At Struan Farm we are still old school, doing the "lambing beat" in the mornings during the season when lambs are born. We try to make sure any lambs rejected by their mums are picked up and looked after. Not all farmers do this, since it isn't an economic proposition to bottle feed lambs, but for us it is about animal welfare.
During Maurie's last official year as a farmer, we had two pet lambs named Arthur and Martha (pronounced Ar-thur and Mar-thur). Martha eventually moved back to the flock from the pet paddock, but Arthur had a bit of a personality, and we wanted to keep him as a pet longer than would ordinarily be the case due to visitors coming.
I had friends coming to see us from California, and wanted their kids especially to enjoy interacting with a pet lamb. So Arthur was kept on as a pet. He loved being scratched on the head, and wasn't shy about coming up and giving you a butt to get that attention.
When the Olinskis arrived at the farm, their daughter Grace forged a special relationship with Arthur. He would come running to the gate of the pet paddock whenever she called him, and he took to eating cookies and plums out of her hand. And not just any cookies, but Trefoil Girl Scout cookies all the way from the USA!
The kids climbed trees, their father John drove the tractor, and we all walked down to the river for a picnic, swimming and fishing. We picked plums and made plum crumble. But Arthur was the big hit (okay, the sheep munching away on the Piopio golf course were also a source of amusement).
Once they left Arthur was released to run with the mob. But every so often when I walked past the sheep one would stand apart and look back at me. I figured that was Arthur missing Grace and wanting a pat and a Girl Scout cookie!
Painting below by Piopio artist Jo Gallagher, which we've re-christened "Arthur."
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