Two weekends ago I was able to step away from worship leadership at Bridge St. UC and catch my breath...well, sort of. One of the days I was in Kingston helping pack in preparation for my elderly mother's move to a new care facility. The following day we traveled to Perth for a visit with Ruth's beloved step-sister who has been fighting the good fight with cancer. Then we spent time with long-time friends north of Sharbot Lake who have sold their farm on the Mississippi River. Ruth helped clean up the chicken coop while I was doing the same in the workshop...glamorous stuff!
After we left our friends' farm I was aware of how much I would miss our visits there. This couple have been wonderful friends for more than thirty years, beginning as active members of my second pastoral charge. They are like family in so many ways. That relationship will continue, but the farm became almost holy ground for us.
Why? Well, we have enjoyed the connection with small-scale agriculture and we bought beef, lamb, chickens, eggs, honey from them, knowing that they had a commitment to treating their critters ethically. Yup, even the bees.
There was hardly a time there when we didn't see wildlife, whether it was deer, or wild turkeys, or otters, or loons. During one winter visit wolves were on the ice of the river, not far from the house. Our friends have had to contend with predators who see their livestock as a buffet table, but it is an encouraging reminder that wild things flourish in our province.
Two of the greatest gifts have been silence and darkness. We marveled at the quiet in a culture that has largely conceded quiet for convenience. The soundscape of the farm included noises from the barnyard, including the tractor, but we were regularly aware of an almost palpable silence as we walked the property. At night we made a point of looking to the sky and when it was clear the Milky Way was almost always evident.
One other gift of our visits has been a technology Sabbath, as least with our phones. Because they are in a valley surrounded by plenty of rock there is no cell coverage. We know the spot along Highway 7 where we will inform our adult kids that we are about to disappear unless they use a landline. That has become its own blessing.
For both of us all these aspects of the farm, along with the river and the rolling hills have restored our souls.
Nice to have such an oasis - mine is with a friend of over 50 years in Haliburton, on Lake Kashagawigamog... loons, ice booming in the spring, deer, and even bears! Ands 4 dogs and a cat that thinks he is one of the dog! And plenty of artists in the area to see!
ReplyDeleteIt is always wonderful to have your "go to" oasis, and it is value added when you have no cell coverage. Like most people, I check my cell too much, and when that thing isn't distracting me, I can appreciate the beauty of my surroundings even more.
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