We didn’t know much (ok ANYTHING) about Saltspring before we moved here. Like many of the locals, we moved here on a bit of a whim (how else can you do it) and had only visited twice before landing here for good.
We didn’t know about the community, we had hopes.. but knew nothing certain. We figured to get here and stay here you had to make a conscious choice to do so. It is not a place you happen to land and stay. It is a place to hold on to, a place you make happen when the urge takes you.
We didn’t know about the fall fair (or any of the festivals, of which there are many)
We approached the fairgrounds cautiously, not entirely sure what to expect, or what to focus on.
What we found was a community. A lovely, old-school (I love everything about the simplicity of how I grew up.. the oldschool-ness) community. From pie & canning contests, to zuchinni races. Awards for the best rooster call, and proud kids showing their 4H pets. It was exactly what we weren’t expecting, and exactly what we needed to see.
As my husband and I toted the kids through the fair, we listened to the music and saw dreams of our future. The kids worked clay and planned for a zuchinni 500 entry for next year. Hubby and I imagined the year when the kids are busy in the 4h tent, are running rampant with their crowd of friends and we are relaxing in the beer garden, warm in the September sun, listening to the live music.
We didn’t know what we were stepping into when we came here. We knew what we wanted, and we wished we would find it… but I don’t know if we actually thought we would.
But this is it… the mix of creativity with rural culture. The warmth of the community, the freedom for the kids.
We looked at each other as the fair was closing up shop for another year. We wandered down the dusty road, with the sound of horses behind us, a warm pie in our hands and we caught each others gaze and shared a thought.
This is our place. We need to make it work. As much as we came here on a whim… we will invest our hearts and souls into staying. Life should be simple, not complex and filled with chaos.
Home with dirty feet and sun warmed shoulders, kids in the bath and smiles on our faces. Life is good.