It wasn’t the bus shelter that brought us to Rookhope today.
In the five years since Dr. George and I passed through Rookhope, Iain and Shayne
have established a farm here, raising championship alpacas, sheep, highland
cattle, ducks, chickens, and a truckload of dogs squeezed into two dog bodies. In
their spare time Iain and Shayne also run a bunk house for coast-to-coast
cyclists. But it was the farming operation I was brought here to see –
especially their award winning Fellside Alpacas.
Alpacas are members of the camel family, which makes them
especially suited to endure the hot, dry climate of Northern England, where literally
hours can pass between rainfalls. It seems that Iain and Shayne started with
just a few alpacas not very long ago. They now have seven – soon to be eight.
Or nine. Or maybe ten. All you have to do is get a couple of alpacas, shoosh
them off to a secluded field (perhaps with a bottle of champagne and some soft
music), and before you can say “E-I-E-I-O” you’ve got lots of little alpacas
running around. It works the same way with their sheep. “E-I-E-I-O.” And ducks.
“E-I-E-I…” And chickens. “E-I-E…” And… well you get the idea. E-I-E-I-O.
 |
| Highland Cattle |
Then you get a truck load of dogs, and squeeze them all
together until you’ve got two, weighing maybe a million pounds each. “E-I-E-I –
Yikes.”
As we strolled around the farm, I admired the view while
Iain gathered chicken eggs, laid here and there by their ranging chickens. “They
could be anywhere,” said Iain. “You just have to know where to look.” I think I’ll
look in the bus shelter.
