And so, the weekend had to come to an end. It was great to get away, and refreshing to hang out with some decent people. Adam most of all, who renews my ever waning faith in humanity every time I see him. I had a few songs in mind for the video, but the first song I thought of, and the one I eventually used, is by The Postal Service. Before I started editing, I could only recall the first few bars, but I knew that those notes would be able to perfectly define the feeling I wanted. Funny that it happens to be named There’s Never Enough Time. There are so many things I could say, but the videos say it all.

One of the best things about the farm is that it’s a farm. There are the two large and loyal dogs, Willow and Atka. There’s the chirpy housecat, Femo, who likes to twist and turn her body for one to scratch. There are cows, who can jump really high if frightened.

Aside from the animals, there are all other sorts of little things that make the farm rustic and differentiate it from the city life I’m so used to living. It’s not every place that I’ll find random 12-guage shotgun shells on a cabinet, or piles of firewood that are bigger than my house. It really makes me feel like I’m away; away from computers, school, work, or traffic.

I’ll end off with a shot of the inscription on Eric’s flask.

Here’s to them.

It wasn’t a great day for landings, but it was perfect for hanging out on the hill, soaking up the winter sun, and goofing around.

If I’m introduced to a good song at a moment in time, I associate it with a specific memory. At Sandbanks last year, it was Eric blasting Yellow Ledbetter by Pearl Jam before the park warden stopped by to gave warning. This time it was 93 Till Infinity by Souls Of Mischief, a track with a true 90’s beat. It’s easy to deduce the general age of the group from the music; the songs that Eric plays on his stereo are the ones that the Bancroft group grew up listening to.

It was the middle of winter for us, but on that one weekend, it felt like the beginning of spring. We donned our vests, hoodies, and sweaters for runs down the hill. The temperature was just under 10°C, and there was no need for heavy down-filled coats. The scenery is beautiful. No one around, no authority telling us what we can and can’t do. The perfect weekend gettaway.

As Aaron noted, Matt’s ability to jump on a board and naturally carve up the hill after an extended snowboarding hiatus is telling of his board experience in general. The one successful landing I got of Aaron seems tiny compared to the jumps that Matt and Eric do, but he assures me that it’s a lot steeper (and scarier) from the top of the hill than it looks at the bottom.

Euchre has become universal for our group now. We must have played nearly a dozen games that night, and I managed not to lose a single one, with the help of Aaron as my partner. For the last four points of one game (as seen in the video), I was dealt one of the best hands I’ve ever had: both bauers, an ace/jack trump, and an off king. I was lucky enough to make the trump suit too, since Aaron flipped over a red bauer. I seem to have tremendous luck when I’m on the farm. Last year, when I was partnered up with Nick at the hunting cabin, we had an undefeated winning streak. It’s generally never a good idea to play against Trolley’s cousins, though. They grew up playing together, so it’s impossible to track the number of signals they use.

I’ll admit that this is me. Good times because of good people. One of the best nights of my life.

Adam already has the best story of the year. I happened to be carrying when we were stopped for a traffic check on the way up (which made me nervous enough), but it wasn’t anywhere close to what Adam had on him. I didn’t need a flaming shot to calm myself though.

Isn’t it funny that Matt talks about burning his lashes minutes before Adam singes his own.

There were three main crews vacationing at the farm that weekend. The Ottawa crew consisted of Trolley, Aaron, and I. In the Toronto crew was Adam, Efrem, Lyda, and Jim. The main group, the ones originally from Bancroft, were Tyler with Meryl, Eric, Sarah, Matt, and Kate, although Trolley and Adam would also be considered members, and brought their respective crews. Of course, even Trolley’s cousins showed up, as they always do, since they’re only a short snowmobile ride away.

It took a few hours for everyone to arrive, since people were up to five hours away, so time was spent The Streets listening, card playing, and alcohol inducing while waiting. When Eric walked in and said, “WOAH”, Aaron and I completely stopped what we were doing and looked at each other. It was obvious that Eric was loaded already, because he’s rarely so boisterous.

And Sarah’s brown cow filled the snifter when she started.