It's another sunny, warm day at the farmette. We've actually been begging for rain, and I'm getting sore arms from hoiking the hose around the back yard. The showers seem to be going above, below and beside us, but not on the farmette. Sigh.
On the upside, the pandemic seems to waning. There was a partial lifting of the restrictions in Ontario as of Friday, and people flocked in their numbers to outdoor patios.
We, too, took advantage of the new rules and had a wee celebration over at the Thorntons. It was a thank-goodness-the-damn-pandemic-is-nearly-over, but mostly a graduation party for Erin (the younger niece) who just earned her B.Sc. from the University of Guelph. With an 80+ per cent average. Can't believe the wee one is 23 years old. Can believe she's a smarty pants, given her provenance.
She, like her cohort, had to settle for sending a wee video of herself in for a virtual official ceremony on June 24th.
Her boyfriend Nick has just a couple of more years to go to graduate from Ryerson. Because of the pandemic, he's been living with the Thorntons and studying from there. Here he is enjoying a moment with the dogs Marley (the golden) and Sadie (the springer).
It was a gorgeous day yesterday, and so nice to finally see some of the serious work that's been going on at my sister Sandy's since the last time I was there during maple syrup season.
After a scrumptious lunch of French beef dip sandwiches (on baguettes from the local bakery), curried potato salad and some greens, Sandy and I had to walk it off with a tour of the property. Over the past few months, they've had a big lot cleared of trees and rocks to make way for horse paddocks. Both daughters ride, and Rachel owns Trigger, who has been shuttled among several different stables for the past few years.
It is Grey County, so there was enough rock to put up a fence dividing the paddocks and an Inukshuk at the side of the drive way, which Sandy says isn't finished, but it's still pretty cool.
There's a barn in the plans, but for now, and since its summer, Trigger and a friend's horse Thunder are hanging out together in an electrified enclosure. Thunder is the big girl on the right - she's part Percheron, so towers over Trigger. He's wearing a fly mask to keep the bugs off. They're both indulging in orange rind treats - who knew horses like orange rinds? Good way to compost, I'm thinking!
Because she's a bit of a ham (ahem), and can't miss a chance to take a selfie, Sandy did her thing. She looks pretty darned happy and proud, I'm thinking.
We're also not averse to mugging for the camera, and since Sandy had given me these chi-chi gardening gloves from Lee Valley, I thought I'd don them, put on my sun hat from Halifax and have a bit of fun. Don't I look kinda, sorta, like Audrey Hepburn? Okay. Not. But, after all the crap around the pandemic, it was amazing to be able to visit and enjoy the day. Hoping all the friends and family are soon able to get together, get outside and goof around, too. Until next week.
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