well on the way to sorting out the exporting of the alpaca back to England though because this is dependent on getting the correct licenses, certificates and testing on the alpaca syncronised.

We've found a place for the alpaca at Alpaca Power in south Gloucestershire; we visited last week and really liked the set-up and the owner's approach to alpaca care. Now we are trying to make sense out of the exporting requirements - we can't track them down in the French system! We've asked our vets, searched the web, finally rang the department's veterinary service today, and finally it is becoming clearer. I've found a carrier, it will cost a lot of money but it is well spent to know that they will be traveling with people who are used to caring for animals on long road trips.

Pictures:

Wedding: E's son Sam, and his bride Lydia, they are a lovely couple, the weather was awful but it didn't prevent them and us, from having a fabulous day.







I like this photo of the bridesmaids, they were just outside the door of the church and I was well inside, it was taken using the zoom on my little camera. Although the picture quality is poor, I cropped it and added even more graininess. I think it's lovely, imho.


And this is what the weather was like!!

Bugger

Sorry I haven't blogged for a while, my mind has been totally distracted by other stuff.

I'll be brief.

We have sold our farm.

The suddenness of it caught me by surprise, two visits (the second with a tape measure, always a giveaway), first a silly offer then following quickly on the heels of our guffaws a sensible one. We signed contracts within a week.

We have agreed to complete the purchase on 31st October.

The dog and cat will not have valid passports (so that they can travel within the EU without quarantine) until mid February 08. Duh.

For pets to have a passport they need to have a rabies jab, then a blood test 30 days later. If that shows they have immunity, the passport is issued 6 MONTHS FROM THE DATE OF THE TEST. It makes no difference, apparently, if the pet has had regular rabies jabs for 3 years. You have to wait 6 months. After that then the animal can come and go at anytime, they just need to keep up with the rabies vaccinations. This is every 2 years in the UK, annually in France, 3 years in neigbouring Belgium - it's nonsense.

I don't know why I haven't had them done, I know the rules, we knew we were going to move sometime, there is no reason why I shouldn't have just popped down to the vets and had the test. But I didn't. I sort of thought we wouldn't sell the farm for months and months and then it would be 6 months before we moved out.

But, I think things will work out okay. We were going to rent a house in the UK initially in order to take our time house hunting. So we will just rent in France, it's cheaper anyway. There is also the potential threat of foot and mouth disease in the UK with all ruminant animals banned from any transportation. Unless this is lifted by early October I wouldn't be able to move the alpaca back anyway. I'm sure the spread of the disease will be contained this time unlike back in 2002, but if it isn't it won't be a problem, we can rent a place with land here.

I can go on at length about foot and mouth, I will another time.

For the people who think this is a knitting blog....



This is supposed to be a Clapotis for Sam. It's in Sea Silk from Fleece Artist in the Woodland colour way. I love the way the yarns look in the hank. I hate the way this is knitting up. I find it so disappointing that knitting does these type of hand painted yarns absolutely no favours at all - in my very humble opinion. I'm trying to think of how these beautiful hanks can be shown off to advantage. I think weaving is perhaps the best way - this obviously not what they are designed for, and a very expensive option, these yarns are not cheap. Perhaps used for stranded knitting with another plain yarn which picks up one of the main hues might work. I will just have to try it to see if it works. In the meantime I don't know whether to finish the Clapotis and hope Sam likes it, or rip it out now. I wait and ponder.....