The unbearable cuteness of alpacas

I've been up in Bendigo for two days at the Wool and Sheep show to hang out with my sil and inevitably buy yarn (but will save the yarn talk for the craft blog).

I haven't been to Bendigo in I do not know how long and it is a very pretty place (though OMG cold at this time of year.) Also, Bendigo...if the Wool and Sheep Show is one of your city's yearly big touristy events (and it is)...it wouldn't kill ya to put up some signage directing people to your showgrounds. Just saying. Seriously. I grew up in the country and I have never been to a country town before that was not signed up about a big event/festival/show happening in town. And if the dinky little towns can do it, so can you.

Anyhoo, once I got to the show all was good. I watched the sheepdogs being intent in the way that only a working dog can be and fondled yarn and ate country show food and had a generally fun time. There may have been a little admiring of country boys. My friends and I used to say that we moved to the city to avoid country boys but maybe you can't take the country entirely out of the girl (or maybe I've just watched too much McLeod's Daughters) because nice moleskines, nice RM's and a nice shirt is a look that Aussie boys just do well : )



(Okay, so that's not exactly the cleaned up version but really are you going to argue?)

But the highlight (well, apart from said hanging out with the sil) was the alpacas. I've seen alpacas before, but something about seeing them enmasse by the tentful was just too cute. If I ever go crazy and buy a farm, I'm having alpacas. I mean, look.



Cute. And now cuter.



And cute eyelashes.



And cute colors.



For strange mutant camel/ewok/goat creatures they sure are appealing. Plus they smell better than sheep and seem to be a leeeeetle more intelligent (not that it's hard to be more intelligent than a sheep. I've herded sheep. I know). And they make a nicer noise. Hmmm, I wonder if an alpaca can live in a backyard and eat my grass?

In closing, here is my favourite alpaca photo. In fact, it might be one of my all time favourite photos I've taken. Something about it just makes me smile. Rasta alpaca attitude (er, technically I think this is a Suri). I love Highland cows too, so the longhaired alpacas are just even more full of win. (Yes, I'll shut up about alpacas now).