With longer days allowing for more time in nature, we’re enjoying the shades of green, turtles and wildlife sightings. We had a fun and informative Bird Count on May 19th, witnessing around 30 species in less than 4 hrs – which by professional accounts is a good record. Please put next year’s Big Day aka bird count in your calendar for May 10/11th 2025 – it’s easy to remember because it’s the same weekend as Mother’s Day.
Bird Count
Scott Russell was our bird guide.
House Renovations
We’re also thrilled to announce that our extension renovations are done, for now. Peter’s father Rudy built the original extension in the 1970s, but it remained unfinished. It took us 2 months of hands-on labour to renovate, resulting in 2 new bedrooms and another large living-room space. Here’s a sampling of “before, during and after” photos to tell the tale.
From moving the extension storage to the barn (thanks Miko and Heeji) to cleaning, wall construction, plastering, painting and furnishing, it was a lot of work, but the outcome is magnificent.
Naturally Lennox & Addington, aka our local tourism office, was onsite last week to take photos and promote us. It was such a pleasure to walk Rob & Miranda around the property, share stories, see them enjoy nature and admire our handy work. And while we don’t have a FB page (yet), here are the links for you to click on, admire and share:
https://www.facebook.com/naturallylennoxaddington/posts/pfbid02BpT9n98TkKLvipuqEAh2QFvuG6FsScvMzCytFkdAX5pjRte7Bst3epUBSAaDcVjWlhttps://www.facebook.com/share/p/buB2ttmFYwwaD6RL/?mibextid=WC7FNe
The farmhouse can now host bigger groups – it’s honestly the perfect place for family reunions and rustic retreats. Updated photos are now on our AirBnb link: https://airbnb.com/h/scff and we are looking forward to summer rentals in between our programmed events. If you know anyone looking for a retreat in nature away from the crowds, please pass the link on.
Shinrin Yoku
Victoria has 2 more free Shinrin Yoku (forest therapy) sessions to be scheduled in June. Please send a direct email with your preferred dates: victoria@scff.ca.
Please join Victoria and Jenny Labrada (Reficiowellness.ca) for We Add Heart in Nature on the last Wednesday of the Summer months – June 26th, July 31st, Aug 28th and Sept 25th. WeAddHeart are heart-focused meditations. Free sessions are 7:00 – 7:40pm. Please email Victoria directly for more information, location etc. at victoria@scff.ca.
For information about Heartmath, visit: https://www.heartmath.co.uk/we-add-heart/
Updated Summer Schedule
July
Special Events at the Tett Gallery, Tett Centre for Creativity and Learning, Kingston
July 4-9 The Abstraction is not the Reality, Exhibition of photographs by Peter Sramek
July 4 Opening/Vernissage 5-8pm
July 6 Introduction to Basic Hand Bookbinding one-day workshop
July 7 Linkstitch and Album Binding Structures one-day workshop
To sign-up for bookbinding workshops with Peter follow this link:
scff.ca/bookbinding
Workshops at SCFF in Tamworth
To be scheduled: Shinrin Yoku sessions led by Victoria
August
2-5 Nature Conservancy Canada Backyard Bioblitz
10-11 Handbound Artists’ Books workshop with Peter
23-25 Poetic Whispers: Installations in Nature with Walter Bergmoser and Peter
30- Sep 1 International Art Collaborations Network Weekend
To be scheduled: Happy for No Reason Workshops & Shinrin Yoku sessions led by Victoria
We are ready to expand what we offer, and we invite you to reach out to us with your ideas/suggestions or recommendations. Creativity has no bounds and SCFF provides a beautiful inspiring backdrop. If you know anyone who is looking for time away in the country, for a venue to host their workshops, retreats or events, or someone who might want to participate in our workshops, please forward our information. We’re still very grassroots, relying on word of mouth and we’re very grateful for those who we’re meeting on this incredible journey.
We’d love you to come and visit, participate in and/or send like-minded people our way. Thank you for your support, sharing and being a part of our incredible community.
Victoria and Peter