MAY LONG-WEEKEND

            Sarah and Me and Some of Her Goodies            

          The May long-weekend has come and gone and here at Golden Unicorn Farm, my wife Sarah and I are a little closer to achieving some of our goals.  Goals are important but they shouldn't be so huge or an unrealistic fantasy that they are unatainable - success being the key factor for one's self esteem.  Fortunately, all the goals we are trying to reach by the end of this summer are within our grasp.  One such goal is a coffee shop.  Sarah has been busy working hard at baking different varieties of breads, muffins and cookies, which she's been selling at the Woodstock Farmer's Market every weekend for the past couple of months and now as the "lake-people" begin moving into their lakeside cottages, we opened a wee coffee shop this long-weekend for their enjoyment; hopefully a fun place to congregate and enjoy my wife's mouth-watering wares.  I'm happy to say that it's going over very well and I expect as the population expands by our somewhat migratory fair-weather friends, so too shall our wee coffee shop.  Another goal we're attempting to achieve is building a barn, fencing a pasture and a garden area.  Although the work has been anything but easy, especially when one is at the ripe old age of several months short of 70 and my bones creak and groan every time I bend over, with the help of my friend Garry Clark and big brother Larry, the pasture fence is well on its way to completion and the materials of the barn (harvested from two other barns) is lying on the ground awaiting the big barn raising date, which should be sometime within the next couple of weeks.

Garry Clark and Brother Larry Building the Pasture Fence

           My brother arrived about a week ago for a visit but mostly to help me out; said, "We could visit while we worked."  He flies home today at approx. 6:00pm and I wished we could have had more of a relaxing time together.  However, that being said, I'm very thankful for all the nail pulling, toting beams, pounding in posts, stretching wire, etc., etc. - his arrival has certainly been a huge help.  We never grew up together, so I'm very thankful for all our times together whenever they should happen to occur or as short as they may be.  He's 8 years younger than me and as odd as it may seem because of our ages, we actually wrestled for a beer.  I of course lost but we had a good time chuckling about it as we rolled around on the ground, his strong arms almost crushing me.  It's too bad Larry will miss out on the barn-raising because I think it's going to be one heck of a good time - lots of good food, beer and laughter.  I don't know when we'll get together again even though he's hoping to come by again next year.  And, if that should happen, hopefully we'll be able to take in a little fishing, more beer drinking and perhaps a little work - just kidding Larry!

          Here at Golden Unicorn Farm. winter was slow leaving and spring has barely arrived - the trees are just getting their leaves and the apple blossoms are almost ready to open.  The black flies are having a biting good time and the mosquitoes will soon be here too.  We have a couple of swallows nesting in the wood shed and the bats have finally arrived but I doubt very much that they will be able to control the hordes of pesky black flies and mosquitoes.  I'm told they only last about 3 weeks but since I can't wait for warmer dry weather, I'll just have to continuing working - lots to do before the snow flies again and I won't have my brother to help me out any more - going to miss my big bro big time!