Reunited and it feels so good

 

Heather and I happily drove from Okotoks to the Grande Prairie area on Friday to reunite with Coco and Shay. They had been enjoying life on the farm since September. The drive, while long, is quite enjoyable. Google insisted on taking us on a meandering journey through towns like Sylvan Lake, Entwistle and Mayerthorpe. It's the opposite of the "straight line" kind of trip.

When we pulled into the farm and got out of the vehicle, Corinne came out the front door with the two dogs. We were unsure of what they would do or how they would react. In the moment, it felt like we all had to rediscover each other. Shay came down right away, but Coco hesitated. Once they licked us, recognition flooded their faces.

They both seemed unfamiliar to me, darker and way more hairy than I remember. That unfamiliarity lasted only a few minutes. It was very similar to visiting an old friend from high school that I hadn't seen in 30 years. The first few moments are all about the brain reestablishing connections. 

We spent a lazy Saturday playing games with Chris and Corinne. I also went out several times to feed the chickadees. The forest on the farm has changed so much since we left in September. You can see right through to the field on the opposite side. Every sound is amplified ten fold. Though I couldn't see it, a moose or deer was walking through the dense part of the forest, snapping trees and branches.

Sunday was filled with lots of driving and regular stops to let the dogs out to run. We found several good pull out spots where they could run and explore without having to leash them up. It was perfect and they were troopers not having been in a vehicle for so long.

We are now settled in The Loft above the former Birdsong Studio 2.0. Heather and I spent many hours up here during our years on the property, mostly cleaning between Airbnb guests. This is our first time actually living here. This will be our base of operations until we get occupancy of our home in High River. 

I feel very comfortable. For the first time in memory, I slept through the night. This morning I am working at my laptop at the small table where we eat while Heather does her work at the little desk near the windows. The dogs are sprawled out on the rug.

We will visit our construction site today, catch up on some shipping that needs to be done, and Heather will have several clients at Centered on Wellness in High River. Life is good.