One Week

I do my best to keep things in check, balancing my highs and good times with probable periods of payback, the knowledge that nothing comes for free. I wouldn’t say I expect the worst to happen, but my habits over the years have laid the groundwork to be suspicious when the pendulum swings toward sunny skies and rose bouquets.

When we left Canmore a week ago my anticipation of crying on the way out didn’t come to fruition. Given that we were exhausted from packing over the course of three days and grossly distracted but the tasks at hand, my emotions when we hit the highway heading west weren’t of regret or remorse or sadness. Instead, they vacillated between brief periods of panic and elation. It was a long time ago that we left Ontario, but even in my fading memories I don’t recall as much excitement as I did driving to Twin Lakes. I didn’t look back once on Canmore, only forward.

Now, I understand that we’re still fully entrenched in the honeymoon phase of our adventure which surely can’t last forever (you see, balance the good with the bad…), but for 7 full days I’ve been as happy as I ever have been, and more consistently. I don’t have the words to express how perfect this experiment has been to this point, so I’ll just list our accomplishments to date:

1. Bought the ideal 5th wheel trailer for us at a great price.
2. Built a deck out front of said 5th wheel.
3. Baked bread in said 5th wheel.
4. Built stairs to the 5th wheel so the old dog can get in and out on her own steam(ish).
5. Dug a grey water trench and mulch pit.
6. Set up a meeting with a cheesemaker in Penticton about working and learning from her.
7. Started composting which we couldn’t do before.
8. Watched the dogs and cat roam (at great peril, actually) the property at will.
9. Planted a seeding of cover crop to rebuild the soil where the excavator went through.
10. Got a contract to write some website content
11. Found design plans for a greenhouse.

There is so much to learn and explore. My gratitude for all of it is unbounded. May that gratitude never end, even when the pendulum swings back.