We went to visit some new farmer friends (Sally and Michael of Strattons Farm) in Stirling, Ontario and Joël’s passion for draft horses is renewed – if it ever really left. They farm with two wonderfully gentle Suffolk Punches and have nothing but good things to say about their experience thus far. We’ve been toying with purchasing a Canadian team, but after seeing the size of Lily and May, maybe wider is better. They are still short, but about twice the width and strength of even a barrel shaped Canadian. Either way, finding a trained team for sale is a whole other ball of yarn. But we’re looking now. It also made us wonder, how are horses transported from the UK? By special barn boat? On a weekly basis? How many horses get moved anyway? Surely not by plane? There must be some crazy sterilization going on there. Hmmm…

Rest assured, Canadians will always have a soft spot in our hearts – Tarka has definitely made sure of that. That Canadian cow is on the horizon too. She has been for a good little while, but having read The Family Cow, we’re ripe for the cheese/butter/ice cream making adventure. And never going into a grocery store again, that would be nice.

The horse on Kamé’s brain is quite a bit smaller, and is actually a pony. Kamé just started taking riding lessons with Shelby and she is smitten. You wouldn’t really know it watching her ride, she is so focused and calm and eerily non-talkative. But after the lessons, my sweet girl is bursting at the seems and giddy and itching to tell me all about how she did Around the world (with no hands!) and they trotted, yes maman, trotted! And so the love affair begins…