Embedded Files
After a long winter, followed by a spring filled with coronavirus news, new rules, and uncertainty, it was so nice to realize that we still had simple joys like family gatherings, trips to nature, meeting with friends, swimming in lakes, and small vacations not far from home. For one of these little getaways, we decided to stay on a farm. For us, city dwellers, this trip was a true escape. We spent several days surrounded by nature, on a real and rather unique farm, among animals that we quickly grew attached to — and some of them we even came to love.
Would you like to join us in this wonderful place and meet Kevin the piglet, Gussy the goat, Billy the dog, and other charming and friendly animals?
Day 1
As with most of our road trips, we planned the route to include a few interesting stops along the way. This time, however, I was relieved of my usual role as trip planner, and my friend organized the entire itinerary.
About an hour and a half east of Toronto, hidden in the forest, is the unique Zim Art Rice Lake Gallery, an outdoor gallery of stone sculptures. All of the works were brought from Zimbabwe, Africa. Every sculpture is available for purchase, with prices ranging from around $100 for small decorative pieces to several thousand dollars for the larger sculptures
We continued our journey and made our next stop at the Ranney Gorge Suspension Bridge. About 90 metres long, the bridge stretches high above the river, and its open steel structure can be quite intimidating for anyone who dares to look down while crossing
Before long, we arrived at the entrance to the farm. The cottage where we stayed, along with the farm’s vast grounds and all of its animals, is run by a woman named Kat. From what we understood, she is also helped by volunteers from time to time. Kat is a vegan, so while staying in her home, we were expected to follow the house rules. After looking into the vegan diet, we realized there wasn’t much we wanted to cook ourselves, so we decided it would be easier to eat out at nearby restaurants. Breakfast, however, was provided.
What makes this farm truly special is that all of its animals — around 70 in total — were rescued by Kat. The animals are treated as equal residents of the farm. They are free to roam the entire property, with the exception of the guest rooms. None of them will ever be used for food or for any other purpose. This is their home. The residents of the farm are incredibly friendly and completely unafraid of people. The first to greet us were three dogs. My daughter especially fell in love with Billy, the only female.
Next, we walked into one of the bathrooms. We were clearly interrupting someone, and there was no intention of giving up the sink for us. The cat was fearless and took his job of guarding his territory very seriously
We especially loved the hammocks in the lounge area. We’ll definitely be buying some for ourselves. The bedrooms were quite cozy as well
There was also a heated swimming pool. We certainly didn't need the heating, though, as the temperature stayed around 30°C (86°F) throughout our stay
On our very first day, we met almost all of the farm's animals, and before long we were calling many of them by name. There were horses, goats, sheep, pigs, turkeys, roosters, chickens, geese, dogs, and cats.
Our undisputed favourite was Kevin the piglet. I probably have more photos of him on my phone than of all of us put together! He was incredibly friendly, sociable, and quite talkative. Our second favourite was Gussy the goat — another gentle soul with the sweetest personality
As it turned out, goats will happily chew on a metal tripod. We had always thought they only grazed on grass...
In the evening, we went out for dinner and enjoyed plenty of non-vegan food. After dinner, we returned to the farm and discovered a new resident — Noah, a huge dog
The horses greeted us as well...
It was time to go to bed, because the roosters wake up early... And not only the roosters, but also some yoga enthusiasts
Day 2
And here is our vegan breakfast
We weren’t the only ones having breakfast
We left the animals for half a day so we could visit the nearby city of Kingston, and from there take a ferry to explore Wolfe Island. We drove straight onto the ferry with our car
By the way, the ferry ride is completely free. In just 10 minutes, we arrived on the island. The island is small, but in normal times (without COVID-19), it is usually filled with tourists. The art gallery we had planned to visit was closed, so we simply walked around and explored
We had lunch at a little restaurant by the water
Everyone, especially the children, had already missed the farm. And here we were again, back in nature, surrounded by all the animals
Even horses need a little grooming. And Kevin was feeling hot, so the owner covered him with a wet towel to help him cool down
Gussy seems to be thirsty. And who said that dogs and cats don’t get along?
What kind of farm vacation would it be without an evening campfire with marshmallows?
Day 3
In the morning, we were woken up by Kevin, who was grunting right outside our bedroom window :) After just a few days, we had become so attached to the farm that it was really sad to leave
Bye-bye Kevin and all our other new friends. I hope we get to see you again someday
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse