Jim and Maggie's Farm

What a beautiful spot! Right out of a picture book! Matt's parents have a farm in Chilliwack, BC. It's so pretty! Even the old structures are pretty in a pretty setting. I want to live there. I know. I say that about everywhere.

We had dinner there after Luke's game. A lovely meal with pie-challenge rhubarb pie. Maggie was sure she could make a pie better than the one she had at Aphrodite's and I'd say she pulled it off. Delish!

Below are a lot of photos of their property. Too bad it was quite a cloudy day, otherwise, they said, where all those white clouds are we'd have been seeing snowy mountain tops. Cool!

There's a pool that doesn't show in the photos behind their house and I understand they installed a hot tub only days after we were there. What a beautiful spot to hang out in a hot tub!

This shed has been converted into Matt and Wes's studio. Wes is Matt's good friend and artistic collaborator. They recently installed a wood stove so they could work comfortably in there during winter. You can see their well-stocked, elevated wood crib in the upper right corner of the photo below.

And, of course, they put in swings. Probably for thinking. I'm sure one can think better and more creatively while swinging. One day I'll do a post about Matt and Wes's projects and include some links so you can see their work. It's pretty cool. Matt hasn't quit his day job yet, though. He's pretty busy with a rather exclusive landscaping company. I'd like to have seen some of the places they care for but most of them are in private yards.

A boy and his dog. This is Bella and she's just two years old. Very sweet and beautiful.

I get pretty sentimental when I see a dog playing frisbee. Our Kooma ... years ago ... was such a great frisbee catcher. I sure miss that dog.

I was admiring their tree swing. Good thing I didn't try it out.

Matt took the fall for me.

What a lovely evening. We were especially delighted to meet Matt's parents. His sister, Jessica, arrived from Australia the next day and we were able to meet her, too, at the football game.

Crazy "small world" story: Jim, Matt's Dad, when he learned that Hannah had family around Kyle, Saskatchewan, asked her if she knew the O'Hara family, which Hannah didn't. Understandably. So they asked me when I was there and I almost fell off my chair because of course I know the O'Hara family! Apparently Rob O'Hara works with Jim (Matt's Dad - I keep saying that so nobody confuses him with my brother Jim) and Rob is my friend Cindy's nephew! Jim had such good things to say about Rob, which I must pass on to Cindy and Bev (Rob's Mom and Cindy's sister). Hannah knows Cindy, of course, and her kids, Casey and Bobbi, so once she had the connection figured out, we all marveled at what a small world it really is!

So, any readers from Kyle out there? Isn't that neat?!