@Gary – Thanks for passing on Rain’s new blog. I’ll have to see how she’s making out on this here fair island! I’ve been equally bad at keeping up with my favourite blogs over these past six months. Thanks for showing me to Rain’s new home.

Remember, I mentioned that Rain is on the Island.

She has changed her blog to a new name “Island Sunsets” and here is a link.

http://ocean-sunsets.blogspot.com/

Smiles :o)

Gary

P.S. her pictures are awesome!

Went to Johns’ site and enjoyed reading it. Looking forward to the day I can buy his organic produce, especially the mesclun greens!

@Michelle – Glad to have pointed you in the direction of John’s blog. It’s helpful and inspiring to read like-minded peoples’ stories.

@John – Thanks for your kind words…… :) Yes, nudge away re: gardening… We respond well to nudges. :)

@Kim – Weeding versus napping… This is a decision I hope I won’t have to make.. Lol. At least your husband is an over-achiever. There is something to be said for that!! Re: the shirt, thanks! It was $5 find at a second hand store in the Down East Mall in Montague.. :)

We did grow a garden this year – against my will. I asked hubz for 4 small raised beds to play with; the man went crazy and I ended up with ten various sized beds, walkways, trellises, the works.

Gardening is hard work. Yes, I enjoyed the bounty but weeding sucks, and then preserving the bounty took valuable hours and hours and hours away from my reading/napping/relaxing time.

I envy those tidy, weed-free patches. Mine will never be that way … ever!

btw: love that shirt!

Since coming to PEI, I have been pleased to meet our neighbors. They give me a sense of place and an awareness of the gentle pride that comes from being where you belong. I also find that I am excited to meet like minded spirits, mostly from “away”, who bring their unique adventures and sensibility to this place.

In both cases, these are mostly positive, can-do people and I find them encouraging. There’s nothing that islanders like better than trouble shooting. And newer residents, like the University academic and his wife who stopped in for produce during Laura-Jane and Cameron’s visit, bring a wealth of experience and intrepid endeavor!

The gracious and humble Laura-Jane didn’t reveal that her (this) blog and the personal insight she shares inspired me to expand our blog, photos and conversation about moving from “living in the city to life in the country”. We’ve been rewarded, finding that islanders have been interested in our “Green Acres” life on the farm, while our city friends and family in California are attracted by the beauty and (seemingly) simple life on the farm.

This fall, as we head home again, I’ll continue the farm blog for islanders and others who might enjoy a peek at our lives in Southern California.

Thank you so much Gary Gray for the kind comments and background, thanks Michelle for the bookmark – please add comments! And thanks again Laura-Jane and Cameron for coming to the farm.

This winter, I’ll drop you a line or two and nudge you into imagining a vegetable garden!

I’ve now bookmarked this wonderful Dunn Creek Organic Farm blog. Thank you!

It’s so interesting to be able to peek into the lives of people who’ve made their way to greener pastures, where they came from and how they’ve arrived. I love it and it helps to solidify our decision to forego our city jobs and eek out living on a shoestring budget in an economically oppressed part of Canada. The beauty and serenity of these parts is the best reward of all so it’s a fair trade, me thinks.

I hope you are able to do the same thing! I say we all gotta bloom where we’re planted, for in doing so, we’ll be satisfied pretty much anywhere we land. yah… something like that.

PS: I’ve been adding to my lonely little blog if you care to… have time to come and visit. Please let me know if you do.

Michelle

Wow!

Looks like you had a good day…

I am sure that one of these days I might get to meet John too.

I must admit that I haven’t followed John’s blog, really (other than the occasional look) since following his road trip from California last spring. Sorry John…

I do love the fact that he does a podcast (weekly I think) and that my understanding is that he is a professional voice over back in California. I even believe that he works (at least part of te year) by telecommuting from wherever is happens to be.

All this and an organic farmer as well. wow!

Please straighten me out if I am in error on any of the above statements. Thanks!

If not, then again WOW! John is an amazing felow…

Smiles :o)

Gary