I keep referring to leaving the farm, but I am still here. Having spent more time here than anywhere else in my life the time will come when I leave. Each new day presents fresh opportunities and I have calculated that there is another half of my life yet to live.
What has been, doesn’t always have to be.
Looking to the west, at each night’s sunset, I question why I would ever leave this place. It is stunning, peaceful, and filled with an indescribable beauty. Above all, it is the landscape’s natural colours that are most appealing.
The city house
At Christmas, we bought a beautiful townhouse in the city, just a stone’s throw from the river, the beach, parks, shopping centre, public transport, and hospitals. More importantly, it is close to our daughters, in an old suburb; tree-lined, safe, and quiet.
The closer it comes to making the shift, curiously, the more I feel I will miss the farm. All my life, I wanted to go back to the city but now that I can, the countryside looms largely peaceful, tranquil and beautiful. For the time being, it will be a gradual transition, putting in a crop, harvesting it, and thinking about doing it all over again the following year. Selling the livestock will give us a great deal more time in the city but returning to the farm for cropping and harvesting will be part of the progression towards leading a new life that still includes farming.