Still Hot. Still Tired.

I think we're well into the summer doldrums here -- hot, tired and cranky -- two legged and four. I'm finding little energy left over from my day job to do anything but scoop poop from the pastures when I get home. The alpacas seem content to sit in the shade and munch hay. Even the grass has quit growing except where irrigated.

As an aside, wildfire danger here is pretty high at the moment. I was out with the dog after 9:30 PM last night and the dry grass was still crunchy -- no dew at all. Our wet, late, spring was great for growing grass and brush, but all those small fuels are now tinder-dry.

The alpacas don't like the heat. They have grown enough fiber since shearing that they are starting to get hot again. We keep sprinklers running in the pastures most days -- primarily to do what irrigation we can -- but also so the alpacas can cool off in the sprinklers if they want to. We also hose the alpacas down with cool water a couple times per day. Some of them love the water and will come running when the hose is turned on. We're checking regularly for heat stress and any alpaca that shows heat stress gets hosed down.

And I say we -- Pam is doing most of the heat-of-the-day animal care since I'm usually at work. If only there were somebody to hose me down when I showed heat stress on the job …

With all this hot weather, I've done little with fiber. Heat is really a disincentive for working with alpaca fiber.

Thanks to IndigoMuse and Jenifleur for the comments.