A long time ago I once had a dream of buying back our family farm. Not that there is much left, the barns are gone, but the house and land filled my head with hope and creativity. I had drawn everything out, measured distances, created a wonderful dream. The farm would become a Bed and Breakfast. There would be trails to hike , fishing, exploring, organic farming , a few dairy cows, primitive camping, swimming, cross country skiing, sledding, gathering sap from maple trees and making syrup, not to mention berrying!
Ah yes! The dream was of a natural place to enjoy Nature! A photographer’s oasis of wildlife and nature. The beauty of Autumn colors, the stillness of Winter, the renewal of Spring, and the passion of Summer. All would be enjoyable in my dream. No 4x4s, no snowmobiles, no hunting. Just a desire to share the beauty of Nature.
A barn rebuilt to hold dances , a music hall of a sorts, a pub in a way, serving meals made of homegrown vegetables and breads. A bakery, a creamery, a shop filled with antiques and crafts. I dreamed big, wanting to create a place of solitude and filled with life. A little piece of Heaven on Earth. Holidays celebrated to the fullest, wooden swings swaying, readers finding spots to lay a blanket and fall into the story they hold in their hands. Something for everyone and everybody.
It was a wonderful dream, a dream which faded as time and life moved forward. Realities destroyed what the dream obscured. Yet, the dream lingers on, an apple drops from a tree rolling towards me and I remember my childhood and the dream. It whispers to me and I smile as I think of the planning and joy it gave me. Then an old poster of mine pops into my head “Happy are those who dream dreams and are willing to pay the price to make them come true”. Well, my dream did not come true, but the dream filled me with joy and love, just for thinking of it and creating it’s ideal. A faded dream filled with love.
