Lucy and I have just come in from our evening walk. When we left it was pouring rain outside and I had one of those fleeting sulky moments where I thought to myself, ‘If I didn’t have a dog I would be curled up by the fireplace with a good book right now instead of putting on rubber boots and raingear…!’ Of course as soon as I got outside and breathed in the fresh air and looked around at the glistening trees and wild plants dripping with rain and walked on that soft carpet of moss I was so glad that I had come out and joined in this natural event. There was even a little spring in my step as I headed down the grassy trail.

In the evenings, Lucy and I often hike part of the same trail that we take every morning, but keeping it shorter and saving the longer walk for earlier in the day. This particular evening, the sun shone brightly through some gaps in the clouds and just as we were heading home, I happened to glance up and see a beautiful rainbow arching across the sky. Knowing that I was going to write this first entry as soon as I got back, I thought, ‘What a great start!’

This blog is dedicated to people who, like myself, are passionate about: respecting the earth, walking in nature, observing wildlife, eating a local diet, making do with what you have, buying handmade, repurposing, organic gardening, foraging for wild plants and fungi, natural health, scrumptious healthy cooking, doing renovations and other DIY projects, crafting, their dogs, taking time for stillness, and living a life in tune with the seasons.

As I have already lived here for ten months (and Lucy for seven) we have much to catch up on! I hope that some of these posts resonate with you, whether you live in the country and are having similar experiences, or perhaps are planning to move out of the city some day and want to learn more about the many facets of country life and natural living. I look forward to learning from you and with you and invite you to join us as I share stories from our daily lives here at the cabin, complete with all of its challenges, joys, and moments of wonder.