With the all clear from the seller, we packed up the honda and headed to the property, over the misty river, and through the snow-capped woods via Nelson BC. Hit the Dominican Cafe for a minty muggins, did some writing in the right mood, and continued to the ferry dock to motor to our destination, to measure some clearings for next seasons fencing and to spot the evening light...in the middle of January! Even still, there was fresh leaf growing in the stream.
And we brought yarn so, no problem. Well, there may have been several problems as we first had to be careful not to get stuck in the ditch on the snowy roadside. Then, since we decided not to ski but rather to hike, there are all the risks that are associated with that as this is somewhat rural mountain farmland. We could hear the neighbors talking from several hundred meters away because the ambient noise was so reduced, that we figured we could at least be heard one last time should a wolf pack sniff us out.
Thankfully it was 10-15 degrees warmer (Canadian) than last week or we wouldn't have undertaken this survey. Both streams were running as the Owner had reported and his water barrel filter at the top of the property was flowing with 1' of snow on it. This is a good sign! Year round holy water is a reality. This feeds the waterline all the way to the home on the lower flatland and the upper landings and vineyard. The chosen vineyard slants to allow runoff and drainage as grapes prefer.
Back to the yarn. Since we were mapping the land for our farm and business plan we wanted to properly measure already cleared acreage so as to better be able to estimate our fencing and production capabilities. I'd planned on walking it but Mel grabbed her yarn and before I knew what was happening she'd had me walking the line and then marked the lengths with tape-labeling for later documentation. That was cool. We figure about 9,000 sqft. up top thanks to that.
On the ferry ride over we spotted a great community resource and potential advertising gateway for our farm. The ferry cabin offers us a great place to unwind from a busy day on or off the farm and also catch up on any writing or brainstorming we need to do. It's also fun to hang out with the people passing' through such a beautiful part of the world. Everyone in the towns along our path home have been so kind to us when we ask for their advice, it feels good to know we're starting our farm here.
All in all, it was a great trip. The light was strong in the pasture and on the hillsides well into the afternoon, and the reflective light from the clouds was promising and majestic. Happy with our findings and thankful for the journey that lies ahead...peace and safe passage.