Fulfilling a Dream…
… Even During COVID
During 2020 it is even more important to have a dream – and to follow that dream.
As a group at Inukshuk Farm we dreamed of returning to South Algonquin Trails, riding through the forests, camping with our horses and spending time around the campfire. A new ugly truth was in all our minds – how do we do this safely during a global pandemic?
At our stable, we take COVID-19 seriously and are conscious at all times of cleansing surfaces, observing physical distancing and using hand sanitizer. Even with all 
the precautions we already take there were concerns about sharing a cabin and whether physical distancing would be possible over a four-day trip. Some of our campers chose to bring their own tents, drive individually, and even though we have a group bubble at our stable, each person’s comfort level was important. So we talked about it, discussed individual concerns and reached mutually agreed-upon solutions of how to take this trip in 2020 and still feel safe. We are so glad we did!
Our days were occupied with riding, picking wild raspberries along the trail, realizing the quiet of the woods after a rain, diving our horses off a teeter totter bridge into a stream (that was outside our usual box but we all did it!), searching for moose and bear tracks, admiring (more than usual) the interesting formations of tree roots growing around rocks. And we observed hikers on the trails too, so horses are not necessary! Everyone who wants to observe nature in this intimate way can do it.
We all have different items on our bucket list. It does not have to be an exotic trip to fulfil a long desired moment of solitude. One of our campers wanted to skip the ride in the forest and just sit at her horse’s stall, sharing quality time with her mare and read her novel. Simple but sweet and it fulfilled a wish.
Everyone has a dream; during these difficult days, maybe fulfilling the smallest of those dreams can be the most rewarding.
Submitted by Janice Ecclestone, Inukshuk Farm
www.inukshukfarm.ca
