I can't in good conscience title this post "Bubbles Comes Home to Struan Farm." While I rescued abandoned triplet lamb "Bubbles" along with her brothers Ajax and Elvis over a year ago now, John forced me to "whanau out" Bubbles and Ajax to his sister in New Plymouth when pet lamb numbers last year reached the arbitrary pet lamb threshold in John's mind (Elvis didn't survive his first night by the fire).
It was with a heavy heart that I transported Bubbles and Ajax south to their new home. Ajax died of some mysterious illness months later, but Bubbles thrived at her new home in Taranaki. She greeted guests coming to the Fringe Garden Festival, got used to lots of rubs and pats.
This week John's sister got in touch and asked if we would consider having Bubbles come back to the farm. They are building a new house and moving and a pet hogget wasn't going to be easy to manage with all that going on. Of course we said yes. So Bubbles made the journey back up the road to Piopio.
I can report she wasn't happy about it.
Her mum led her through the garden out to the paddock below our house, where she joined pet lambs Sugar and Spice. Peaches, Fig, Chalk and Pickle are also wandering around this paddock somewhere.
Everyone is adjusting to a new situation. There was quite a bit of baaing yesterday afternoon, and we did our best to reassure her with pats and calls. I tried apple treats, which were a non-starter. At one point I stopped weeding to remind her that I was actually the one who saved her life originally. But we all know the mum that matters to Bubbles is down south. Even me.
She's hanging with Sugar and Spice at the back gate currently. Eventually we'll have her join Jam, Jelly, Bambi, Camilla and Fergie, 2018 pet lambs (now hoggets). Maybe she'll remember them.
Rosie may need to have a chat with her to convince her to get with the programme. We all know who the Diva of the paddocks is at Struan Farm, don't we? Bubbles can't go getting any fancy ideas in her head about that or sparks will fly!
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