My great-uncle Bob was the first member of our family to leave the rat race and seek the simple life on a hundred-acre hill farm north of the city. In the 1930s, he found a secluded property that … [Read more...]
Keeping the Mind Free of Reptiles
I’ve always felt like a bit of a rebel, living as I have for nearly 40 years as a back-to-the-lander and filling the freezer every fall with food I produce myself. But to the bearded hobbits in my … [Read more...]
Retirement Advice for the Self-employed Landowner
As a country person ages, there is a temptation to imagine the approach of a quiet and graceful retirement – long, dreamy summer afternoons napping on the porch swing while grandchildren romp in the … [Read more...]
Champlain Slept Here
There is a legend among historians that Samuel de Champlain, the great mapmaker, explorer and arguably the first “Canadian,” spent the winter of 1615 on my farm in Huronia, the land of the … [Read more...]
Finding Traction on the Backroads
When my mother came to the country in the 1950s, she brought a Ford station wagon that would carry five children and a lot of dogs. The starter had a flat spot and a mechanic made the mistake of … [Read more...]
The View From the Top
Last year in this space I wrote about painting my barn. That was a totally unnecessary project and a shameless vanity because barns do not require paint. You only have to drive a mile into the … [Read more...]
Read all of Dan’s Fenceposts columns
Click to read all of Dan's Fenceposts columns: In The Hills Magazine. … [Read more...]
Great Escapes
I should be used to it by now. It happens every August when the pasture dries up and the lambs start working holes in the fence. I arrive home and find two of them grazing the “long pasture,” which is … [Read more...]
