The garden gnomes in Burgstadt are as big as me...

How about this bad boy? I. Met this dude hanging around in someone's garden in Burgstadt with a load of others of similar scale. (We are over here for the weekend while Shirley judges fleece and halter at the Alpaka Show Ost for Association e.v ) You don't find many of these mothers  in Dunchurch. 

You don't find many in the UK at all probably because your jocular Friday night youth would take him walkabout. I know I'd be tempted!  Imagine waking up on Sunday morning with this bad boy on your doorstep.

Toft Alpacas judging in Germany for ALPACA Association e.v.....

The Toft Alpaca judges were on tour this weekend in deepest Germany. Planes to Frankfurt, trains to Erfurt and taxis to a small country hotel in Germany this weekend with 100 alpaca fleeces to judge. This was the first ALPACA Association e.v. Fleece show which was a prelude to their association annual general meeting.

Naturally the show was well attended and thankfully the majority of breeders spoke some English which is just as well because Shirley and I have only a danke and auf wiedersehen between the both of us. The interpreters were fantastic and saved the day. 

Good fleeces all round, very fine with a notable lack of guard hair and fantastic 'keeper' rosettes. Supreme champ achieved 86 points and was a very well organised and consistent white intermediate fleece with a distinct lack guard hair and a good cutting weight. 

Great weekend, great people and Danke one and all for your generous hospitality from the Toft Alpaca Judges - auf wiedersehen ....xxx