What a beautiful way to spend a rather dreary day...  Magen and Paul chose June 27th, 2015 to marry and lucky for us it was close to home. 

Allan and I were honoured to host the wedding party pictures at our farm.  As the ceremony ended and picture time drew near, I was a bit nervous for Magen and Paul, as the weather report showed signs of rain (and not just any rain, but torrential downpour and high winds!).  We were warned that there would be several centimetres of rain, but that rain held off until the last ten minutes of photos.  I was reminded of our wedding day on the farm not even a year ago, where the weather reports called for severe thunderstorms and high winds.  That did indeed happen, but it came with much relief the night before our wedding and our wedding day showed only signs of sunshine and light breeze.  Of course, I was prepared for our potential wedding downpour, with several matching plaid umbrellas that did not get used, so it was necessary to get some use out of them as I placed them against the fence for Magen’s bridesmaids!  I felt for Magen as the drops started to fall, but she did not look upset at all, which only made for a brighter day. 

It was déjà vu recreating a wedding sign for them.  I still have our A+C WEDDING! sign painted on old barn board and dabbled with hearts.  Barn board and flowers always add charm to a photo shoot and of course a beautiful bride (and groom!) to go along with that makes the pictures all the more striking. 

The rain began to plummet hard as the wedding party released butterflies into the sky, to remember those who could not be present with Magen and Paul on their big day.  It was a really wonderful moment.  Many members of the wedding party scattered to the vehicles to hide from the storm, but I just stood there for a moment and let my dress and camera get soaked, as the sideways rain skidded under my umbrella.  It is a shame that the rain came at such an important moment, but I guess it was rather symbolic; that even rain couldn’t wash lost ones memories away on such an important day!  Allan and I were so pleased that we could help to make their day just a little more special in such a small way.        

Those unexpected surprises always turn out to be the best ones (in most cases!).  This happened to be the weekend of babies.  Baby goats and baby kittens...baby cows and baby pigs!

Friday night Allan walked into the house with a screaming box.  I immediately was unsatisfied with his decision to bring a kitten home, as we have too many critters already and another one for me to take care of was a responsibility I didn’t want to add to my already growing list. Of course, out popped a black and white little fella, hungry and lonely.  I named him Gilbert and that was that.  He was supposed to go back to work the next day but here he is sitting on my lap.     

Next, Allan brought home three piglets.  They are quite beautiful and we have had a small demand for our other pigs, so buying more was the smart thing to do.  They are a Hereford breed, so they look similar to the Hereford cow, with brown, black and white spots in various places.  I asked him not to spend extra money on appearances when they may be sitting on someone’s table in the near future, but I don’t think he heard me. 

Our third baby of the weekend is a beautiful calf that we picked up in Coboconk on Saturday.  Of course I said NO to this also, but our farm has a better set-up to take care of this calf and Allan’s dad wanted us to take him.  Allan’s dad has been bottle feeding him for a month because the cow decided she didn’t like feeding him, which has resulted in her drying up.  Allan tried to take ownership of him, as we drove away with the bottle and formula, but Bill say “No, way!” as market prices are exceptional.  Looks like he won’t be ours to keep, but just ours to take care of. 

We thought that would be all for the weekend, until we woke up early Monday morning to do our regular barn routine before work, only to find a lively kid in the goat pen.  We know our goats are bred, but it was a surprise, as this one has come quite early.  It is always a relief to see a full bellied, wide eyed baby hurdling around, with a healthy nanny that is alive and well at its side.    

These days I am trying to get rid of responsibilities, so we are able to spend more time at home enjoying all these simple pleasures of life.  Thinking these critters would add to my responsibilities made me frustrated, but I immediately reminded myself that animals are my favourite entity in the whole world, so even though these extras were not planned, they were delightful hiccups on the first weekend of summer.  I like responsibilities like this.  They are much more fun than meetings and bookkeeping.      

I found myself second guessing who the woman is in this relationship...  Allan brings a kitten home and cuddles it all night, he buys “pretty” piglets and took a calf that is not even his, to bottle feed the rest of the summer.  Maybe he is ready to have kids (and I don’t mean of the goat species!). 

Often I catch myself reminiscing of incredible moments in my life.  These moments are not huge achievements or successful accomplishments, but rather moments in time that are stuck in my head.  They are brief country snapshots in my mind of the past. 

Already there are gaps in my memory of times passed and I am only 30!  I cannot remember every course I took in university, what my first day of school was like, how I felt the first time I won an award, but I can always remember these snapshots of some of my happiest moments – short moments that made me smile – moments in time that I will never forget.  They were all very simple, but ones that leave me smiling and thinking to myself “this will be a minute that I remember years from now.” And I do.  

These country moments I am about to describe are moments where I was in the right place at the right time, with the right friends.  The country is where I am indeed most happy so lively pictures stand out in my mind more so than a trip to the city or my days in university.  Most days in life don’t stand out, but there are always a few that do and a certain song or a season takes me back to that occasion...a moment that almost feels better than real life.  These happened (what feels like) an eternity ago and yet I remember the circumstances of each memory and photograph as vividly as if it were yesterday. 

·         I remember sitting on an old beached log at the cottage with three of my best friends, my sister Victoria, and my girlfriends Kate and Lisa.  The sun was shining just right and our skin was sun-kissed from a weekend of swimming, dock laying and island hiking.  We had tangled wet hair and sunglasses on and I remember looking at my friends and being so pleased.  I am certain it would not have been the same if it was pouring rain or if we were not old friends, but that second of time when we smiled for a picture I remember being so incredibly satisfied to be with them in that moment. 

·         I remember fifteen years ago as a teenager, laying on my pony Honey’s back, bareback and halterless, as she ate her grain in silence and I napped on her shoulders.  At that instant I knew I would never have that moment again.  There would be more days to come and more horses to fill my life, but I would never have that exact experience, where the sun was setting and the long days of summer were coming to an end.  It was a perfect time of year, a perfect time of day and a perfect connection and trust that I shared with her.  

·         I remember ten years ago spending all my days in the summer with my friend Jolene.  One day in particular we picked apples for hours on her parent’s farm and then stretched out on the trampoline into the wee hours of the night.  I struggle to make time for moments like that anymore.  Time flies and valuable memories are harder and harder to make.    

·         I remember going swimming with Kate and the local farm boys after our annual fair.  We all grew up and went to colleges and universities or settled down and moved on in life, but I always remember the way the sun hit the water and the way we laughed for no reason at all.  I do not remember every time I went swimming, but I remember that evening. 

·         More recent, I remember sitting in front of the bank barn with my three dogs and Allan with the sun shining down on us after a long day of work.  We practically fell asleep on the bank with the boys in the soft summer breeze.  I remember the smells and the feel of the wind.

·   Lastly, I remember the day we took ownership of this farm.  It was a late September day and Allan was still at work.  I came over as soon as the clock hit 6:00p.m. on that Friday evening and the keys were handed over.  I sat in the front room with my mom with nothing but a cup of tea and a dog bed.  My tea sat in the window, with the perfect combination of steam rising from the top and mixing with the sunshine beaming through the window.  We just sat still and brainstormed all the wonderful ways Allan and I could fix this place up and turn it into a home.    

These are all moments that only happen once.  Just once.  They are not huge and flashy moments, nor are they to be remembered by others as success or wealth, but to me they are a piece of time that I will never get back, but will always relive as an important slice of my life that made me smile and cherish what I have had and do have.  These pictures in my mind will always be there and will over power many other memories.   These extraordinary times are rare, but even though they are rare there will be more of them in a different light and a different place with different people. 

As a child I never knew I would acknowledge and appreciate moments like this.  I remember these intensely – the slight breeze that went with them or the smell in the air or the shadows on my friends’ faces.  I remember goose bumps on our skin and tangles in our hair.  I think it is strange that these are the moments that stand out in my mind, but these simple moments are singular in my thoughts and more unique than any trophy, certificate or degree. 

I need to remind myself to make more time for little adventures like these, stop and smell the roses or just stop and reminisce.  Will these memories be hallmarks of my younger years when I am old and grey?  Adventure seems to take on a different nuance as I age and more than ever before, it is incumbent on me to celebrate and honour the time, people and places I cherish.  In a life full of ups and downs, these snapshots are my brightest hours!