Cape Breton Farm

This morning was  frosty and cold, ethereal with that stunning blue light of winter. The full moon hung low on the horizon preparing to set, as I headed to the barn to check on the cold critters. More frozen water buckets necessitated numerous trips to the house for warm water. Holly seems to be doing much better in terms of spunkiness, but is still being pushed around a lot.

Our kitchen downspout is frozen again, and the two wood stoves are slow to warm the cold air in this old farmhouse, but it's getting better. The floors are freezing!

Life on a farm is typically not as dramatic in winter. Sure, unexpected things do happen, but for the most part it is routine care and maintenance, especially when there are animals. There is more time for observation and thought. Living fairly simply here, without the benefits of electricity in the barn and heated water buckets, I have a profound appreciation for the old timers who depended totally on their farms for survival. The hardships they must have endured on a regular basis, really highlight how soft life is for most of us today.

Sometimes when everything is quiet, I think of  those who've been here before. It's like their spirits are here, silently observing. When so much activity has happened in a place, surely something remains of those people. Some memory, some energy. Something.

This farm was a hub of activity in its day. There were four mills here, with our house being the residence for the miller and his family. The loft above the kitchen housed the workers. The local Post Office was in our kitchen, as was a branch of the credit Union. At one point there were about 800 acres farmed here. Now it has been parceled off until just 43 acres belong with this house. Several decades of neglect have reverted the soil back to barren clay and rock, with just a thin layer of topsoil. We need to begin again, building the soil. The animals come in handy for that with piles of manure and old bedding. 

The house is situated at a crossroads. At one time, it was the centre of a busy, thriving community. Now the roads are mainly quiet, and very few families live out here. We are 16 km. from town, 10 of those are dirt road. Bumpy and pot holed, or icy and snow covered. Rarely good.