Last year I got to tell the Whimfield story on “Definitely Not the Opera,” a national CBC radio program. This year, we were privileged to be contacted by the lovely, generous, charming journalist Mary MacKay from Charlottetown’s The Guardian newspaper. During her travels on the internet she somehow arrived here at the Whimfield farm blog and thought that our story may be of interest to readers of the newspaper.
So we arranged for Mary to bumble down our disturbingly bumpy lane and come to our humble home to hear our story first hand. We shared our story and Mary listened intently, asked good questions, and oohed and aahed at precisely the right moments. It was a perfect interview.
As a result, Mary MacKay wrote a wonderful article, which was published today in The Guardian.
This morning we drove out to buy a copy (or two or maybe five) of the paper. We drove home and promptly sat on our tractor to read the morning news. These are the kinds of things you can do in the country: read the local paper sitting atop farm machinery.
Thank you Mary for your interest in us and for telling our story in a kind light!
If you, dear reader, arrived here for the first time as a result of reading Mary’s story in The Guardian, we’d love for you to say hello and share your story by leaving a comment below.
PS: If you’d like to continue reading, you could start from the beginning here.
Not that you’re going so far as to live “off the grid,” but this story reminded me of the “back-to-landers” story that ran a few months ago about people doing the same basic thing back in the 70s. You seem to have a lot of fellow settlers, very brave in my book. Lots of Islanders try to ESCAPE the freezing farmhouses of their childhood, as much as they love the farms their ancestors built. I am only a few years older than you but I might as well have grown up in the 50s as far as living in isolated old houses that lost power every snowstorm goes. The joys of farm life were myriad, but they had their price.
I think it is great that appreciative people like yourselves are restoring old houses that would otherwise be sadly abandoned. Your house looks a little younger than some judging by it style, but no doubt it was once someone’s bustling farmstead. When I see old abandoned houses I call them “sad houses,” because their people are gone, but yours is happy again even if it was still in decent shape when you bought it. You are very lucky to have a husband who shares your enthusiasm and ideals, as the practise is much harder than the theory. I must say you have a very fine taste in husbands. I admit to being jealous – I always wanted to be a farmer’s wife, but ended up with an incurable city dweller who would die rather than live more than two minutes away from a coffee shop. So we live in Ch’town.
At any rate, it was very interesting to learn the perspective of someone who has never known country life or the Island. This is coming from someone whose ancestors all came here well before 1840 and finds it difficult to really believe there IS any other radically different way of life. Your fresh take makes me appreciate my family’s farm even more though. I think I’ll go visit it now, and get some veggies for pickling. Thanks for your blog.
Way to go, Laura-Jane & Cameron! How exciting for you!
Great article – now let’s see how many hits and comments you get NOW!
:)
Good for you! You’ve done a wonderful job on this blog, and I personally have found it very inspirational over the past year, so it’s interesting to see you’ve made it into the papers as bonafide PEI celebrities ;)
You two are awesome and I think a little crazy? LOL
Good on ya’s!
Sue and Doug
Just read your story in the Guardian.
The pictures of renovating the house reminds of the time we came to PEI in 1972.
The first winter we found out that there was no insulation in the house.
For the next ten years various rooms in the house looked like yours.
Welcome to PEI.
I’ll have to check out your blog.
John
Please have The Guardian send you my message. I have spent many summers at your farmhouse. My grandparents owned the farm from1963 until my grandmother passed away in the 80’s. My grandmother was born and raised in the farm next door to yours, I have may cousins, etc in PEI. So many memories, I have tears in my eyes just thinking about Whim ROad. WOuld love to hear from you. Cheryl McDonald 3 Geln Road Woburn, MA 01801 USA
My grandmother owned the farmhouse for many years & every summer(70-80’s) my Mom & Dad would pack up the stationwagon with my 3 sisters
to visit for a few weeks. I loved that house-it was magical!!! The stained glass window, having big dinners in the little dining room,the pump outside, picking strawberries, and walking the lane next door to visit my aunt.
Your house has “great bones” and my memories of it will be etched in my
mind forever….
Carolyn Kostopoulos 276 Salem Road Billerica, MA 01821
I’m one of the cousins of Carolyn and Cheryl from blogs above. I also grew up spending summers on this farm. My uncles and cousins also lived on Whim Road tending to the fields. (many still live on Whim Road) Some of my favorite memories are walking behind the house in the woods we called Sleepy Hollow and Fairy Land. I remember the big barn long since gone, watching my cousins put bails of hay up in its rafters and Grammy cooking a huge afternoon dinner for the men. When my Father and Aunt sold the farm, I think everyone was a little sad; however, we still go up and vacation in the area every year. I hope you will make as many great memories as my family still holds dear.
Beverly (Deane) Petterson
4 Wellington Drive
Hudson, MA 01749
Nice article. Good adventure. I will enjoy reading this.
I love it!!!
Hi L-J
This is a total but very pleasant surprise.
I am very happy that you are getting this well deserved local publicity.
I have not gotten a paper today so I did not see the article yet.
I will pick up a copy at the FP (Friendly Pharmacy) next door tomorrow.
Well that’s enough I’s in this post. You are the deserving ones.
Congratulations!!!
Smiles :o)
Gary
Cameron and Laura-Jane,
Just read your story in the Guardian. Your story is repeated by many new and returned islanders. I am an islander, with family who settled in the King’s County region of PEI in the early 1800’s. Like many islanders, I moved as a young child to Ontario but spent every summer in PEI. PEI was and always will be home. I was fortunate that my husband fell in love with PEI and shared my longing to return to a simpler life. In late 2007, we left executive positions in Ontario to move back to the island and chose a small settlement just 20 minutes from Montague. Our move from an urban Toronto lifestyle to the country of PEI had many relatives and co-workers shaking their heads in disbelief and asking “why would they give this all up and move there?” But when visitors spend a day or two with us, they feel the island’s magical attraction and begin to understand why we settled here.
Welcome to PEI.
Rosalie and Leo
Laura-Jane! You and your man are becoming like Island celebrities… LOL!
When I first discovered your blog, I was so excited that someone else did the same thing as us in that well left from Vancouver and ventured to New Brunswick. You may recall the house we bought had a gliche so the deal fell through and we were homeless for three weeks. I recall telling you the story about where we eventually landed and you said that we had a lot of guts to move to a French community without knowing the language. That made me chuckle and it stuck in my mind as I read through your ordeal. I kept thinking “I would never have the guts to cross Canada in the dead of winter to parts unknown!”
Your venture has been rather bumpy in spots, to say the least, and yet you both shine! Kudos to the two of you. I would say that YOU two are the gutsy ones and you’ve accomplished so much in such a short time. Your blog is a treat and I look forward to every article you post. I love your writing style and I wish you and Cam great success in both your business and renovation ventures.
I was especially moved by the comments from the ladies who’ve known your home from past days and the precious memories they have of it. Perhaps they will have the opportunity to visit with you and see how you’ve put life back into the old house that is now a home.
Congratulations to the both of you. Love the pictures on the tractor.
Your picture in the article(have not pulled it up yet), reminds me of the painting “American Gothic” by Grant Wood. Of course you two look much more joyful and alive than the brother and sister in the painting. Have you got a pitchfork yet??
Cannot wait to pull up the article and will read it with much anticipation.
I to enjoyed my visit to PEI this past July and cannot wait to get the oppurtunity to visit again.
From the one heart you both planted, it appears that you have grown and harvested a life on what is surely now your Island.
In your Whimfield dreams, as you hear the sound of geese and feel the reality of autumn’s chill in the air, may your narratives continue to nurture joy. Thanks for giving.
so, so, so proud!
Paul & I are so proud of you two. Please, Please can I get a copy?
What a wonderful article on Whimfield – a very pretty name. At one time it was called the “MacDeane” ranch”! Mac for my mother’s maiden name (MacDonald) and Deane for her married name. Many happy days there – a wonderful home! Spent summers there from 1963-1990. Spent summers on the next farm with my Grandparents from 1938-1954. My Mother was born and raised on that farm. Many a strawberry jam I preserved on the old wood stove – many a meal I cooked on the old wood stove at your Whimfield.
Memories – happy memories!
Just read the newspaper article and went back and read the first few entries of the blog.
You both look more mature and not so much like the youngsters out on a day trip. Very at ease and peace with your choice in life.
I totally agree with what Uncle Wally wrote.
I hope you have a very fun and enjoyable autumn. Get out and traipse the fields and find your pumpkins for the stoop of the house.
Have fun!!
I love this article. Please send me a copy. Laura-Jane, you are such a beautiful farm girl. I especially enjoyed reading the statistics on how many visitors you get daily/annually. very impressive!
Hi L-J and Cam
I did, I went over to the Friendly Pharmacy next door this afternoon to get a copy of the paper.
A very impressive article. (great pictures) Congratulations!
An example and inspiration to anyone who has a dream.
It is great to hear of the many followers who have come to your Whimfield Blog. I trust that those numbers will only increase in the days, months and years ahead and that you both get to live your Prince Edward Island dream as you can see it when you close your eyes and see your future as it should be.
Smiles :o)
Gary
So, so happy for both of you to get this write-up! Well deserved and tells your story of how determination, partnership and heartfelt desire can make a single thought become reality. You’ve both got something really solid going!
How exciting to be in the paper! It is a well deserved honour, I’m sure you’ve inspired many with your blog. And could the above picture of you Laura Jane be any prettier!? Congratulations!
Yay!! :-) xo
I loved the article… but it made me miss you tons <3
OK, I have a complaint… I have a new baby, a house, a dog a cat and a husband.. I DON’T have time to read your blog!! I was up last night reading your posts until 1 AM I have a baby to feed in two hours I thought.. WHAT AM I DOING!!! I admit it.. I’m addicted… I’m in Jan 08 and I’m reading your blog furiously to catch up… Last night ( an idyllic family scene) Supper is in the oven.. my sweet husband had a beautiful fire going and was holding our beautiful child I have my nose in the laptop…he looks at me and says… “would you please talk to us” LOL of course this is all your fault…how dare you suck me in… it’s now 9:09 am husband at work coffee made.. baby taking nap… awww back to Jan 2008… I read the article in the paper and here I am… I admit I am afraid I will have withdrawal once I get caught up and I will be sending you the “c’mon write something else” vibe… You Ms. Laura Jane ARE A WRITER!!! PERIOD!!! Don’t ever doubt it.. I hope your entering the CBC literary awards for short story’s I believe 60 grand is up for grabs…. Think of all the tofu you could buy and second had tools for Cameron. SO SERIOUSLY GIVER!
http://www.radio-canada.ca/prixlitteraires/english/index.shtml
Cheers!
Susan Burton Ch’town..
P.S. I have no grammar… I guess I missed that day at school so please do not judge me. I wouldn’t even go so far as to say that my grammar is bad.. it’s actually non-existent… I am a 36 year old woman who does not know where a comma, semi colon or colon go… Oh MY!
It is a joy to me to see young people coming to PEI with skills that need not tie them to urban centers. I feel this is the future for rural areas of Canada to draw people back to the land where they can have good jobs and a good quality of life… but not be tethered to cement and asphalt.
I too bought a dilapidated old house in PEI a few years ago (2004), in the community of Georgetown, (not too farm from Whim Road) and visit there as often as I can to work on it and enjoy the serenity of Island Life. Every year I see more and more CFA (Come From Away) people buying and fixing up abandoned (or next to abandoned) old buildings and converting them into productive living space once again. I love to see these folks move to PEI permanently and change from CFA’s ti IBCGD (Islanders By Choice… Gosh Dang It!).
Keep up the good work and if you are ever in Georgetown drop by at the big yellow house close to Clamdiggers Restaurant!
Terry
Right on – love to hear stories like this one – Especially the comments made about moving to PEI… “you’ll die out there” HA!
I was speaking to someone from Victoria last year and she had NO idea there were ANY tech firms on the east coast so I asked ” I suppose you thought we all lived in shacks and fished? Yes’ was the reply.
Keep up the blog – very interesting
OH, and I see my pal Subee is writing on this blog too, how ya doin’ baby-cakes?
’spike~
Hey Spike! how’s it going baby? All is well here.. can’t stay off this blog this is my first blog!!
xoxoxo
Suebee
Loved the article in the paper!
Of course you do realise you two may be responsible now for a huge influx of people buying up farms and moving there! :) Good thing we already got one!
Perhaps you should become realtors. :)
Love your story, I have a cottage just down the road in Kilmuir. My mom was born on Whim Road. Congratulations to the both of you on living out your dream! Best of Luck to you
going to read it right now!!! CONGRATS :)
I read the article in the newspaper and then spent most of the following Sunday afternoon reading of your adventure . The newspaper article caught my attention because my business partner and I have just recently purchased an older home that has been empty for a few years and is also very isolated by a long lane . I envision it to be a beautiful home for somebody who wants the simple life and the peacefulness that comes with it[LOL...I'm quite content where I live now] .
I had first noticed the house we bought about 10 years ago while it was still used as a Summer home and even then I knew it was a beautiful property . We are located in the Western end of PEI in Elmsdale…if you are ever in the area hunt us down or if you ever want another project…or know of somebody else that might , then I have the perfect spot ! BTW…that roof job must have been a daunting task ! I’m a painter so i know all about the height thing LOL and some days are best spent on the ground if heights are a fearful thing !
Keep on blogging……..
Greetings from Calgary Laura-Jane and Cameron,
My hubby and I have been following your blog for quite some time when I saw a link to it on the PEI Talk Forum. As I was reading it I realized that we had looked at your home in 2004 when it was for sale and thought it such a beautiful piece of land. I kept watching it on the net too and then one day it was gone :) It needed someone to resurrect it to its stately charm. It was so exciting to read of your adventures and to remember being in your home.
We bought some land in PEI in 2003 and ever since have dreamed of moving there. Now we have a little cabin there on 55 acres with a couple of wood stoves. We just got back last night and my clothes still smell of smoke. I am planning my future garden (God willing) with some apple trees and chickens (we’ve had them before). Maybe even a cow. Hopefully we will get out there in a few years.
We stayed at a B&B in Charlottetown and our host mentioned your article, as did some other friends. I was privileged to read it on our trip. We went by your house and waved. Keep pressing on and thanks for sharing with all of us.
THANK YOU SO MUCH EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOUR FOR TAKING THE TIME TO LEAVE A NOTE TO SHARE WITH US ALL!
I am behind on responding to emails and comments here. But know that I want to reach out and hug each and every one of you. And I want to come over for tea!
Yours,
Laura-Jane