Here We Go…. September Brings Change.

As summer draws to a close, Aly and I greet the new things September brings. For her, that means diving into her studies at Dalhousie Ag, and for me, that means beginning my much anticipated internship at Truro Alliance.

We have had a fantastic summer, and we are sad for the changing of seasons, but also excited for what the future holds. Aly is taking a full course load - genetics, statistics, calculus, agricultural science, & The Horse (literally what the course is called). We toured the school together a few weeks ago - they do all sorts of things. A few that stood out to me were the mink research center, sheep, trout, salmon, and an algae farm to feed the various molluscs they grow.

Jordan, Aly’s brother, came to visit and we had a great time exploring our beautiful province with him. He enjoys photography, so we had the privilege of seeing some great pictures he took of various Nova Scotia landmarks. Peter and Jenna, our friends and old neighbours from Calgary also came to visit for a day, which was a lot of fun as we explored halifax together. I love the privilege of cooking big meals for guests. It’s so much fun to me – even more so when I get to use garden fresh ingredients and local produce. For Peter, Jenna, Jordan, Aly and myself I made (with help) homemade english muffins, bacon, backyard eggs, hollandaise, blueberry-capital-of-canada blueberry reduction, crepes, coffee, etc. It was great, and we had so much fun around that table. It’s a genuine pleasure to share my home with guests.

I’m going to get real for a second: life is different after the classes are done. Now that I’m entering my internship, everything feels unfamiliar. I keep asking myself if I’m prepared for these next steps, and I am not sure if I am. University was great for me, but I’m not sure if I had a great endgame mentality - I lived in the moment, focused on my classes, but didn’t spend enough time thinking about what comes next. I keep thinking that I should have asked just one more question to this professor, or watched more closely how that person conducted themselves. I studied the principles more than the practices. I’ve got some great mentors here, so I’m not too worried about it, but I wish I came to this place feeling a little more ready for the next steps. I guess just another area for me to think bigger than myself, and rely on God more and more. I’m thankful I’m not in this alone!

Two highlights for me since the last post are Island Hill Farm - a goat farm that blew my mind (and now I want some goats but Aly is saying no) and peach picking. The goat farm was fascinating because of how many uses goats can provide - meat, milk, & wool/hair. I’d love to get a few and make my own goat cheese – which would pair nicely with my fresh picked peaches. Peaches are my favourite fruit, so to be able to pick them in my new home province – all while within view of the ocean – was simply a stunning experience. I got a little crazy, and at $1 per pound we wound up taking home 29lbs – for two people. I’m averaging 2-3 peaches a day right now, and just loving it.

Photo Cred: Jordan Froese.

At this update comes to a close, I’d like to ask you all to keep Aly and I in your thoughts and prayers – September is when everything changes and we learn to sink or swim. In all of this I ask that you remember to pray for us to take time for ourselves and each other, that Aly would find some great friends, and that we would be full of grace & truth as we share our lives with others.