I have been staying in the loft above the Fromagerie the last few days. There was supposed to be a young man from Germany coming to stay in the house for the next six months as a paid guest. He was going to volunteer on another farm nearby that didn’t have a spare bedroom. When he arrived in Montreal, he was not allowed to enter the country because he had indicated that he was coming to Canada to volunteer and he did not have the correct permit for that. I’m not sure if he would’ve needed a work permit or what, but I guess he was supposed to have indicated that he was going to be a tourist and therefore could just use a tourist visa. Anyway, it sounds like he’s decided not to try to return, so the room is free if I want to go back to staying in the house. I don’t think I will as I am really enjoying this space on top of the fromagerie. It’s a big, open, unfinished space. At one end is storage for off-season things and extra items that people don’t have room for, especially for those living in the tiny homes and caravans on site. Against one wall is a huge collection of costumes from when they used to put on theatrical performances. There’s a pair of stilts, an entire knights costume, papier-mâché head, and all different kinds of clothes. There are a few trunks full of boas and other things, it’s a real kick to check out. Anyway, it’s a lovely private spot, and the best part of it is the little deck where I get a beautiful view of the surrounding countryside. That’s where I’ve seen many of the amazing sunrises and sunsets and the incredible starry evenings skies. I usually move a chair out there during the daytime and read, journal or just sit and enjoy. Depending on how warm it is and the way the wind is blowing, if I’m sitting outside I will occasionally get a whiff from the pigpen that’s just down the road, but it’s not that bad. (I’ve probably just gotten used to it at this point!) It’s a cozy spot, and when it rains the sound of the rain on the metal roof is wonderful.
Because it’s getting a bit chillier Nina lit a fire in the wood stove in the kitchen, the smell was so enticing! One of my jobs today was to gather up the fallen apples and give them to the pigs, who were very happy to see them. I also swept the barn of cobwebs again. Eric is repainting a Volkswagen bus and was hard at work prepping it.
It was sunny today, so I headed down to the river. Because there’s rain forecast for the next few days and the weather is getting colder this could be my last chance to hang out in the hammock. I just love being down by the water. If we suddenly get a warm spell, I’ll see about borrowing a sleeping bag and spending the night in the hammock next to the river. On my walk there and back I saw lots of caterpillars, happily inching themselves along the paths.
After a delicious dinner of stir fried vegetables from the garden, rice, and a tomato-herb salad, I hung out in house with everyone for awhile then and came back to my spot and saw the splendid star-filled sky.
