My son and I spent the weekend on an Ontario farm where he got to escape the final throes of college and I got to escape suburban life. The weekend was a weird and wonderful mix of calm and excitement; work and relaxation–just as you might expect farm life to be:

* We worked around the place, repairing fences and cleaning up after winter, ate hearty meals and played with four dogs: an aging-but-lovable Labrador Retriever, a Golden Retriever, a young, irrepressible Royal Poodle, and a pregnant Standard Poodle. We hoped she’d deliver while we were there. She didn’t disappoint us.

* We watched a rafter of more than 20 Wild Turkeys forage on a nearby hillside, lead by an enormous displaying tom (a younger tom would occasionally fluff himself up then, when the older one noticed him, would quickly and comically “defluff.”

* We helped care for nine goats–four of which are pregnant.

* We watched the late-night birth of six puppies (well, I only saw two of them. The rest were born after I went to bed at 3 a.m.) Interested in a Golden Doodle? (It’s a mix of Golden Retriever and Poodle) Click here to see them.

On the drive home I recalled a story I had read about an organization committed to getting us all to slow down and recapture the art of savoring life.

It’s an idea I want to try to keep in front of me. Visiting that farm sure helps.

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