Country Living

January 6th, 2016

I'm not sure if you would notice this, living in the city but there is a growing trend of people moving to the country for a simpler life. My husband and I moved out to Kemptville with our 2.5 year old in 2008 to do just that. We were six months pregnant with our second and wanted to provide outdoor space and fresh air for our daughters. He also wanted to work from home without being "in" the house. The old carriage house on our property became his salon and the rest, as they say, is history.

When we moved out to the country, we spent more time outdoors, got exercise maintaining and renovating the property and got to know the key people in the area. Doug ploughs our driveway and dumps loads of gravel in our driveways for us. Greg mows our lawn (we have five acres so this is an important task) and chops down any dead tree that collapses on our property. The people all seem to know each other out here like one huge, extended family. I was facsinated when we walked down the street to pet the horses at the Williams' farm and neighbors driving by would wave at us. I learned early on to just smile and wave back. I'd ask my husband: "Did you know that person?", he'd say: "No, I thought you did". People just wave out here to acknowledge one another, how cool is that?! I grew up in the city where my neighbors shared a wall with us and if we opened our apartment door at the same time, they would wait until we had left before they ventured out. Why? I haven't a clue.

So, an increasing amount of city dwellers are moving out to the country, some get hobby farms and learn to make cheese or take over a winery. Others are just pleased by the friendly people, the slower pace, the fresh air and wide open spaces, they might get a few chickens or start a garden. My husband   receives fresh farm eggs (numbered with feathers still attached), pickled beets, a warm loaf of bread,
freshly made jam or baskets of produce from his clients, a treat for all of us.

I love watching older adults gardening, mowing the lawn, shoveling, fixing something on their property, farming or tinkering with farm equipment. What a contrast to the frail elderly I encountered during my employment in long term care facilities. We've lived here for nearly eight years now and I no longer feel like an outsider. I recognize and chat with people everywhere I go. My children have always gone to school out here so they feel quite at home here. I am happy for them. We moved around a lot when I was growing up so it's important to me that my girls have childhood friends that they can grow up with, experiencing all the rites of passage together.

Ever since we moved here I have wanted to have chickens and goats. My husband who is more practical worries about the cost of having someone look after our animals when we go away for one or two weeks in the winter. I am less concerned with this as we already have someone house sit to care for our cat and dog. I am always asking people who have animals for tips and advice. I plan to use this blog as an excuse to visit local farmers and learn from them how to care for chickens and goats, when to plant what in my garden (flowers and veggies) and how to make fresh cheese from
goat's milk.

On December 29th, 2015, Diana Leeson Fisher dropped off a few copies of her new book, The
Accidental Farmwife. This is a collection of stories taken from her column in local papers. She was a city dweller until she married a farmer and her book describes her adventure as she learned to be a
farmwife. I am loving this book and am nearly done reading it. I have learned so much already. I know donkeys need to be kept busy or they get mischievious, chickens are prone to heart attacks, it is better to mate sheep so their babies are born in the spring (otherwise some lambs won't survive the cold), I've learned that cows make good pets (who knew?) and that if a ewe has lambs when she is just a year old she may act as if she isn't pregnant and ignore her offspring when it comes. There is so much more to it but you really should get the book :). You can order a copy by e-mail: Dianafisher1@gmail.com

I am determined to get chickens next Spring and my friend Meredith has promised to reserve a few chicks for me. Stay tuned!

Anne
www.artnsoul.org