Farmer's Walk Newsletter 2009
 After eighteen years of ‘doing’ bed & breakfast, the busiest part of our season is once again drawing to a close. Soon the trees will be dressed in vibrant reds, oranges & yellow ochre as we move into the autumn months; then into winter. Each year I try to remember to take pictures of our guests, before it’s too late, so that others can see what brings guests to The Farmer’s Walk B&B.
Most times we have two-legged guests but this year we had two very special, very beautiful four-legged guests, Mariabella & Dalia, who were accompanied by their breeder/owner, Mary Anne Mounce (see photos #1-2). While they slept safely in their trailer just beneath the guest bedroom, Mary Anne & her husband spent a quiet overnight before setting off on their journey home.
Another very special guest, whose artwork is shown in the photos below (see photo #3), was eight year-old Joelle, who was accompanied by her mother, Neela & father Jason while attending music camp at the nearby Ecology Centre.
Guests then arrived for the Wit’s End Horse Trials, held this year August 6th to 9th at Wit’s End Farm, just north of the Village of Rosemont. It was the best ever FEI World Cup three day event. See photos #4-6 below, & Visit the Wit's End website (www.witsendhorsetrials.ca). Photos are courtesy of photographer Barb Nettleton. Other guests came for weddings; family gatherings; riders from the Caledon Equine Centre, Palgrave & the Orangeville Fairgrounds, gave me my yearly ‘horse-fix’ & many Bruce Trail hikers reminded me that living so close to the Bruce Trail does not always mean that I partake of its many benefits. This year I found some wonderful hand-made soap for our guests & soapmaker (www.windmillhill.ca) Jackie Pritchard has become a friend.
Then, in September, a very special guest, Beth R, from North Carolina, came to stay, accompanied by her husband, Ed. Beth brought with her a poignant reminder of just how precious life is & of how often we take for granted good health. Thank you, Beth, for allowing me the privilege of sharing your life for one brief week & for your tremendous courage & will to live in fighting cancer.
In the spring of this year, Jock & a young pilot friend, Peter Musters, flew out to Calgary to pick up an aeroplane which had been donated to the programme, Freedom’s Wings Canada. Freedom’s Wings provides people with physical disabilities the opportunity to learn how to fly gliders (www.yorksoaring.com). Grounded for a week by a serious snowstorm in Clareshome, Alberta, their flight home via Winnipeg, skirting the edge of Lake Superior & flying over dense bush towards North Bay provided some excitement in the Grob 109. The last leg of the trip from North Bay to Arthur, Ontario saw Peter & Jock flying at 5000 ft. above ground due to a mechanical (one engine had cut out). It was with great relief & excitement that we saw their plane slip through the clouds & land safely on the grassy runway of York Soaring (see photos #7 - 10).
This summer I also managed to continue working in my studio throughout the B&B season, clearing off the dining room table as needed & completing two new Inuit quilt designs. In September, I was honoured by the Distress Centres of Ontario for my volunteer work with Telecheck Dufferin (www.dc-wd.org/Telecheck.htm). This is a free service to older adults & their families through providing daily contact with individuals who continue to live in their own homes while aging.
Again, my thanks to husband, Jock, for keeping the grass cut in summer & the laneway ploughed in winter. The Hockley Valley region, part of the Niagara Escarpment, is a beautiful place to be & we enjoy sharing it with others. Now it’s time to start splitting wood for our winter fires (see photo #11); to remove all those terrible weeds that I didn’t have time to deal with in the summertime; to put cozy flannel sheets on our beds & prepare for the winter months ahead.
Sandy Small Proudfoot, October, 2009
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Photos 1 & 2 - Mariabella Dalia & Family
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Photo 3 - Joelle's Artwork
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Photo #4 - Wit’s End Horse Trials
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Photos #5-6 - Wit’s End Horse Trials
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Photo 7 - Freedom's Wings - New Aircraft
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Photo 8 - York Soaring Grobe 109
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Photo 9 - Jock: York Soaring with Geordie, Hope, Ceilidh 2009 June
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Photo 10 - Jock, Peter Musters & Friends at York Soaring
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Photo #11 - Sons-in-law, Mike & Richard splitting wood
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Our newest grandchild, Addison
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