This week we are featuring a guest blog by Kara Mapestone of Mapleton Farms, the small Shetland farm where we purchased our new! flock. She wrote such a beautiful piece on her private blog, that we asked and received her permission to post it. If you want more information about her flock and Shetland Sheep in general please visit her public blog http://mapletonsheepforsale.blogspot.com. At  this site you get a less personal look at her sheep and farm but she does such a wonderful job with photos and posts that it is stil heads above many. So enjoy her words and pictures. We are sooo enjoying the sheep.

Mapleton Farms goes to Mackenzie-Childs

The two ewes that singled this year, Cotton Candy and Violet, are on a PR mission. They accompanied their lambs and yearling Libby to Mackenzie-Childs. Violet and Cotton Candy will come home at weaning, and the lambs and Libby will stay. They left yesterday, so today I decided to drive the hour to see how they were settling in.

To get all the info on MacKenzie-Childs and their beautiful products go to www.mackenzie-childs.com but here is a little photo gallery I took of their grounds and buildings:

The sheep’s new home…not bad hun? Love the gate…one of their products:

Mariann is the gardener and their new shepherd and they were all very quick to make friends:

I was so happy to see how comfortable and relaxed they seem in their new setting.

Libby was not too sure about her geese neighbors!

Violet and her son Aidan.

The girls at the gate.

Going in for the night. I love this little outbuilding…I think I need one like it! It is even beautiful on the inside!

That lamb is not going to let that yearling push her out of the grain…no way!

Cotton Candy and her daughter Annick admiring the view:

It was hard to say good-bye but heartwarming to see them in such a beautiful place and know they will be so well cared for. I am really proud they will be representing Mapleton Farm. Violet’s son was a favorite around here and I even thought of keeping him as a ram, but he is related to just about everyone here. Life at MacKenzie-Childs with his sweet personality, woolly poll and cheeks, solid conformation, and beautiful fleece, as a pampered wether is a pretty good alternative for a ram lamb. I guess it is good I like the combinations of all the lines here the best; it must mean I am heading in the right direction in my breeding goals. Libby and Cotton Candy’s ewe lamb are the perfect PR girls and think are good representatives of the breed. A great little starter flock for them.
Here are a few more photos I took on our way out:

Classic MacKenzie-Childs hand painted pots in the greenhouse.

I didn’t have time to go in the store or on a farmhouse tour but I will be sure to make time for it next visit. It was a wonderful way to spend the afternoon. If you look really careful you can see the Highland Cattle on the right of this photo.

It will be odd not having our flock matriarch here to keep everyone in line. It will be wonderful to welcome her and Violet home in June. Be good girls (and boy) and represent us well! My many thanks Mariann!