Scott Fotheringham

It is perfect that Scott sent this sweet picture of himself and Ruth after I just posted about her last week. I love having my Windhorse community close to me in the city and being able to share memories about our time on the farm. Here is a gem from Scott.

“On a cold February night, at the end of the last century, I was staying at the Farm and cooking for an ecoforestry course Jim was teaching. Margaret was in retreat in the Honey House. The NS Sea School was also running a program there. The teenagers were at the farm to see where wood for building boats came from.Each night I’d prep for the next day’s meals, baking bread, making granola and applesauce, and cleaning up. After Jim had said good night to the ecoforestry students this night, he came into the farmhouse kitchen and sat and talked to me while I worked. He made us elderberry and grape juice from frozen fruit from the previous summer.

I asked Jim if he wanted to skate on the pond with me. He’d had a long day and balked at going out again. However, it didn’t take much convincing. I told him that he would forget this particular night if he went to bed, but that he’d remember it forever if he came skating. The two of us bundled up and skated onto the clear and smooth ice under the light of the full moon. As we skated around the small island, I told him about an article I’d read. The hemlocks had been almost completely killed off by a disease a few thousand years ago but had recovered. “That’s hopeful,” Jim said. “That means there’ll be another vibrant hemlock forest here in 500 years.”

Meanwhile, the Sea Schoolers had decided to have a sauna. They cut a hole in the ice of the pond and were running from the sauna and dropping their shrieking bodies into the frigid water as we skated by in our parkas, hats, and mitts    .

I don’t know if Jim remembers that night but what I told him is true for me: I will never forget the warmth of skating with a friend, under a full moon, with the two of us and the joyous youth doing something we all had never done before and may never do again.”

Ruth Fotheringham

Ruth lived at the farm from May to October in 2008. She lived in Sunshine house with her mom and her dad because she was not yet 1year old. Ruth is a city mouse/ country mouse like me. She loves the outdoors and is relaxed and cheerful when give space to run. I shared some muffin with Ruth and her Dad, Scott, this morning at Local Jo. Ruth doesn’t seem to remember much from the time when she lived at WHF, but she does remember the many visits she has had since then. “THE HORSES!” and “THE CHICKENS!” were her exclamations when asked who lives at the farm. Her enthusiasm and joy is refreshing and exciting. The children of WHF have been a huge part of the richness and delight of the place. Ruth will grow up with farm in her fingers and toes and Windhorse will grow from her laughter and curiosity.