A new adventure

This past fall was one of many beginnings, and a few endings as well. In late August, we gave our hens to a friend, dug up a few strawberry plants, and moved out of our home of seven years. On the day that the sale of our house closed, we didn't have any idea of where we would end up living. A summer of looking for homesteads in the country in the beautiful hills of central PEI had turned up nothing that was just right for our family. Our oldest child started school in our previous city, not knowing where he would end up later on.

Two weeks after moving in with my parents, our third child was born, a beautiful little girl who completed our family and my heart.

Two weeks after her birth, we moved into our new home. It was a bit surprising in that we hadn't expected to find our forever home in the community in which we are now living.  I, especially, wanted at least two or three acres (preferably one hundred!) in the country. My husband appreciated the beauty of the area in which we were looking, but his heart has always more or less been loyal to Charlottetown. When we stepped out of our vehicle to have a look at a home on one wooded acre in a small town, situated almost exactly halfway between my area of choice and his, we fell in love with it and we bought it the next day.

I felt like I had stepped into a fairy tale wood with the beautiful colours of early fall surrounding me in a peaceful, homey place. It felt like home immediately and I forget what it was like before we began to build our new life here.

Our children love to run through the trees and visit with a little girl who lives nearby. They find sweet little details left by the previous owners, a carved wooden chicken, horseshoes hanging on a tree branch, a tiny, perfect plant with a single pink rose, etc.

There are many maple trees waiting to be tapped.

The current bylaws prohibit chickens and dairy goats on residential lots. This was a disappointment to me but it only furthers my resolve to work proactively with the town to change its bylaws such that homesteading activities can be carried out, respectfully of neighbours, in our area. I finally have a sunny yard. It isn't the backyard, but the front where I am already planning on harvesting perfect, juicy tomatoes and sweet small melons.

I'd like to chronicle our homesteading journey from the very beginning. I hope it may be interesting for some of you that used to follow my old blog, and for anyone who stumbles across this one. I won't be writing homestead how-tos and offering expert advice. I may share how I've done things and make suggestions for others who are interested. I'll definitely write about how things worked out or didn't! Mostly, I'll just be sharing our story, the story of a family growing and loving and planting seeds on a small homestead in the trees.