Family Thanksgiving - City girl hits the country

We celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving on the first Monday in October. Although you know me primarily as a city mouse with my love for all things big city (NYC I'm looking at YOU), I am a country mouse too. It's a yin and yang thing. And that country mouse was quite satisfied celebrating Thanksgiving with my extended family on a prairie farm two hours from the nearest small city.

I know, me with cows and chickens and hay and all that - I'm full of surprises over here. Just when you think you've got me figured out...

We had the old farm dog whose idiosyncracies are happily tolerated. He's earned it.

And the new dog who's just a bit on the rambunctious side as they tend to be as teenagers.

You could feel the chill in the air in the evening but the sweet peas were still blooming.

Although the squirrels got most of them, there were apples to snack on.

The chickens happily laid eggs every day.

And the oldest cow in the herd was happy too. She's 17 years old.

Of course there was a fabulous turkey dinner made by my sister.

And the girl with her cousins. She has four of them all within a year or two in age. Thanksgiving weekend they were doing what the girl loves best - being free range. The farmhouse door slammed shut as they ran out to play. There was hide and seek after dark with flashlights and tag during the day in the hay bales. Had to build a fort there too. 

And tossing rocks off the bridge. Always that. The most, the furthest, the highest.

But the best part. THE best part. The part that got me all choked up. That part was seeing the girl's skinned knee being fixed up by her aunties. Seeing her being fussed over by family was THE sweetest part of Thanksgiving weekend. And that is what I am thankful for this year.

How about you?