Three years ago we traded our city life for a vineyard in the Okanagan. At that time we had the respectable number of urban animals: one small dog, one cat. We struggled to adapt to the wonders of living away from Starbucks and the mall, and the rigors of growing things bigger than houseplants. We have become farmers-with many a hard lesson behind us and a whole bucketful in front. So far, the vines are alive and healthy.
But a weird thing comes with living in the country, especially in Spring. I can't seem to get enough animals. We now have four dogs and two cats. We have a lizard. Seems like a respectable number – my sister thinks excessive– but like taking only a few bites of Chocolate Crunch Häagen-Dazs, I want MORE. I attended the Women on Wine lunch at God's Mountain. They have a white horse wandering around. I now really, really want a horse wandering around. I don't know how to ride and our land is all on the side of a mountain, but if the horse can handle God's Mountain, surely it can handle the slope of Anarchist? Our property also came complete with a chicken coop! I resisted last year, but this year I am getting chickens. How can you have a chicken coop and not fill it with chickens? Layers, not meat, I can't eat family. My husband has not talked me out of this madness; he has encouraged it by buying me Chicken Magazines. It will therefore clearly be his fault if he is eating omelets and quiche all summer long.
Ovino Winery has a flock of sheep. I really want sheep. And I'm in love with goat cheese, why not goats? Think of it, the sheep and goats could wander through and eat the grass, no mowing required, no herbicide needed. They would naturally fertilize as they went. Along with the horse and the chickens. Of course I would have to put said goats and sheep somewhere when the vines start to grow, and I hear horses love grapes, so that could be a small problem, and I have absolutely no idea how to keep chickens, goats, sheep or horses alive but hey, three years ago I had no idea how to grow grapes either.
So Rhode Island or Cochin? Should I get a rooster?