Winter in the country

We managed to squeeze in one last visit with good friend Mark at his condo in Ottawa, where he hosted dinner for Mom & Sis, as well as us. We then hit the road for our first of four house/farm-sits, this one being in a rural area just north of Grand Bend, ON.

This was the second time we’ve house-sat for Kerry & Ed, and their sweet kitty Jake . Their house is located on the shore of Lake Huron . But despite the sometimes howling winds of the Lake, their house is warm and cozy. Plus, it’s architecturally interesting, as it includes an original log home, which was later extended. The square-log cabin area houses the kitchen, and dining area, while the extension includes bedrooms, a large living room, and plenty of space for all of Kerry’s many looms. Yes, Kerry is a weaver-extraordinaire.

The timing for this house-sit turned out to be perfect in many ways. It allowed us to celebrate An‘s birthday (her 6Erd … you try writing with frozen blueberries while sick with the flu!) , as well as Christmas and New Years. But there was an unplanned-for benefit in that we both ended up catching the flu. Ann felt it coming on the driving day down to Grand Bend, so was sick for the first week or so. I succumbed to the virus after about four days, so we were both coughing and oozing for a while.

Luckily, other than a little light snow shovelling, the main duties at this house were to keep a certain kitty happy. Being sick, both of us were sitting around even more than normal, which seemed to suite Jake just fine. He got lots of cuddle time.

Our time at Kerry & Ed’s place was relaxing, and very easy. Winter remained fairly dormant, and cat duties amounted to feeding, cuddling and door openings. Even the latter was limited because it turns out that Jake is a real Wuss-Puss when it comes to cold, or snow, or wind, or rain, or… just about any weather. He would stick his nose out the door, and if anything except warm wind touched his whiskers, he’d turn around, and go back to bed.

After about a month we said our goodbyes to Kerry, Ed and Jake, and headed off to our next place near Chatham. This is a small farm which we’ve been to twice before. Unlike Jake’s place, this one is a little busier. It includes horses, dogs, cats, as well as barns and outbuildings. There’s a small tractor for keeping a fairly large driveway, and general area, clear of snow. So, there’s a lot more to keep us busy.

We arrived to warm greetings from owners Jane & Phil, and were soon reacquainting ourselves with all the animals.

Our first few days on the farm were spent getting reconnected with all the critters, and re-learning the routines. Most of the animals have some sort of ‘special need’, which makes it a bit more challenging. The dogs and horses all have their own traumatic stories, and all require special attention. Tilly is a tripod who lost a leg in a car accident in Lebanon. She only fully trusts a few people, luckily one is Ann. Roni was found wondering after the Beirut explosion of 2020. She eventually found her permanent home with Jane & Phil. And Ollie was apparently abused as a youngster. He was passed around, but has found a safe home on the farm for many years. He remains “twittery”, and is often shaking and kinda goofy.

Buttercup, or “Butt-Butt”, is a blind pony. She was born eyeless, but gets around amazingly well. Nothing stops her. Noah, the miniature horse, came out of an abusive situation. Over the years he’s had health issues, resulting in poor eating. He was finally diagnosed with an irritable bowl and now requires a well-controlled, and somewhat complex diet.

This delicate little funny boy is now back to being his full bratty self, which is wonderful. The only downside is that this means constant small feedings throughout the day for the Little Princeling. But he’s well worth it.

Speaking of weather, we’ve had a hat full of it since Jane & Phil left. We arrived to green grass, but were soon dealing with snow, and cold, and lots of wind. With little to act as a wind-break, the snow really blows around, creating large dense drifts across the driveway. I have use of a small tractor for clearing snow, but we’ve had to call in the neighbour Ryan three times in the first few weeks. Thankfully, he has a serious tractor, and is “the best kind” … he’d do well as a Newfoundlander 😁.

After a few weeks we settled in well. We have our routines, with Ann being leader of the dog pack, and me focusing on the barn animals. The kitties love me… mostly because I give them lots of treats. And Noah has taken to nibbling on my hands, and was even exploring my beard with his lips. I end up smelling like horse, but it’s all fun.